Canton Cougars

Canton Cougars
Founded 2010
League Ultimate Indoor Football League
Team history Canton Cougars (2011)
Based in Canton, Ohio
Arena Canton Memorial Civic Center
Colors Black, Gold, Red
Owner(s) Tim Clark
Head coach Paul Farrah
Championships 0
Division titles 0
Dancers Cougar Kittens
Mascot Cujo Da Cougar

The Canton Cougars were a professional indoor football team which began play in the Ultimate Indoor Football League for its inaugural 2011 season. Based in Canton, Ohio, the Cougars played their home games at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. The Cougars were Canton's second indoor football team; their first since the American Indoor Football Association's Canton Legends, which played from 2005 until 2008 (winning the AIFL championship in 2006).

History

2011

The Cougars were formed by the head of the Ultimate Indoor Football League, Andrew Haines.[1] Haines made the hire of Rashan Hall to become the Cougars first ever head coach.[2] The Cougars played their first ever game on February 20, 2011 against the Huntington Hammer, a game in which the Cougars lost 41-26.[3] With the team getting off to a rough 0-3 start, Haines issued a guarantee to the people of Canton, saying that the revamped Cougars roster would defeat the Saginaw Sting during their week 4 meeting.[4] The Cougars didn't make their owner a liar, defeating the Sting 53-52.[5] Their victory over the Sting proved to be the lone bright spot for the Cougars, who would lose 9 straight before firing their Hall, and replacing him with Paul Farrah.[6] Farrah would lose the game, with less than a week to prepare. The Cougars finished with a 1-13 record, and finished last in the UIFL.

2012

On June 16, 2011, it was announced that Michael Taylor and Andrew Hines had sold their controlling state in the Cougars to Tim Clark.[7] Clark was the former owner of the Johnstown Generals, but the commute was becoming a hassle. Once he gained ownership, he made several personnel changes including, naming Paul Farrah as its new head coach. Farrah was recently hired as the director of football operations. He also hired Canton South High School head coach Mo Daniska as the new defensive coordinator, while Louisville High School defensive coordinator Troy Davis will serve as the Director of Community Relations, focusing on developing youth football camps and clinics. Former Head Coach Rashaun Hall has been retained as an assistant coach and will also serve as director of player personnel.[8] They also announced and hired seasoned operations executive David Lopez as the new Director of Sales and Marketing. The new group made plenty of signings for the 2012 season, and lasted until January when the franchise suspended operations.[9]

Notable Players

Final roster

Canton Cougars roster
Quarterbacks
  •  6 Ray Marrow
  • -- Marc Pullen

Running Backs

  • 43 Daniel Suitca

Wide Receivers

  •  3 Ryan Brinson
  •  7 Tim Smith
  • -- Chris Kolokithas
  • -- Nate Ford
 Offensive Linemen
  • 55 Luke Summers
  • 73 Donald Foster
  • 74 Chris Saunders
  • -- Zack Anderson

Defensive Linemen

  • 56 Harrison Jones
  • 93 Jerome Jackson
  • 98 Antonio Reynolds
  • 20 Dawon Smith
  • -- Anton Ceasar

Linebackers

  • 22 Cody Smith
  • 42 Lawrence Vickerstaff
 Defensive Backs
  •  9 JoJo Polk
  • 24 Pat O'Malley
  • 15 John Chisolm
  • 33 Dawon Woodward

Kickers

  • -- Jared Thomas
 Injured Reserve
  • Currently vacant

Exempt List

  • Currently vacant

Practice Squad

  • Currently vacant


Rookies in italics
updated March 28, 2011
23 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS

→ More rosters

AFL connections

Coaches of note

Head Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2011 UIFL season.

Name Term Regular Season Playoffs Awards
W L T Win% W L
Rashal Hall 2011 1 12 0 .077 0 0
Paul Farrah 2011 0 1 0 .000 0 0

Season-By-Season

Season W L T Finish Playoff results
2011 1 13 0 6th UIFL --
Totals 1 13 0

References

  1. ↑ Ed Balint (January 18, 2011). "Baseball league has big plans for Munson stadium". www.cantonrep.com. GateHouse Media, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  2. ↑ Jim Thomas (July 14, 2010). "Rashan Hall to coach Canton Cougars indoor football team". www.cantonrep.com. GateHouse Media, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  3. ↑ David Walsh (February 20, 2013). "Hammer wins opener, 41-26". www.herald-dispatch.com. HD Media Company, LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Canton Owner Issues Guarantee". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 14, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  5. ↑ Jim Thomas (March 22, 2011). "Cougars rally, take thriller for first win of season". www.cantonrep.com. GateHouse Media, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Canton Cougars hire ex-Louisville coach Paul Farrah". www.cantonrep.com. GateHouse Media, Inc. May 23, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  7. ↑ Mike Popovich (June 14, 2011). "Tim Clark takes control of Canton Cougars". www.cantonrep.com. GateHouse Media, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Clark takes over Canton, makes changes". www.theuifl.com. UIFL.
  9. ↑ Michael Stainbrook (January 30, 2012). "Football: Former Ohio QB switches teams before UIFL season". www.thepost.ohiou.edu. The Post. Retrieved July 29, 2013.

External links