CIF Football Fans! It's the final week of  the 2018 regular season. It's been a crazy year and with the game between the Texas Revolution and the Amarillo Venom, it's going to get even crazier. 

With the Dallas Marshals out of Champions Indoor Football, there are four teams currently in the South Conference. As it stands right now, the Amarillo Venom are in 2nd place holding strong at 8-3. As for the Texas Revolution, Texas last at 4-7. 

The Amarillo Venom are already in the postseason and will play their game next week. However, for the Texas Revolution, they have to win this game in order to make the playoffs and keep their defending CIF championship status. 

In the first half of the game, the defense was giving Venom quarterback Nate Davis was under some heavy pressure. So much pressure that his offensive line couldn't help protect him. They even made penalties at critical moments in the game. In the first half, the Revolution intercepted the ball, picked up a fumble, and even blocked a field goal by the Amarillo Venom. But, at the same time, the referees were placing the ball in incorrect spots. At the end of the second quarter, the score is the Texas Revolution 40, Amarillo Venom 31.

In the second half, it looked like the tables were turning as the Amarillo Venom were starting to gain some momentum and the Texas Revolution were starting to have problems as injuries were piling up. But, the Revolution never gave up as the Texas Revolution defeated the Amarillo Venom 60-52. 

This victory means that the Texas Revolution are in the postseason yet again. Depending on who wins the Duke City Gladiators-Wichita Force game tomorrow, the Texas Revolution will either play the Amarillo Venom or the Duke City Gladiators. 

Congratulations to the Texas Revolution on making the postseason for another year! 

​By Tonya Swim
Amarillo, Texas-The Quad City Steamwheelers took a 14 hours bus ride down to Amarillo to play against the Venom and try to improve their lot in the Northern Conference.

The Steamwheelers received the ball first. Conner Hollabaugh's kick was taken by Joe Powell
out to their own 24.
EJ Hilliard's first pass of the game was incomplete. A handoff then another incomplete pass brought out Jacob Stytz for an attempted field goal but Hilliard took the snap and ran up to the V20 but was short the first down and the Venom took over on downs.
Time out QC

Nate Davis started the Venom's first possession with a pass to Raymond Johnson Jr. down to the Quad City 8. Then with an eight yard pass to R. Johnson Jr. and the Venom was on the board. Hollabaugh's kick was good and at 11:30 in the first Quad City 0 Amarillo 7.
This was Davis' 42 touchdown pass on the season.

Hollabaugh's kick is a touchback giving Quad City the ball on their own five.
Hilliard ran the ball up to the Quad City 10 bringing up second and five. A handoff and another run put the ball on the Quad City 20 and the first and ten. Hilliard fakes a handoff, but the pass was incomplete thanks to Nashawn Lewis. Hilliard again runs the ball up the right side to the Venom 17 and an incomplete pass will keep them there. Time out, Quad City. Another incomplete pass due in part to great defense by Cashmin Thomas brings up the third and ten, then a 17 yard pass to Tyler Williams in the endzone is a touchdown. The PAT by Stytz is good, the score at 5:31 in the first is Quad City 7 Venom 7.

Stytz kickoff taken by R. Johnson Jr. out to the Venom 13.
Davis' deep pass was knocked away and the handoff to Antonio Bray was a loss of three.
Davis found R. Johnson Jr. to get the ball down to the V21 but was short the first down, however a flag on Quad City's Kewan Alfred gave the Venom the option of taking just the five yards, but a replay of the down, which they took, putting the ball on their own 15 bringing up third and eight. A quick pass to Ricardo Johnson put the ball on the Venom 24 then a fake handoff and quick pitch again to R. Johnson put the ball on the Quad City 15. Another pitch, this time to R. Johnson Jr added five yards then a pitch to Bray added another one bringing up third and four. Davis found R. Johnson Jr. for another touchdown. A flag on the play for illegal defense on Terry Johnson was declined, extra point was good and with 31.4 seconds left in the first, Quad City 7 Amarillo 14.

Quad City starts their next possession on their own 8. Hilliard ended the first quarter with an incomplete pass.Starting the second quarter, Hilliard tossed to Williams but he was bounced back by Terrious Triplett for a loss of one. Time out Quad City. Hilliard ran up the middle, but only gained three because of Lewis bringing up fourth and nine on the Quad City 10 and the field goal team. The 49 yard attempt was no good and the Venom took over midfield due to the ball hitting the pylon.

