Tag Archives: cheyenne warriors

Warriors get another weekend off to recover even more

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Cheyenne's Quinell Atkins sustained an ankle injury against Northern Colorado that put him a boot last week. Blaine McCartney/staff

Cheyenne’s Quinell Atkins sustained an ankle injury against Northern Colorado that put him a boot last week. Blaine McCartney/staff

CHEYENNE — Despite all the downtime from bye weeks and weather postponements, the Cheyenne Warriors indoor football team is far from healthy.

That’s why Saturday’s cancellation with the Indianapolis Matrix might not have been such a bad thing.

Instead of spending 32 hours on the bus, the Warriors got the chance to stay home and rest a plethora of players who are ailing.

Running back Quinell Atkins spent much of last week in a walking boot nursing a sprained ankle and might not have seen much action in the Matrix game. Wide receiver Mazi Ogbonna was planning to make the trip to Indianapolis but with a hamstring injury he was going to be a game-time decision. Continue reading →

Warriors try to stay focused despite lengthy downtime

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228808_104773026292477_6856475_nCHEYENNE – Damon Ware wasn’t going to cancel practice.

The weather report for Tuesday was irrelevant. The Cheyenne Warriors were going to work out.

“I told them rain, sleet, snow, shine, whatever, we’re going to practice,” Ware said with a laugh.

The snow arrived but not before the team got back to work. Continue reading →

Benedetto leads Warriors’ defense to stingy performance

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Cheyenne Warriors' defensive linemen Allen West (right) and Mike Benedetto (left) celebrate a tackle for a loss in the second half against Rocky Mountain on Saturday at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. Blaine McCartney/staff

Cheyenne Warriors’ defensive linemen Allen West (right) and Mike Benedetto (left) celebrate a tackle for a loss in the second half against Rocky Mountain on Saturday at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. Blaine McCartney/staff

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Cheyenne Warriors vs. Rocky Mountain Thunder video highlights

CHEYENNE — Mike Benedetto knew something needed to happen.

The Cheyenne Warriors had run out to a 19-0 lead on the Rocky Mountain Thunder in the first half of Saturday’s game. Just before half, the Thunder heaved a 27-yard touchdown pass. A few plays later, Cheyenne ended a drive with an interception.

Momentum was changing. That is, until Benedetto brought it back it for the Warriors.

On the opening drive of the second half, the veteran defensive lineman sacked Rocky Mountain quarterback Robert Andrews for a nine-yard loss. The next play, the Thunder mishandled a snap leading to a safety. Four plays later, Cheyenne scored again.

From there, the rout was on.

The Warriors (2-0) piled on the points in the second half on the way to a 44-20 win. Benedetto finished with four of the team’s six sacks.

“Everybody else was doing their job. When the nose is doing his job and B.J. Sperry’s doing his job, it’s just that much easier for me to do mine and make plays,” Benedetto said. Continue reading →

Warriors’ Walker ready to make triumphant exit from the game

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Cheyenne Warriors defensive back Alton Walker gets ready in the locker room before a game last season. WTE/file

Cheyenne Warriors defensive back Alton Walker gets ready in the locker room before a game last season. WTE/file

CHEYENNE — His elbows are covered in scabs — battle scars from the Cheyenne Warriors’ season-opener on March 30.

It’s been two weeks since Alton Walker took the field for the Warriors. His elbows are healing. His back is a little tense. Clicking and popping are commonplace.

But that’s to be expected from anyone playing contact football. It’s even more noticeable from someone 41-years old. Walker has been playing the game for years, decades to be precise. On Saturday, he’ll call it a career.

Walker, the Cheyenne Warriors general manager, is hanging up his cleats and shoulder pads, not by choice but by force. He serves as a law enforcement officer in Florida and has used up all his leave time. He’s headed back to Orlando on April 22.

“(I’m going to play) 150 percent on the field, animation on the field, fun on the field and I really want to leave the veteran leadership, the expectations of myself and the coaches,” Walker said.  Continue reading →

After a long layoff, Warriors get back to practicing

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228808_104773026292477_6856475_nCHEYENNE — Two weeks of training camp down in Fort Collins.

A battle against the Northern Colorado Wolfpack in the season opener.

From the view of Cheyenne Warriors defensive back Aaron Grimes, the last few days off have been very welcome.

“This was a good break. That was a long first game, a hard-fought battle we had. That week helped me out with my recovery. I’m good. Ready to go now,” Grimes said with a laugh. Continue reading →

STARTING POINT: A timeline into the process of getting prepared for a Warriors football game

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Arena football fans lean against the guard wall as the first quarter of the Cheyenne Warriors football game gets under way June 3 at Cheyenne Event Center. Dominic Benintende/staff

Editor’s note: The following is a look inside a preparations for a recent Cheyenne Warriors indoor football game at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center. It was written before last week’s announcement that the Warriors’ season would be cut short.

Wyoming Tribune Eagle photographer Dominic Beintende has a photo essay of the Warriors online at: http://blogs.wyomingnews.com/blogs/shutterspeed/2012/06/16/cheyenne-warriors-come-inside-and-play/

WyoSports writer Alex Riley wraps up the end of the Warriors season online at: http://wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/06/17/sports/19sports_06-17-12.txt

8 a.m.: No one beats Alice Colerick to the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

Most of the players who will suit up for the Cheyenne Warriors indoor football team are probably still asleep by the time she gets to work.

Colerick arrives bright and early to open the doors to the arena. She’s worked at the Ice and Events Center for four years, and on game day Saturdays, she comes in wearing a Warriors T-shirt, ready to sell tickets.

Arin Thompson and Tony Speer, also employees of the Ice and Events Center, aren’t far behind. They sit with Colerick and talk, waiting for people to come in and buy tickets for tonight’s game.

Along with ticket sales for the game, there are birthday parties to be set up, food in the concession stand to be cooked, putt-putt tickets and golf clubs to be doled out, and even laser tag games to be conducted.

The first Warriors fan walks in and buys a ticket just after 9:45 a.m. Colerick notes he was the first, but he won’t be the last. She’ll get off at 3 p.m. and turn it over to the second shift. That’s when things will really get hectic. Continue reading →