Central Penn Capitals
{{short description|Former professional indoor football team in Pennsylvania, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox indoor American football team
| name = Central Penn Capitals
| logo = Central Penn Caps.png
| helmet = Central Penn Capitals Helmet Logo.png
| founded = 2012
| folded = 2016
| city = Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| misc = [http://www.cpcapitals.com/ Central Penn Capitals]
| uniform =
| colors = Navy blue, red, white, silver
{{Color box|#21205F|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|#CD2027|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|white|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|#C3C5BC|border=darkgray}}
| owner = Isaac Carn
| president =
| gm = Donnie Parker
| coach = Andre Coles
| league =
American Indoor Football (2013–2016)
- Northern Division (2016)
| team_history=
- York Capitals (2013–2015)
- Central Penn Capitals (2016)
| no_league_champs = 1
| no_conf_champs = 0
| no_div_champs = 0
| no_playoffs = 2
| league_champs = 2015
| conf_champs =
| div_champs =
| no_playoff_appearances = 2
| playoff_appearances =2013, 2015
| arena_years =
- York City Ice Arena (2013–2015)
- Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center (2016)
}}
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).{{cite web |url=http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_21776641/york-gets-expansion-team-pro-indoor-football-league |title=York gets expansion team in pro indoor football league |author=Jim Seip |date=October 15, 2012 |publisher=York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=October 21, 2014}} The franchise announced the following week that they would be holding a name-the-team contest open to York fans.{{cite web |url=http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_21824051/name-yorks-new-american-indoor-football-team |title=Name York's new American Indoor Football team |date=October 22, 2012 |publisher=York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=October 21, 2014}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkdispatch.com/localsports/ci_22007249 |title=York indoor football team named Capitals |date=November 15, 2012 |publisher=York Dispatch |work=www.yorkdispatch.com |access-date=October 21, 2014}} 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.{{cite web | title=The Straight Dope: York, Pennsylvania: First capital of the United States? | work=The Straight Dope | publisher=Sun-Times Media |url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/041210.html | access-date=December 11, 2012 |date=December 10, 2004 |first=Cecil |last=Adams |author-link=Cecil Adams}}
The team introduced its first four players during a news conference on December 5, 2012:{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkdispatch.com/ci_22133238/york-capitals-introduce-their-first-four-players |title=York Capitals introduce their first four players |date=December 6, 2012 |access-date=December 10, 2012 |newspaper=York Dispatch |first=John |last=Walk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928141547/http://www.yorkdispatch.com/ci_22133238/york-capitals-introduce-their-first-four-players |archive-date=September 28, 2013 }} 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,{{cite web |url=http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_22972545/york-capitals-win-inaugural-indoor-football-game |title=York Capitals win inaugural indoor football game |author=Steve Navaroli |date=April 7, 2013 |publisher=York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=October 21, 2014}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/06/harrisburg_stampede_rally_for.html |title=Harrisburg Stampede rally for playoff victory over York Capitals with 17 fourth-quarter points |author=Andrew P. Shay |date=June 1, 2013 |publisher=Penn Live |work=www.pennlive.com |access-date=October 21, 2014}}
For the 2014 season, the Capitals announced that Matt Steeple would coach the team.{{cite web |url=http://local21news.com/sports/features/local-sports/stories/capitals-have-new-coach-start-2014-road-709.shtml |title=Capitals have new coach, will start 2014 on road |author=Jason Bristol |date=December 18, 2013 |publisher=CBS 21 Harrisburg |work=www.local21news.com |access-date=October 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021203734/http://local21news.com/sports/features/local-sports/stories/capitals-have-new-coach-start-2014-road-709.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
{{main|2015 York Capitals season}}
On July 15, 2014, it was announced that Isaac Carn had purchased the Capitals from Jim Morris.{{cite web |url=http://www.local21news.com/sports/features/local-sports/stories/new-owner-coach-york-capitals-1229.shtml |title=New owner, coach for York Capitals |author=Jason Bristol |date=July 15, 2014 |publisher=WHP CBS 21 News |work=www.local21news.com |access-date=July 18, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725100318/http://www.local21news.com/sports/features/local-sports/stories/new-owner-coach-york-capitals-1229.shtml |archive-date=July 25, 2014 }} Carn promptly named Eric Dorsey II the team's new coach,{{cite web |url=http://www.local21news.com/sports/features/local-sports/stories/new-owner-coach-york-capitals-1229.shtml |title=New owner, coach for York Capitals |author=Jason Bristol |date=July 15, 2014 |publisher=CBS 21 Harrisburg |work=www.local21news.com |access-date=October 21, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021203927/http://www.local21news.com/sports/features/local-sports/stories/new-owner-coach-york-capitals-1229.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2014 }} though Rick Marsilio was named the head coach before the season started.{{cite web |url=http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_27761690/york-capitals-want-bring-football-back-third-season |title=York Capitals 'want to bring football back' in third season |author=Ryan Dixon |date=March 31, 2015 |publisher=The York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=June 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608222757/http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_27761690/york-capitals-want-bring-football-back-third-season |archive-date=June 8, 2015 }} Marsilio was an assistant for the now defunct Harrisburg Stampede, and recruited multiple Stampede players to the Capitals.