Gladiators build momentum for fourth season
Mayor Keller will get in on the act
The Duke City Gladiators of Champions Indoor Football are gearing up for their fourth season and will feature many familiar faces from last year’s playoff team, in addition to some high-profile newcomers acquired by coach Dominic Bramante.
The team, which will again play a 12-game regular season, opens CIF play March 17 on the road against the defending champion Texas Revolution and will follow that with four straight Saturday home games at Tingley Coliseum, beginning March 24 against the Wichita Force.
Also on the schedule is the annual exhibition against a team of metro firefighters and police, set for March 10. In that game, Bramante said Mayor Tim Keller will play wide receiver for the Gladiators.
“We’re thrilled he’ll wear the silver and black. This is no publicity stunt,” Bramante said. “He’s really excited about this.”
Bramante, in his fourth year with the squad, said the Gladiators’ late surge into the postseason last year, when they won three of their final four to finish 7-5, has paid dividends.
“This is the first year that players are calling us,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday about the recruitment process, which to date has 35 players under contract. “It really allows us to pick and choose.”
Among key Duke City performers returning from last year’s team are receivers Dexter Manley and Antonio Bray, and defensive backs Jayson Serda (Manzano/Eastern New Mexico) and firstteam all-CIF Juvi Berry.
Bramante is particularly excited about the talent he’s added to the trenches to join returnee Sherman Carter. Among them are defensive end Gabriel Sherrod, who played at Michigan State; 6-foot-1, 330-pound Terrale Johnson, a former All-Big 12 performer for Kansas State; and 6-8, 330-pound Joe Kaleta, who played at Washington State and Coastal Carolina before getting a look from the Cleveland Browns.
“Kaleta is a behemoth of a human being,” Bramante said. “We’re now getting players with nice pedigrees.”
The team’s quarterback situation remains unsettled with ex-Lobo Donovan Porterie, last year’s league MVP, weighing his pro options.
“We’re excited about our quarterback situation whether it includes Donovan or not,” Bramante said regarding a host of relatively inexperienced candidates. PRESEASON CAMP: Players are to report Feb. 21, with drills beginning Feb. 24. The final roster cut will be to 24 players.
TRYOUT CAMP: The Gladiators will be conducting a tryout for hopefuls at noon Saturday at Tingley. The fee is $60.
“We’re looking for players who want to continue their dream,” said Bramante, who is not looking to fill a specific team need. “Maybe we’ll be surprised by one or two.”
TICKETS: Primary owner John Lopez announced that all 8,252 general admission seats to the exhibition game will be free.
Season-ticket plans for the regular season start at $55 for general admission (or $10 per game), with $125 for premium seats ($25 single game) and $250 for VIP seats along the boards ($50 per game). They are available at gladiatorstix.com. For more information, call 505-226-8006 or go to dukecitygladiators.com