Amarillo Venom

The Amarillo Venom are a professional indoor football team in the Champions Indoor Football league. They play their home games at the Amarillo Civic Center. The Venom began play in 2004 as the Amarillo Dusters, a charter member of the Intense Football League, a small indoor football league based in Texas. They won the championship in their first and only season with the Intense Football League.

Amarillo Venom
Established 2003
Play in Amarillo, Texas
at the Amarillo Civic Center
GoVenom.com
League/conference affiliations
Team colorsBlack, red, tan, white
       
MascotStriker
CheerleadersVenom Vixens
Personnel
Owner(s)Stephanie Tucker
Toby Tucker
General managerStephanie Tucker
Head coachJulian Reese
Team history
  • Amarillo Dusters (2004–2009)
  • Amarillo Venom (2010–present)
Championships
League championships (3)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (3)
Playoff appearances (11)
Home arena(s)

The following year, the Dusters became the first team to leave the Intense Football League and join the AF2, the minor league of the Arena Football League, where they played for four seasons until the AF2's folding in 2009. At that point, the team held a fan vote as to whether to join some of their AF2 brethren in the new Arena Football 1 (now doing business as the Arena Football League) or enjoy numerous Texas rivalries in the Indoor Football League.

In 2009, it was announced that the Dusters would be moving to the Indoor Football League for the 2010 season. It was then announced that the Dusters would have to be renamed because the Arena Football League owned the rights to the Dusters name and logo. The new Amarillo Venom name and logo was later unveiled.

The team was featured on an episode of Only in America, a show that aired on the Discovery Times channel.

History

Expansion championship (2004)

The Amarillo Dusters finished their only season in the Intense Football League with a 13–3 record en route to a league championship. Coach Don Carthel lead the Dusters to the cup as they defeated the Lubbock Lone Stars.[1] The Dusters would abandon their spot in the IFL to play in the AF2.

Move to AF2 (2005–2009)

In their first year in the AF2, the Amarillo Dusters reached the playoffs with an 8–8 record, which was good enough for a wildcard. The Dusters, quarterbacked by Julian Reese, came from 21 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to win Round 1 over the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. The Dusters fell in Round 2 to the eventual-champion Memphis Xplorers

The Dusters tried to build on the moderate success they had in 2005. However, in 2006, the team suffered many injuries and failed to make it to the AF2 playoffs. Quarterback Steve Panella was injured early in the season, forcing numerous backups to take the job. They ended the season with a 4–12 record. Carthel left to take the head coaching job at West Texas A&M two games into the Dusters first AF2 season.

For 2007, Steve Perdue took over the head coaching job and lead the team playoffs and a first round victory over the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgs. Looking to rebound after the previous losing season, injuries plagued the Dusters' offense. After a win against the Lubbock Renegades the Dusters struggled for the remainder of the year but were still able end the Quincy Carter-led Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings' perfect season with a 51–49 upset.

On July 5, 2008, Dusters running back Donte Newsome was shot to death outside of a nightclub in Huntington, West Virginia, home of his alma mater Marshall University.[2]

In 2008, under the leadership of head coach Chris MacKeown and quarterback Julian Reese, the Amarillo Dusters went 10–9 and played for the AF2 National Conference ArenaCup Finals. Following the Dusters most successful season in their AF2 history, MacKeown moved up to the Arena Football League as the offensive coordinator for John Elway's Colorado Crush.

On December 21, 2008, the Dusters introduced a new color scheme for the team with crimson, grey, and black.[3]

Moving to the IFL (2010–2011)

With the AF2 breaking up and its larger market teams moving to the newly reformed Arena Football League, the Dusters were forced to find a new league. On October 9, 2009, it was announced that, because of a 65–35 percent margin in the fan vote, the Dusters would be moving to the Indoor Football League for the 2010 season. Owner Randy Sanders applied for his team's spot in the Indoor Football League (IFL)[4] and they were accepted as an expansion franchise.[5] It was announced on January 28, 2010, that the Dusters would have to be renamed, because the Arena Football League owned the rights to the Dusters' name and logo. On February 8, the new Amarillo Venom name and logo was unveiled.

2011 season

Move to the LSFL (2012–2014)

For the 2012 season, the Venom played in the Lone Star Football League (LSFL).[6] In their inaugural season in the LSFL they won the 2012 championship. Under the leadership of quarterback Nate Davis and coach Julian Reese, the Venom finished the 2013 season with a 9–3 record. In the playoffs, the finished off the Abilene Bombers, 70–40.

