Come join us for the first game of the season. The Predators are also selling family ticket packs for the first game, 4 tickets for $40. Join us on February 25th for the return of Show Time at the ShoWare!

In a press release from Jim Granacker, director of operations for the Kent Predators, the Kent Predators announced that the community and media are invited to attend a press conference this Friday, February 12 at ShoWare Center to meet members of the front office and coaching staff, including team owners Chris Kokalis and Ken Moninski, VP of football operations and Predators head coach William McCarthy. The group will discuss their first season which kicks off with its first home game on Friday, March 12. In addition, Mayor Suzette Cooke will be available to answer questions regarding how the Predators’ presence in Kent will affect the community.

Also making an appearance is IFL Commissioner Tommy Benizio who will officially kick-off the league’s season tomorrow.

“Heading into the league’s second season, the IFL has quickly established itself as the nation’s premier indoor football league,” he stated in the February 10 press release.  “I am very excited to come to Kent to announce the kickoff of the 2010 campaign and to watch the Predators compete in our Pacific North Division this year.”

The Indoor Football League (IFL) was started in 2008 from a merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football Association. Two years later, the IFL consists of 25 teams in 13 states in six divisions. The IFL season is 14-games long and the season’s regular schedule runs from March through June. The season ends with playoffs in August, followed by the IFL United Bowl.

Refreshments will be served at 2:30 pm as informal announcements are made. The question and answer session will begin promptly at 3:00 pm.

For more information, contact Jim Granacker at 253-239-3254 or via email.

In a press release dated January 21, 2010, Brian Brents, Kent Predators VP of Operations, announced that William “Tab” McCarthy will serve as the team’s first coach. The pair worked together at the former El Paso Generals with McCarthy serving as the Generals’ Assistant Coach.

McCarthy’s first task is to assemble a roster of 45-men to attend training camp which begins in February. From that group, the final team will be selected. The team plays its first IFL game at ShoWare Center on Friday, March 12 against the Fairbanks Grizzlies.

For more information about the Kent Predators, visit the team online.

The Kent Predators first season – 2010 – will include seven home games at the ShoWare Center. Tickets for those indoor football games go on sale this Monday, January 25 at 10 am. Tickets can be purchased online at the Kent Predators site or at the ShoWare Center Box Office at 625 W. James St., Kent.

Tickets range in price from $14.50/ticket for end zone seating to $42.00 for platinum seating. Group tickets prices for 10 or more people are also available. For info. on individual or group season tickets, call the management office at 253-239-3254.

Monday evening the Kent Predators will also host a special “Pick Your Seat” night from 6 to 9 pm. Attendees can meet players who have been signed already and will receive free hot dogs and sodas.

Kent Predators is one of the newest teams to join the Indoor Football League which holds a 14-game regular season schedule from March through June.

The Kent Predators have announced the signing of 15 players. The group of players selected, headlined by former Western Washington University and Tri-Cities Fever Defensive back Kevin Jones and Portland State Linebacker Keista “KJ” McCrae, proves the team will have a strong emphasis on stopping their opponents attack this season.  Eleven of the fifteen players signed are projected to play on the defensive side of the ball, which is no surprise considering coaching consultant Mike Davis’s pedigree.  Last season he was the Defensive Coordinator for a RiverCity Rage team who was one win away from winning the first ever IFL United Bowl Championship.  Joining the team for the 2010 season are:

Kevin Jones- DB        Tri-Cities Fever/Western Washington University

Jones heads to the Predators after a brief stint in 2009 with the Tri-Cities Fever, formally of the AF2.  He saw action in one game after signing late in the season.  As a local star at Western Washington University, Jones was a standout defensive back while also seeing time on Special Teams as a kick returner.  He had perhaps his best season in 2005 where played in all ten games registering 33 tackles (27 solo), 7 pass breakups, 1 pass interception, 1 fumble recovery and 2 forced fumbles. He also returned 8 kickoffs for 128 yards.  An Achilles injury forced him to miss the 2006 and 2007 seasons.  As a senior in 2008 he played in ten games, totaling 33 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, an interception and 2 pass breakups.

