The NEPA Miners prepare for their first road game as they travel to Brooklyn to face one of the winningest programs in all time minor league football history. The Mariners with close to 500 career wins and under 100 defeats are coming off of a tough 6-3 defeat to the New Jersey Wolves who the Miners will face late in the year. The Miners are coming off a 14-14 battle versus the New England Knights leaving the Miners hungry for a win. Minor League Football message boards have voted this weeks show down the Minor League Football game of the week. In Miners news, the team signed former Wyoming Valley West and University of Buffalo standout P.J. Pitskovic to bolster an already tough secondary. P.J. has recently attended camp with the New Orlean Saints of the National Football League. Miners coaches also named Defensive Back Craig Haywood as honorary Captain for his performance at practice this week for the Miners. Craig will be joining Offensive Captains QB J.P. Antosh, WR Matt Pfancook, Defensive Captains LB/RB Donnie Jackson-Bey, DL Malcolm Singleton and Special Teams Captain Roy Glenn Jr. Past honorary Captains have been RB Damon Saxon, DB Rasheen "Rock" Smith and...
It was a memorable night at Scranton Memorial Stadium as the NEPA Miners and the New England Knights battled for five quarters only to settle for a 14-14 Tie. The Miners played well as their Thunder Defense held the Knights to 82 yards in the air and contained Knights power back Nick Susko to 65 yards and only one score. The Miners West Coast Offense continues to gel with 359 total yards and eight different receivers touching the rock. Damon Saxon led the ground game with 62 yards on 17 carries. The fans are still scratching their heads as two teams refused to lose and battled for an extra hour only to leave everyone waiting for the September 13th rematch of Northeastern division rivals. The Miners may be lucky coming away with a tie as seven turnovers can doom any team, but it was a wild night as New England had six turnovers themselves. The Miners won the first quarter as their Quarterback J.P. Antosh hit veteran wide receiver Germaine Bolden with a 19 yard touchdown strike with 1:44 seconds left in the quarter. The second quarter was a stalemate until the Knights Special Teams ignited with a 79...
The NEPA Miners efforts to reach the community has expanded to the media as Miners Head Coach Dan LaMagna wrote an article on the Miners for the areas newest publication, The Scranton Post.NEPA Miners’ Latest
By Daniel LaMagna, on 17-07-2008 17:02
Published in : News, Sports
Scranton has a new minor league football team and one to be proud of.
The North East PA (NEPA) Miners won “Best New Team” status on the East Coast by “Minor League Football News” in 2007. The team is building on the success of its 8-4 inaugural season and has launched its 2008 “Football for the Fans campaign.”
The organization is owned and operated by team president Daniel LaMagna and general manager Michele LaMagna. The Miners are similar to other minor league teams like the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, Penguins, and Pioneers in that they deliver a large product but different in that the Miners are a family-owned business rather than a large company.
Minor League football came to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area in 1969. The Lackawanna Eagles were part of the newly formed Empire Football League that consisted of teams primarily from Pennsylvania and New York. The Lackawanna Eagles played until the late 1970s before management changes stopped operations for a few...
By Jeremy Conn
Dealing with Adversity.
Adversity, it happens in life and in sports. Wherever, whenever, you need to do your best to deal with it. One method is to be prepared for it, anticipate it. You should never be surprised by adversity. Because as we all know, “stuff” happens!” So deal with it. Easily said. But how do we deal with it? Being part of a true team helps. A real team will realize that they and the individuals on the team cannot be perfect. However we will all work together to support each other when we are down and cheer each other on when we are up.
CP: May need to ensure athletes know what the word “adversity” means (no joke)
CP: “Facts” to share – every day 7 minor pieces of adversity will hit you that could throw you off your goals. Every year 3 major pieces of adversity will shake your very roots!!!
Dealing with your coaches
It is the coaches’ job to teach you the skills, techniques, and strategy of the game. We are also responsible to motivate you, in the game, but also in life. In the game most coaches will be upset at you when you make a mistake....
Craig Hayward scored on a 65-yard kickoff return and the Northeastern Pennsylvania defense gave up just 19 total yards as the NEPA Miners made their Regional American Football League debut with a 30-0 victory over the Hudson Valley Cowboys on Saturday night at Scranton Memorial Stadium. Damon Saxon opened the scoring with a 23-yard run to give the Miners a 6-0 lead.
Midway through the second, quarterback J.P. Antosh scored on a 3-yard bootleg run. Saxon ran in the two-point conversion for a 14-0 advantage.
With 5:26 to go in the third quarter, a bad snap on a Cowboys punt went through the end zone for a safety. On the ensuing kickoff, Haywood returned the ball 75 yards for a touchdown, giving the Miners a 23-0 advantage.
Early in the fourth quarter, backup signal caller Jamie Kendrick scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak to complete the scoring.
“Our special teams played great and our defense pitched a goose egg,” Miners coach Dan LaMagna said. “We were also able to clean up our penalties and mistakes and played a good all-around game.”
Saxon led the Miners offense with 87 total yards, including 51 on the ground with a score. Antosh completed seven passes in 17 attempts...
The RAFL (Regional American Football League) Begins its sophomore season next weekend after an incredible growth spurt in the 2007-2008 off-season. At kickoff for its inaugural season the RAFL had 14 members and culminated with a historic season for the Prince William (VA) Monarchs with an unprecedented 20-0 NFA National Championship record which included the RAFL and USFA Metro Bowl Championships. Also in the mix and maybe a bit overlooked are the New York Predators who went into the RAFL Championship game with an equal undefeated record, and then played themselves to a rematch against the Monarchs in the Metro Bowl Championship only to fall short to the Champs once again. None the less, the Predators finished a franchise best 17-2 ranked in the top 20 natonally.This season the stakes have been raised. The RAFL climbed from its inaugural 14 to an astonishing 38 teams for 2008 which includes its first affiliated division, the Grassroots Football League which will participate in the RAFL Championship Tournament. The GFL brings competition from the Cleveland/Pittsburgh areas which include the Pittsburgh Colts (13-2), Ohio Tigers, Mon Valley Mayhem, and Rochester (NY) Renegades.
