Semi-pro football a fun way to get noticed
League gives players another chance

By BRIAN SMITH
Special to The News Journal

The dreams are big for the Claymont Buccaneers and the LaBelle Community Football League.
The Buccaneers are in their second year in the LCFL, which has divisions in the Philadelphia area and in California. For some Buccaneers players, there's always the hope that playing semi-profootball will lead to a chance in the NFL or the Arena Football League.

"Our play at this level is as high as you can imagine," said Isaac Carn, 33, of New Castle, the owner and coach of the Buccaneers. "We've got Arena players playing in our league and ex-NFL players still playing in our league. Last year, I owned the team, but I played middle linebacker. So ... I could tell you about the talent out there. - College Football -

"Some of these players could be in the NFL, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time." - College Football -

The third-year LCFL is backed by singer Patti LaBelle and counts several current and former NFL players among its supporters. It hopes to expand next year to the Atlanta area, Florida and the Maryland/Virginia area, and eventually become nationwide.

This year, the champion of the Philadelphia division will take on the champion of the West Coast division in the league championship game.

The Buccaneers, 4-1 after Saturday's 6-0 overtime loss at the Long Island (N.Y.) Panthers, lead the Philadelphia division. They play Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Haddington Bengals at Baynard Stadium. - College Football -

The league's 21 teams have rosters made up of players with a wide variety of ages and abilities. The Buccaneers players range from 20 to those approaching their 40s.

The Buccaneers season started in September and runs 10 weeks, through mid-November. The playoffs will take another two or three weeks. Players attend practice twice a week, and games are held on weekends.

Many of the players are on the team just to stay active in the game. That includes Chris Hewitt, 26, of Earleville, Md., a linebacker who drives 45 minutes to an hour each way for games and practices. - College Football -

"Most people who come out and watch the games tell me they'd rather watch one of our games than a college or pro game," Hewitt said. "It's hard-hitting and they're good games, and the majority of guys come out because they love the game.

"Some of the guys would definitely like to move on, but what it all comes down to is, we love the game. We don't care what everybody thinks, we just go out there and put a game on."

Tavares Walters, 26, of Dover, is hoping for a chance at the NFL. Carn said the 6-foot-3, 200-pound wide receiver has scored a touchdown in nearly every game in team history and averages 100 to 150 yards per game. - College Football -

Walters played at Delaware State and has played in the Arena Football League with the Richmond Speed. He once was invited to training camp by the San Diego Chargers, but he couldn't attend because of injury.

"I'm sure I can play at least [in the Arena league]," Walters said. "It's just a matter of someone seeing me and me getting the opportunity to prove myself. " - College Football -

The LaBelle league prides itself on being involved in the community. The Buccaneers do work with the Police Athletic League and are involved with the Jewish Community Center of Wilmington's NFL FlagFootball program.

"It's probably one of the nicer leagues I've been in," Hewitt said of the LCFL. "You get a little more hands-on. The commissioner actually owns one of the teams, so you get to talk to the [key people] more often. - College Football -

"They try to keep the community involved, which is nice. Some of these leagues don't care; they want their money, and that's it. It's not like that with these guys."

But when the teams take the field, the competition is fierce. Lamont Brown, 25, a teacher at A.I. du Pont Middle School, is a Buccaneers wide receiver and is playing in pads for the first time since high school. - College Football -

"For me, it's very competitive," Brown said. "The league is very balanced, and fortunately the leadership on our team, I think, is the best in the league.

"It's definitely not like a [recreation] softball league. It's very competitive, with hard practices and a lot of commitment from the team." - College Football -

Copyright © 2005, The News Journal.