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2008 NEWS AND NOTES!

LAWDAWGS DECLAW PANTHERS TO CAPTURE 3^RD STRAIGHT DIVISION TITLE

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – September 14^th, 2008

Sioux Falls, SD: When the day started neither team would have predicted the 62-7 victory by the Lawdawgs after the two teams battled to a 36 to 30 game earlier this season. Despite the offensive output on the day the defense perhaps stole the show with a team record of 11 forced turnovers. With the only Panther score coming on a kickoff return during the first half with the Lawdawgs already ahead 34 to 0. The swarming Lawdawgs defense did not yield a touchdown and did not yield a first down until the Panthers final drive of the 1^st half up 41 to 7.

The Panthers 1^st seven possessions of the 1^st half accounted for a total negative 15 yards of total offense, while the Lawdawgs defenders intercepted 2 passes and recovered 5 fumbles. The final drive of the 1^st, for the Panthers gained 25 yards before Ray Wilson intercepted a pass finalizing the 1^st half with 8 turnovers and 10 yards of total offense for the Panthers. Bobby Clayborn recovered 2 fumbles in the 1^st half while Marc and Dan Phillips each hand paws on a recovery along with Bret Gabert. Phil Nystrom and Johnny Bentley added interceptions to go along with Wilson’s.

While the defense did their part the offense was not to be overlooked on this day. Solis took to the air completing 12 of 18 passes for 231 yards and 4 touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown as well. Solis was on top of his game connecting with James Holmes for the 1^st touchdown pass on a 21 yard strike and on his next pass he would hit Josh Robinson for 42 yards putting the Dawgs up 13-0. The third TD strike went to Johnny Bentley for 13 yards (20-0) and the fourth went to Will Walker who rumbled in from 25 yards out (27-0). Solis would hand the next score to Ray Wilson on a 4 yard run to put the Lawdawgs up 34 to 0 and Art would push the score to 41 to 7 minutes later with a 10 yard run. The rushing game added a modest 72 yards on 18 attempts and the Lawdawgs totaled 303 yards in the 1^st half.

The 2^nd half would see less scoring for the Lawdawgs however the team came out right away, capping off a 55 yard drive with a 1 yard touchdown run by James Augustus. The Panthers mustered a 6 play 45 yard drive before Johnny Bentley scooped up another Panther fumble and raced 70 yards to pay dirt. The versatile Mr. Bentley scored on both offense and defense, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and threw in five tackles to boot. Solis would connect with Trae Johnson on a 9 yard pass as well for his 5^th touchdown pass of the game.

Many Lawdawgs defenders played a part in the outstanding effort but tackles were hard to come by with the 11 turnovers and 24 incomplete passes. The Panthers finished with a total of 81 total yards of offense while the Lawdawgs topped out at 498 yards of total offense. Solis finished the night 20 for 27 for 364 yards.

By beating the Panthers the Lawdawgs captured their 3^rd straight North Central Division title in the NAFL. During that time span the team has not dropped a division game, last losing to a division opponent in 2005. The team will not have much time to bask in the glow as they head to St. Paul, Minnesota this Sunday to take on the 7 and 1 St. Paul Pioneers ranked 19^th by the American football top 25 poll. The game will be played in St. Paul, MN at Humboldt HS at 2pm. The Lawdawgs move to 10-2 on the season and are 8-1 in the NAFL. For more information on the team please contact our office at 605-528-3099 or the team cell at 605-728-2139. Or log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net or e-mail the team at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com.

LAWDAWGS CLIP EAGLES WINGS IN TOUGH BATTLE!

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – September 6^th, 2008

Sioux Falls, SD: On a rainy and sloppy afternoon at the fairgrounds the Lawdawgs battled the Manson Eagles to a 6-6 halftime deadlock before eventually putting the Eagles away 27-6. The skies opened up minutes before kickoff and a slow drizzle kept both offenses from establishing much continuity in the 1^st half of play. On the Lawdawgs 2^nd possession Phil Wilson finished off a 57 yard drive with a 5 yard bulldozing run into the end zone to put the Lawdawgs up 6-0. Cornerback Marcus Thompson perhaps playing the best game of his career set up the drive with his 1^st of two interceptions on the day and stopped the ensuing Eagles drive with his 2^nd interception. Thompson also led the Lawdawgs with tackles on the night recording 12 tackles and batting down 2 other passes.

The week layoff for the Lawdawgs didn’t help much as the team struggled and fumbled the ball 3 times in the 1^st half. This was due not just to the bad weather, but the Eagles ball hawking efforts and being there to prey on Lawdawgs miscues and lack of concentration. Manson made the most of the Lawdawgs turnovers in the 1^st half. Eagle quarterback, Zac Lyons, hit Clint Foth on a 52 yard pass to tie the score up 6 to 6. The Eagles went for two and Ray Wilson pushed Lyons out as he reached for the end zone pylon.