Davis started out the next play with a pass to Bray for a gain of 5 then a pass to R. Johnson Jr. for a 20 yard pass touchdown. Extra point was blocked. 12:14 in the second quarter, Quad City 7 Venom 20.
Kickoff taken by out by Powell who made it to the Venom 24 before being taken down by Demario Donnell. Hilliard used one play, a 24 yard pass to Quinton Pedroza for a touchdown. Extra point was blocked, 11:46 in the second, Quad City 13 Venom 20.

​Stytz kickoff taken by R. Johnson Jr. out to the Venom 13.
Davis used passes to Terrell Smith, Antonio Bray, Xavier Amey and Ricardo Johnson pass to get the ball up to the Quad City 20. A flag for an illegal snap against the Venom backed the ball to midfield and a fourth and eight. Davis ran the ball up to the Quad City seven then used a timeout. Davis found R. Johnson in the endzone. Hollabaugh's kick was good, 7:12 left in the half Quad City 13 Venom 27.

Williams took the next kickoff out to the Venom 20 yard line.
Hilliard handed off to Williams then a pass to Keyvan Rudd for a touchdown. Stytz extra point was no good, 5:50 left in the half, Quad City 19 Venom 27.

Thomas took the next kickoff, but couldn't get past the five, so the Venom start on their own five yard line. Davis found Amey for a 32 yard pickup to the Quad City 13, an incomplete pass then a pass to Bray put the Venom on the Quad City six, then a keeper up to the four bringing up fourth and one. Davis used Bray to get the Quad City two but then fumbled and Quad City took over at their own six yard line.
Hilliard handoff to Williams was stopped by Triplett on the Quad City 24. Hilliard's pass to wide open to Darius Hicks resulted in a touchdown with 57.3 left in the half. Two pt conversion good, but a false start on Quad City Anthony Pruit, backed them to the Venom seven and the replay of the two point conversion. Another flag on the offense, for delay of game, moved them back to the Venom 12. The next two point conversion failed when Hilliard was sacked by Jeff Branch. Quad City 25 Venom 27 with 53.7 seconds in the half.

Stytz kickoff taken by Thomas, but a flag for illegal blocking on the Venom's Smith and a facemask on Quad City's Johnson allowed Stytz to redo the kickoff. This time Thomas took return for a 40 yard kickoff return. The two point conversion failed and with 37 seconds left in the half, Quad City 25 Venom 33.

Hollabaugh's kickoff bounces out of the endzone and Quad City took the ball at their own five yard line.
Hilliard's pass was limited to a two yard gain when Louvan Green came into the play. Then a flag for false start on Rudd put the ball half the distance to the goal on the Quad City three. Hilliard was again sacked by Branch bringing up the third and twelve with 25 seconds to go in the half. Hilliards next pass didn't make it's mark due to coverage by Thomas and the field goal attempt was no good. 14.5 seconds left in the half Quad City 25 Venom 33.

Venom start midfield and Davis passes up to Amey for a 10 yard gain. Next pass went aray then Davis finds R. Johnson Jr. for his forth touchdown tonight. The extra point was good and with 2.9 seconds left in the half, Quad City 25 Venom 40.
Hollabaugh's kickoff is touched at the Quad City five. Hilliard handsoff to Williams to end the half.

The Venom start the next half on their own 13. First with an incomplete pass then two passes to Amey to move the ball up to the Quad City 10. The next play had Davis rushing to throw, as he chunks it out of the back of the endzone, but then he found R. Johnson Jr. and tallied Johnson Jr.'s fifth touchdown of the night. Hollabaugh added a point and at 11:21 in the third, Quad City 25 Venom 47.

Hollabaugh's kickoff taken by Johnson up to the Venom 24. Quad Cities first possession of the half started with a false start, moving the ball back to the Quad City 21, but Hilliard ran the next play and got a 16 yard gain and first and ten. Hilliard tried to run again, but was stopped by Desmond Raiford for a loss of one then and incomplete pass brought up the third and 11.
Hilliard pitched to Williams who got to the Venom six and the first and goal but Hilliard ran into Jer'yl Christion and Donnell for a huge 4th down stop with 7:28 left in the third.
.
Venom take possession of the ball on their own 5 and start with a false start moving the ball back half the distance to the goal on the Venom two. A pass up to R. Johnson got them to the 10. Davis had an incomplete pass before finding Amey for a deep catch on the Quad City nine. A toss to Bray was knocked out of bounds at the Quad City four and Davis was scrambling to get rid of the ball again starting the incompletion of three passes resulting in a turnover on down at the Quad City five.

