The Stamps will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a game that will have major playoff implications for both sides.
Tickets to the Thanksgiving Classic are available through Ticketmaster at 403.777.0000, online to Ticketmaster.ca, at all Safeway and Sport Chek locations and at the Stamps Ticket Office.
The Stamps and Riders also meet this Friday in Regina. The Stamps will clinch a playoff spot with a win, or if the Toronto Argonauts lose at home against the BC Lions earlier on Friday night.
Steeple, who played in the AFL from 1996 to 2004 for the Florida Bobcats, Iowa Barnstormers, New Jersey Red Dogs, and New York Dragons, will be entering his fifth season as a professional coach and his third as head coach. In 2007 and 2008, Steeple was the head coach of the Chesapeake Tide of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). In 2007, Coach Steeple led the Tide to the playoffs in their inaugural season. In 2006 he served as the Defensive Coordinator and Offensive Line/Defensive Line Coach for the Everett Hawks of AF2. In 2000 he served as a Player/Coach for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the AFL.
A Baltimore, Maryland native, Steeple attended Northern High School in Baltimore where he was All-State in football, wrestling and lacrosse. Following graduation, he moved on to a highly successful college career at Morgan State University, where he was named Freshman of the Year in 1990. In his junior and senior seasons, he led the team in tackles, was a First Team All-Conference defensive tackle, and was also the team's Defensive Player of the Year. Steeple finished his Morgan career as a first team Black College and Division 1-AA All-American. Steeple signed with the Chicago Bears as a free agent in 1994 after attending the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Steeple began his coaching career as the Offensive Line/Defensive Line Coach and Assistant Defensive Coordinator at the Charles H. Hickey School for Boys. He coached at the school from 1999 to 2001. In 2002 and 2003 he held the same positions at Reginald F. Lewis High School and was named the head coach in 2004.
"We are pleased and honored to name Matt Steeple as the first head coach in the history of the Maryland Maniacs," stated Maniacs General Manager John Wolfe, "Signing a coach with the experience and high caliber resume of Matt, shows the organization's commitment to success on the field."
The Maniacs, who will call Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland home, are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The IFL is a national league based in Omaha, Nebraska and has teams from Maryland to Alaska, Louisiana to Montana, and New York to Texas. For more information on the Maryland Maniacs please visit www.marylandmaniacs.com.
The list of notable free agents includes: FB MARLION JACKSON, who led the AFL in rushing yards (356) and attempts (108) and tied for the AFL lead in rushing touchdowns with 23; WR CHARLES FREDERICK, 2007 Co-Rookie of the Year; DB RASHAD FLOYD, three-time All-Arena Second Team honoree and DB DAMON MASON, the all-time leading tackler in professional football history.
The list also features 2008 All-Arena players FB/LB DUKE PETTIJOHN and DB EDDIE MOTEN and All-Ironman selections WR/LB LAWRENCE SAMUELS and FB/LB MARLON MOYE-MOORE.
Two notable "street" free agents, who are available to sign with any team, are QB SHERDRICK BONNER and WR DAMIAN HARRELL. Bonner, named one of the 20 Greatest Players in AFL history (No. 8) as voted by the AFL 20 Seasons Historical Committee, currently ranks third all-time in passing attempts (5,435), completions (3,361), yards (42,295) and touchdowns (855). Harrell, the former two-time AFL Offensive Player of the Year (2005-06), is currently the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (320), ranks third in receiving yards (13,046) and fourth in receptions (987).
A complete list of 2009 AFL free agents and their 2008 teams:
ARIZONA RATTLERS: FB/LB Marvin Brown (5-11, 260, Alabama), DB Terrance Joseph (6-1, 201, Tulsa), DL Jeff Ruffin (6-4, 295, Illinois), QB Matt Sauk (6-1, 225, Utah St.), DL Demetrios Walker (6-3, 260, Middle Tennessee St).
CHICAGO RUSH: WR/DB BJ Barre (6-0, 200, Ohio St.), WR Ryan Dennard, (6-3, 227, Arizona St.), LB Liam Ezekiel (6-0, 240, Northeastern), K Todd France (6-3, 200, Toledo), FB John Peaua (6-2, 280, Nevada), OL John Sikora (6-4, 280, Slippery Rock), DB Jeremy Unertl (6-1, 210, WI-La Crosse), DB Talib Wise (5-10, 200, Nevada).