That would be the bright spot for Mason on offense as the Lawdawgs defenders wrapped up most every attempt by the Eagles to run the ball with the conditions being so soggy. The Eagles attempted 34 running plays, however their efforts accounted for only 71 yards. The Lawdawgs defenders harassed the Eagles passing efforts all night holding Eagle QB’s to 3 for 16. Deric Stahl, Bret Gabert, Phil Gacke and Dan Phillips harassed and layed big hits on Lyons, while Jeff Belben recorded 2 sacks, a forced fumble and wrapped up 7 tackles. Bobby Clayborn landed 10 tackles and Deric Stahl added 6 as the Lawdawgs defense held the Eagles to 139 yards of total offense. The Lawdawgs running attack on the other hand posted 33 for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns while the team amassed 384 yards of total offense.

Tied at 6 the Lawdawgs made the most of their opening drive moving the ball 68 yards on 2 plays. A 24 yard run by Ray Wilson started the drive and Johnny Bentley ended it on the next play running in from 34 yards out, putting the Lawdawgs up 13-6. Solis opened up the 4^th quarter scoring with a tackle breaking effort before releasing a pass to hit WR, Richard Franklin, on a 22 yard strike. Mike Pacheco end the Eagles next drive 3 plays later with an interception and James Augustus finished the scoring immediately after on the next play racing 75 yards.

The Lawdawgs will host the Kansas City Panthers next week after struggling to just a 36 to 30 win earlier this year. The game will be played at the Sioux Empire fairgrounds and kickoff is scheduled for 4pm. The Lawdawgs move to 9-2 on the season and are ranked 7th in the NAFL power poll. For more information on the team please contact our office at 605-528-3099 or the team cell at 605-728-2139. Or log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net or e-mail the team at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com.

LAWDAWGS LONG ARM

WRAPS UP SPARTANS

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – Aug 23^rd, 2008

After stalling out on the 1st drive of the day the Lawdawgs offense hit on all strides in route to a 69 to 6 victory over the visiting Junction City Spartans. The rushing game took over tonight with 6 different ball carriers rushing for 342 yards on the ground on 35 carries, punching it in the end zone 7 times.

The 1st drive started out just fine as the Lawdawgs started on their own 12 and driving into Spartans territory before turning the ball over on downs. The team seemed to be forcing things a bit, attempting to match the coach’s challenge to play a complete game. The defense immediately forced the Spartans to fumble on their 1st play and the offense scored 7 plays later on a Phil Wilson 6 yard run. Wilson would score 2 more times in the game as he piled up 79 yards on 7 carries.

The Spartans fumbled on the ensuing kickoff return, five plays later James Augustus would punch in his only touchdown on the night with a one yard run. This put the Lawdawgs up 14-0. James Augustus led the team with 112 yards rushing on 12 carries.

The Spartans managed just three first downs on the night and compiled just 62 yards of total offense on 30 plays. In addition the Spartans turned the ball over 8 times as the Lawdawgs recovered 4 fumbles and intercepted 4 passes.

Mackenzie Tegethoff had an outstanding game, leading the team with 7 tackles, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass. Marc Phillips was in on 2 sacks and recovered a fumble, Brooks Hendriks and James Augustus recovered fumbles as well. Robert Walker, Marcus Thompson and Johnny Bentley also recorded picks and Bentley took his back 55 yards for a touchdown.

The Lawdawgs raced out to a 33 to 0 lead before giving up a touchdown pass on a ball that was batted down then up and caught by the Spartan’s receiver off the top of his helmet. That was the lone bright spot for the Spartans as the Lawdawgs defense was everywhere, all the time, this afternoon.

The Lawdawgs will be off this coming weekend before hosting the Manson Eagles on September 6th at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds. Game time will be 4pm and the Lawdawgs will be hosting a "homecoming" theme! Details on this next game will be announced at the end of the week. The Lawdawgs climb to 8-2 this season. For more information on the team please contact our office at 605-528-3099 or the team cell at 605-728-2139. You can log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net or e-mail the team at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com

LAWDAWGS UNABLE TO

HANDCUFF PIONEERS!
By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs

Media Relations

July 20^th, 2008

Alexandria, South Dakota: With time running out the Lawdawgs stood on the edge of going 7-1 Saturday night vs. the St. Paul Pioneers. However it was not to be, as the ball would sail out of bounds to do in the Lawdawgs 27-33.

The games started out slow for the defense as the Pioneers drove 97 yards to draw first blood going up 7 to 0. The Lawdawgs would claw back when Art Solis rolled and hit James Holmes on a 28 yard strike. It looked like things were really going the Lawdawgs way when Solis hit Josh Robinson on a 19 yard pass putting the Lawdawgs up 14-7 and time running out in the 1^st half. The Pioneers would send the game into halftime tied 14-14 on a touchdown pass as time expired.

