San Diego Strike Force
{{short description|Indoor Football League team in San Diego, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox indoor American football team
| name = San Diego Strike Force
| current = 2024 Indoor Football League season
| logo = San_Diego_Strike_Force_Logo.svg
| helmet =
| founded = 2018
| city = Oceanside, California
at Frontwave Arena
| misc = [http://sdstrikeforce.com SDStrikeForce.com]
| uniform =
| colors = Flight suit green, stealth black, yellow, white
{{color box|#747b4f}} {{color box|#1d1e1e}} {{color box|#ecaa20}} {{color box|white}}
| owner =
| chairman =
| president = Burt Grossman{{cite web |url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/front-office |title=Front Office |website=Strike Force |access-date=September 15, 2023}}
| general manager = Geno Gerbo
| coach = Taylor Genuser
| mascot =
| nicknames =
| league =
Indoor Football League (2019–present)
- Western Conference (2022–present)
| team_history =
- San Diego Strike Force (2019–present)
| no_league_champs = 0
| league_champs =
| no_conf_champs = 0
| conf_champs =
| no_div_champs = 0
| div_champs =
| no_playoff_appearances = 1
| playoff_appearances = *{{IFL Year|2024}}
| arena_years =
- Pechanga Arena (2019–2024)
- Frontwave Arena (2025–present)
}}
The San Diego Strike Force are a professional indoor football team based in San Diego County, California, that competes in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The team plays its home games at Frontwave Arena. The Strike Force began play in the 2019 season.
History
The team was initially announced as a 2019 Indoor Football League expansion team in November 2018 and was owned by Roy Choi, who was also the owner of the IFL's Cedar Rapids River Kings.{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/ifl-announces-san-diego-expansion-team/n-5420595 |title=IFL Announces San Diego Expansion Team |website=OurSportsCentral.com |date=November 19, 2018}} The team announced their colors as black, navy blue, silver, as well as their initial staff on December 17, 2018.{{cite web |url=https://sdstrikeforce.com/press-release/ |title=Indoor Football League takes flight in America's Finest City with the San Diego Strike Force |publisher=Strike Force |date=December 17, 2018}} Brian Cox, a former sports agent and quarterback, was hired as the general manager, while ex-Chargers defensive end Burt Grossman was named head coach.{{cite news|last=Krasovic|first=Tom|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sd-sp-chargers-former-nfl-cleveland-browns-new-york-giants-preseason-player-launches-san-diego-indoor-team-20181217-story.html|title=Column: Founder of San Diego indoor football team had harrowing NFL moment, leading to football success|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=December 18, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://goifl.com/sports/fball/2018-19/releases/20190110z6uymj|title=Strike Force Name Head Coach|work=Indoor Football League|date=January 10, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}}
The Strike Force are the second professional football team in San Diego that began play in spring 2019, after the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football, more than year after the departure of the NFL's San Diego Chargers in 2017.
The Strike Force is the third indoor team to play in San Diego, after the San Diego Riptide of AF2 (2002–2005) and the San Diego Shockwave of the National Indoor Football League (2007).{{cite web |date=November 19, 2018 |title=Yet Another New Team Coming To Town |url=https://sandiegosportsdomination.com/2018/11/19/yet-another-new-team-coming-to-town |website=San Diego Sports Domination}} The team may have planned on being called the San Diego Lightning, as the organization's original email addresses and internal website links used that name.{{cite web |title=San Diego Strike Force (Official website) |url=http://sdstrikeforce.com |access-date=November 28, 2018 |website=sdstrikeforce.com}}
The Strike Force struggled throughout its inaugural season with Grossman remarking the games were like he was "Southwestern College going to play Clemson or something."{{cite news|last=Krasovic|first=Tom|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers-rams/story/2020-03-04/burt-grossman-nfl-chargers-indoor-football-ucla-san-diego-high-christian-high-san-diego-ron-mix|title=Column: Burt Grossman says overhaul bodes well for Strike Force to bounce back after first-year chaos|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=March 4, 2020|access-date=July 4, 2020}} In their season opener against the Quad City Steamwheelers, they allowed 43 points in the first half and lost 67–49;{{cite news|last=Tappa|first=Steve|url=https://qconline.com/sports/professional/football/steamwheelers-strike-down-force-in-season-opener/article_1d9698db-99d0-5031-ac25-0b4886e3e58c.html|title=Steamwheelers strike down 'Force in season opener|newspaper=The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus|date=February 22, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}} Grossman attributed the team's struggles to a lack of headsets for the coaches. He eventually fired the defensive coordinator and released four players on defense; the offensive coordinator had also been fired two weeks prior, though Grossman noted both coaches were on the staff prior to his arrival.{{cite news|last=Krasovic|first=Tom|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sd-sp-chargers-burt-grossman-nfl-indoor-football-strike-force-20190301-story.html|title=Column: After road fiasco, Strike Force of Burt Grossman will make San Diego debut|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=March 1, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}} The Strike Force's first home game, a 65–44 defeat by the Tucson Sugar Skulls,{{cite news|last=Nguyen|first=Alexander|url=https://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2019/03/03/san-diego-indoor-football-team-loses-in-home-debut/|title=San Diego Indoor Football Team Loses in Home Debut|newspaper=Times of San Diego|date=March 3, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}} saw a poor playing field consisting of carpet pieces held together with duct tape; four additional players were released a day later.{{cite news|last=Krasovic|first=Tom|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sd-sp-chargers-burt-grossman-indoor-football-strike-force-20190322-story.html|title=San Diego Strike Force overhaul business side, including slashing ticket prices|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}} After a 0–3 start, owner Choi brought in the River Kings' general manager Ryan Eucker to replace Cox.{{cite web |url=https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/minor-league/cedar-rapids-river-kings-front-office-reshuffle-ends-with-reggie-harris-as-new-gm-20190316? |title=Cedar Rapids River Kings' front office reshuffle ends with Reggie Harris as new GM |work=The Gazette |date=March 16, 2019}} The team finished the season with a 1–13 record and last place in the league; their lone win was a 40–34 victory over the River Kings.{{cite news|url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/news/game-7-recap-san-diego-vs-cedar-rapids|title=Game 7 Recap - San Diego vs. Cedar Rapids|publisher=San Diego Strike Force|date=April 14, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}}