Keista “KJ” McCrae- LB       Portland State

McCrae joins the Predators for his first season of professional football after three seasons at Portland State University.  His senior season for the Vikings in 2008 got him multiple looks from the professional ranks as he totaled 75 tackles, 12 of them for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.  The two-time All-Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention finished his collegiate career with 108.5 tackles (73 solo), 24.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception.

H. Mark Onibokun-DB    Boise State

After two seasons of Junior College, Onibokun was heavily recruited by many major Division I collegiate programs.  He committed to Boise State where he was a member of the 2003 Broncos team that won the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl, defeating TCU 34-31.  While playing mostly on Offense and Special Teams he finished his collegiate career with 12 catches for 126 while also returning 15 kick for 382 yards for an average of 25.5 yards per return.  On defense he recorded one interception in a game in 2004 versus Hawaii.

Broderick Hutchins-DB  Concordia (WI)/Milwaukee Bonecrushers

Hutchins joins the Predators with prior indoor football experience after playing in four games with the Milwaukee Bonecrushers of the Continental Indoor Football League in 2008.  That season he totaled 20 tackles and 1 interception in four games.  In two seasons as a defensive back at Concordia University from 2005-2006, he picked off 13 passes and accumulated 181 return yards off those takeaways.

Blaine McConnell-S/WR U. of Idaho

Tony Grote-OL/DL  Tacoma Cobras

Grote comes to Kent fresh off his dominating performance in the Professional Developmental Football League.  As a member of the Tacoma Cobras, Grote was named as the 2009 PDFL Offensive Lineman of the Year.  He was also named to the First Team All-PDFL Offense as a Center for a Cobras team that won the first ever PDFL Championship.

Andre “Piper” Gordon-WR   Renton Ravens

Following a 9-3 season in the Cascade Football League that culminated in a Championship berth, Jordan joins the Predators with a reputation for being a big play Wide Receiver.  The First Team CFL All-Conference member had a league long 70 yard catch and totaled eight touchdowns during the 2009 season.

Marcus Reed-RB    Tacoma Cobras

Reed follows former teammate Tony Grote to the Predators from the Tacoma Cobras of the PDFL.  And much like his former battering mate, he too collected some post-season hardware.  Reed was named the 2009 PDFL Running back of the Year and was also selected to the First Team All-PDFL Offensive team.  The Cobras relied heavily on Reed down the stretch which allowed them to become the first ever PDFL Champions in 2009.

Toby Smith-LB   Seattle Stallions

Like Gordon and McGee, Smith comes to the Predators from the Cascade Football League.  During the 2009 season he helped the Stallions to a perfect 9-0 regular season record as an anchor on defense.  He totaled 38 tackles, 9 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions which he returned for touchdowns.

Marcus Whittaker-S   Tacoma Cobras

In addition to Grote and Reed, Safety Marcus Whittaker comes to the Predators after a season with the Tacoma Cobras of the Professional Developmental Football League.  Whittaker was a central figure for a defensive unit that defeated the Bellingham Blitz 36-31 in the PDFL Championship.

Damien Coaxum-RB   College of the Redwoods

A bruising style runner out of the College of the Redwoods, Coaxum figures to be a touchdown threat near the goal line.  During his final collegiate season in 2001 he ran for 559 yards on 102 carries with 8 touchdowns (5.4 yard avg.).  He also caught 35 passes for 599 yards and 4 scores.

William McGee-RB   Renton Ravens

McGee joins former teammate Andre “Piper” Gordon from the Renton Ravens of the Cascade Football League to compete for the starting Running back spot for Kent.  He was a CFL All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2009 after averaging over 8 yards per carry and more than 5 yards per catch out of the backfield.