Quad City again started off with a false start backing them up half the distance to the goal on their own two. A handoff to Williams drew the personal foul on the Venom when he was tossed into the Venom bench giving Quad City 15 much needed yards and the first and ten. A pass to Rudd put them on the Venom 11 then a keeper a gain of two. Hilliard fakes a pitch completing the pass for a touchdown, but and illegal formation negated the touchdown and backed Quad City up to the Venom 14. Time out, Venom.
Hilliard passed to Rudd for a touchdown and a two point conversion was completed by pitching to Williams then a pass to Pedroza in the endzone. 1.8 seconds left in the third, Quad City 33 Venom 47.

Stytz onsides kick picked up by Venom's R. Johnson and the Venom start on the Quad City 14 to start the fourth quarter.

Davis' handoff to Bray lost two yards, but a pass to R. Johnson got the ball up to the Quad City five bringing up the third and one. Davis' handoff lost one yard then Quad City called a time out. Davis handed off to Branch for the first and 10 then a run for a no gain. An incomplete pass and a pass interference call in the endzone against Powell automatically place the ball on the two yard line. Davis pitched to Christian getting up to the half yard, then tried a keeper and was pushed back, but a flag placed the ball on the quarter hash. Davis' pitch to Bray lost three yards, then Davis was flushed out and ran up to the one yard line bringing up third and goal. Davis handed off to R. Johnson Jr. and he ran it in or the touchdown. Hollabaugh's extra point was good and with 9:04 left in the game, Quad City 33 Venom 54.

Hollabaugh's kick taken by Powell out to the Venom 22 and stopped by Richard Mitchell. Hilliard's first pass was intercepted by Thomas and the Venom get the ball back on the Quad City five.

Davis' pass was incomplete bringing up second and ten. A pass to Amey, then R. Johnson put the ball on the Venom 20. Davis then found Smith with a pass for a touchdown. Hollabaugh added the one and with 6:52 left in the game, Quad City 33 Venom 61.

The kickoff goes out of bounds giving Quad City the ball on their own five.
Hilliard found Tyler Jones to complete a pass to the Quad City 13 then found Darius Hicks to bring up the first and 10 on the Quad City 19. Hilliard's next pass was incomplete then a delay of game moved them back five yards. Another incomplete pass was negated by the pass interference call on Triplett giving Quad City 15 yards. Hilliard passed to Jones then scrambles into the endzone for a touchdown. Flags on the play was offsides on Raiford and the touchdown stands. A two point conversion pass to Rudd was good and with 2:37 left in the game, Quad City 41 Venom 61.

Statz kicked off but the Venom called a timeout. The onside kick was recovered by Lewis and the Venom start on the Quad City nine.
Davis' pass was incomplete then a handoff to Bray was a loss of two. Davis' connected again with R. Johnson Jr. for Johnson's sixth touchdown on the night and Hollabaugh's PAT was good. 1:58 left in the game and Quad City 41 Venom 68.

​Kickoff was taken by Powell for a 41 yard kickoff return. Two point conversion was good and with 59.8 seconds left in the game, Quad City 49 Venom 68.

The next onsides kick was marred by the flag against the kicking team and the Venom started first and 10 on the Quad City four yard line.
Davis handed off to Bray for a three yard gain, but fumbled the next play and Quad City recovered on their own five.
Hilliard passed to Rudd then tried to run up the middle, but was pushed back by Branch and Green for a two yard loss. Time out, Quad City. A pass to Hicks added six more to the board, but the two point conversion failed. 10 seconds left in the game, Quad City 55 Venom 68.

Statz with the onsides kick recovered by Amey at the Quad City 18.
Davis hands off to Bray then the game buzzer sounds.
Final Score Quad City 55 Venom 68.

​Cashmin Thomas had an interception and a kickoff return this game. Did that help him boost his confidence going into the playoff run? “No, it didn't. Every time you walk on the field you are supposed to have confidence. Mom always told me to stay ready so you don't have to get ready.”

