The Sussex County Punishers of the semi-pro Diamond Football League will open up their training camp for the 2008 season in Bridgeville tomorrow, Nov. 17.
Coastal Point • FILE PHOTO
The Sussex County Punishers look to improve on last year’s winning season when they open up training camp on Nov. 17.
The Punishers (7-3 overall), formerly known as the Warhawks, were Central Division champions last season and ended a four-year playoff drought when they won their first playoff game since the league formed eight years ago in a 21-0 win over the division rival Baltimore Bulls.
Recruiting is credited to a large part of last season’s success, but a renewed sense of dedication by the team ultimately improved their quality of play and was the key to a return to post-season play.
Punishers offensive coordinator Butch Yocum said he was pleasantly surprised to see droves of new players attend their mini-camp sessions prior to the opening of training camp and he noted that this year’s team should and would exceed last year’s performance.
“We’ve had 30 to 40 guys at our mini-camps without including our veteran players,” Yocum said. “We didn’t invite our veteran players because we know what they can do, and we wanted to get a chance to evaluate these new guys because this year we’re looking to make this team that much better.
“We’re looking to take it to the next level,” he added.
Last season, the Punishers’ offense flourished under the guidance of quarterback Kurt Purnell, who was one of five first-year all-star players and scored a third-best 252 points behind the DFL champions Gloucester County (N.J.) Generals and runner-up Virginia Pirates.
Of the 30 or so players Yocum mentioned, most are skill players and will complete against a bevy of returning players for playing time on a team that could be lacking depth at along the offensive line.
Alex Haynes, an 11-year semi-pro veteran to the offensive line, hung up his cleats after last season, which created a major hole along at his left guard position. But he won’t be far from his old position, now serving as the Punishers offensive line coach. He mentioned that his years playing semi-pro football had taken their toll on his body but that he is eager to pass along as much knowledge as possible as the new offensive line coach.
“I’ve been playing for 11 years straight with no time off to let the body rest, so I knew [last year] was going to be my last. But I couldn’t get away from the game and am looking forward to helping the team get to the championship,” Haynes said. “I’m looking forward to helping out some of these young guys who are in the same position I was when I entered the league, because I’ve picked up a lot of the tricks of the trade along the way.”
Haynes noted that when he joined the league, when he was 19 years old, there weren’t many opportunities to play beyond high school if you weren’t able to play collegiate football. But as the years have passed, college and professional scouts have begun to routinely scour the semi-pro leagues, looking for prospects.
Just last season, former Salisbury University offensive lineman Jarrod Sample chose to play for the Punishers after a few select NFL teams passed on him, following individual workouts prior to the 2006 draft. And it as it worked out, he was signed to play for the Cincinnati Jungle Kat arena team, owned by long-time NFL defensive tackle Sam Adams and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Sample is now on the verge of taking the next step in arena football.
Currently, Sample is being courted to play offensive line by several Arena-1 teams, which can be seen playing on television. Players such as Kurt Warner ascend from Arena-1 ranks to the NFL, and for many professional football players, play in the league is a road back to the big time.
“Semi-pro, in general, has grown over the last 11 years,” Haynes said. “And for these young guys, it can be a great springboard to something else. And if you have an opportunity to play, you should take advantage of it.”
Currently, Denny Profitt (C), Bill Jesmer (LT) and Ron Hurst (RG) are slated to return to their respective positions when the Punishers open up their season. The team is still in need of players to fill out the remaining two positions.
Yocum stated that eight-year veteran on the offensive line and founding member of the Warhawks Shane Wooten (RT) is unsure whether or not he’ll return for his ninth year.
Training camp will be held at the Bridgeville men’s softball field from noon to 2 p.m. and will be full-contact. Practices from then on will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m.
For more information, contact team owner Tina Haynes at (302) 393-6075.