The Lawdawgs 3^rd quarter curse continued while the Pioneers took a 21-14 lead and then went up 27 to 14. Solis Rallied the troops in a hurry, marching 85 yards on 8 plays hitting James Augustus on a 4 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 27-21. The Lawdawgs were unable to stop the Pioneers putting the visitors up 33 to 21. The Lawdawgs then marched 51 yards and Solis connected again with James Holmes to bring the team within 5 points at 27 to 33. The defense rustled up the ball one last time forcing the Pioneers to punt and with 2:17 left to go in the game the Lawdawgs found themselves down 5 and on there own 39 yard line with one time out.

Solis completed a season high 19 passes and 4 touchdowns on the night for

258 yards. Despite the disappointing outcome, the offense played well at times and the team had its chance in the final minutes to come out on top.

The defense was lead by Marcus Thompson with 12 tackles. The Lawdawgs defensive secondaries were unable to stop the pass. The defense did look impressive at times, however in the end the Pioneers 33 points was too much for the Lawdawgs to over come.

The Lawdawgs head to Kansas City to take on the Kansas City Panthers, who are coming off two wins in a row. The Lawdawgs have never lost to the Kansas City Panthers, however with that being said the Panthers are 5-2 on the season and have a very tough passing game.

For more information on the team please contact our office at 605-528-3099 or the team cell at 605-728-2139. Or log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net or e-mail the team at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com.

LAWDAWGS TAME WILDCATS FOR SECOND TIME

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – August 3^rd, 2008

Sioux Falls, SD: The Lawdawgs jumped out early scoring on all four of their first half drives to beat the Nebraska Wildcats 34 to 23. Art Solis started for the first time this season leading the Lawdawgs offense to five touchdowns in route to an 18 for 27 night passing for 276 yards and two touchdowns.

Joe Miller caught the other Solis touchdown pass for 38 yards, while James Holmes grabbed 6 receptions for 54 yards. Mike Fodness had 2 receptions for 44 yards. Solis spread the ball around giving Will Walker and Tee Phillips multiple catches. 276 yards is the season high for the Lawdawgs passing game and the offensive unit continues to improve each week.

James Augustus continued to shine at halfback posting 120 yards on 14 carries, Augustus also had 2 receptions for 28 receiving yards and a touchdown as well. Johnny Bentley saw his first action for the Lawdawgs this season gobbling up 56 yards on 7 carries and a touchdown, while Phil Wilson added 42 yards rushing on 6 attempts with a touchdown. Trey Diggs finished with 32 yards on 5 carries. Art Solis added 16 yards on 3 attempts as the Lawdawgs totaled 266 yards on the ground on 35 attempts. The 542 yards of total offense was a season high for the Lawdawgs.

After jumping out to a 27 to 3 lead the Lawdawgs defense struggled to put away the Wildcats. The Wildcats managed a scoring strike with time expiring in the 1^st half to cut the lead to 27 to 10Tthe scrappy Wildcat squad made the most of the Lawdawgs miscues, scoring two more touchdowns in the 3^rd. The first scoring strike cut the lead to 27 to 17 but the Lawdawgs put an end to their serious come back hopes when Solis hit Joe Miller on a 38 yard strike to go back up 34 to 17. The Wildcats would score again late in the 3^rd to finish the scoring on the night at 34 to 23.

Brandon Thompson had 7 tackles with Bobby Clayborn adding 6, and Deric Stahl with 5. Fred Mitchell, Phil Gacke and Deric Stahl had sacks and a host of other Lawdawg defenders had great games in supporting roles. The defense held the Wildcats to just 47 yards rushing on the night and countless hurries on defense forcing the Wildcats QB to connect on less then half of his passes.

There will be no rest for these Lawmen after beating the 5-1 Wildcats as the Pioneers come to town fresh off a 28-14 win and are 4-0 on the season with wins against tough opponents, the Racine Raiders and Twin Cities Lumberjacks, that are always ranked nationally. The Lawdawgs next game will be held in Alexandria, South Dakota and kickoff is scheduled for 7:05. This is slated to be the last of the out of town home games for the Lawdawgs this season.

LAWDAWGS BRING DOWN EAGLES
By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – July 27^th, 2008

MANSON, IA: James Augustus picked up where he left of two weeks ago and ran for 197 yards and 4 touchdowns on the road beating the 1-4 Manson Eagles 27-0. The original statistics missed the 55 yard run by Augustus in the totals. The Lawdawgs running game was up to its old tricks grinding out the clock and opening holes for 7 different runners in route to a 266 yard rushing output on 38 attempts.

