For the third consecutive game, Cincinnati and Marion will meet on the gridiron – and head coach Billy Back doesn’t quite mince words.

“I don’t like it,” said Back. “We play Marion two more times and Erie one more time, then play the winner of Marion/Erie in the playoffs.”

At issue mainly is the inability to mix up the game plan from week to week.

“With the rules set there is not much you can do different,” Back replied. “It’s three coverages and handful of plays; basically it’s the jimmy’s and joe’s, not x’s and o’s. It’s going to be can you stop our best play and can we stop your best play. When it comes to playing a team three or four times, you hope make right play call at right time.”

In the last meeting against the Blue Racers, Cincinnati made the plays when needed as the pull out the 61-53 comeback victory. The Commandos faced its largest deficit of the season, but used an excellent effort from Corry Stewart and Kyenes Mincy to clinch a playoff berth. A victory will put the Commandos on the doorsteps of the first round bye.

The one thing Cincinnati has going for it is two starters – James Frazier and Richard Bailey – and key reserve, D’arrell Brown, didn’t play against Marion.

If Cincinnati is to correct one aspect of the last Marion contest, it will be the turnovers. Tyler Sheehan threw six touchdowns in the win, but also threw four interceptions. Fortunately for Cincinnati, they were able to pick off Blue Racers quarterback Boo Jackson five times.

Marion starting quarterback Josh Harris, who missed the game with an injury, could be back in action. It would be the first time that Harris and his favorite target, Jackson, are on the field at the same time against Cincinnati.

Following the Marion game, the Commandos return home for back-to-back home games to complete the regular season at the historic Cincinnati Gardens.

FT. MYERS, FL – The UIFL has announced the weekly honors for the week ending May 7, 2012, and for the third straight week, the Cincinnati Commandos earned two award winners.

Last week’s offensive honoree Kyenes Mincy, is this week’s Trophy Award Special Teams Player of the Week. He scored the biggest touchdown of the game, a 37-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that came immediately after Marion’s touchdown gave them an 11-point lead. It was Cincinnati’s largest deficit of the season.

It’s the second time this season a Cincinnati player earned the special team award as Mincy follows Brandon Yingling, who won the honor last week.

Cincinnati cornerback Corry Stewart earns the All-Star PR Cincinnati Defensive Player of the Week honor after tying a UIFL record with four interceptions as the Commandos remained unbeaten. Stewart is the fourth Cincinnati player to earn the league’s defensive honors, joining James Spikes (4/24), E.J. Underwood (4/7) and Antwone Canady (3/26).

The Commandos (7-0) will secure a home playoff game with a victory against Marion on May 19. The kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It will mark the third straight meeting between the two teams.

The Cincinnati Commandos are the longest-tenured professional indoor football team in the city of Cincinnati. All seven home games are played at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. Tickets are currently on sale via TicketMaster or via the Cincinnati Gardens box office, calling (513) 631-7793 or visiting in person at 2250 Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45212.

CINCINNATI, OH – The UIFL has announced that Saturday’s (May 12, 2012) game between Cincinnati Commandos and the Rome (Ga.) Rampage has been cancelled and will not be made up.  The game will not count as a win or loss for either team, in the UIFL standings.

The two remaining regular season home games for the Commandos will take place as scheduled on Saturday, May 26 vs. the Erie Explosion and Saturday, June 2 vs. the Marion Blue Racers at the historic Cincinnati Gardens.

“Both the Commandos and Rome Rampage are disappointed the game will not be able to be played”, said Jason Buckley, General Manager of the Cincinnati Commandos.  “Fielding a competitive team and travel challenges made this a difficult endeavor for the Rampage.  Both teams agreed it would not make sense, both competitively and financially, to play the game.

“We remain focused to finish out the regular season, including the two remaining home games and to play for a third straight indoor football championship for the Commandos and their fans,” Buckley added.

In lieu of the game not being played, season ticket holders for the Cincinnati Commandos will have the option for either a refund or an exchange. The exchange can be good for a like seat, for either of the two remaining Commandos home games OR a potential home UIFL playoff game at the Cincinnati Gardens. For tickets purchased online, an automatic refund will take place to your account. For exchanges or refunds at the Cincinnati Gardens, please visit the box office during regular business hour; Monday – Friday, 10am – 5 pm.

