2012 Allen Wranglers season

The 2012 Allen Wranglers season was the franchise's thirteenth season as a football franchise, third in the Indoor Football League, and second as the "Allen Wranglers". The team played their home games at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas.[2] The team finished with a 9-5 regular season record. They reached the IFL playoffs but lost in the Intense Conference semi-finals to the Wichita Wild.[3]

2012 Allen Wranglers season
Head coachPat Pimmell
(released April 30th)
General managerDrew Pearson[1]
Home fieldAllen Event Center
Results
Record9-5 (regular season)
Division placeN/A
Conference place2nd, Intense Conference
Playoff finishLost in conference semi-finals

Off-field moves

Rascal the Raccoon, an anthropomorphic raccoon wearing a Wranglers uniform, became the team's official mascot in early 2012. Rascal was designed and brought to life by Ted Ovletrea, the man who portrayed Rowdy, the official mascot of the Dallas Cowboys, from conception until 2009.[4] Rascal replaced Hoss, a cowboy mascot designed to match the team logo.

In March 2012, Tommy Benizio joined the Wranglers' ownership group and assumed the role of team president. Benizio had served as the IFL's commissioner from the league's founding in 2008 until resigning to become a co-owner of the Allen franchise.[5]

After back-to-back losses in April, head coach Pat Pimmell was released by the team on April 30. The team announced that offensive coordinator Dixie Wooten and defensive coordinator Quinn Cairo would split coaching responsibilities until a replacement could be found.[6] They shared the title "co-interim head coach" through the end of the season.[7]

Roster moves

National Football League (NFL) veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens joined the team at the start of the 2012 season. Owens had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2011 and received no offers from NFL teams for 2012.[8] He swelled attendance at Wranglers games and brought the national spotlight onto the team. However, several opponents, including Everett Raptors coach Sean Ponder, questioned Owens' commitment to the IFL since he skipped many of his team's road games.[9] Owens' Wranglers contract allowed him flexibility with away dates but he contracted with some road opponents for first-class airfare and accommodations to play in their arenas.[10] With three games left in the season, citing his "lack of effort both on and off the field", failure to show up for a scheduled appearance at a children's hospital, and refusal to play in two upcoming road games,[11] Owens was released by the Wranglers on May 29, 2012.[12] Along with his release, Owens also relinquished his ownership stake in the team.[13]

Bryan Randall, a celebrated college athlete with stints in the NFL and Canadian Football League, was the opening day quarterback for the Wranglers. In early March, The team traded him to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks in return for future considerations. Randall was named the IFL's Most Valuable Player in 2010.[14] Randall's backup, former Kansas City Chiefs player Casey Printers, took over the starting quarterback role.[15]

Schedule

Key:   Win   Tie   Loss   Bye

Regular season
Week Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location
Score Record
1 Bye
2 Saturday February 25 7:05pm Wichita Wild W 50-30[16] 1-0 Allen Event Center
3 Thursday March 1 7:05pm (PST) at Everett Raptors W 48-27[17] 2-0 Comcast Arena at Everett
4 Sunday March 11 3:05pm (MDT) at New Mexico Stars W 45-28[18] 3-0 Santa Ana Star Center
5 Sunday March 18 3:00pm (MDT) at Colorado Ice L 54-61[19] 3-1 Budweiser Events Center
6 Saturday March 24 7:05pm at Wichita Wild W 61-48[20] 4-1 Hartman Arena[21]
7 Saturday March 31 7:05pm Nebraska Danger W 86-57[15] 5-1 Allen Event Center
8 Bye
9 Saturday April 14 7:05pm Sioux Falls Storm L 45-52 5-2 Allen Event Center
10 Bye
11 Saturday April 28 7:05pm at Wichita Wild L 54-55[22] 5-3 Hartman Arena
12 Saturday May 5 7:05pm New Mexico Stars W 73-9[23] 6-3 Allen Event Center
13 Bye
14 Saturday May 19 7:05pm Everett Raptors L 73-74 6-4 Allen Events Center
15 Saturday May 26 7:05pm Wichita Wild L 59-41[24] 6-5 Allen Event Center
16 Saturday June 2 7:05pm at Nebraska Danger W 71-62[25] 7-5 Eihusen Arena
17 Thursday June 7 7:05pm (PDT) at Everett Raptors W 56-38[26] 8-5 Comcast Arena at Everett
18 Saturday June 16 7:05pm New Mexico Stars W 85-70[27] 9-5 Allen Event Center

Playoffs
Round Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location
Score Record
1 Monday June 25 7:00pm Wichita Wild L 40-43[28] 0-1 Allen Event Center

