Central Penn Capitals
Established 2012
Folded 2016
Played in Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Central Penn Capitals
League/conference affiliations
American Indoor Football (2013–2016)
  • Northern Division (2016)
Current uniform
Team colorsNavy blue, red, white, silver
       
Personnel
Owner(s)Isaac Carn
Head coachAndre Coles
Team history
  • York Capitals (2013–2015)
  • Central Penn Capitals (2016)
Championships
League championships (1)
2015
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (2)
2013, 2015
Home arena(s)

The Central Penn Capitals (formerly the York Capitals) were a professional indoor football team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Capitals played as members of American Indoor Football (AIF) from 2013 to 2016. The club was established in 2012 as an expansion team for the 2013 season when Jim Morris secured the rights to an AIF franchise in York, Pennsylvania at the York City Ice Arena. The team relocated to Harrisburg for the 2016 season with home games played at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. The AIF ceased operations after the 2016 season and the Capitals did not join another league.

The Capitals were York's first indoor/arena football team. They were Harrisburg's second such team, the first being the Harrisburg Stampede, which played in the AIF (and its predecessors the AIFA and SIFL) from 2009 until 2013 before moving to Hershey and the Professional Indoor Football League the following season.

Franchise history

In October 2012, it was announced that York, Pennsylvania had been awarded an expansion franchise of American Indoor Football (AIF).[1] The franchise announced the following week that they would be holding a name-the-team contest open to York fans.[2] The finalist of the team names came out to "Capitals", "Patriots", "Renegades", "Independence" and "Colonials", with Capitals gaining 49.2% of the votes to be the official nickname.[3] The team's name refers to the city's colonial heritage, with the Continental Congress having completed the final draft of the Articles of Confederation while it met in York during ten months of the Revolutionary War. York is thus considered one of the first capitals of the United States.[4]

The team introduced its first four players during a news conference on December 5, 2012:[5] Rafael Cooper (running back), Thomas Potts (linebacker), Archie Smith (defensive back/wide receiver), and Keith Stokes (wide receiver).

After the Capitals opened play with a 32–25 victory over the Washington Eagles,[6] York battled to a 5–4 regular season record, securing a playoff spot. The Capitals faced in-state rival, the Harrisburg Stampede, with a chance to advance to the AIF Championship Game. The Stampede rallied in the 4th quarter with 17 points to win 51–41, ending the Capitals season.[7]

For the 2014 season, the Capitals announced that Matt Steeple would coach the team.[8]

On July 15, 2014, it was announced that Isaac Carn had purchased the Capitals from Jim Morris.[9] Carn promptly named Eric Dorsey II the team's new coach,[10] though Rick Marsilio was named the head coach before the season started.[11] Marsilio was an assistant for the now defunct Harrisburg Stampede, and recruited multiple Stampede players to the Capitals.[12] The recruiting helped, as the Capitals finished the regular season 8–0, clinching the 1 seed in the 2015 AIF Playoffs. The Capitals defeated the ASI Panthers 68–58 to clinch a berth in the 2015 AIF Championship Game[13] against the Chicago Blitz. The Capitals defeated the Blitz 58–30, capturing their first-ever championship.[14]

On October 14, 2015, it was announced that the Capitals were moving to Harrisburg and renaming themselves the Central Penn Capitals.[15] The Capitals would finish fourth in the Northern Division after the regular season due to the folding of the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets, thereby qualifying for a playoff spot. However, after being announced as playing the West Michigan Ironmen in the division semifinals, they were removed from the schedule and replaced with the Southern Division's third place team, the Myrtle Beach Freedom. No statements from the team or league were made addressing the removal of the Capitals. At the conclusion of the 2016 season, the AIF ceased operations. The Capitals website was taken down during the summer of 2016 indicating they had ceased operations as well.

Final roster

2016 Central Penn Capitals roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • Currently vacant

Wide receivers

  • -- Kelvin Irving
  • -- Raymond Mack
  • -- Brian Richards
Offensive linemen
  • Currently vacant

Defensive linemen

  • -- Michael Bibbs
Linebackers
  • -- Kevin Cuffee
  •  8 Jermaine Thaxton

Defensive backs

  • -- Mark Grandville
  • -- John Kennedy II
  • -- Travis Proctor
  • -- Armar Watson

Kickers

  • -- Drew Newcomer
Injured reserve
  • currently vacant

Refused to report

  • -- Terrill Barnes WR (Did not report)
  • -- Bakari Brown WR (Did not report)
  • -- Jeff Joyle WR (Did not report)
  • -- Eric Liles RB (Did not report)
  • -- Collin Nelson DB (Did not report)
  • -- Jared Sampson DL (Did not report)
  • -- Quinn Way WR (Did not report)