The Cincinnati Commandos are the longest-tenured professional indoor football team in the city of Cincinnati. All seven home games are played at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. Tickets are currently on sale via TicketMaster or via the Cincinnati Gardens box office, calling (513) 631-7793 or visiting in person at 2250 Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45212.

Tony Longo (10) had a team-high seven tackles, while Corry Stewart recorded five interceptions.

MARION, OH – With the game on the line in the second half, two of Cincinnati stars – Kyenes Mincy and Corry Stewart – shined the brightest. Stewart had five interceptions along with a forced fumble and Mincy scored four second-half touchdowns as Cincinnati clinched a playoff berth with the 61-53 victory over Marion Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Cincinnati trailed for the first time this season at halftime, and Marion quickly built the Commandos largest deficit of the season by scoring on the first play of the second half. But, Mincy asserted himself promptly, returning the ensuing kickoff 37 yards for a touchdown. Mincy gave Cincinnati the lead, 47-44, as time expired in the third quarter with a 20-yard strike from Tyler Sheehan.

The lead didn’t last long as the Blue Racers connected on a 18-yard Boo Jackson field goal with 10:35 left, then reclaimed the lead on a Jackson one-yard touchdown run. However, he missed the extra point and the MBR lead stood at six with 2:15 left in the game.

With “The Barn” rocking, Mincy silenced the raucous crowd – hauling in a 32-yard touchdown from Sheehan on Cincinnati’s first play of the drive, and the Yingling extra point had the Commandos leading at the one-minute break.

As Cincinnati’s offense star shining, its defensive star – Stewart – was ready to drive the final nail into the Blue Racers coffin with his fifth interception of the game.

The Commandos went into running clock mode, inserting Mincy at quarterback, and he eventually would find the end zone with 10 seconds remaining to cap the score. The touchdown, however, gave Marion three final attempts to send the game into overtime. But the defense forced back-to-back-to-back incompletions to preserve the victory.

Sheehan was 19-of-38 for 315 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. Mincy finished the game with 143 yards on seven receptions and two touchdowns. Phillip Barnett and Brandon Boehm added two touchdowns receiving as well.

Tony Longo recorded a team-high seven tackles, while Chris Holland and Santino Turnbow had four tackles each.

Cincinnati (7-0) will face Rome 7:30 pm Saturday at the historic Cincinnati Gardens.

FT. MYERS, FL – For the fifth time in six weeks, and the third consecutive week, a Cincinnati Commandos player earned Conquest Cards Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Receiver Phillip Barnett became the third Cincinnati pass catcher, following Brandon Boehm (week one) and Kyenes Mincy (week eight), to bring home the award. Quarterback Tyler Sheehan has brought home the honor twice.

“Phillip is an amazing talent with his total potential being untapped,” said head coach Billy Back. “We look for more opportunities beyond the Commandos in the future. For a kid wo is only 21 (years old) to play like he plays, look out. My goal here is to develop him to his full potential and send him elsewhere. He is tremendous indoor player, but could be a better outdoor player.”

In Cincinnati’s victory over Marion, Barnett was the most dangerous player on the field. He caught four touchdowns, including two scores in which he turned short passes into long scoring plays. Barnett finished the game with nine catches for 147 yards to go along with the four touchdowns.

He leads the north division, and is second in the UIFL, with 104 yards per game. His 17.2 points per game is second in the north and fourth in the UIFL.

Kicker Brandon Yingling was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points with a tackle and two devastating blocks to earn the Trophy Awards Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Cincinnati (6-0) holds a two-game lead in the North over Erie Explosion (5-2) and Marion Blue Racers (5-2) with five games remaining. The Commandos, who travels to Marion this week, plays the Blue Racers three more times and will host Erie on May 26.

The Cincinnati Commandos are the longest-tenured professional indoor football team in the city of Cincinnati. All seven home games are played at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. Tickets are currently on sale via TicketMaster or via the Cincinnati Gardens box office, calling (513) 631-7793 or visiting in person at 2250 Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45212.

