By Jay Luster
12/11/2017
“I came into this arena last year for the championship game and the energy was great. I thought maybe this is something I should try and get involved in.”
New Minority Owner & Rap Star Artist Jim Jones Showing His Roughriders Spirit
Jim Jones
Since their undefeated 2016 season and thrilling APF Championship victory over the Florida Tarpons ended; the Richmond Roughriders have become the talk of the arena football world. Early in the off season rumors the team would move to the National Arena League seemed to be proven true when an announcement was made through social media. Not long after, the team announced it was passing up the NAL to join the new American Arena League. Created by a merger of several small leagues, the AAL is also the home of the Can-Am Champion Vermont Bucks and the SIF Champion Cape Fear Heroes. Realizing the team needed to improve if they wished to compete at the higher level, Owner Gregg Fornario said, “We’re a championship organization with a target on our back, and we’re embracing that challenge.” Continue reading
Recently On The Record featured an interview with Wichita Falls Nighthawks owner Drew Carnes. He had announced his team would go dark for 2018 and in our interview, he inferred it was unlikely the team would return in 2019, or ever. The article was entitled Shootout at the Indoor Corral, and it described, from Carnes perspective, the events leading up to his team folding. At the end of the article, I indicated that neither the CIF nor the IFL had responded to my queries. After the article broke I was contacted almost immediately by CIF interim Commissioner Ricky Bertz, who said he had not received any messages from me. He was correct; I did send an email inquiry to him but what I did not realize was I misspelled the address, and it was returned to me by the “mailer daemon” as an unknown address. For that I apologize to Mr. Bertz, and to you, the audience. Having said that, I am pleased to say he went On The Record about the situation, and I think you’ll find his perspective quite interesting.
On July 25, 2017, I spoke with the owner of the Wichita Falls Nighthawks, Drew Carnes. I asked him, specifically at that time if the team was leaving the IFL for the CIF? Rumors had been swirling around the team, and the Sioux Falls Storm, for weeks, and he said the decision had not yet been made. About a month later, Sioux Falls announced their departure from the IFL and a couple of weeks after that the Nighthawks joined them in the CIF. For the Nighthawks, it was a matter of lowering their expenses. Carnes had said, “With my closest playing partner more than 580 miles away, My travel expenses were probably $50k more than anyone else in the IFL.” This isn’t an 
unfamiliar issue to arenafootballinsider.com readers because we’ve reported teams having difficulties with travel times, and expenses, many times in the past. What made this different was the contentiousness that immediately arose between the leagues and the teams. The same day the Nighthawks announced they had followed the Sioux Falls Storm from the IFL into the CIF, two teams defected from the CIF for the IFL, and lawsuits soon followed. 
anywhere in 2018. The IFL claimed the Wichita Falls team did not provide correct legal notice of their intention to leave the league. Carnes said, “The bylaws they quoted on the IFL league affiliation contract I signed are not the bylaws they claim we’re playing under. One of the key areas says we had 15 days after the United Bowl to announce (our intentions of playing in the IFL or leaving for the 2018 season). They stopped including me in league meetings and proceedings within that 15-day period so to me that said they knew we were leaving. We knew we had until around Sept. 30th to have all the paperwork done, and we’d still be within their time frame.” 
announced at the press conference, we were going to the CIF and later that same day two teams (The Bloomington Edge and the West Michigan Ironmen) we thought we’re solidified in the CIF for 2018, left and went to the IFL. That was the first time I thought there’s something strange going on here. A few days later, I got notice from the IFL saying they considered my departure involuntary according to the bylaws. I started thinking okay; they were holding us hostage, and they’re making some sort of trade, and things are going to work out.” The IFL, before the return of Bloomington and West Michigan, were down to only five teams, and they had no intention of letting two of their winningest franchises bolt for a rival league. The CIF was upset because both the Edge, and the Ironmen had committed to them and after just one season in the league, chose to return to the IFL. Both leagues wanted the Sioux Falls Storm and the Nighthawks, and it was at this point things really began to fall apart. 
“I’m looking forward to getting down to Buford and helping make that a winning organization because that’s what it’s all about.” 
Undra Hendrix is the latest free agent addition of the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. Last season his hard nosed running while playing Fullback for the High Country Grizzlies drew rave reviews from every corner of the league. While the Grizzlies struggled with injuries at key positions all over the field, Undra showed up every game, moved the chains, and scored 12 TDs. Despite his team winning only three games,Hendrix performance was good enough for 2nd team All-NAL. After the season ended and he became a prized free agent, Hendrix entertained offers from the AAL, CIF, and the NAL. Deciding to remain in the NAL, he chose Lehigh Valley for, among other reasons, the chance to play with NAL MVP QB Warren Smith Jr.. Said Undra, “I had to decide what would be the best situation and for me. That meant having a QB. I’ve never won a championship, and so it was going to be Columbus or Lehigh. You know they’re both going to be right there at the end, but with Warren, I just felt like Lehigh was the better fit for me.” 
northwest edge of Dallas, he played both Quarterback and Middle Linebacker. He said, “In my senior year, I did everything. The best time I had was playing MLB. Reading the keys and being the captain of the defense was pretty cool.” In his senior year, they switched him to the defensive line, and he said, “Putting my hand in the dirt and having to learn all of those pass rusher moves was kind of an adjustment.” After high school, Hendrix attended Division 3, Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. The coaching staff kept him on the defensive line and in his senior year, he broke the single-season sack’s record for DTs and was named as an All-American. While he admits he had a great season, He is quick to point out, “the team didn’t do as well as I’d have liked.” 