CLEVELAND GLADIATORS: QB Rohan Davey (6-3, 245, LSU), FB/LB Marlion Jackson (6-1, 255, Saginaw Valley St.), WR/LB Ron Johnson (6-3, 222, Minnesota), OL Kimani Jones (6-4, 310, Arkansas St.), WR/DB Willis Marshall (5-9, 193, Youngstown St.), OL/DL Ramon Richardson (6-2, 295, Oklahoma), DL Bryant Shaw (6-3, 287, Mississippi College).
COLORADO CRUSH: QB Jon Beutjer (6-5, 220, Illinois), DB Michael Bragg (6-1, 195, Texas A&M-Kingsville), DB Dion Byrum (5-11, 180, Ohio), DB Rashad Floyd (6-0, 180, Portland St.), OL Joey Hollenbeck (6-4, 320, Washington St.), QB Brandon Kirsch (6-2, 213, Purdue), WR Anthony Merritt (5-11, 195, North Alabama), WR Brad Pyatt (5-11, 187, Northern Colorado), WR Willie Quinnie (6-2, 176, UAB), DL Nick Rogers (6-2, 270, Georgia Tech), DL Lauvale Sape (6-1, 207, Utah), OL/DL Chris Watton (6-3, 291, Baylor), WR Wendall Williams (6-0, 190, Rhode Island).
COLUMBUS DESTROYERS: DB Nate Coggins (6-1, 210, West Georgia), DB Kevin Gaines (6-1, 205, Louisville), DL Michael Landry (6-3, 305, Southern), WR Rasheed Marshall (6-1, 190, West Virginia), WR/LB Tremaine Neal (6-3, 225, Valdosta St.), DL Saul Patu (6-3, 260, Oregon), DL Prentice Purnell (6-3, 320, West Georgia), WR Jerome Riley (6-2, 200, Washington St.), WR Calvin Russell (6-0, 190, Tuskegee), DL Derrick Strong (6-3, 275, Illinois) DL Mike Sutton (6-4, 275, LSU), LB Leroy Thompson (6-2, 270, Delaware St.).
DALLAS DESPERADOS: DB Chris Brown (6-2, 200, Grambling), QB Jason Fife (6-4, 225, Oregon), DB Donvetis Franklin (5-11, 210, Michigan St.), DL Winfield Garnett (6-6, 320, Ohio St.), DB Michael Hawkins (6-2, 190, Oklahoma), WR Marcus Nash (6-4, 220, Tennessee), WR/LB Bobby Perry (6-3, 210, Prairie View A&M), FB/LB Duke Pettijohn (6-2, 255, Syracuse), OL/DL Rickie Simpkins (6-3, 295, Syracuse), DL Daleroy Stewart (6-4, 327, Southern Mississippi).
GEORGIA FORCE: OL/DL Ernest Allen (6-4, 300, Cincinnati), WR/DB Cornelius Bonner (6-0, 200, Cincinnati), OL Corey Davis (6-3, 325, James Madison), DB Willie Gary (5-10, 185, Kentucky), LB Donny Green (6-3, 260, Virginia), WR Damien Groce (5-10, 180, Iowa St.), LB Eric Johnson (6-0, 241, Nebraska), QB Andy Kelly (6-3, 220, Tennessee), FB Bruce McClure (6-5, 305, Oklahoma), DB Hamin Milligan (6-2, 195, Houston), DB JoJo Polk (6-0, 193, Northeastern St.), OL/DL Jermaine Smith (6-3, 290, Georgia), DL Will Thompson (6-2, 261, Georgia), DB James Whitley (5-11, 185, Michigan).
GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE: QB Tom Arth (6-4, 220, John Carroll), DB Ryan Bowers (6-1, 210, Presbyterian College), K Brian Gowins (5-10, 180, Northwestern), C/OL Juan Porter (6-3, 310, Ohio St.), FB Chris Ryan (6-0, 305, Clark GA), OL Josh Sewell (6-2, 315, Nebraska), WR/LB Jason Shelley (6-2, 195, Central St.), OL Nick Steitz (6-4, 320, Oregon), OL Fitu Tuua (6-5, 335, Fresno St.).
