American Professional Football League

Infobox sports league
current_season=

pixels = 200px
sport = Indoor football
founded = 2003
teams = 10
country = USA
champion = Kansas Koyotes
website= [http://www.apflfootball.com/ APFL] The American Professional Football League (APFL) is an indoor football league based in the midwestern United States that began play in 2003. The league's flagship team is the Kansas Koyotes, who have captured the first six league championships and weren't beaten in the league's first three seasons. They were finally beaten by the Wichita Aviators in the 2006 season opener. [cite web |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20060409/ai_n16161474 |title= Aviators snap Koyotes' streak |accessdate=2008-09-18 |author= Favre, Brett|authorlink= Brett Favre |date=2006-04-09 |publisher= Topeka Capital-Journal]

League Membership

These are the teams expected to participate in the 2009 season (year team began league play):

Returning Teams

*Iowa Blackhawks (2004) [ [http://www.iowablackhawks.com Iowa Blackhawks] ]
*Kansas Koyotes (2003) [ [http://www.koyotefootball.com Kansas Koyotes] ]
*Missouri Minutemen (2003) [ [http://www.missouriminutemen.com Missouri Minutemen] ]
*Springfield Wolfpack (2007) [ [http://www.springfieldwolfpack.com Springfield Wolfpack] ]

2009 Expansion

*Springfield Shield

Former Teams

* St. Joseph Explorers (2003) [http://web.archive.org/web/20031001041822/www.koyotefootball.com/schedule.html 2003 Schedule] ]
* Chillicothe Lumberjacks (2003, never played)
* Texas Thunder (2004) [http://web.archive.org/web/20040411174951/www.koyotefootball.com/schedule.html 2004 Schedule] ]
* Wisconsin Locomotives (2004, never played)
* Colorado Stars (2004, never played) [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20040807072321/koyotefootball.com/schedule.html Colorado Stars] ]
* Nebraska Bears (2005) [http://web.archive.org/web/20050406043910/www.koyotefootball.com/schedule.html 2005 Schedule] ]
* Kansas/St. Joseph Storm (2005)^a [ [http://www.leaguelineup.com/ksstorm Kansas/St. Joseph Storm] ]
* Wichita Aviators (2005-2006) [ [http://www.aviatorsfootball.com Wichita Aviators] ]
* Nebraska Wildcats (2006)^b
*Nebraska Extreme (2006-2007)
*Beaumont Drillers (2008)
*Conroe Storm (2007-2008)
*Florida Scorpions (2008)
*Texas Regulators (2007-2008)
*Wichita Falls Diablos (2008)

a. St. Joseph Storm was suspended from the league before the 2006 season began. Kansas City Thunderstorm and Columbia Outlaws played in their place.
b. This team only played road games and a reduced schedule.

League Champions

2007 Season Synopsis

In 2007, the APFL had their most competitive season ever. The addition of the Conroe Storm added another quality opponent, and there were more competitive games than previous years. Iowa finally beat Kansas winning 50-32 in Council Bluffs. Conroe won games on the road over both the Iowa and Kansas clubs. Even the new Omaha team gave the Koyotes a run for their money losing in the last two minutes of the game 45-33. At seasons end, Iowa, Conroe and Kansas had qualified for the playoffs. Iowa traveled to Conroe for the semifinal round and defeated the Storm in a back and forth contest 32-26. The following week Iowa traveled to Kansas for a spirited Championship game. [cite web |url=http://www.cjonline.com/stories/073108/loc_311695698.shtml |title= Linebacker enjoys playing football again despite APFL's problems |accessdate=2008-09-18 |author= Peterson, Rick Jr.|publisher= Topeka Capital-Journal|date=2008-07-31 ] The halftime score was tight, 20-15. However, the Koyotes pulled away in the second half lead by their staunch defense shutting out the Blackhawks in the second half. The final score was 39-15.

2008 Season Preview

With 4 new teams added to the league for 2008, including two more Texas teams (Wichita Falls and Beaumont) and a team in Sarasota, Florida, the APFL continues to move toward improving both on and off the field. Two of the new additions to the league are far from rookies to indoor football coming over from the defunct NIFL.

Interleague Play

The APFL has been one of few leagues in which teams have been actively involved in interleague games and scrimmages. In 2005 and 2006 the Missouri Minutemen played against the River City Rage, then playing in the NIFL, losing both contests. Before the 2006 season, the Iowa Blackhawks played a scrimmage for charity against the Omaha Beef of the UIF. In 2007, the Beaumont Drillers of the NIFL played in several exhibitions with the Conroe Storm after both teams' schedules had been affected by teams folding. Some games counted towards the Beaumont Drillers' NIFL record, and other games counted towards the Conroe Storm's APFL (as forfeits, because the other team didn't show up).

References

External links

* [http://www.apflfootball.com/ APFL Homepage]
* [http://www.indoorfootballfan.com http://www.indoorfootballfan.com] , APFL has a strong presence on the message board here