The Venom improve to 8-3, but are tied with two Northern teams.
The Venom travel for their last regular season game to Frisco, Texas Saturday. Game begins at 7pm and can be viewed on Pluto tv.

By Tonya Swim
The Amarillo Venom (8-3) will be traveling to Frisco, Texas to play the Texas Revolution (4-7) Saturday night.

The Venom are coming off of a win against the Quad City Steamwheelers while the Revolution is coming off of a shutout loss against the Duke City Gladiators.
The last match up between these two teams saw a plethora of penalties on both sides but the Revolution came out on top.
When asked, Venom player defensive end, Steven Fluker stated “We are going to practice hard, focus, have good energy, study the teams past games and just be mentally and physically prepared to go through this team to play for this ring!”

Amarillo has already clinched the number two seed in the South and first round home field advantage on June 18th. 
Texas, however, needs a lot of help.  Texas can clinch the number three seed in the south with a win and a Wichita loss. With only a win, the Revs can clinch a wild card berth. 

The game will start at 7pm at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas and can be viewed on Pluto TV.

​By Christopher Mabry 

Last night the Texas Revolution traveled to New Mexico to take on the Duke City Gladiators. Already this season, these two football teams have squared off three times. So far, the Gladiators are leading this years series 2-1. 

During last night's game, it seemed like nothing was going the Revolutions way. First, they started their third string quarterback who had problems early on and then they couldn't run or pass the ball. Plus, they had trouble converting on fourth down. 

The Revolution would end up losing the the game 37-0. For many Revolution fans like myself, they thought they were eliminated because they lost the game. Well, Texas is still very much alive, but they are hanging on by a thread. Looking at the Standings right now, the Revolution are in fourth place at 4-7. Their final home and regular season game is this upcoming Saturday against the first place Amarillo Venom. If the Texas Revolution want to have a birth in the playoffs, all they have to do is win the game. However, if they want the #3 seed, they have to win and have a little help from the Wichita Force who have to lose their game. 

Make sure to tune to the Texas Revolution host the Amarillo Venom this Saturday on Pluto Tv or attend the game at the Dr. Pepper Center in Frisco, Texas. Doors starting at 6:00 pm and game starts at 7:00 pm. 

The front office of  Arena Football Talk is excited to finally release a long awaited game changer in the media industry, AFT Network. After months of planning, preparation, and hard work, fans will now be able to stay informed in a new way, by means of YouTube. AFT Network will have content posted in the off-season and during the season, so that fans will be able to keep updated on the latest news when it's released. AFT and our Network will set standards for the arena football media industry as we remain committed to keeping fans informed. Technology has evolved, and so have we, as we'll use new technology and software to build an empire of a network.

The content the network will provide to fans will include: Talk Shows, News Shows, Highlights, Interviews, Top Plays of the Week, and much more! Listed below is information about our main shows and other content.

The Gridiron Buzz:
-The show will be anchored by Vice President Aaron Castete, and he will discuss game scores, highlights, top moments, and players of the week for the AFL, NAL, CIF, and IFL. The show will take place during the regular season. Interviews with coaches, owners, and staff, will be conducted regularly.

AFT Top 5 Plays of the Week.
-We'll let our fans vote and submit their choices for the Top 5 Plays of the Week each week, and they'll be shown in a special episode on our network. Fans will submit their picks each week on Facebook and Twitter by using #AFTTop5.

The Off-Season Buzz:
-The show will keep you updated on all of the off-season information from the AFL, NAL, CIF, and IFL each week. We'll have interviews with coaches, owners, and players to talk about their off-season plans and news they'd like to speak about. The off-season can sometimes be dreary without arena football, but we will make your off-season brighter with the latest news and information in the palm of your hand.

By Tonya Swim
Amarillo, Texas-The Amarillo Venom play a potentially pivotal game Saturday night against the visiting Quad City Steamwheelers.  
The Steamwheelers are alone at the top of the CIFL at 8-3 after an overtime win against the Salina Liberty last Saturday evening and the Venom went to 7-3 after a loss to Duke City, who improved to 8-2.
Venom player Jeff Branch offered a bit of insight on the preparation for this weeks game. "We really worked on having better communication. We watched a lot of film and we had an intense physical week of practice. We're preparing for a dog fight Saturday night."
Quad City is at a distinct disadvantage with the 975 mile trip, "Being the road team is always tough. I think that travel will be a factor but we're not really putting to much stock into it." states Branch.

