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AFA PRESS RELEASE December 17, 2003Media - contact Dave
Burch at AFA National Office
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BROOKLYN MARINERS TO FACE ST. PAUL PIONEERS IN AFA’S 24th ANNUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE GAME
The American Football Association announced today the undefeated Brooklyn Mariners (16-0) will face the St. Paul Pioneers (11-1) on Sunday, December 21 in the Minneapolis Metrodome for the AFA’s 24th annual National Championship title.
The Brooklyn team will travel to Minneapolis for the showdown game of the semi-pro football season. The Mariners are coached by Pudgy Walsh, a Semi-pro Football Hall of Famer and a legend of the sports level of play. Brooklyn won best in the East honors with a 74.623 ‘power point’ total as they fought their way to a Garden State Football League championship and survived several postseason tournament-qualifying games as well. For a semi-pro team to play for the AFA National Championship it must have won its own league championship and advanced to a post-season tournament where they played an defeated other league champs from their regional area.
St. Paul ended their playoff season in first place in the AFA’s Western division for AFA semi-pro teams (that play during the fall months) as they captured the Mid-America League championship as well as their qualifying postseason tournament games - as required by the AFA for teams advancing in the ‘nationals’. The Pioneers averaged 36.8 points a game on offense while only giving up 9.5 on defense. Brooklyn checks in with similar stats - scoring 35.4 per game and giving up only 4.9 per contest.
While Brooklyn has been a perennial national contender for a shot at the AFA National Championship for decades, this will be the first year Pudgy Walsh has had his team playing in the title game. St. Paul is also a first year contender for the AFA’s top team honor.
The winner of Sunday’s game in Minneapolis will be crowned the AFA’s 24th annual National Championship team and the players and coaches of the winning team will have their names engraved on the AFA’s Arthur S. Arkush Memorial Cup. The Arkush Cup contains the names of more than a thousand players and coaches who have been on national championship teams over the past 24 years.
The AFA monitors and ‘power rates’ 622 semi-pro football teams playing in 60 different leagues coast-to-coast during the season. Semi-pro football is one of the fastest growing levels of any adult sport in the country today. AFA teams provide playing venues for more than 60,000 active players, coaches, officials, and team administrators looking to extend their post high school and college football careers.
Dave Burch & Terry Sullivan with Arkush Cup (click for full size)
Photos from
the AFA's Hall of Fame Weekend are available;
just click “Hall
of Fame Class of 2003”. AFA Semi Pro Football Directory Project
The American Football Association recently released its national
demographic map showing the AFA’s eight Regional areas and where each of
the 50 different semi-pro football leagues is located. This map indicates the
number of teams and league that are currently registered with the AFA
national association in each region and whether they play spring/summer or
fall schedules. Just click AFA
Map. For more information
about the AFA national association visit us at
www.AmericanFootballAssn.com Memorabilia Gifts Flash
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Prosperity
Now Fundraising & Incentive Marketing (click here)
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Christmas Shopping? (click here)
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