Rising From the Ashes
Missoula
semi-pro football players, prompted
by the frustration that peaked
during a playoff loss in June 2006,
decided a new start for Missoula
football was in order. That
change manifested itself in the
formation of a completely new and
separate team. The new team would
have new management, a new color
scheme, a new logo and a fitting new
name: The Missoula Phoenix LLC.
Along with
that new look came a new attitude
and a new way of advancing the
business side of Semi-Pro football
in Montana. The team was made up of
many of the same players already
familiar to Missoula fans, and was
aided by spirited new additions.
The new management team consisted of
Dr. Mike Johnson, Mr. John Velk
Esq., Mr Todd Mackey, and Mr.
Chip Bush. This blend of old and
new promised to make the Phoenix a
formidable foe. The 2007 Missoula
Phoenix would prove to
be entertaining while exhibiting the
Pride and Poise which has become the
trademark of Missoula football.
Despite
bumps along the way, including the
abrupt resignation of the head coach
after a mid-season win, The Phoenix
rallied around new head coach Bill
Funke. He was assisted immeasurably
by Offensive Coordinator Mike Swann
and Defensive Coordinator Ciche
Pitcher. The Phoenix excelled on
and off the field. The Phoenix
embraced community service and
assisted with many charitable
functions throughout the Missoula
community.
On the
field, The Phoenix played extremely
well and made the playoffs in their
first season. Finishing second in
the tough Northern AA, the Phoenix
hosted the Great Falls Gladiators
and prevailed in the first round of
the playoffs. Despite the fact that
no Missoula team had ever won a road
playoff victory in Utah, hopes were
high going into the
semi-finals. The Phoenix travelled
to Davis, Utah to take on the
Southern AA champion, the undefeated
Davis Vipers. Though no one gave
the Phoenix a chance, the score was
knotted up midway through the fourth
quarter after the Vipers scored. On
the ensuing kickoff, Tony
Sanderson darted up the middle and
then shot outside behind an
impenetrable wall of blockers,
untouched to the endzone. The point
after, however, was botched and the
Vipers had plenty of time for their
high powered offense to score the
winning touchdown. The
mighty Phoenix defense bent all the
way to their own red zone, but
stopped the Vipers on fourth down
only inches from a first down. The
celebration silenced the Vipers
faithful and history was re-written
for the Phoenix.
The Blaze
had done their part to set up an all
Montana championship and the Phoenix
had a chance to avenge their only
two losses of the season. An off
night on offense, due in no small
part to the Blaze's strong defense,
sealed the Phoenix's fate and the
Blaze captured the 2007
championship.
The
promise of the 2007 Phoenix has
grown even stronger in 2008. Having
moved up to AAA, Missoula's games
will be against much tougher
competition. The Phoenix believes
it has assembled an even stronger
cast of players and knows it will
bring its exciting brand of football
to the RMFL in 2008!
2008
The Phoenix Take Flight
Former New York Jets draft pick
(1979) Willie Beamon became coach of
Missoula after his son convinced him
to leave Southern California and
move to Montana.
The Phoenix
started the 2008 season with some
big changes. Though not required to
by the league, the team and
management decided to take a huge
step up to play AAA football.
Missoula semi-pro football's first
venture into AAA in four years
yielded a victory in the first game
against their arch-rival the
Bitterroot Blaze. Marking the first
time the Phoenix beat the Blaze in
the record books bolstered the
team's credibility and gave them a
new found swagger. This momentum
propelled the Phoenix to victory in
their next game over the league's
oldest franchise the Idaho Falls
Mustangs. Buoyed with confidence
after those wins, the
Phoenix travelled to Bear River to
take on the Rockets. In a forty
mile an hour wind, the Phoenix
passed and ran their way to their
first ever AAA road victory.
The season
progressed well and culminated with
a playoff seed and first round game
at the RMFL's oldest franchise: The
Idaho Falls Mustangs. In a see saw
game the Phoenix found themselves
down 2 points with the ball on the
IF three yard line with under a
minute to go. Shockingly, an
audible led to a fade pattern
instead of the anticipated run play
and an interception broke the hearts
of the Phoenix and their fans. So
close to advancing, the Phoenix were
gutted by the loss and had only to
look forward to building on their
success in 2009.
With the scars
of the 2008 fresh in its memory, the
Phoenix campaign of 2009 seemed
shaky from the start. New coaches,
a new QB and many new faces led to a
rough transition for the team. The
resignation of the OC weeks before
the season ultimately put the
Phoenix too far behind the eight
ball. Though competing well in many
games, the Phoenix were unable to
break through in the win column and
would ultimately be returning to AA
play. A high point of the season
that signaled the strong foundation
of the team was having 40 players
travel on their own dime
to Idaho Falls for the last game of
the year. A meaningless game in
terms of the upcoming playoffs and
the Phoenix record, the Phoenix
played inspired football and led the
playoff bound Mustangs until deep in
the 4th Quarter. Only a costly
miscue kept the Phoenix from getting
their first win of the season.
However, the team unity boded well
for the 2010 season and hopefully
signaled another rise from the ashes
for the Phoenix.
The team spent
2010 playing "Jeckle & Hyde"
football going 4-4 losing and
winning close games.