The Lawdawgs offense has certainly put up more yards on the ground in the past, however the main difference with this year’s squad is the huge amount of clock the team is chewing up each time the offense takes the field. This is not giving the QB’s much of a chance to contribute, however both Augustad and Solis were effective in leading the team. They both saw about equal action this past Saturday.

The defense continues to gel each weak as the unit gets close to full strength. Brandon Thompson posted 7 tackles and intercepted 2 passes while his peer, middle linebacker Bobby Clayton, led the team with 8 tackles. Robert Walker added another interception to his team’s total, and 7 other Lawdawgs gobbled up 4 tackles each. The defense posted its 1^st shut out of the season after 6 games, however the offense this week did its part not to turn the ball over putting the Lawdawgs defense in rough shape for the 1^st time all season.

The Lawdawgs will host the Nebraska Wildcats at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds this Saturday at 4pm. This will be no easy contest for the Lawdawgs as the two teams played till then end in the 1^st meeting with the Lawdawgs kicking a field goal in the 4^th to win 17-14. The Wildcats are coming off 3 straight wins since the loss to the Lawdawgs and both teams are 5-1 on the season.

For more information on the team please contact our office at 605-528-3099 or the team cell at 605-728-2139. You can log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net or e-mail the team at dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com.

LAWDAWGS REGULATE

ROUGH RIDERS!

July 20^th, 2008 N. Sioux City, South Dakota: The rains opened up on Southeastern South Dakota, forcing the Lawdawgs vs. Rough Riders (4-1) game back almost an hour. Once the skies mostly cleared up the sun came out and the Lawdawgs offense put the team up 14-0 by the half and held on to win 14-7.

The Lawdawgs spent the rain delay figuring out just who they were going to use at half back. Ray Wilson was coming of injured reserve after sitting out the past three weeks, and never made it through the opening kick return, succumbing to an ankle injury. The Lawdawgs were missing James Augustus who rushed for 200 yards last week with family obligations as well as Trey Diggs for the same reason. Johnny Bentley was showing of his skills 10 miles down the road at the UIF All-Star game. “We are pretty proud of ourselves. We made it through a barrage of trash talking and distractions from the Rough Riders, we played through adversity and made the most of it. Our offensive line played outstanding and Brandon and James stepped up and played huge,” comments Coach Taylor.

Brandon Thompson stepped up and led the team filling in at the half back spot, while James Holmes stepped in and played fullback. Both players haven’t seen those spots since perhaps Jr. High. The two amassed almost 150 yards of total offense and were instrumental in the Lawdawgs win. Journeymen, Alex Augustad, went 4-4 for 58 yards, while Art Solis saw his 1^st quarterback action of the season adding 35 yards of passing and 34 yards of rushing to the team’s total of 254 yards of offense.

The Lawdawgs opened the game with a 12 and a half minute drive, covering 70 yards on 16 plays. Brandon Thompson barreled in on 4^th and goal on the 5 inch line to finish that drive and put the Lawdawgs up 6-0. Three plays later the Lawdawgs went back on offense after an interception, courtesy of Marcus Thompson. The Lawdawgs drive would sputter out, inside the Rough Rider 1 yard line, after a fumbled snap on 1^st and goal. On the Rough Riders 2^nd drive, Robert Walker intercepted a pass and the offense was back on the field for the 3^rd time. The Lawdawgs drive was capped off with another Brandon Thompson run, this one was 5 yards. Alex Augustad would hit James Holmes for the 2 point conversion to put the Lawdawgs up 14-0.

The first half saw each team with only 3 possessions due in large part to the Dawgs chewing up massive amounts of clock. Time of possession in the first half was dominated by the Lawdawgs. In fact, the now 4-1 Lawdawgs had the same amount of plays on one drive that the Rough Riders had in the entire half.

The Lawdawgs ball control on offense helped the defense hold the Rough Riders to just 27 plays. The defense forced 3 turnovers, when they counted the most. The defense intercepted passes on the 1^st two drives of the game to help the team get up 14-0 and then finished the game forcing a fumble, recovered by Dan Phillips, to seal the victory 14-7. Mackenzie Tegethoff led the team with 6 tackles and added a half sack while knocking down 2 passes. Phil Nystrom added 6 tackles while Brooks Hendriks was the man that forced the fumble to end the game for the Rough Riders, he also chipped in 4 tackles as well.

There isn’t any time for the team to pat itself on the back this week, as the Lawdawgs will head to Manson to take on the Eagles. These two battled to a close game last season and the Eagles are coming of a tough loss, hungry to break into the win column. The Lawdawgs next home game will be August, 2^nd in Sioux Falls, SD at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds.

OUTDOOR MINOR LEAGUE TEAM TO PLAY AT DAKOTA VALLEY THIS SATURDAY!

