Northern Kentucky River Monsters

History

2011

Main article: 2011 Northern Kentucky River Monsters season

Announced as startup team for the newly formed Ultimate Indoor Football League in 2010, the team was purchased by Jill Chitwood from the UIFL in February 2011. The River Monsters were the first professional sports team to play in northern Kentucky in over 90 years, after the Covington Blue Sox folded after a single season in 1913. Just a week before the season began, team general manager, Jared Lorenzen, relieved himself of his duties as general manager, and became the quarterback for the franchise. In the River Monsters first ever game they defeated the Canton Cougars by a score of 63–41. With a week 9 win over the Saginaw Sting, the River Monsters had clinched a postseason berth in their first season, clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After wrapping up the season, the UIFL had discovered that the River Monsters had been paying their players over the league's salary cap. The UIFL stripped the River Monsters of the #1 seed and made them the #4 seed, taking away the River Monster's chance to earn playoff money. The River Monster now traveled to Saginaw, Michigan to play the Sting, where the Sting upset the River Monsters 48–47. On June 6, 2011, it was announced that the UIFL and the River Monsters mutually agreed to part ways, leaving the team free to join another league. However, the UIFL had a lease agreement with the arena (establishing a paper franchise named the Kentucky Monsters to hold onto the lease) and signed Lorenzen as their commissioner, which hampered the likelihood the River Monsters would play in Highland Heights in 2012. The team had been mentioned as a charter member Stadius Football Association, but that league never got off the ground. On their web show, the Dayton Silverbacks announced the River Monsters would be joining the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), moving to Muncie, Indiana, and retaining the River Monsters name. A September 2011 article on OurSportsCentral.com also said that former ownership of the Northern Kentucky River Monsters were joining the CIFL and moving to Muncie for the 2012 season. However, the team never played a game in Muncie.

2014

Main article: 2014 Northern Kentucky River Monsters season

After a two-year layoff, the River Monsters announced that they would be returning to an active team, joining the CIFL for the 2014 season. In the River Monsters' first game of the season, listed as 320 pounds, Jared Lorenzen showed that he still had plenty of athleticism. Lorenzen's play was filmed and the videos ended up all over the internet, overshadowing the River Monsters' 36–20 victory of the Bluegrass Warhorses. Head coach Brian Schmidt was fired on February 22, and was replaced by defensive coordinator Mike Goodpaster. Goodpaster was able to salvage the season after losing Lorenzen to injury in week 2, going 5–2 down the stretch, defeating the Dayton Sharks the final week of the season to clinch the final South Division playoff spot.

On October 1, 2014, the team announced that they were suspending operations effective immediately.

Notable players

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Northern Kentucky River Monsters players who won league awards

All-league players

The following River Monsters players were named to all-league teams:

• QB Jared Lorenzen (1)
• RB Maurice Douse (1)
• WR Ricardo Lenhart (2), Willie Idlette (1), Harry Lewis (1)
• OL Khalil El-Amin (1), Matt Rahn (1), George Frisch (1), Frank Straub (1)
• DL Thomas McKenzie (1), D'arrel Brown (1), Luke Scarbough (1)
• LB Jon D'Angelo (1), Santino Turnbow (1), David James (1)
• DB David Jones (1), Tez Morris (1), Tommy Harris (1), Ahoma Maxwell (1)
• K Dustin Zink (2)
• KR Maurice Douse (1)

Head coaches

Season-by-season results

References

References

1. [http://northernkyrivermonsters.com/index.php/component/k2/item/374-river-monsters-to-suspend-operations-effective-immediately River Monsters to Suspend Operations Effective Immediately], Team website, October 1, 2014
2. (February 10, 2011). "Chitwood Assumes River Monsters Ownership". OurSports Central.
3. Richard Skinner. (February 24, 2011). "Jared Lorenzen lured back to field". Gannett.
4. (February 25, 2011). "River Monsters defeat Cougars". OurSports Central.
5. (April 24, 2011). "River Monsters Clinch Playoff Berth". OurSports Central.
6. (May 22, 2011). "Northern Kentucky Torches Top-Scoring Defense, Clinches Home Field". OurSports Central.
7. (May 24, 2011). "Northern Kentucky Penalized by UIFL is Eastern Kentucky's Gain". Nation of Blue LLC..
8. Kyle Austin. (June 3, 2011). "Saginaw Sting earn berth in Ultimate Bowl with 48-47 upset win over Northern Kentucky". MLive Media Group.
9. (June 30, 2011). "FireHawks joining new league". WANE.
10. Tom Davis. (July 2, 2011). "Fire Wayne FireHawks to try again in new 2012 league". The News-Sentinel.
11. Krieger, Dan. (September 5, 2011). "WEEKLY SPORTS LEAGUE AND FRANCHISE REPORT". oursportscentral.com.
12. (July 23, 2013). "Northern Kentucky River Monsters Emerge from the "Swamp"". OurSports Central.
13. Adam Turer. "River Monsters burst back on the scene". Gannett.
14. Paul Dehner Jr.. (February 9, 2014). "Jared Lorenzen's CIFL opening performance goes viral". Gannett.
15. Mike Perleberg. (February 27, 2014). "Goodpaster Is River Monsters' New Head Coach". Wagon Wheel Broadcasting.
16. Mike Perleberg. (May 7, 2014). "Goodpaster Improves To 5-2 With River Monsters; Takes Team To Playoffs". Wagon Wheel Broadcasting.
17. [http://northernkyrivermonsters.com/index.php/component/k2/item/374-river-monsters-to-suspend-operations-effective-immediately River Monsters to Suspend Operations Effective Immediately], Team website, October 1, 2014