CINCINNATI – With the game hanging relatively in the balance, the Cincinnati Commandos turned the tide in 35 seconds en route to the 58-38 victory over the Marion Blue Racers Saturday in front of 2,350 fans at the historic Cincinnati Gardens.

Trailing by 11 points with the ball, the Blue Racers turned the ball over on downs as receiver Brandon Williams was tackled one yard short of the first down by Tony Longo. Three plays later, Phillip Barnett was taking a quick screen pass 26 yards for the touchdown.

Things went from bad to worse for Marion as Josh Harris’ next pass was picked off by E.J. Underwood, who broke three tackles during his 31-yard touchdown return. Just like that, Cincinnati’s lead was 25 points heading into the locker room.

Marion wouldn’t get any closer than 14 points for the rest of the game, and the only thing remaining for Cincinnati fans was whether former UC forward Eric Hicks would get his first career reception. The moment finally happened with 3.8 seconds as Hicks tipped the ball to himself twice before hauling in a four yard pass touchdown from Tyler Sheehan.

Two of Sheehan’s three interceptions came as the Commandos were attempting to get Hicks his reception.

Barnett finished the nine catches for 147 yards and four touchdowns to lead Cincinnati. Brandon Boehm added five receptions for 68 yards. Sheehan threw for 268 yards on 18-of-32 passing and five touchdowns.

Running back Mack Ogletree added two rushing touchdowns in the victory.

Not to be overshadowed, the defense recorded five interceptions – taking two back for scores. In addition to Underwood’s score, defensive back Darren Barnett had a 26-yard interception return. They also recorded two sacks, which is the same amount the Blue Racers had yielded all season long.

Underwood led the way with seven tackles, while James Spikes had three tackles, one for loss, and a sack.

Cincinnati (6-0) will face these same Blue Racers (5-2) again next week as the Commandos travel to Marion for a 7 p.m. game.

James Spikes, Thomas Claggett and James Frazier are just part of the Commandos defensive line rotation. (photo by Tony Tribble)

CINCINNATI – From the “Monsters of the Midway” to the “Steel Curtain” and even the “No Name Defense”, seemingly every great defensive unit or defense has a name. However, there is a group that calls the historic Cincinnati Gardens home that is pretty special and dominant that flies under the radar.

James Frazier, James Spikes, Thomas Claggett, Terrill Byrd and D’arrel Brown comprise a stout defensive line that has dominated offensive lines in the various indoor leagues the Cincinnati Commandos played in the last three seasons.

“Our defensive line, in my eyes, has been hands down the best in indoor football the past three seasons,” said head coach Billy Back. “There are teams that may have one or even two good defensive line men, but when you have five guys that when rotated in and out like a battery pack and never skip a beat, it makes for tough match up for any offensive line.”

Cincinnati, en route to back-to-back CIFL championships, led the league in defensive scoring and a good part of the reason is the pressure on the quarterback supplied by the defensive line. Regardless of which of the five dress on any given game day, there is no drop off in talent or production.

In the Commandos convincing victory over Erie last week, they harassed Explosion quarterback A.J. McKenna all game long and sacked him 11 times. Coming into the game, Erie had yielded just nine sacks on the season.

“(Our defensive line) all work well together and all push each other for the same goal … Pressure!,” said Back. “Then you add our defensive line coach, Sean Middlebrooks, into the mix to push and motivate these guys even more – it’s a powerful force.

“Coach Middlebrooks is a former defensive lineman himself, he knows the position, coaches it well and gets our guys ready to go game in and game out. I’ll take my guys over any defensive line in any league and feel good about our chances, all day.”

The task for Saturday’s game is similar to last week as the Marion offensive line has allowed just two sacks of quarterback Josh Harris. The protection is one of the reasons for the Blue Racers improved offensive output this season.

Marion is second in the league in scoring offense with 60.5 points per game. Harris is completing 56.4 percent (93-of-165) of his passes for 1,144 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The game will also pit two of the best defenses, and defensive lines, in the UIFL. Reigning UIFL Defensive Player of the Year, Thomas McKenzie, leads a Blue Racers unit that is pretty good in their own right. In addition, Marion signed former Blue Racer and IFL star Mike Cross. The 6-6, 340-pound will bring size to a unit that set the UIFL sack record last week with 14.

