Lugo Looking to Bounce Back

April 3, 2017 –

The Monterrey Steel faced off against the Corpus Christi Rage in Corpus Christi, TX. Fullback Johnathen Lugo took a handoff, then things took a turn for the worse. Lugo would tear his ACL, break his fibula and dislocate his ankle all on one play.

He didn’t see it as that big an issue, telling Inside the Arena it was all a matter of when could he return to the Steel, not if. Then, he got the news.

A friend of Lugo’s called him while he was on his way to the gym to work out to tell him that the Steel had ceased operations. The news came as a shock to him.

“I was planning on trying to finish my career there [in Mexico] or at least play arena [football] there as long as I could unless I progress up to the CFL or NFL,” Lugo said.

After that news was broken to him, there were more questions on his mind. “I was definitely unsure about my future. I didn’t know who would sign me – who would want to sign me after having such a serious injury.”

Despite the uncertainty, Lugo knew one thing. “I knew if it was possible for me to come back, I had to come back and I had to prove to myself that I could come back and I could be better than I was before,” he said.

Luckily for him, he was signed by the Florida Tarpons on Dec. 20. He’s very happy to be playing in Lakeland, FL in 2018, as well. “I feel like I could provide what they were missing in getting a championship,” he said.

Joining Lugo will be 18-year veteran quarterback Chris Wallace and superstar wide receiver Joe Hills, among other big-name players. Florida lost the Arena Pro Football Championship game to the Richmond Roughriders on June 10, 2017.

The Tarpons, along with Lugo, will be looking for a comeback season as they play at the Atlanta Havoc to open their season on March 17. As all other teams in the American Arena League, they will be looking to play in the inaugural title game on Saturday, June 30.

A Tale of Two Quarterback Competitions

Of all the quarterback competitions in arena football in 2018, two stick out above the rest – the Cape Fear Heroes and Columbus Lions.

Cape Fear won the Supreme Indoor Football (SIF) championship game, but also played two quarterbacks during the season. Both Ryan Bach and Daryll Clark saw action.

Clark started May 6 against the Cap City Bulls and led the Heroes to a win. The following week, Clark was injured against the Triangle Torch and was placed on injured reserve. Bach took over and led the Heroes all the way to the title.

“My mindset is being the starting quarterback for the Heroes and [I] am willing to put in the work to make sure that happens,” Bach told Inside the Arena.

In Columbus, Mason Espinosa started the season for the Lions in 2017 before eventually being benched for Darren Daniel. Daniel would have an impressive outing, but it would be Espinosa who would be under center through the Lions playoff run into the inaugural National Arena League title game. Unfortunately, they fell just yards short of a title as they fell to the Jacksonville Sharks.

Competing with him for the starting job this season will be former Corpus Christi Rage quarterback Kyle Cool. Cool didn’t do so well with the Rage, but the Rage didn’t do well as a team. This is a 180 for Cool as he looks to win the starting job in the competition against Espinosa.

“I plan to come to camp prepared and ready to work for that spot,” Cool told Inside the Arena in a recent interview. “It should be a fun competition and fun training camp all around. I am looking forward to my new opportunity in Columbus in 2018 with a top-tier organization in this league.”

Cape Fear and Columbus, of course, play in two different leagues. But like every team in every sport, there is only one goal, no matter who the quarterback is – win the championship.

Top Three Available NAL Free Agent Quarterbacks

There are several free agent quarterbacks available to be signed for the 2018 season, as a result of several teams ceasing operations. Standing out above several other free agents quarterbacks is Bernard Morris, Kasey Peters, and Jake Jablonski. Morris and Peters both played with the Monterrey Steel in 2017, while Jablonski played with the Corpus Christi Rage.

#1. Bernard Morris

Morris is an arena football veteran, as he began his career in 2009 with the AF2 Arkansas Twisters. Following AF2’s ceasing of operations in Sept. 2009, Morris signed with the Jacksonville Sharks in the Arena Football League. On Sept. 27, 2010, Morris signed with the expansion Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League. He made his starting debut March 11, 2011 against the Philadelphia Soul.

