STARS COME OUT
Cavanaugh takes reins as coach; veteran Black steps in as QB
The New Mexico Stars indoor football team opens at home tonight.
RIO RANCHO — The last time metro-area football fans saw the New Mexico Stars at the Santa Ana Star Center, the team was wrapping up a Lone Star Football League playoff berth at the end of the 2014 season. All seemed right in their world.
But there was turmoil just before the opening of training camp the next year and new owner Tracy Duran opted to shut down operations and reorganize for 2016.
Tonight, fans will see the franchise resurface with a new coach in a different league when the new-look Stars play host to the Steel City (Colo.) Menace in the opener for both squads. It’s the first of three scheduled meetings between the teams this year.
“The guys are gelling together and we’ve got a lot of good guys in here,” firstyear New Mexico coach Carlos Cavanaugh said before Monday night’s three-hour practice at Blades Multiplex Arenas.
Cavanaugh was a star wide receiver in the indoor game for eight years and also has previous head coaching experience with the Kansas Koyotes, an indoor team that ceased operations before the 2015 season.
He originally was an assistant coach with the Stars under former field boss Adrian Perez. Cavanaugh was promoted when Perez and the team parted ways a little more than three months ago.
Cavanaugh said the transition to boss has been smooth.
“I’ve been dealing with the guys since I’ve been here, so when I took over it was an easy adjustment,” he said.
Blair Black, 36, a native of Detroit, is expected to start at quarterback for New Mexico. He’s a veteran of European outdoor leagues, but has had limited experience in the indoor game.
“I played a little indoor ball in (Fort Huron) Michigan a few years ago before that team folded,” he said. “That drove me directly to Europe.” In addition to joining teams in Serbia and Spain, he also played in Australia.
Duran said he’s fortunate to have a quarterback of Black’s experience.
“He’s a pure quarterback,” he said. “He comes with a lot of experience from being back in Europe and a lot of experience in life from being in the Navy and being with the Special Forces there.”
Duran also raves about the team’s size. Especially along the line.
“We’ve got so much beef out there,” he said. “Our average lineman is 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds. And from reports from other teams that I’ve talked to, they’re anywhere from 6-2 and 300 pounds. And these guys came in physically conditioned.”