KANSAS CITY BRIGADE: DL Chris Demaree (6-3, 265, Kentucky), DL Arrion Dixon (6-4, 308, Arkansas), WR Charles Frederick (5-11, 195, Washington), DB Will Holder (6-0, 192, Monmouth), OL Ed Ta'amu (6-2, 335, Utah).
LOS ANGELES AVENGERS: OL Branden Hall (6-4, 330, Troy), OL Clay Harrell (6-2, 300, Northern St.), DL Justin Hickman (6-1, 265, UCLA), QB Tim Hicks (6-4, 240, West Liberty St.), DB Clarence Lawson (5-6, 195, Utah), OL Matt McGhghy (6-3, 320, Northern Illinois), DB Arnold Parker (6-2, 215, Utah), LB Brandon Perkins (6-1, 235, Kansas), WR Terrence Stubbs (5-11, 195, Temple), WR/DB LaShaun Ward (6-0, 200, California).
NEW ORLEANS VOODOO: QB Steve Bellisari (6-3, 225, Ohio St.), DB Chris Brown (6-2, 195, UAB), WR Javarus Dudley (6-0, 190, Fordham), WR Ira Gooch (6-0, 195, Central Michigan), WR Tyronne Jones (5-9, 178, Grambling), WR James Jordan (6-2, 230, Louisiana Tech), OL Adam Metts (6-1, 280, North Carolina), FB Umar Muhammad (5-11, 270, North Texas), OL Brian Rimpf (6-5, 315, East Carolina), K Jonathan Ruffin (5-11, 174, Cincinnati), DB Calvin Spears (6-0, 195, Grambling), DB Nick Ward (5-11, 190, Miami FL), QB Danny Wimprine (6-3, 236, Memphis).
NEW YORK DRAGONS: WR Chris Anthony (6-3, 200, Iowa St.), FB/LB Ricky Hall (6-3, 290, Marshall), C/OL Joe Laudano (6-2, 290, Temple), DB Delmonico Montgomery (6-0, 203, Houston), OL/DL Greg Randall (6-6, 335, Michigan St.), WR Kevin Swayne (6-2, 185, Wayne St. NE), QB Juston Wood (6-2, 220, Portland St.).
ORLANDO PREDATORS: FB/LB Johnnie Balous (6-3, 265, Oklahoma), DL Darrell Campbell (6-4, 290, Notre Dame), DB Ahmad Carroll (5-10, 180, Arkansas), OL Jonathan Clinkscale (6-3, 320, Wisconsin), QB Jake Eaton (6-2, 220, Maine), K Dan Frantz (6-1, 200, Portland St.), WR Chas Gessner (6-5, 218, Brown), OL Jasper Harvey (6-3, 315, San Diego St.), OL Chris Jahnke (6-5, 315, Indiana), QB Matt Kohn (6-2, 205, Indianapolis), OL/DL Greg Krause (6-4, 320, New Hampshire), OL/DL Doug Miller (6-2, 300, Howard), LB John Mohring (6-1, 217, Georgia Southern), FB/LB Marlon Moye-Moore (6-3, 250, Maryland), DB Khalid Naziruddin (5-9, 185, Texas Tech), WR/DB Kevin Nickerson (5-8, 165, Central Missouri), DL Elton Patterson (6-2, 270, Central Florida), DL Cleveland Pinkney (6-0, 300, South Carolina), OL Jim Sodano (6-3, 315, East Stroudsburg), QB Shane Stafford (6-2, 215, Connecticut), K John Vaughn (6-0, 190, Auburn).
PHILADELPHIA SOUL: DL Kevin Carberry (6-2, 285, Ohio), OL Justin Cleveland (6-2, 320, Siena College), QB Matt D'Orazio (6-4, 230, Otterbein), OL/DL Anthony Dunn (6-3, 251, Northern Colorado), QB Tony Graziani (6-3, 215, Oregon), WR Brent Holmes (5-10, 175, Texas A&M-Kingsville), LB Craig Kobel (6-2, 250, South Florida), DB Brian Mance (5-10, 185, Clemson), DB Eddie Moten (5-10, 185, Texas A&M-Kingsville), LB Raheem Orr (6-3, 260, Rutgers), WR Sean Scott (6-2, 200, Millersville), WR Darius Watts (6-3, 205, Marshall), DB Dee Webb (6-0, 190, Florida).