Also amongst the additions to the RAFL is the team the Monarchs defeated...
The NEPA Miners and Skipper Media present NEPA Miners game highlights on the Miners Media Player at the bottom of our web site. If you missed the game or want to see your favorite Miners players in action again, play the Media Player and enjoy the show. Skipper Media displays the big plays from our Miners 14-6 victory at Scranton Memorial Stadium versus the Schuylkill County Coal Crackers. It was a non-league game for our hometown team but a big win for the Miners National Rankings. Skipper Media is the newest partner of the Miners who has done a superb job of capturing the Miners on video for game films, highlights and in preparation for the team’s banquet at the end of the season. Skipper Media has also recorded an exclusive Charlie Wysocki interview coming soon to www.charliewysocki.com to contribute to Coach Wysocki’s web site and foundation. Keep checking back weekly for more Miners highlights as the team looks to improve each week to keep Skipper Media busy! 1-0 and ten to go, Good Luck Miners in your RAFL debut versus the Hudson Valley Cowboys this week!...
The 4th of July holiday was a welcome break for all but now the NEPA Miners have to refocus and build on their pre-season win as they gear up for their RAFL debut. The Miners won last weekends rivalry game versus the Schuylkill County Coal Crackers 14-6, keeping the Coal Miners Trophy in Scranton for another year. The Miners Coaching Staff is emphasizing the need to take care of responsibilities as the team’s goals for 2008 are lofty and they feel like the team has something to prove after an early exit in the 2008 playoffs. The Miners roster looks stronger on paper than a year ago as many new faces are competing with team veterans. Coach LaMagna has a tough decision to make this week as the team is over its league roster limit and some players will be inactive for the first game. “The importance of practice and communication is not only critical for our team’s success, but also for the playing time of Miners players,” stated Coach LaMagna. The Miners are focusing on improved Special Teams play along with adjustments on both sides of the ball from film study. The Miners preparation this week shifts from the...
Saxon rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown in nine carries to lead NEPA.
SCRANTON – Damon Saxon provided all the offense the NEPA Miners needed on Saturday, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries in a 14-6 win over the Schuylkill County Coal Crackers in the second Annual Anthracite Classic.
NEPA (1-0) quarterback J.P. Antosh went 5-for-15 with 80 yards, hitting wide receiver George Graham for a 48-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter for his only score of the game.
The NEPA defense was solid, grabbing four interceptions from Schuylkill Valley during the game to go along with four sacks.
Coal Crackers’ (2-1) wide receiver Jeffrey Schock scored the team’s only touchdown in the second quarter on a 21-yard pass from Chuck Andrew....
The NEPA Miners continue to score points in their 2008 “Football for the Fans” campaign. Your hometown team has partnered up with Good Fellas on Mulberry Street in Scranton to provide more bang for the buck for Miners fans. All fans that eat at Good Fellas before the game can take their Good Fellas receipt to the gate and receive $1 off an individual adult game pass. Miners Girls and Good Fellas Staff will be passing out coupons at the game for Miners fans to receive a $1.99 dine in only special after the game. We hope the fans will come join NEPA Miners players, cheerleaders and staff at Good Fellas after the game! Add this to what is already the most affordable night out in North Eastern Pennsylvania and you have a blow out! If you do not have your tickets for this Saturday’s game yet, purchase them at the service desk of the Mall at Steamtown or online at www.nepaminers.com. We will see you Saturday night at Scranton Memorial Stadium, 7pm for a family night out at the Miners! The Miners will be playing the Hudson Valley Cowboys in their regular season home opener and RAFL debut. Buttons the...
The North East Pennsylvania (NEPA) Miners are a minor league football team bringing a first of its kind football league to North Eastern Pennsylvania that will set the Miners apart from their competitors. While the Miners represent all of North East Pennsylvania, their basis of operations is the Poconos, encompassing the areas of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. The Miners play in the Regional Atlantic Football League (RAFL) with home games at the area’s finest facilities.
The Miners’ goal is to serve the people of North East Pennsylvania with year-round community service while providing superior customer service and quality family entertainment on Saturday nights during the football season. Led by their President and Head Coach Daniel LaMagna and supported by Charlie Wysocki — a Wilkes-Barre native and legendary football player — the Miners aim to exemplify the utmost in sportsmanship while entertaining their fans. We are Scranton Football at its finest!
The NEPA Miners prepare for their first road game as they travel to Brooklyn to face one of the winningest programs in all time minor league football history. The Mariners with close to 500 career wins and under 100 defeats are coming off of a tough 6-3 defeat to the New Jersey Wolves who the Miners will face late in the year. The Miners are coming off a 14-14 battle versus the New England Knights leaving the Miners hungry for a win. Minor League Football message boards have voted this weeks show down the Minor League Football game of the week. In Miners news, the team signed former Wyoming Valley West and University of Buffalo standout P.J. Pitskovic to bolster an already tough secondary. P.J. has recently attended camp with the New Orlean Saints of the National Football League. Miners coaches also named Defensive Back Craig Haywood as honorary Captain for his performance at practice this week for the Miners. Craig will be joining Offensive Captains QB J.P. Antosh, WR Matt Pfancook, Defensive Captains LB/RB Donnie Jackson-Bey, DL Malcolm Singleton and Special Teams Captain Roy Glenn Jr. Past honorary Captains have been RB Damon Saxon, DB Rasheen "Rock" Smith and...
