Photo Credit: Boerne Phoenix Football
Photo Credit: Boerne Phoenix Football
Is a town with two mascots big enough for another? When it comes to football, the answer is “yes.” Boerne Phoenix Football, an 11-man, amateur football team for men ages 18 and older has six positions left to fill out the team. All UTSA men interested in playing in an exciting and fast-paced league are invited to try out and bring cleats and/or running shoes.
The team is part of the Crossroads Amateur Football League, which kicks-off its season in February, 2014, and runs through April.
Games are played using NFL rules. Home games will be played in Boerne, with away games in the San Antonio metro area. The cost to join the team is $125. All 2014 game proceeds benefit Boerne I.S.D. football programs.
“For men that love football and the camaraderie of a team, this is a competitive and fun league that offers men in their 20s, 30s and 40s an opportunity to play the game,” said Phoenix Football Head Coach Tommy Mathews. Mathews is an experienced high school and college player and is known for his tremendous football knowledge and high energy.
For more information about Boerne Phoenix Football, please contact General Manager Kris Knopf at 210-289-6243 or email at [email protected] or visit Boerne Phoenix Football on Facebook.
The Paisano talked to Vice President Craig “Griz” Adams about the league
How long has the league been going on?
The league has been around for five or six years. Our team has probably been around eight or nine years. It started off as a six-man football tackle league.
What’s your role with the team?
Last year we organized a team as a non-profit corporation and we have a board of directors. Last year I was the president. This year I’m one of the vice presidents. Also, I played on the team last year. I played left tackle and left guard.
How many games are played in the Crossroads Amateur Football League?
There are 10 regular season games for Crossroads Amateur Football League this year. So that is five home games in Boerne and five away games with one bye week during spring break. For our home games we play at Boerne Middle School South. We play our games on Saturday nights at 7 p.m. underneath the lights.
What has the interaction been like with the players who join the league?
It’s a really fun thing to watch, especially after that first game. It transports you back to that time when you played football before and then you’re hooked. You love the game; you love the idea of being on a team and going into battle together. The whole camaraderie of football because it’s a physical game is different than anything else that you might choose to do.
Do players have to sign waivers for injuries?
We do have our liability waiver that people sign. We encourage people to buy their own equipment or they can borrow equipment from the available pool that the team owns. People do have injuries but thankfully all l the injuries last year were fairly minor things.
What are the goals to the non-profit aspect of the team?
We decided that we wanted to try it as a way to accomplish several goals. One was to build community. Secondly, was to raise money for the school district football programs in Boerne. Last year we contributed back $300 to Boerne Middle School South and donated $2,000 to Boerne High School. Our hope this year is to invite coaches from Boerne High School to be guest players and raise our attendance up to 400 people a game. We’re hoping this year between ticket sales and concessions we can raise something closer to fifteen or twenty thousand dollars.
Are there opportunities for UTSA students to participate?
We think based on the other teams in the league that we are geographically the closest semi-pro football team in the league to the UTSA campus. We thought it was a natural fit that if there were students at UTSA who played high school or college football and were looking for an opportunity to play, we were the most logical team.