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – July 14th, 2008

Dakota Valley, SD: Coming off a 25-6 victory pushing their record to 3-1 the Lawdawgs will host the team that beat them in week 2, the Lacrosse Rough Riders, this Saturday night, July 19^th at 7:05pm. Former Lawdawgs 3 time All-NAFL All-Star Center, Jason Jund, is the head coach at Dakota Valley, and the Lawdawgs will be looking to broaden their recruiting base for fans and players by playing in Dakota Valley. The Rough Riders blanked the Dakota Lawdawgs 19-0 in the first meeting and their record is 4-0. The Lawdawgs hope to be much improved with the addition of a few players since then and have played much better since the game two loss.

The Dakota Lawdawgs are an 11 man outdoor football team with it’s players ranging in age from 20 to 35 and most have played college football. The Lawdawgs roster has 10 players with UIF or AFL2 experience as well as 25 of their roster players hailing from colleges like USD, NSU, SWS, USF, DWU, and DSU!

Three members of this years UIF Sioux City Bandits roster are on the team as well. Johnny Bentley, the UIF’s regular season leading rusher, Art Solis and Fred Mitchell are on the Lawdawgs 2008 team. Although Bentley will not be in action, due to attending Saturday nights UIF all-star game, the other two players and a very talented Lawdawgs roster will be intact for this rematch.

“This is a great chance for football fans to see tomorrow’s stars today. We have players that go on to upper levels as well as go on to college teams.” Comments Coach Taylor. Currently former Lawdawgs receiver Antwuan Bloom is going to be a senior at Morningside this fall and he set the college level on fire last season. Nick VanWyhe is a member of the SDSU Jackrabbits team as well, both are former Lawdawgs players.

The Lawdawgs are entering their 13^th season and are back to back division champions of the North American Football League’s North Central Division. The NAFL is the largest minor league entity in the United States, manning 150 teams across the country hosting its national championship game in Orlando, Florida. The Lawdawgs are coming off back to back 13 win seasons as well compiling a record of 26-5-1 over a two year period. They also have had 5 straight playoff appearances.

LAWDAWGS CONTINUE DOMINATION OF LIGHTNING FRANCHISE

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – July 13th, 2008

Sioux Falls, SD: The defense held the NE Nebraska Lightning to 23 total yards of offense as the Lawdawgs beat the NE Nebraska franchise for the 12 straight time, this time 25-6.

Mackenzie Teghetoff led the team with 7 tackles and 2 half sacks while the rest of the team evened out the tackles and were involved in too many gang tackles to count. The defense forced 5 turnovers with Robert Walker (5 tackles) and Phil Nystrom (2 tackles) each intercepted a Julian Thomas pass. Marc Phillips (4 tackles) Brandon Thompson (5 tackles) and Odell Barnes (2 tackles) each recorded fumble recoveries.

With the defense dominating the Lawdawgs offense burned up immense amounts of clock on most of its drives through 3 quarters. James Augustus broke the team single game rushing record posting 212 yards on 29 carries. The offensive clock domination and ground control held the Lightning to just 24 plays on offense with a little help from the defense forcing turnovers.

Alex Augustad continues to improve each week as the passing game was effective as he connected with 5 different receivers as he both rushed and passed for a touchdown.

The game did not finish as smooth as the Lawdawgs offensive unit would have liked giving Coach Taylor the fuel he needs to get the boys to focus in this week for the 4-0 Lacrosse Rough Riders. The Rough Riders blanked the Lawdawgs 19-0 and held the Lawdawgs offense not only out of the end zone, but without a 100 yard rusher which does not happen very often.

“We’d like to think that we are better then that, but we are only as good as the score at the end of the game.” Sid Coach Taylor. There were a few bumps in the road that day on the way to Lacrosse, however only the efforts of this coming Saturday’s game will tell how good the Lawdawgs can be or are.

The Lawdawgs will host the Rough Riders at Dakota Valley High School, as the team will attempt to broaden it’s player recruiting base in ‘09 as well as it’s fan base. Former Lawdawgs center Jason Jund is also the head coach at Dakota Valley High School.

BREAKING NEWS: GAME RESCHEDULED
By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – June 26^th , 2008

Sioux Falls, SD: Lawdawgs game vs. Titans game for this Saturday has been rescheduled. Thirteen years of existence gets you a chance to see about everything. So when Coach Taylor received an e-mail Tuesday from the Manson Eagles in regards to their game this weekend, little time was spent reflecting on the problem.

Due to horrific weather conditions in most of middle parts of Iowa, the Cedar Valley Vikings were unable to field a team this weekend. Although the league expects the Vikings to pull out a full recovery after flood efforts are subsided, the Vikings were forced to pull out of this weekend’s game vs. Manson.