Despite the gaudy numbers, Marion hasn’t faced an offense as explosive as the Cincinnati’s attack led by quarterback Tyler Sheehan. The Commandos bring the top scoring unit into the game, but what makes the group dangerous is its depth. They have three receivers all ranked in the league’s top 10, led by the explosive Phillip Barnett. However, Brandon Boehm and Kyenes Mincy have shown they are equally as talented and bring their own exploits to the Cincinnati offense. Add to the mix, Mack Ogeltree, who would start for any other UIFL team, and Sheehan has a plethora of ways to dissect opposing defenses.

Adding to the intrigue to the contest is that Cincinnati will be receiving its championship rings from 2011 that was won at the expense of these same Blue Racers. The Commandos knocked off Marion three times last year and is 5-0 all-time against Marion indoor football teams.

The camp is open for kids ages 5-18 years old. Learn the Cuties’ dances and perform at the next home game May 12! For those that pre-registers before April 15, it will cost $25 and it’s $30 after that date. All participants will receive a t-shirt.

Make checks and money orders payable to: Crimson Sports Management.

Dancers at the camp will get a voucher for free admission to the May 12 game for free. The Cuties will have extra tickets to sell at the camp for adults and others that would like to attend.

CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Commandos professional indoor football team is announcing its special events for Saturday night’s game.

In honor of former Cincinnati Bearcats forward Eric Hicks, and his professional football debut, it will be University of Cincinnati night at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. Tickets for the game will start at $6, and are available at the Gardens Box Office.

In addition, the team will be offering $1 Donatos pizza slices all game and $1 beers from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Members of the 2011 team will receive their championship rings in a pregame ceremony. Ironically, the team Cincinnati defeated in last year’s title game, Marion Blue Racers, is Saturday’s opponent. The game is a battle for first place as the undefeated Commandos host 4-1 Marion.

The Cincinnati Commandos are the longest-tenured professional indoor football team in the city of Cincinnati. All seven home games are played at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. Tickets are currently on sale via TicketMaster or via the Cincinnati Gardens box office, calling (513) 631-7793 or visiting in person at 2250 Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45212.

Defensive lineman James Spikes

FT. MYERS, FL – Coming off a convincing win in its first-place battle with Erie, two Cincinnati Commandos players earned weekly laurels from the UIFL, the league announced Monday (April 23, 2012).

Quarterback Tyler Sheehan was named the Conquest Cards Offensive Player of the Week, while defensive lineman James Spikes is the All-Star PR Cincinnati Defensive Player of the Week.

Sheehan outdueled Erie signal caller A.J. McKenna in leading the Commandos to the 55-34 victory. He finished the game 21-of-44 for 359 yards passing, seven touchdowns and three picks. Two of his touchdowns came on fourth down in the fourth quarter as the Explosion was looking to mount a comeback.

“Tyler really made some big-time throws in big-time situations yesterday,” said head coach Billy Back. “Those fourth quarter touchdowns help keep the Erie crowd from getting into the game.”

Spikes, along with the rest of the defensive line, was a disruptive force all game long. He recorded eight tackles with 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. The Erie offensive line came into the game allowing just nine sacks all season long.

“I would have like to nominate the defensive line as whole,” said Back. “James was the best of the four, but by no means does that take away from the outstanding performances of (James) Frazier, (Terrill) Byrd and (D’arrell) Brown. They were the main reason that Erie didn’t score offensively in the first half.”

The Commandos (5-0) will look to take a two-game lead in the North as they host Marion (5-1) Saturday at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. In honor of former Cincinnati Bearcats forward Eric Hicks suiting up for the Commandos, the team will have Cincinnati Bearcats Night in which tickets are starting at $6. Additionally, the Gardens will be offering $1 Donatos Pizza and $1 Happy Hour beer (6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.).

The Cincinnati Commandos are the longest-tenured professional indoor football team in the city of Cincinnati. All seven home games are played at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. Tickets are currently on sale via TicketMaster or via the Cincinnati Gardens box office, calling (513) 631-7793 or visiting in person at 2250 Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45212.