Indoor arena football team, competitors in Champions Indoor Football League, include football stand-outs, gridiron gals, and energetic entertainment for whole family
Get ready, as the Marshal is back in town – and he’s got a lock on family-friendly entertainment. Kicking off Saturday, March 4 at Mesquite Arena for their first regular season game is the action-packed season for the Dallas Marshals indoor football team, who compete in the Southern Division of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) League. On March 4, the Dallas Marshals take on the Centex Cavalry at 7:05 p.m. for their regular season opener. The Marshals played one exhibition game on February 18 against the Arlington Longhorns and won 62-6.
The Dallas Marshals have ushered in a football revolution into North Texas, where the thrill of professional football can be had during any climate because of the indoor play. Fans can cheer on the Marshals in 13 regular-season games, seven of which will be played at home in Mesquite Arena, and -- hopefully -- in three divisional play-off, southern championships and national championship games. The CIF league's season runs until June, when the CIF Champions Bowl will be held to determine the national winning team.
The all-star Dallas Marshals team includes professional athletic stand-outs from North Texas high schools, and college and NFL teams across the country, including:
· Wide Receiver Cordell Roberson – 6’4”, 215 lbs, Stephen F. Austin University, played for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns NFL teams
· Wide Receiver Desmond Roland – 6’1”, 190 lbs, Oklahoma State University, played for the Dallas Cowboys NFL team, lead the Big 12 Conference in Rushing Touchdowns (OSU)
· Defensive Back Ladarrel McNeil – 6’1”, 208 lbs, All ACC and four-year starter at University of Tennessee
· Quarterback Kolton Browning – 6’3”, 210 lbs, All-time leading passer at University of Louisiana Monroe – originally from Mabank
· Defensive Back Joe Powell – 6’1”, 185 lbs, All-Conference at University of Oklahoma
Arena football is an exciting, fresh sport for fans of the gridiron. CIF league rules specify that the game is played on a field 50 yards long by 28 yards wide, with end zones eight yards deep. Goal posts are ten feet wide and ten feet off the ground, typically suspended from the ceiling. Each team can have eight players on the field at a time, and up to 25 active players for each game. The game is played in four quarters of 15 minutes each. The clock does not stop for incomplete passes, out-of-bounds plays or first downs, unless it's within the final 90 seconds of either half -- making for an action-packed, fun and high-energy game.
"It’s hard to beat this kind of fast-paced excitement," said Doug Bland, general manager of the Dallas Marshals. "The talent that’s on the field is some of the best in the nation – but the difference is that the fans can get up close and personal with these stars of the gridiron, and enjoy bringing their families to this indoor, air-conditioned arena with plenty for kids to do. This is how football should be played!”
To complement the fast-paced energy on the field, there is plenty of activity for the whole family before, during and after the game. The Dallas Darling Deputies, a professional cheerleading organization whose alumni have gone on to become Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Dallas Stars Ice Girls and Mavs dancers, entertain the crowd with their synchronized dancing fun.
At halftime, enjoy a performance from the new Dallas Mass Band, a community band made up of 300 young people from schools all over Dallas County, including: Lincoln, Cedar Hill, Kimball, Pinkston, Wilmer Hutchins, Skyline, Sunset and Woodrow Wilson high schools. The young students who make up the Dallas Mass Band volunteer their time for the love of music and performance, and to provide amazing entertainment to the fans of the Dallas Marshals.
In addition to the music and dancing, kids can enjoy inflatables and games around the arena to test their own sports skills or simply run off some energy. After the game, the whole family is invited down onto the field to take selfies with football celebs and get some autographs. The indoor football experience is something for the whole family, as it combines the fast-paced nature of football with a comfortable indoor environment, family-friendly ticket pricing, and entertainment.
Tickets are $12-25, and are available at the door, by calling 972-285-8777, or online at Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.com/Resistol-Arena-tickets-Mesquite/venue/98323?brand=mesquiterodeo.
See the complete schedule, roster of players and videos of the Dallas Marshals Darling Deputies on the team's website at www.dallasmarshals.com.