The Venom will be giving out free replica balls to the first 500 kids through the gates with a ticket.
​
The game between Amarillo and Quad City will start at 6pm at the Cal Farley Coliseum and will be broadcast on Pluto TV.

Jeff Branch closes in on the Revs QB Andrew Jackson 
Photo by Jason Helmick

By Tonya Swim
Albuquerque, New Mexico-The Duke City Gladiators started out putting points on the board with their first possession, and never looked back.

Duke City received the ball first, but Conner Hollabaugh's kick hopped into the stands starting Duke City out on their own five yard line.
Caleb Holbrook found Dello Davis with a short pass putting the ball on the Duke City 14 then hands off to Jestin Kelly for a loss of two. Holbrook then finds Dexter Manley and gets the first down and the ball on the Duke City 17.
​The next play, Holbrook scrambles, but a personal foul on the Venom move the ball up to the Venom 16. Holbrook finds Juwan Lewis but Venom players Terrious Triplett and Jeff Branch shut him down at the Venom one yard line. Holbrook tossed the ball to Kelly and Duke City was on the board. James Nachu got the PAT and Duke City is 7, Venom 0.

Nachu's kick went into the stands at the 10 yard line, so the Venom got to start there.
The Venom started their first play with a flag and that set the tone for the game for them. The false start pushed the Venom back to their own five yard line. Second play and still no action as Duke City's Paul Robinson drew a penalty putting the Venom back up to the 10 yard line. Nate Davis finally got a pass off to Alex Watson for a six yard gain, then a quick pass across the middle to Raymond Johnson Jr put the ball on the Venom 22. Three incomplete passes brought up the forth down, but a pass to Watson and an offside call on Duke City gave the Venom a replay of the down with the ball on the Duke City 23. Davis kept the ball sliding, but short the first down and turned the ball over on downs.

The next kickoff was not televised, first play saw Holbrook with an incomplete pass but trying again, finds D. Davis who is stopped on the Venom 14. A handoff to D. Davis then Kelly puts Duke City in the endzone increasing their lead to 14, 3:42 left in the first.

Former Gladiator Antonio Bray took the next kickoff, but was tackled at the one yard line, so the Venom start on their own five. N. Davis uses R. Johnson Jr. for two passes to get the ball up their own 19. Next two plays saw N. Davis with an incomplete pass then finding Watson in the endzone finally putting the Venom on the board with 1:09 left in the first quarter. Hollabaugh found the uprights for the point after, a flag on Duke City was declined.  Venom 7  Duke City 14.

Hollabaugh's kick hops out and Duke City begins on their own five. Holbrook scrambles out to the Duke City 15 where he was stopped by Steven Fluker. A hand off to Lewis gets the ball to the Duke City 18 and ends the first quarter.
Starting off the second quarter, Holbrook's scramble was stopped by Steven Fluker on the Duke City 15. A deep pass to D. Davis at 14:52 pushed the Gladiators to 20 and Nachu remained perfect for the night putting Duke City up 21 Venom 7.

Nachu kicked onside and Venom's Terrious Triplett got the ball. An offside flag on Duke City gave the Venom the ball on the Gladiator's three yard line. 
N. Davis had an incomplete pass, then tries to scramble, but was tripped up and fumbled. Venom Bernard Flores recovered. A holding call on Duke City gave the ball to the Venom on the one and a half yard line. N. Davis kept the ball for his 12th touchdown of the season, Hollabaugh missed the PAT putting the score Venom 13 Duke City 21 with 13:32 left in the half.

Gladiators start on their own five when Hollabaugh kicks the ball into the stands.
Holbrook has an incomplete pass but redeems with a pass to Manley who finds the endzone at 12:17 in the second quarter. Extra point is good, Duke City 28 Venom 13.

The kickoff hits the wall at the Venom 15 to start Amarillo off, then a N. Davis keeper gives them five more yards. N. Davis looked for Watson three times, but only completed twice putting the ball on the Duke City six yard line bringing up second and goal. N. Davis had another incomplete pass then found a receiver for a gain of two and the first down. After an incomplete pass, N. Davis found Jordan DeCorte in the endzone, then a shuffle pass to Watson for the two point conversion put the Venom 21 Duke City 28. 