On July 13, 2013, they faced the Laredo Rattlesnakes, where they won 70–69, winning back-to-back championships in the LSFL. Davis won the MVP of the Game.[7]

Champions Indoor Football (2015–present)

In 2014, after the completion of their third season in the LSFL, the league merged with Champions Professional Indoor Football League to become Champions Indoor Football.

Season-by-season

Season records
SeasonWLTFinishPlayoff results
Amarillo Dusters (Intense)
200413301st LeagueWon Round 1 (S.A. Stampede 41–29)
Won Intense Bowl I (L. Lone Stars 62–47)
Amarillo Dusters (af2)
20058804th NC MidwestWon NC Round 1 (Oklahoma City 59–56)
Lost Semifinals (Memphis 30–71)
200641205th NC Midwest
200731304th NC Central
20088803rd NC CentralWon NC Round 1 (Tulsa 65–62)
Won NC Semifinals (Bossier-Shreveport 59–45)
Lost NC Championship (Spokane 49–79)
200931303rd NC Central
Amarillo Venom (IFL)
201011301st IC Lonestar WestWon IC Round 1 (West Texas 56–36)
Lost IC Semifinals (Arkansas 31–46)
201141003rd Lonestar
Amarillo Venom (LSFL)
201210401st LeagueWon Round 1 (West Texas 56–42)
Won Lone Star Bowl I (Rio Grande Valley 62–40)
20137502nd LeagueWon LSFL Semifinals (Abilene 70–42)
Won Lone Star Bowl II (Laredo 70–69)
2014570
Amarillo Venom (CIF)
20157506th LeagueLost Semifinals (Sioux City 52–83)
20168402nd SouthernWon Southern Wildcard (Dodge City 98–56)
Won Southern Championship (Texas 57–53)
Lost Champions Bowl II (Wichita 48–45)
20179301st SouthWon South Conference Semifinal (Duke City 70–41)
Lost Southern Conference Championship (Texas 71–77)
20188402nd SouthLost Conference Semifinal (Texas 45–56)
20198402nd SouthLost Conference Championship (Duke City 62–70)
2020Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Totals1301220(including playoffs)

Players

Roster

Amarillo Venom roster
Quarterbacks
  •  6 Aurealus Lee Jr.

Running backs

  • 23 Jah'son Patterson
  • 55 Jer'y Christian FB/LB

Wide receivers

  • 12 Xavier Amey
  • 01 Raymond Johnson
  • 10 Jimmy Walker Jr.
  •  3 Alex Watson
Offensive linemen
  • 99 Alonzo Brown OL/DL
  • 66 Jordan DeCorte OL/DL
  • 78 Bernard Flores OL/DL
  • -- Stan Hasiak OL/DL
  • 91 Renato Portugal OL/DL

Defensive linemen

  • 33 Desmond Raiford
  • 50 Louvan Green
Linebackers
  • 34 Antonio Joseph
  •  9 Jeffrey Branch

Defensive backs

  •  5 Demario Donnell
  • 11 Brandon Henrie
  • 24 Dren Johnson
  •  7 Nashawn Lewis
  •  4 Cashman Thomas
  • 20 Terrious Tripplett

Special teams

  • 18 Conner Hollabaugh
Reserve lists
  • -- Korey Stamps DB (Suspended)
  • -- Jack Tomlinson WR (Suspended)

Rookies in italics
Roster updated May 7, 2018
24 Active, 2 Inactive

More rosters

Awards and honors

SeasonPlayerPositionAward
2013Nate DavisQBLSFL Championship MVP

Notes

  1. "Editorial: Dusters blow away IFL competition, Amarillo". www.amarillo.com. Amarillo Globe-News. September 8, 2004. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  2. Dusters remember fallen teammate
  3. "Dusters unveil new website and team colors". af2.com. arenafootball2. 21 December 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  4. Lee Baker (October 8, 2009). "Dusters' decision". www.connectamarillo.com. Sinclair Communications, LLC. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  5. Ryan Minch (November 10, 2009). "Indoor Football League announces teams for 2010". www.billingsgazette.com. The Billings Gazette. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  6. Dave Henry (October 5, 2011). "Venom owner Tucker: LSFL is all about Texas". www.amarillo.com. Amarillo Globe-News. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  7. Lance Lahnert (July 13, 2013). "Lahnert: QB Nate Davis leads Venom to another crown". www.amarillo.com. Amarillo Globe-News. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
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