There were not many options for the league when it came to getting an opponent for them. Head Coach of the Lawdawgs, Jordan Taylor, who is also Director of Football Operation for the NAFL. The NAFL has 140 teams nationwide in its league. The decision fell to the Titans, and with the Lawdawgs game being a non-division and non-league game it looked to work. They had not played a home game yet and the only question remaining was, could the Lawdawgs pick up a game to fill their home game needs for their sponsors, fans and players expecting 8 home games. It took a little searching but 1^st year team, the Junction City Spartans, from Junction City, Kansas, stepped up to answer the call without hesitation and will be headed to Sioux Falls on August 24^th to fill in that 8^th game and the only opening on the Lawdawgs home game schedule.

Viking players and owners have been knee deep helping the area team stay afloat and each team involved hopes that they get things worked out. The NAFL and it’s teams sends its thoughts and prayers to the Vikings and the people in the surrounding communities. They also want to thank you the Lawdawgs, Titans and Junction City for making this work.

Regarding this Saturday the team is doing its best to let the public know that the game has been cancelled. The Lawdawgs will be having a scrimmage at their practice field at the fairgrounds to make sure those that did not get the notice are not left wondering. The game tickets for this Saturday are good for the Home Opener on July 12^th, no refunds will be given.

The next and first home game for the Lawdawgs will be its HOME OPENER and will be played July 12^th at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds at 4:05pm. During the month of July the Lawdawgs will be hosting 3 youth football camps in Madison, Salem and Sioux Falls. Please check out the team website for details. The website is being renovated, so please download Macromedia Flashplayer for free on the front page if you are unable to access the site.

DAWGS SNEAK OUT WIN VS WILDCATS

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – June 22^ND, 2008

Omaha, Nebraska: In what was perhaps one of the most complete “team” games in team history, the Lawdawgs took one step closer towards becoming a well rounded team with a 17-14 nail bitter win in Papillion, NE Saturday night.

Alex Augustad went 7-13 for 234 yards and 2 touchdown passes to lead the team to its 2^nd win of the season. Augustad hooked up with Josh Robinson in the 2^nd quarter to take the lead after the Lawdawgs fell behind 6-0 in the 2^nd quarter. Alex would again connect on a touchdown pass midway through the 3^rd quarter this time hitting Brandon Thompson. Up 14-6 the Lawdawgs were poised to put the game away.

The defense held the Wildcats in check for most of the night besides the 2^nd quarter score however it was the offense that fumbled and allowed the Wildcats to return the fumble for a touchdown to tie the score late in the 3^rd at 14 all.

Augustad would again hook up with Robinson this time on a 75 yard pass putting the Lawdawgs in great scoring position however the Wildcats would force a field goal try. Austin Solko would punch in the go ahead field goal from 20 yards out. The Wildcats forced the Lawdawgs rushing percentage down holding the Dawgs to just 167 yards rushing on 46 carries. The team effort saw the Dawgs post 411 yards of total offense to muster the win.

The Defense would force it’s 3^rd fumble and recovery on the next drive and allow the offense to grind out the clock leaving Nebraska with 90 yards to go and only 4 seconds. The hail mary attempt would fall short and the Lawdawgs would go to 2-0 in NAFL (2-1 overall) play this season. Mackenzie Tegehoff with 7 tackles and Brandon Thompson with 7 and 6 tackles, would lead the team and each forcing fumbles and creating havoc all night.

The Lawdawgs will host their first home game this coming Saturday at 4pm vs the 1-0 Midwest Titans at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds. The Titans eliminated the Lawdawgs from post season play last season. They were in attendance at the Lawdawgs game this weekend adding a few poster quotes for the rivalry.

DAWGS SHUT OUT BY ROUGH RIDERS!

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – June 15^h, 2008

The Dakota Lawdawgs lost 0-19 Saturday afternoon in a hard fought battle. The offense could not finish drives and the defense struggled to capitalize on opportunities as a tough Rough Riders squad (2-0) continued on their impressive season start.

Terrance McAbee led the defense with 3.5 sacks and 5 tackles as well as James Augustus who chipped in 2 interceptions. The Rough Riders took a 12-0 lead into the half and added another score late in the 4^th, to put the Lawdawgs away.

“I think we see where we need work. No one is going to give us credit for our past two seasons and just let us walk in unprepared and apathetic and walk away with wins.” pointed out a disappointed Coach Taylor.

The usually impressive ground game had it’s moments but could not muster enough juice to put points on the board. This marked the first of 5 league games that are spread out over the season but will not be part of the NAFL 10.

The Lawdawgs will head to Papillion, Nebraska at 6pm to take on the 1-0 Wildcats this Saturday June, 21st.

DAWGS OPEN SEASON WITH WIN VS LIGHTNING

By: Kim Taylor
Dakota Lawdawgs Media Relations – June 8^th, 2008

The Dakota Lawdawgs opened their 2008 season with a win vs. the NE Nebraska Lightning jumping out to a 25-0 lead at the half and then coasting to a 32-0 win. The win was the 11^th in a row vs. the Franchise formally known as the Norfolk Thunderbirds and the results allowed the team to keep a few tricks up their sleeve use most of the roster.