SAN JOSE SABERCATS: WR Jamall Broussard (5-9, 175, San Jose St.), DB Trestin George (5-9, 180, San Jose St.), QB Mark Grieb (6-2, 215, CA-Davis), QB Scott Rislov (6-1, 222, San Jose St.), WR Cleannord Saintil (6-0, 190, Middle Tennessee St.), FB Daimon Shelton (6-0, 262, Sacramento St.).
TAMPA BAY STORM: DL Tom Briggs (6-4, 275, West Virginia), QB Stoney Case (6-3, 220, New Mexico), K Seth Marler (6-1, 190, Tulane), C/OL Marcus Owen (6-4, 330, Kansas), DB Traco Rachal (6-2, 200, Texas A&M-Commerce), WR Lawrence Samuels (6-3, 220, West Alabama), DL Nyle Wiren (6-4, 250, Kansas St.).
UTAH BLAZE: DB Eddie Canonico (6-1, 195, Sacramento St.), DL John Culp (6-5, 295, Kansas), FB/LB Rodney Filer (6-3, 260, Iowa), OL Rob Gatrell (6-5, 290, Fresno St.), QB Jason Gesser (6-1, 210, Washington St.), DL Vaka Manupuna (6-1, 305, Colorado), DB Damon Mason (5-9, 195, LA-Lafayette), WR/LB J.J. McKelvey (6-4, 225, Clemson), DL Dwayne Missouri (6-5, 285, Northwestern), FB/LB Kautai Olevao (6-2, 275, Utah), WR/DB Tom Pace (5-11, 200, Arizona St.), K Steve Videtich (6-2, 205, North Carolina St.).
Armstead, who was acquired mid-way through the season as a free agent acquisition, had the Blue Bombers first touchdown return of the year on an 84-yard runback. It was one of four punt returns for 150 yards. The University of Mississippi product also had two kickoff returns for 41 yards. Armstead is now in the top-10 in combined yardage in the CFL this season.
Blue Bombers defensive back Stanford Samuels was named a runner-up for defensive player of the week honours.
Date: Sept. 29, 2008
Player: Sandro DeAngelis, Shannon James, Tim O'Neill, Lemarcus Rowell, Dimitri Tsoumpas
Event: Timbits football program
Location: McMahon Stadium - 1817 Crowchild Trail N.W.
Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Date: Sept. 30, 2008
Player: Charleston Hughes, Juwan Simpson, Neil Ternovatsky
Event: Pee Wee Football Program with the Foothills Falcons
Location: Foothills Composite High School football field - 229 Woodhaven Drive, Okotoks
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
"The league has a responsibility and an obligation to protect the players of our game. The type of incident that occurred - blatant, helmet-to-helmet contact, which can lead to career-ending injuries for our star athletes - has no place on the field.
We are very fortunate this incident did not lead to a serious injury to our quarterback, Kevin Glenn. These types of violations and incidents need to be met with a succinct position that they will not be tolerated by the league. The decision made by the league has taken somewhat of a step in that direction.
In my leadership experience, strong actions result in very strong messages.
We truly hope the incident from Friday night involving a blatant helmet-to-helmet blow does not occur in future weeks in the Canadian Football League because of the precedent that was set today."
The Winnipeg Football Club will not be issuing further statements on this matter.
At 9-4-0, the Alouettes can finish no lower than second in the East Division and have become the first CFL team to qualify for the playoffs this season. This marks the Alouettes' 13th-straight playoff appearance, making them the only team to qualify for the post season every year since 1996.
With just one more victory, Montreal will clinch first place in the division and will host the final on Saturday, Nov. 15. Should the Alouettes finish second, they will host the semi-final on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Season ticket holders have priority on playoff tickets, while tickets will go on sale to the general public on Oct. 9 at noon.
Fans may already reserve group packages (minimum 10 people) by calling the Alouettes' ticket office at 514-871-2255.