An onside attempt by Hollabaugh is taken by Duke City's Ibrahim Maiga giving them the ball on the Venom 15. 
Holbrook moved the ball up with two passes the second to Kelly who was stopped by Nashawn Lewis and Desmond Railford on the Venom seven. A pass to D. Davis was a touchdown, adding the extra point by Nachu and Duke City expands their lead 35 Venom 21 with 4:47 left in the half.

Nachu kickoff was taken out by Cashmin Thomas and the Venom start on their own 14. N. Davis used a series of passes to Watson, Xavier Amey and R. Johnson Jr., to move the ball up to the Gladiator 14. N. Davis found Amey in the endzone for his eighth touchdown of the season. A Gladiator flag was declined and Hollabaugh missed the extra point but another flag on Duke City gave the Venom a replay and N. Davis used a keeper for the two point conversion. Venom 28 Duke City 35 with 2:26 left in the half. 

Hollabaugh's onside kick was taken by Amarillo's Richard Mitchell and they start on their own 14. N. Davis finds R. Johnson Jr. for a five yard gain, then a pass to Amey for a touchdown. Extra point is no good. Venom 35 Duke City 35 with 1:18 left in the half.

The next kickoff wasn't shown, but a Holbrook pass out to D. Davis put the ball on the Venom 22. Two incomplete passes ran the clock down before a pass to Lewis added more points with 19 seconds left in the half. A game perfect Nachu added putting  Duke City 42 Amarillo 35.

Thomas again took the kickoff, but a block in the back by Terrell Smith pushed to Venom back to their own nine to start.  Davis found DeCorte for a gain, but another flag, and they didn't stop the clock effectively ending the first half.

The Venom started the second half on their own eight yard line.  N. Davis found Amey on the second play and putting the Venom on their own 22 then a pass to Watson got them to the Duke City 19. An incomplete pass then an interception by Donnie Duncan finished out the play, Duke City will start on their own seven.

Holbrook used a series of running plays and passes to get the ball to the Venom nine, then a flag pushed them back to the Venom 14. An incomplete pass then an interception in the endzone by Triplett seemed to have finished the play, but a flag on the Venom gave the ball back to the Gladiators on the Venom 9. Another incomplete pass brough Nachu out for a field goal attempt and Duke City goes up three at 6:11 in the third. Venom 35 Duke City 45.

Bray took off with the next kickoff giving the Venom the ball on the Duke City 23.
N. Davis used a deep pass to R Johnson Jr. for the touchdown. Hollabaugh pat is good Venom 42 Duke City 45, 5:26 in the third. 

The next ball was taken out by Robinson, but a flag on Duke City put the ball on their own 24. Taking a play from N. Davis, Holbrook uses a deep pass to D. Davis for the touchdown. Nachu remained perfect. Venom 42 Duke City 52 with 5:00 left in the third.

Bray takes the kickoff up to the Venom 15 then a N. Davis pass to R. Johnson Jr. moves the ball to the Duke City 22. A pass to Amey is a gain of eight, and incomplete pass and a handoff to Bray bring up a loss of three. N. Davis tried a keeper, but was tripped up and fumbled. Ball was recovered by Duke City on their own 10.

Holbrook got off two plays to move the ball up to the Duke City 15 to end out the third quarter.

Nachu's kickoff flew into the stands and the Venom got the ball midfield. N. Davis kept the ball to move up one yard then took two plays to find R. Johnson Jr. putting the ball on the Duke City 13. A pass to Ricardo Johnson got the Venom in the endzone then a good kick from Hollabaugh put the Venom 49 Duke City 59 with 10:47 left in the game. 

Hollabaugh's kickoff went into the stands and Duke City starts midfield. Holbrook used a handoff to D. Davis, pass to Manley, pitch to D. Davis to move the ball up to the Venom seven. An attempted pass to Maley was broken up by Demario Donnell bringing up third and goal with the ball on the Venom seven. Holbrook headed to the endzone, but was stopped by Triplett at the one. Holbrook kept the ball again and put six on the board. Flag on the Venom was declined and the addition of the pat with 6:23 left in the game Venom 49 Duke City 66.
 