Standings
2012 Intense Conference
W L T PCT PF PA DIV GB STK
y Tri-Cities Fever12200.85775061912-0---W2
x Allen Wranglers9500.6438426709-43.0W3
x Wichita Wild8600.5716586815-34.0L1
x Colorado Ice8600.5716815958-54.0L2
Everett Raptors5900.3576967815-97.0L1
Nebraska Danger5900.3576647213-67.0L1
Wyoming Cavalry41000.2866197623-88.0L2
New Mexico Stars21200.1435417642-1210.0L9

Roster
2012 Allen Wranglers roster
Quarterbacks
  • 14 David Knighton

Running Backs

  •  2 Darius Fudge
  • 11 Romance Taylor

Wide Receivers

  •  1 Maurice Avery
  • 13 Jeremy Brown
  •  6 Luke McArdle
Offensive Linemen
  • 50 Courtney Abbott
  • 72 George Bastiste
  • 77 Ya'tarrie Brown

Defensive Linemen

  •  5 Mike Landry
  • 99 DeVonte Peterson
Linebackers
  • 41 Arthor Smith III

Defensive Backs

  • 24 Javon Jackson
  • 10 Mike Phillips
  • 21 Muhammad Shamsid-Deen
  • 15 Frankie Solomon Jr.

Kickers

  • 25 David Pino
Injured Reserve
  • Currently vacant

Exempt List

  • Currently vacant

Rookies in italics
Roster updated June 5, 2012
19 Active, 0 Inactive

→ More rosters

References
  1. Herron, Gary (March 18, 2012). "Former Cowboys star Pearson visits Star Center". Rio Rancho Observer. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  2. Carlisle, Candace (November 1, 2010). "Cowboys disappointing? Check out Wranglers". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  3. Eagle staff (June 26, 2012). "Wild pull off playoff win over Allen". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  4. Draper, Michelle (March 13, 2012). "Mascot with a message". The Cross Timbers Gazette. Archived from the original on October 28, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  5. Pantagraph staff (March 15, 2012). "IFL commissioner resigns, joins Allen ownership". Bloomington Pantagraph. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  6. "Wranglers Move in a New Direction" (Press release). Allen Wranglers. Our Sports Central. April 30, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  7. Welch, Matt (June 27, 2012). "Picking and grinning: Late turnover topples Wranglers in playoff loss to Wichita". Allen American-Star. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  8. Machota, Jon (February 25, 2012). "Huge crowd sees ex-Cowboy Terrell Owens's 3 TD Allen Wranglers debut". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  9. Boyle, John (February 29, 2012). "T.O. expected to be a no-show for Raptors' home debut". Everett Herald. Archived from the original on January 11, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  10. Herron, Gary (March 7, 2012). "Wranglers will bring Owens here for game". Rio Rancho Observer. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  11. MacMahon, Tim (May 20, 2012). "IFL team releases Terrell Owens". ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth. ESPN. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  12. Tomaso, Bruce (May 29, 2012). "Yet another football team shows Terrell Owens the door". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 2013-03-11. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  13. "Terrell Owens again without team, released by indoor Allen Wranglers and loses ownership stake". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. May 29, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  14. "Steelhawks trade for 2010 IFL MVP quarterback". The Morning Call. March 7, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  15. Independent staff (March 31, 2012). "Wranglers run past Danger, 86-57". Grand Island Independent. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  16. Eagle staff (February 25, 2012). "Wild drops opener to Terrell Owens' Wranglers". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  17. Myhre, Rich (March 2, 2012). "Everett Raptors dominated in home debut". Everett Herald. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  18. Herron, Gary (March 14, 2012). "Wranglers leave Star Center with win over Stars". Rio Rancho Observer. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  19. Star, Sean (March 18, 2012). "Colorado Ice stifle Terrell Owens, Allen Wranglers to grab second straight home win". Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  20. Schnabel, Mark (March 27, 2012). "Held up". The Newton Kansan. Retrieved October 12, 2012. Wichita fell to Allen 61-48, dropping the Wild to 0-4.
  21. Felkert, Paige (March 25, 2012). "Allen beats winless Wild 61-48". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  22. Feikert, Paige (April 29, 2012). "Wild edges Allen in back-and-forth game". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  23. "Stars back home to face last-place team". Rio Rancho Observer. May 9, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  24. Eagle staff (May 26, 2012). "Wild wins at Allen". The Wichita Eagle. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  25. Douglas, Terry (June 2, 2012). "Danger lose lead, then game". Grand Island Independent. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  26. Benner, Eric (June 7, 2012). "Sour ending to Raptors' inaugural season". Everett Herald. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  27. O'Dell, Chris (June 17, 2012). "Home field advantage: Wranglers open playoffs in Allen after defeat of Stars". Allen American-Star. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  28. Schnabel, Mark (June 27, 2012). "Wild wins playoff game over Wranglers". The Newton Kansan. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
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