Lange leads gridiron title run
The undefeated New York Knockout are heading to Louisville Saturday to play in the conference championship of the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) Division III tackle football league.
The Knockout, which plays its games in Schenectady County, features All-american Alaina Lange, who has amassed some gaudy statistics in the team’s six games: 417 yards receiving with seven touchdown receptions; 140 yards rushing with five TDS on the ground; 20 tackles and three interceptions.
“She is our kicker, punter, wide receiver and our captain,” said head coach Lou Butts. “And she leads the league in a number of different categories, that’s why she’s a first-team All-american.”
She earned Player of the Week honors for a four-touchdown, eight-tackle, one-interception performance in the first round of the playoffs June 26 against Michigan’s Capital City Savages. It was the team’s sixth win without a loss. The Knockout earned the Northeast Championship title with the win. If the Knockout advances Saturday against Louisville’s Derby City Dynamite, the team heads to the national championship in Canton, Ohio, on July 23.
This year’s quarterback is Eden Messemer, a junior at Siena College, who played soccer for Lange back when she was the head varsity girls’ soccer coach at Schalmont.
“I started teaching and coaching soccer at Schalmont when I met the Messemers, who were the original owners and founders of the New York Knockout. And when their daughters played soccer for me I made a deal with them that if their girls played soccer I would give tackle football a try,” Lange said.
The Lange-messemer connection is formidable. In six games, Messemer has 723 yards passing with seven passing touchdowns, 501 yards rushing and five rushing TDS.
Butts, who coached at Siena when the Saints had a Division I-AA program, also is the owner of the Knockout. His wife, Theresa Petrone Butts, is the owner and general manager.
The team is open to any woman 18 years or older.
“We have a woman who just obtained her PH.D., we have a single mom who drives here from Binghamton, we have a 55-year-old woman whose kids have all played and are now in college. We have one player who drives here from Ohio every Saturday. It’s an 8hour drive one way. It’s insane. That’s dedication. So it really runs the gamut,” said Theresa Butts. “But being over 18 is the only requirement, that and the desire and passion to play.”
Players and coaches of the Knockout have been actively involved in community events and supporting youth, including Girls Inc. of the Capital Region. The owners vow to continue that mission when activities return as COVID restrictions are lifted.
Admission fees to Knockout home games are often donated to organizations, including Ronald Mcdonald House of the Capital Region.
“We really have a terrific cheering section. We also try to reach out to underserved parts of our communities and keep the cost of attendance as low as possible,” Theresa Butts said. Tickets are $5 per person and kids 10 and under are admitted for free.
Lange said this season is the culmination of hard work by the coaches and players.
“We’ve been watching a lot of film and doing a ton
of preparation. We are putting in the work and that’s what it is going to take to be confident to win a tough game on the road. We plan to walk in with the confidence that we can walk away with the win,” Lange said.
“This season has been so awesome to see that our hard work over the past three years — while we
were rebuilding after some losing seasons — has paid off. It’s really exciting, not only to have a winning season but also an undefeated winning season,” Lange said. “We have a good shot at the National Championship, that would be crazy.”
The captain is now a teacher and coach in the Lansingburgh School District
and works with the Albany Alleycats as a soccer coach.
She was a soccer all-star for Scotia- Glenville High School and played at the College of Saint Rose. Despite a slight hamstring injury, she said her body is holding up well this season.
“We made sure we were 100 percent prepared going into the season. We’re ready,” she said.
The New York Knockout game Saturday against the Derby City Dynamite will be streamed on the Knockout’s Facebook page. Game time is 7 p.m.