Kickoff was taken by Bray, but he was brought down on the one. Venom get the ball on their own five. N. Davis used three plays to find Amey twice moving the ball up to the Venom 22. N. Davis had another incomplete pass, flags were thrown for the late hit then picked up! N. Davis found Watson twice to get the ball into the endzone. A two point conversion failed with 2:12 left in the game, Venom 55 Duke City 65.

Hollabaugh used an onsides kick, but it was recovered by Duke City giving them the ball on the Venom nine. Holbrook passed to Kelly for the touchdown and the extra point with 1:36 left in the game, Venom 55 Duke City 72.

Thomas took the next kickoff out to the Duke City 18, but the ball was pushed back for a facemask to the Venom 16. N. Davis used passes to R. Johnson, R. Johnson Jr. and Amey for the touchdown. A pass to DeCorte for the two point conversion with 22 seconds left in the game, Venom 63 Duke City 72.

Hollabaugh's onside kick was taken by Duke City on the Venom 15. A pass to D. Davis resulted in a touchdown and Nachu remained perfect with 15 seconds left in the game, Venom 63 Duke City 79.

Nachu's kickoff hops into the stands and the Venom start on their own 10 yard line but time ran out. 

Duke City is now the lone leader of the CIFL going 8-2. Salina Liberty and Amarillo Venom both share second with 7-3.

By Chris Mabry
With the CIF season winding down, here is the top five places the CIF should expand to in 2019?
#5 Cleveland Ohio
Since the Cleveland Browns came back to the NFL in 1999 it has been the laughing stock of the league. But, when the Gladiators moved from Los Angeles to Cleveland, it brought renewed life for the struggling city and state. I'm sure since the Gladiators left this past season, their fans are looking and hoping for a comeback. Hopefully, a comeback with the CIF. Coming to the CIF will have a better market value than the AFL, IFL, and NAL. THey will have a better audience and better attendance than before and maybe a better chance at a championship.

#4 Detroit, Michigan
Since the last government shutdown, Lions struggling in games, and no indoor football team since the AFL began, Detroit is a perfect spot for the struggling economy. By having a team in the CIF will have a brand new start with Detroit and it will bring in new fans. 

#3 Chicago, Illinois 141-97-0
For five seasons, Chicago, Illinois has been without an Arena Football team. Yes, they have the Chicago Bears NFL team, but when the NFL is done for the season, the city of Chicago needs a second team to fill the void. When Arena Football was in the Windy City was from 1987-1989. The Chicago Bruisers went 14-10 in two seasons including playoffs. Speaking of playoffs,  the Bruisers went 1-2 losing those two games to Detroit and winning their one playoff game also against Detroit. 

After the city went on a 12 year hiatus, the AFL welcomed a new team to Chicago called the Chicago Rush. From 2001-2013 the Chicago Rush were a beter team then their previous team. In 12 seasons, the Rush had an impressive overall record of 127-87 and they won Arena Bowl XX.

Now is a good time for a Chicago franchise to come to the CIF. A team in Chicago will profit from the franchise from tickets to watch parties in bars and restraints. Plus, if a team happens to return, they don't have to worry about getting fans to watch te games or attend one. They already have them. 

Chicago Bruisers: (1987-1989) 14-10-0 - including playoffs 
Chicago Rush: (2001-2013) 127-87 - including playoffs 

#2 Seattle, Washington
With the Seahawks dominating the NFL, its time to bring the CIF to Washington St. They can be called the 9th man and have a huge impact on opponets and a disadvantage on the opponents. 

#1 Dallas, Texas 
Yes, I know there is already two teams in Texas and one in the Dallas, Texas area, but when the AFL team Dallas Desperados were here and they played their games at the American Airlines Center, they brought in a lot of fans and filled the void when the Cowboys didn't play. Plus with the Marshals out of the CIF, they can always add another team their again if they chose too. 