In typical Lawdawg fashion the Wilson boys lead the team in rushing both posting 100 yard nights Ray Wilson (no relation) posted 130 yards(1 td) and Phil Wilson posted 102

(1 Td). James Augustus punched in two touchdowns to go along with his 54 yards rushing and Danny Cannon added another 38 yards to push the teams rushing total to 324 on the night with 4 td’s.

The Lawdawgs new offense evened out the rush vs. pass attempts a bit posting 19 passing attempts to the 36 rushing attempts, while coach Christensen attempts to make the team a double treat. Will Walker lead in this area with 3 receptions and a touchdown.

The Defense kept the Lightning at bay for most of the night, will the Nebraska team ground out the clock with it’s option attack. Robert Walker made the most of the few Lightning passing attempts intercepting 2 passes knocking down 2 more and adding 11 tackles to his outstanding performance. Brooks Hendricks posted 7 tackles as well as 1.5 sacks, while middle linebacker peer Deric Stahl added 6 tackles and a sack as well. The Lawdawgs defense forced 4 turnovers with James Augustus intercepting a passes and Odell Barnes recovering a fumble.

The Lawdawgs will have to play extremely better this weekend as they travel to face the 1-0 Lacrosse Rough Riders who defeated the annually ranked Rochester Giants on the Road 15-12.

Lawdawgs Sign 12 Rookies and 26 Veterans to the

2008 roster after March Tryouts!

Tegethoff Tackles Football at the Minor League Level!

^{January 1st,}Sioux Falls, South Dakota: After winning a state championship his Junior year, Tegethoff found himself watching his final High School game from the sidelines with a season ending injury as Scotland ended the Hanson drive to be back to back State Champions. “That wasn’t a good feeling” described Mackenzie. “It left me wanting more. So when my buddy TJ mentioned it (the Lawdawgs) and I couldn’t resist!”

Small world when you consider that Travis Hey and Mackenzie Tegethoff never met in high school, however living across the hall from each other in college sparked a conversation that eventually led them to this point. “He had on a State Championship shirt from the year we won it,” explained Mackenzie, “so I asked him if he played.” A few months later when he decided to join the Lawdawgs his position coach at McCook, also the Lawdawgs head coach, Jordan Taylor, invited Mackenzie to join up too.

The 18 year old Mackenzie will be one of the younger players on the team. At 6’3, 205 lbs. on top of his hard work and potential, find him in a dog fight to earn a starting corner spot when the team heads to Florida for its first ever bowl game this coming January. Mackenzie has put on 20 pounds since high school and show no signs of being hindered by the injury the ended his high School football career.

“Mackenzie has a great attitude and work ethic which is no doubt a credit to his family and football background. We are excited for him and his future here. He’s a good athlete and is picking up the playbook extremely fast!” says Coach Taylor. That might be a reason why he found himself as an academic All-State recipient his Junior and Senior year.

The three year starter and All Conference player his junior and senior year, Tegethoff is just happy to be back on the Grid Iron. “I just love football, and love to compete.” Mackenzie went on. Love is just what it takes to get it done as the Lawdawgs are finishing up a grueling 9 month season that saw practices start back in May. The Lawdawgs are back to back Division Champions and take their franchise win record of 13-2-1, to Florida to play in the 4^th Annual North/South Bowl as part of the “Minor League Football News” Florida Football Extravaganza.

The Lawdawgs are 26-4-1 in the past two seasons and look to ad their 27 win vs. the 10-2 Hardin County Wolverines. The team is hopeful to pull off the win and they have spent the past month and a half with fundraising efforts and practice to get the guys ready to win.

For more information on the Dakota Lawdawgs Minor League Professional Football Team contact the team at 605-728-2139 or log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net.

Say "Hey" to the Lawdawgs!

January 1^st, Sioux Falls, South Dakota: After 20 games as the starting as the Quarterback at McCook Central Travis Hey finished up his high school football career with a feeling of un finished business. Despite having watched the Lawdawgs play at McCook Travis was not quite ready to join the team perhaps uncertain of just where he would fit in.

“Sometimes it takes a little while to get someone comfortable with the fact that they can play at the next level what ever level it is” Points out Coach Taylor. As Hey graduating Corey Christensen was leading the Lawdawgs at the helm to it’s franchise 1^st 13 win season and the teams first Division Crowd setting records for passing attempts, completions, yardage and touchdowns. “No doubt a tough act to follow” Coach Taylor admits “Now he will have Corey teaching him this new offense and helping him take the next step as a qb.