Andrew Pina-OL/DL  King County Jaguars

The addition of Pina brings size to the trenches and he will be counted on to wreak havoc along the offensive and defensive lines.  As a member of the King County Jaguars of the North American Football League, Pina was selected to the 2008 Western Conference All-Star Team as an offensive Lineman.

Jeremiah Captain-DB   Benedictine College/Puget Titans

Captain brings speed and athleticism to a defensive backfield that will be counted on to keep up with many of the IFL’s top Wide Receivers.  After becoming a second team NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference selection in 2005, Captain took his skills to the Northwest Football League where he earned First Team All-NWFL honors at Defensive back.

Debenaire Nichols-LB    N/A

Another open tryout will be conducted sometime in January for those interested players who were unable to participate last weekend.  Log on to www.kentpredators.com or call the team office at 253-239-3254 for more information.  The team expects to announce a Head Coach next month and will bring a total of 45 players to February’s training camp.

The Kent Predators are an expansion franchise playing in the Indoor Football League. The team’s season will kick off in March 2010. The Predators organization is committed to actively participating in the Kent community. The team will call the ShoWare Center its official home.  For more information on the team, visit www.kentpredators.com.

From Kent Predators, December 7, 2009

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL COMING TO KENT TEAM TO BE INTRODUCED AT 3:30 PRESS CONFERENCE

Professional football is coming to the Pacific Northwest. The Kent Predators, an expansion professional football franchise, will begin play in the Indoor Football League (IFL) beginning in March of 2010. The team is excited to be working with SMG in securing ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington as its home facility.

The Predators will hold a news conference today Monday, December 7th at 3:30 pm at the ShoWare Center to introduce the franchise and members of the ownership group.

“We are extremely excited. This area eats and breathes football and the ShoWare Center is a first class facility,” said Chris Kokalis, Predators President and co owner. “The important thing for us to do is get involved in the community. Being active and involved in the community is equally as important as wins and losses for our organization.” The Predators have entered into good faith negotiations with SMG in coordination with the City of Kent for the purpose of securing a lease agreement.

The Indoor Football League (www.goifl.com) is a 26-team league based out of Richmond, Virginia with franchises in 13 states. Kent becomes the second Washington franchise for the IFL joining the Tri-Cities Fever. The league holds a 14-game regular season schedule that runs March through June. The IFL’s playoffs culminate in August with the IFL United Bowl. The Predators will host a seven game home schedule. Games will be played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The IFL schedule is expected to be released within the next week.

The Predators are co-owned by Chris Kokalis & Ken Moninski. Moninski is the Owner/President of Seattle based company Global Aircraft Services, an aviation services company providing flight crews and logistics for the managed movement of commercial aircraft around the world. Global was named an Inc. 5,000 company in 2009, recognizing its growth in supporting the world’s leading aircraft leasing companies and fastest growing airlines. He has gained experience in a variety of business functions during his over 20 years working in the airline industry. Serving in senior management positions at Evergreen International Aviation and Virgin Atlantic Airways, he led several airport infrastructure projects and joint-venture initiatives in North America, China and Spain. In the 1990s he was also a founder and board member of a new entrant regional airline in Colorado. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and is a volunteer with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentoring program. Kokalis has a lengthy resume within professional sports. He has held a variety of administrative, marketing and sales positions with teams such as the Minnesota Thunder, Milwaukee Rampage, Milwaukee Bonecrushers and Los Angeles Dodgers. Kokalis and Moninski are also co owners of the La Crosse Spartans an IFL franchise in La Crosse, WI along with Wisconsin businessman Bob Sullivan.

“I know that ShoWare Center is the perfect venue for professional indoor football. I am grateful for the support of SMG and the city of Kent and look forward to an exciting inaugural season at the ShoWare Center” said Moninski. Football fans will have the opportunity to learn more about the Predators – and reserve season tickets – with the launch of the team’s website, www.kentpredators.com, on Monday.

For more information, contact Chris Kokalis at 651-210-5617.