By Derek Harper
Last off-season was very busy and filled with quite a bit of drama, especially with the events that unfolded between Champions Indoor Football (CIF) and the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Sioux Falls Storm and Wichita Falls Nighthawks tried leaving for CIF as they thought they followed the process correctly. Following this the West Michigan Ironmen and Bloomington Edge left for the IFL after committing to the CIF. This breach of contract caused a legal battle to ensue. Both the Ironmen and Edge tried to return to the CIF, but refused to pay the $25k the CIF requested.
​The Ironmen played one season in the Midwest Professional Indoor Football (MPIF), where they won the championship. The Ironmen will rejoin the CIF in 2019 with new ownership and the Edge will play a smaller independent schedule during the summer. When we asked the Edge about the rumor that they'd be returning to the CIF they replied with a quote from their General Manager that said "We have not had a single discussion with the CIF about re-joining that league and we do not anticipate any discussions with them." Bloomington's plans for the future are yet to be announced, but we'll be sure to keep everyone posted as news becomes available.
Recently we did research to figure out more of what happened and what could've happened if things had gone differently between the two leagues. It appears that last August the IFL and CIF were in talks of a merger but there were teams from each league who didn't agree on it. The teams that appeared to be against the merger were the Iowa Barnstormers, Nebraska Danger, Sioux Falls Storm, Sioux City Bandits, Duke City Gladiators, and Quad City Steamwheelers. It appears the defending United Bowl Champion, Arizona Rattlers were in the process of starting the merger as their ownership group filed trademarks for the Wichita Falls Nighthawks (now defunct), Green Bay Blizzard, Cedar Rapids Titans, West Michigan Ironmen, Centex Cavalry (now defunct), Omaha Beef, Kansas City Phantoms, Dallas Marshals (now defunct), Amarillo Venom, Bismarck Bucks, Texas Revolution, and Salina Liberty.
In November rumors started flying after the San Jose SaberCats got back online and a fan asked if they were coming back. The SaberCats replied not yet, more news after the first of the year. So far, there's been no word from San Jose. Then rumors started flying about a possible new west coast league that the Arizona Rattlers and San Jose SaberCats would be co-founders of. The Rattlers informed us that those rumors were false.
We reached out to IFL teams and a few other sources for comment on rumors such as the Cedar Rapids Titans moving to Tucson and what the IFL might look like with expansion come 2019. One source said they believed Cedar Rapids moving to Tucson was inked, while the Titans denied they're moving. When we asked Cedar Rapids about league expansion they said the league has several markets with potential ownership groups being explored for 2019 expansion. Should the Cedar Rapids Titans relocate to Tucson, they'd play at the Tucson Convention Center, currently home to the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL). The move would create an instant rivalry with the Arizona Rattlers who play at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix two hours north on Interstate 10. Cedar Rapids finished last season with a 1-15 record and currently sit at 1-10 this season with three games left. The Titans host the Nebraska Danger June 2nd before heading out on the road to finish the season with a game June 9th against the Green Bay Blizzard and June 16th against the Iowa Barnstormers.
The Sioux Falls Storm were also rumored to be the team moving to Tucson, we reached out to them and they said they're not moving. We then asked the Storm about the IFL's plan for expansion. The Storm said it was way too early at this point, but that the goal is to have a Midwest Division and a Western Division. We reached out to the Green Bay Blizzard and Nebraska Danger for comment, but have yet to receive a reply.

by Christopher Mabry
Game Stats - Team 
Final Score: TEX 28; KC 41
Rushing Yards: TEX 1; KC 16
Passing Yards: TEX 171; KC 163
Total Yards: TEX 174; KC 177
1st Down: TEX 18; KC 12 
3rd Down: TEX 6 of 13 (46 %); KC 2 of 8 (25 %)
4th Down: TEX 1 of 6 (17 %); KC 1 of 5 (20 %) 
Penalties/Yards: TEX 3-31; KC  3-27
Possession Time: TEX 29:39; KC 29:38

Game Leaders 
​
Passing
Andrew Jackson (TEX): 20-42, 173 YDS, 3TD, 3INT
Donovan Portiere (KC): 18-31, 161 YDS, 4TD,
Rushing
Darius Fudge (TEX) 13 ATT, 33 YDS, TD
Kenny Stokes (KC) 8 ATT, 16 YDS
Receiving
Clinton Solomon (TEX): 4 REC, 44 YDS
Julian Walker (KC): 6 REC, 64 YDS, 2 TD's 

Current CIF Standings - North Conference
Current CIF Standings - South Conference

1. Duke City Gladiators: 7-2
2. Amarillo Venom: 7-2
3. Wichita Force: 4-6 
4. Texas Revolution: 4-6