I've always wanted to watch a football game from the sidelines, walking up and down the field like the head coach does willing his players on to victory.
I got the chance to do that last night as the Vegas Kings defeated the Southern California Predators 66-13 in their last regular season game.
Let me back up a little, please. As late as June I had no idea that Minor League Football existed here in Las Vegas and I like to pride myself into thinking that in the 15 plus years I've lived in this fascinating city, I knew just about everything that had to do with sports in this town.
How wrong was I! In a chance meeting with Bill Miller, who has about 10 different roles with this non-profit organization, I asked Bill to be a guest on my radio program "Vegas Unwrapped". In that first show he also brought along with him John "Ice" Isola who was recently named Head Coach in this teams third year in existence.
They are part of the Labelle Community Football League, a nationwide program started by the Patti Labelle Foundation and has grown to 32 teams. The Vegas Kings are part of the Western Region which has 15 teams in California and one in Nevada.
A day after that very successful show the Kings asked my partner on the radio show, Aaron Phillips if he and I would like the broadcast the Kings home games this year. We jumped at the opportunity since it was something we had dreamed about over the 13 years we have been friends.
So in July we started to broadcast the games on the Internet station we were associated with at that time. We then added a weekly "Coaches Show" highlighting the previous game and focusing on the offensive and defensive players of the game. This show is still being aired on Sunday nights on www.ecastsports.com at 6:00PM PDT.
The Kings are made up of players who have played the game in High School, Division I and Division II College Football, the UFL, the CFL and the National Football League. Most of these guys still have aspirations to reach a higher level and I can definitely tell you that the talent many of these players have shown this year certainly merits that opportunity.
I hate to say it, because I am a major fan of UNLV Sports fan, but right now the Vegas Kings would mop the floor with the UNLV Football Team.
This year the goal at the beginning of the season hasn't changed for minute despite it's overall 8-2 record. That goal, a national championship, which is still within it's grasp as the Kings host the opening round of the Playoffs as the #3 seed this coming Saturday at Desert Pines High School Stadium on Harris and Sandhill in Northeast Las Vegas.
Last nights victory was typical of most of this years wins. Their vaunted defense known affectionately as the "Dark Side Dominating Defense" once again held the opposition to zero touchdowns and only two field goals. On the other side of the ball John Emelo led the attack with four TD passes while Brandon Lomax chipped in with two TD runs.
In order for the Vegas Kings to get to the National Championship Game they will have to go through the two teams that have beaten them during the regular season, the Southern California Steelers and the North County Cobras who are looking for their second straight National Championship.
I rode the bus with the players to last nights game and to a man there was not one player who feels that the Kings will not make to the championship game but will end the year on a victorious note. They are a loose, fun loving, very close group of young men who are talented and directed by experienced coaches who know this game inside out and backwards.
It is my hope that now that the playoffs begin that "Vegas Unwrapped" has the opportunity to broadcast all the games on the road to the championship. The only thing that stands in our way is obtaining the necessary sponsorship to get the air time paid for.
If you know any business that would like their message heard by a quarter of a million listeners or more worldwide have them contact Ricky Cash at vegasunwrappedrcash@gmail.com.
If you live in Vegas and you want to see some quality football come out to this weeks playoff game on Saturday Night Oct. 30th at 5:00PM. You will see this secret of great sports in Las Vegas be revealed.
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