{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkdispatch.com/localsports/ci_28156777/armold-york-capitals-help-from-defunct-harrisburg-stampede |title=ARMOLD: York Capitals, with help from defunct Harrisburg Stampede, enjoying perfect indoor football season |author=Elijah Armold |date=May 20, 2015 |publisher=The York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=June 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609003701/http://www.yorkdispatch.com/localsports/ci_28156777/armold-york-capitals-help-from-defunct-harrisburg-stampede |archive-date=June 9, 2015 }} 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{{cite web |url=http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_28222674/capitals-fire-all-cylinders-top-asi-aif-playoffs |title=Late surge puts York Capitals in AIF title game |author=Eric Thomas |date=May 31, 2015 |publisher=The York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=June 1, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602195853/http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_28222674/capitals-fire-all-cylinders-top-asi-aif-playoffs |archive-date=June 2, 2015 }} against the Chicago Blitz. The Capitals defeated the Blitz 58–30, capturing their first-ever championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_28267939/watsons-defense-spurs-york-capitals-aif-championship-vs |title=Watson's defense spurs York Capitals to AIF championship vs. Chicago Blitz |author=Eric Thomas |date=June 6, 2015 |publisher=The York Daily Record |work=www.ydr.com |access-date=June 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704183446/http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_28267939/watsons-defense-spurs-york-capitals-aif-championship-vs |archive-date=July 4, 2015 }}
{{main|2016 Central Penn Capitals season}}
On October 14, 2015, it was announced that the Capitals were moving to Harrisburg and renaming themselves the Central Penn Capitals.{{cite web | url=http://aifprofootball.com/11-news/77-capitals-relocate-to-dauphin-county-and-the-farm-show-complex-expo-center-and-will-be-renamed-the-central-pa-capitals.html | title=Capitals relocate to Dauphin County and the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center and will be renamed the Central Pa Capitals. | publisher=American Indoor Football | date=October 14, 2015 | access-date=October 14, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018025605/http://aifprofootball.com/11-news/77-capitals-relocate-to-dauphin-county-and-the-farm-show-complex-expo-center-and-will-be-renamed-the-central-pa-capitals.html | archive-date=October 18, 2015 | url-status=dead }} 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
{{transcluded section|2016 Central Penn Capitals season}}
{{#section:2016 Central Penn Capitals season|roster}}
Awards and honors
The following is a list of all Capitals players who won league awards:
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| bgcolor="#efefef"
!Season!! Player!! Position!! Award | |||
| 2014 | Julius Gregory | WR | Co-MVP |
| 2015 | E. J. Nemeth | QB | MVP |
| 2015 | E. J. Nemeth | QB | Offensive MVP |
=All-League players=
The following Capitals players have been named to All-League Teams:{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}
- 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=
| class="wikitable" |
| rowspan="2" style="width:140px;"|Name
! rowspan="2" | Term ! colspan="4" | Regular season ! colspan="2" | Playoffs ! rowspan="2" | Awards |
|---|
| W
! L ! T ! Win% ! W ! L |
| style="text-align:center;"|Kelly Logan
| style="text-align:center;"|2013 | style="text-align:center;"|5 | style="text-align:center;"|4 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|5|4}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|Matt Steeple
| style="text-align:center;"|2014 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|5 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|2|5}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|Rick Marsilio
| style="text-align:center;"|2015–2016 | style="text-align:center;"|9 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|9|2}} | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|Andre Coles
| style="text-align:center;"|2016 | style="text-align:center;"|3 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|3|2}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
=Coaching staff=
| class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;" |
| colspan="7" style="background:#000060; color:white; text-align: center; border:2px solid #ED1C24;"|Central Penn Capitals staff |
|---|
| colspan=7 align="right" | |
| valign="top"|
| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Front office
Head coach
|width="35"| |valign="top"| | style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
|
Season-by-season results
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:75%;" |
| style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;"|League Champions
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|Conference Champions | style="text-align:center; background:#d0e7ff;"|Division Champions | style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|Wild Card Berth | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"|League Leader |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" | |||
| rowspan="2" | Season
!rowspan="2" | Team !rowspan="2" | League !rowspan="2" | Conference !rowspan="2" | Division !colspan="4" | Regular season !rowspan="2" | Postseason results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Finish
!Wins !Losses !Ties | |||
| background:#fcc;"
! style="text-align:center;"| 2013 | style="text-align:center; | 2013 | style="text-align:center;"| AIF | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| 3rd | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 |Lost Wild Card Playoff (Stampede) 41–51 | |||
| style="text-align:center;"| 2014
| style="text-align:center; | 2014 | style="text-align:center;"| AIF | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| 5th | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | | |||
| style="text-align:center;"| 2015
| style="text-align:center; | 2015 | style="text-align:center; background:#fcc"| AIF | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| 1st | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 |Won AIF Semifinals (Panthers) 68–58 | |||
| style="text-align:center;"| 2016
| style="text-align:center;"| 2016 | style="text-align:center;"| AIF | style="text-align:center;"| Northern | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| 4th | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | | |||
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5" colspan="6"|Totals
! style="text-align:center;"|19 ! style="text-align:center;"|13 ! style="text-align:center;"|0 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"|All-time regular season record (2013–2016) | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 2 | 1 | —
| colspan="3"|All-time postseason record (2013–2016) |
| style="text-align:center;"|21
! style="text-align:center;"|14 ! style="text-align:center;"|0 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"|All-time regular season and postseason record (2013–2016) |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.cpcapitals.com/}}
{{AIF}}
Category:2012 establishments in Pennsylvania