Exempt list

  • -- Tanner Melson DL (Exempt)
  • Rookies in italics
  • Roster updated May 25, 2016
  • 12 Active, 8 Inactive

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Capitals players who won league awards:

SeasonPlayerPositionAward
2014Julius GregoryWRCo-MVP
2015E. J. NemethQBMVP
2015E. J. NemethQBOffensive MVP

All-League players

The following Capitals players have been named to All-League Teams:

  • QB E. J. Nemeth (1)
  • FB Sarron Anderson (1)
  • WR Julius Gregory (1), Rob Jones (1), Rob Wright (1)
  • OL Steven Brazzle (1), Jason Townsend (1), Victor Sesay (1)
  • LB Chindy Agugua (1), Michael Woodhouse (1), Jermaine Thaxton (1), Bryant Lewis (1), Will Hines (1)
  • DB Archie Smith (1), Armar Watson (1), James Pitts (1), Travis Proctor (1)

Coaches of note

Head coaches

Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
W L T Win% W L
Kelly Logan 2013 5 4 0 .556 0 1
Matt Steeple 2014 2 5 0 .286 0 0
Rick Marsilio 2015–2016 9 2 0 .818 2 0
Andre Coles 2016 3 2 0 .600 0 0

Coaching staff

Central Penn Capitals staff
Front office
  • Owner – Isaac Carn
  • Executive Vice President – Stephanie Riley
  • Director of football operations and player personnel – Milton Creary
  • Director of GameDay operations – Al Hamilton

Head coach

  • Head coach/offensive coordinator – Andre Coles
   Offensive coaches
  • Running backs – Nelson Drew
  • Offensive line – Jake Minnich

Defensive coaches

  • Defensive coordinator – Archie Smith
  • Defensive line – Lo Locust

Season-by-season results

League Champions Conference Champions Division Champions Wild Card Berth League Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
Finish Wins Losses Ties
2013 2013 AIF 3rd 5 4 0 Lost Wild Card Playoff (Stampede) 41–51
2014 2014 AIF 5th 2 5 0
2015 2015 AIF 1st 8 0 0 Won AIF Semifinals (Panthers) 68–58
Won AIF Championship Game (Blitz) 58–30
2016 2016 AIF Northern 4th 4 4 0
Totals 19 13 0 All-time regular season record (2013–2016)
2 1 — All-time postseason record (2013–2016)
21 14 0 All-time regular season and postseason record (2013–2016)

References

  1. ↑ Jim Seip (October 15, 2012). "York gets expansion team in pro indoor football league". www.ydr.com. York Daily Record. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Name York's new American Indoor Football team". www.ydr.com. York Daily Record. October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ "York indoor football team named Capitals". www.yorkdispatch.com. York Dispatch. November 15, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  4. ↑ Adams, Cecil (December 10, 2004). "The Straight Dope: York, Pennsylvania: First capital of the United States?". The Straight Dope. Sun-Times Media. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  5. ↑ Walk, John (December 6, 2012). "York Capitals introduce their first four players". York Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  6. ↑ Steve Navaroli (April 7, 2013). "York Capitals win inaugural indoor football game". www.ydr.com. York Daily Record. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  7. ↑ Andrew P. Shay (June 1, 2013). "Harrisburg Stampede rally for playoff victory over York Capitals with 17 fourth-quarter points". www.pennlive.com. Penn Live. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ Jason Bristol (December 18, 2013). "Capitals have new coach, will start 2014 on road". www.local21news.com. CBS 21 Harrisburg. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  9. ↑ Jason Bristol (July 15, 2014). "New owner, coach for York Capitals". www.local21news.com. WHP CBS 21 News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ Jason Bristol (July 15, 2014). "New owner, coach for York Capitals". www.local21news.com. CBS 21 Harrisburg. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  11. ↑ Ryan Dixon (March 31, 2015). "York Capitals 'want to bring football back' in third season". www.ydr.com. The York Daily Record. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  12. ↑ Elijah Armold (May 20, 2015). "ARMOLD: York Capitals, with help from defunct Harrisburg Stampede, enjoying perfect indoor football season". www.ydr.com. The York Daily Record. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  13. ↑ Eric Thomas (May 31, 2015). "Late surge puts York Capitals in AIF title game". www.ydr.com. The York Daily Record. Archived from the original on June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ Eric Thomas (June 6, 2015). "Watson's defense spurs York Capitals to AIF championship vs. Chicago Blitz". www.ydr.com. The York Daily Record. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Capitals relocate to Dauphin County and the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center and will be renamed the Central Pa Capitals". American Indoor Football. October 14, 2015. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
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