Meanwhile the former All-Conference and Offensive MVP at McCook has Coach Taylors’ Confidence and is expected to play a bunch and play multiple positions as the team prepares for it’s first ever bowl game on January 11^th in Miami Florida. “Travis an excellent athlete and when the fires lit he’ll be tremendous.” Travis has spent time at qb, Fb, TB, TE and WR as a virtual slash.

Players like Travis come out for the Love of the game as well as missing the competition or having unfinished business. Hey has a little bit of all three under his cap and the team looks forward to helping him accomplish his goals. The Lawdawgs are finishing up a grueling 9 month season that saw practices start back in May. The Lawdawgs are back to back Division Champions and take their franchise win record of 13-2-1, to Florida to play in the 4^th Annual North/South Bowl as part of the “Minor League Football News” Florida Football Extravaganza.

For more information on the Dakota Lawdawgs Minor League Professional Football Team contact the team at 605-728-2139 or log on to the team website at www.lawdawgs.net.

Solis Joins Lawdawgs

Lawdawgs celebrate Thanksgiving with addition of signal caller!

November 22^nd,Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Lawdawgs sign Art Solis, quarterback from Dakota State University. The 6’1, 205 pound quarterback from Merced, CA signed with the team and will join the squad for practice after the Thanksgiving holiday. The DSU Alumni spent the past two seasons as a roster member of the Sioux Falls Storm although he did not see game time action.

During his senior year Solis made All Dakota Athletic Conference 1^st Team, while being named NAIA player of the week once and DAC player of the week twice. Solis was the DAC leader in total offense his senior year with 2440 yards of total offense (1954 passing, and 486 rushing). His passing success mustered him 1^st in passing yards as well. During his senior year Art completed 56% of his passes throwing for 15 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions for almost 200 yards a game.

“We are no doubt excited about adding Art to our roster. I think his experience with a few of the things that Coach Christensen has up his sleeve will be a perfect match“ comments Coach Taylor. The Lawdawgs used 4 different quarterbacks during the 2007 regular season. During the NAFL post season they searched for a replacement. The now Coach Corey Christensen led the team to a record 13 franchise wins last season as the team’s QB. Coach Taylor expects Art to be a good fit to the organizations future. Brian Ewing is currently the starting QB and injured Trever Coxworth will rejoin the team next week, both are team players that welcome Solis to the team. “We want to win. Everyone here is about the team 1^st and themselves second. Whatever is best for the squad.” Comments Ewing. Coach Taylor was pleased to hear that. “Without question Brian has done things off and on the field over the past 3 months to show he is a team player and leader and comments like that just reinforce that.”

The Lawdawgs were unprepared for the playoff game vs. the Titans after losing Chuck Wright to family issues after the final regular season game. Solis is expected to come in and be a leader on the team and Coach Taylor plans to work with him to make the team stronger. “We rushed Chuck in without giving him a chance to adjust” pointed out Coach Taylor. “I think this time around we’ll take our time and make sure we use all of Solis’ assets and tools to the teams and his advantage.

For more information on the Lawdawgs or the North American Football League please contact the Lawdawgs at either dakotalawdawgs@hotmail.com or by calling the team at 605-528-3099. You may also view the team’s website at www.lawdawgs.net or check out the North American Football League at www.nafl.org.

Offensive Coordinator Rejoins Lawdawgs

Christensen to make offensive calls again in’08

November 19^th,Sioux Falls, South Dakota: After taking the 2nd half of the season off to enjoy his wedding and honeymoon, Corey Christensen is rejoining the team for the remainder of the 2007 and the 2008 season. The 2 year veteran led the Lawdawgs to two record breaking yardage records as a player and had boosted the team’s offense as a coach before stepping away prior to mid-season.

The young talented coach has already put the offense in and now just needs to bring the current players up to speed with his style, as Coach Taylor often prefers a more pound it out approach. “We incorporated most of what Corey had put in before he left. But his style of attack is drastically different and will have us attacking from different angles and with different set up styles” said Coach Taylor.

Christensen will hit and miss practice till the new year while prior obligations take precedence before settling in full time after the holidays. “We have a lot to wrap up from this year. However, we have a strong team that is working on coming together for these next two months.” Comments Coach Taylor. For the 2^nd straight season the coaching staff was frustrated with the “team play” or lack there of in the losses to end the NAFL playoffs.

The team came together nicely after a month of effort to bring the focus back to team ball. The Lawdawgs trounced the Panthers in their 1^st Annual “Frozen Bowl” beating the Kansas City team 54 to 24. Many in attendance even remarked on the change of the team demeanor and perhaps playing in Sioux Falls only yards from next years game field might have been to credit as well.

Look for Christensen to bring excitement and more detail to the offense as an offensive specialist when he is finally back on the sidelines. The team and coaching staff is elated with the resigning of Coach Christensen. He too will no doubt be excited about a few of the new additions and announcements that will take place over the next few days.