For the 2012 season, Morris returned to play for the Jacksonville Sharks. On Feb. 10, 2014, Morris was traded to the Orlando Predators along with Matt Marcorelle and Trevis Turner in return for Aaron Garcia. On Oct. 11, 2016, Morris announced his retirement but then his rights were acquired by the Washington Valor during the dispersal draft.

Morris was placed on refused to report on March 15, 2017, but then he was activated from refused to report later on March 21. Finally in May, the NAL’s Monterrey Steel signed Morris.

In his tenure with the Steel, Morris played a total of four games. Morris completed 51 of 79 passes and compiled a total 607 passing yards. He also passed for 13 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Morris also rushed for 88 yards and four touchdowns. By far, Morris is the most experienced experienced and statistically successful quarterbacks available for signing.

#2. Kasey Peters

Peters is an arena football veteran just like Morris. Peters began his career in 2013, when he signed with the West Texas Wildcatters of the defunct Lone Star Football League. He ended up suffering a season-ending achilles injury early in the season.

In 2015, Peters signed with the New Mexico Stars, a former team of the CIF, but the team ended up suspending operations before the season began. After the Stars shut down operations, Peters signed with the Duke City Gladiators of the CIF.

He played in eight games for the Gladiators during the 2015 season, completing 164 of 303 passes for 1,918 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for one touchdown. Peters led the CIF in passing yards per game with 239.8 and total offense per game with 238.2 yards.

Peters spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with several AFL teams such as the Portland Steel, New Orleans Voo Doo, and the Las Vegas Outlaws. He then re-signed for one game with the Duke City Gladiators of the CIF, playing in only one game. In that game, he completed 21 of 28 passes for 302 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Peters signed with the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League on Jan. 17, 2017.

Peters played a total of six games for the Steel in 2017, as he completed 59 of 117 passes for 632 passing yards. He compiled a total of 14 touchdowns and five interceptions in those six games. Peters was released by the Steel on June 3 for an unknown reason.

#3. Jake Jablonski 

Jake Jablonski played in four games for the defunct Corpus Christi Rage. Before playing for the Rage in 2017, Jablonski was a member of the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks as a backup quarterback. He had his time to shine, getting the starting role with the Rage, a team that had roster issues. In four games, Jablonski completed  67 passes in 138 passing attempts, and seven interceptions.

He threw for a total of 571 passing yards and threw for seven passing touchdowns. Jablonski averaged 142.8 passing yards per game with the Rage in the 2017 season.

He found personal success even though the team had many failures during the season, and he would definitely be a great candidate at least for a back up role on a franchise. He proved in 2017 that he can succeed and perform well when a team is experiencing rough times.

Columbus Lions Sign Quarterback Kyle Cool

The Columbus Lions have signed quarterback Kyle Cool for the 2018 season. Cool will enter his fourth professional season in a battle with veteran quarterback Mason Espinoza for the starting quarterback job.

Last season, Cool played for the defunct Corpus Christi Rage, who played in the National Arena League. In the past, Cool also played for the Salina Bombers, Omaha Beef, River City Raiders, and the Kansas Koyotes. During the 2017 season, Cool played in seven games for the Rage, completing 25 of 71 passing attempts, and throwing for a total of 357 yards. He also had a total of 5 touchdowns, and averages 51 yards per game.

He will fill in the void that was open when quarterback Darren Daniel left the team and signed with the American Arena League’s High Country Grizzlies. Whether Cool or Espinoza starts for the 2018 season, the Lions will have a reliable backup quarterback either way.

Cool is among several big signings for the Lions this off-season, along with some re-signings too. Columbus has brought on several SEC and college standouts who will be new to the game. The Lions will once again be strong competitors for the NAL Title, as they have already “roared” loudly this off-season with some great signings. It will be interesting to see how the Lions perform for the upcoming season.