Jersey Flight Sign Veteran Quarterback Stephen Panasuk

The Jersey Flight, a 2018 National Arena League expansion team, have signed veteran quarterback Stephen Panasuk. Panasuk will return to his home state of New Jersey to continue his career. He was born in Howell, NJ, and attended the University of La Salle. As a true freshman in 2007, he played eight games. Panasuk compiled 38 of 96 passes for 373 yards, three touchdowns and seveninterceptions.

Following the 2007 season, the University of La Salle ended its football program.

Since his first arena football game in 2013, Stephen Panasuk has became a well known figure in the arena football community. For the 2013 season, he played for the Kentucky Drillers. He started five games before leaving for the Wyoming Cavalry. Panasuk played in nine games, starting seven, during his rookie season with Wyoming.

He returned to New Jersey in 2014, as he joined the Trenton Freedom, who were members of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). During the 2014 season, Panasuk served as the backup quarterback to the current Lehigh Valley Steelhawks quarterback, Warren Smith. Smith ended up winning the 2014 PIFL MVP Award. Smith also was the 2017 Natioanl Arena League (NAL) MVP.

In 2015, Panasuk re-signed with the Trenton Freedom. He played in 10 games for the Freedom, completing 63% of his passes for over 1,800 yards and 38 total touchdowns. For Panasuk’s 2016 campaign, he started the season of with the Wichita Force, members of the CIF. He led the Force to a 5–2 record, as he completing 61 percent of his passes for 1,084 yards and 32 total touchdowns. To finish the rest of the 2016 season, he signed with the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

As for his 2017 season, Panasuk signed with the NAL’s High Country Grizzlies, who will be members of the American Arena League (AAL) in 2018. Panasuk played in eigh games for High Country, compiling 131 of 239 passes for 1,318 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

Following his departure from High Country, Panasuk said it was “too early to tell” if he would play arena football anywhere in 2018. Him and his girlfriend recently welcomed their child, a boy. His name is also Stephen Panasuk.

“I want to play one more year. Be able to appreciate all the little things before I hang them up,” Panasuk said on his return. “There’s no better place to do that than at home.”

The birth of his son played a factor in where he signed. “I [didnt] want to leave to play anywhere far away,” he told Inside the Arena.

Panasuk will return to Trenton, NJ, his home state and a town where he has already played two years of his professional arena football career.

By this signing, the Flight have added a key component of leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the team. Panasuk will use his knowledge of the game to help guide the Flight in the right directon for the 2018 inaugural season.

Massachusetts Pirates Join National Arena League for 2018 Season

The National Arena League has officially added a new expansion team for the 2018 campaign. The Massachusetts Pirates, from Worcester, MA, will play their home games in the DCU Center. It is a 12,339 seat venue that has hosted numerous sports tenants over the years. It is also currently is the home the East Coast Hockey League’s Worcester Railers.

The Pirates will become the third arena/indoor football team to call the DCU Center home, following the AFL’s Massachusetts Marauders (1994) and the CIFL’s New England Surge (2007-2008).

The Pirates owner is Rick Buffington, a native of Somerset, MA. Buffington was the former head coach of the CIFL New England Surge, who played in the same arena as the Pirates will, the DCU Center.

Additionally, the Pirates will join the list of four NAL teams already committed for the rapidly approaching 2018 season, while two others franchises are working out some off-season issues. Among the four committed teams are: Jacksonville Sharks, Columbus Lions, Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, Jersey Flight.

The Monterrey Steel and Georgia Firebirds are still working on some off-season adjustments before committing for 2018.

As for more 2018 expansion, the league is in the final steps of the lease negotiations in five new markets. This means the NAL could have five new teams if the leases are agreed upon. Although late in the process, there is one additional team (making a sixth new team) that is now in the mix.

The majority of 2018 NAL expansion is expected to take place in the next 30-45 days, as new exciting announcements like the Pirates, will be rolling in soon.

A Blast From the Past

Over the years, Worcester has hosted arena football before. Most recently they hosted a CIFL team, the New England Surge, but in 1994 they also had the Massachusetts Marauders.

Massachusetts Marauders

The Marauders were based in Worcester, MA. They were a member of the AFL from 1988 to 1994. Originally, the team was established in Detriot, as the Detriot Drive.  Detriot  were members of the AFL from 1988 to 1993. The Drive then moved to Worcester in 1994 and played there through the end of the 1994 season.

The franchise had four AFL championships. All of their championships were won while it was based in Detroit. The first three occurred in a three-peat, from 1988 to 1990, and the final one occurred in 1992.

They competed in 1994 as the Massachusetts Marauders, but folded after going 8–4 in their first and only season in Worcester.

The New England Surge

The New England Surge were an indoor football team that was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League in 2007 to 2008. The Surge played their home games at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester. After completion of the 2008 season in the CIFL, the Surge folded.