Following the 2019 season, Eucker announced the team would undergo a minor rebrand with a new logos and colors, choosing more military tones in olive green, black, silver, and brass to better represent the city.{{cite news|last=Ferguson|first=Connor|url=https://lastwordonsports.com/2019/08/14/san-diego-strike-force-reveal-re-design/|title=San Diego Strike Force reveal Re-design|publisher=Last Word on Sports|date=August 14, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}} After playing one game, a 50–36 win over the Bismarck Bucks,{{cite web |url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/news/san-diego-strike-force-takes-down-bucks-50-36 |title=SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE TAKES DOWN BUCKS 50-36 |website=Strike Force |date=March 9, 2020}} the rest of the 2020 season was canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Strike Force also withdrew from the 2021 season due to continued pandemic restrictions in California.{{cite web|url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/news/strike-force-looking-ahead-to-2021-season |title=STRIKE FORCE LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022 SEASON |website=Strike Force |date=April 14, 2020}} During the hiatus, Eucker left the team and was replaced by football operations director Geno Gerbo as interim general manager by April 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/news/summer-football-camps |title=FOOTBALL IS BACK! |website=Strike Force |date=April 30, 2021}} In May 2021, Vivian Lin was announced as the team president and claimed to be the first Asian American woman to be a president of a professional football team.{{Cite web |last=Krasovic |first=Tom |date=May 19, 2021 |title=San Diego football team re-emerges with groundbreaking hire as president |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/story/2021-05-19/san-diego-football-vivian-lin-strike-force-burt-grossman-san-francisco-hawaii-cal |website=San Diego Union Tribune}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/vivian-lin-named-president-of-the-san-diego-strike-force/n-5693748 |title=Vivian Lin Named President of the San Diego Strike Force |website=OurSports Central |date=May 19, 2021}}
By November 2021, Gerbo had left the organization and Todd Durkin was named general manager.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/news/strike-force-announce-todd-durkin |title=BREAKING NEWS: STRIKE FORCE ANNOUNCE TODD DURKIN AS THEIR NEW GM |website=San Diego Strike Force |date=November 10, 2021}} while Grossman was replaced as head coach by former Christian High School athletic director and football offensive coordinator, David Beezer.{{cite web |url=https://www.sdstrikeforce.com/news/strike-force-names-david-beezer-as-head-coach |title=SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE NAMES DAVID BEEZER AS HEAD COACH |website=San Diego Strike Force |date=November 17, 2021}} In March 2022, it was announced that the team had been sold to a new group of local investors, with Vivian Lin as the controlling owner, when Choi no longer wanted to be the owner.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/story/2022-03-28/column-strike-force-rattlers-vivian-lin-new-ownership-san-diego-indoor-football |title=Column: Strike Force's home opener comes under new local ownership |website=The San Diego Union-Tribune |date=March 28, 2022}} However, by December 2022, Lin was no longer listed on the team website and former coach Burt Grossman was listed as team president.{{cite web |url=https://www.kusi.com/burt-grossman-discusses-chargers-wild-card-sdsu-loss-and-the-holiday-bowl/ |title=Burt Grossman discusses Chargers wild-card, SDSU loss, and the Holiday Bowl |website=kusi.com |access-date=December 27, 2022}} Gerbo also returned as the General Manager in guiding the team back to relevance in 2023 and 2024 - where the Strike Force made the playoffs as the #4 seed, and beat the #1 seed Bay Area Panthers in the first playoff game in Strike Force history.
On October 1, 2024, the IFL and the Strike Force announced a three-year partnership with Frontwave Arena in nearby Oceanside, California; the team will play home games in the arena starting with the 2025 season.{{cite web |url=https://sdstrikeforce.com/news/2024/10/1/general-strike-force-and-frontwave-arena-announce-three-year-partnership.aspx |title=STRIKE FORCE AND FRONTWAVE ARENA ANNOUNCE THREE YEAR PARTNERSHIP |website=sdstrikeforce.com |access-date=October 1, 2024}}
Roster
| class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;"
|+ colspan=7 style="text-align:center; {{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Diego Strike Force|border=2}};"|San Diego Strike Force roster |
| style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Quarterbacks
{{NFLplayer| 8|Nate Davis|d=quarterback}} {{NFLplayer| 9|Rudy Johnson|link=no}} Running backs Wide receivers {{NFLplayer| 4|Xavier Amey|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|16|Isiah Cox|link=no}} {{NFLplayer| 3|Arthur Jackson III|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|18|Jordan Kress|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|19|Elijah Lilly|link=no}} | style="width: 25px;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Offensive linemen {{NFLplayer|70|Adonis Boone|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|72|Jalen Both|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|71|Clayton Bradley|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|52|Jonathan Williams|link=no}} Defensive linemen {{NFLplayer|11|Jaquan Artis|link=no}} {{NFLplayer| 1|Byron Cooper|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|43|VJ Malo|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|98|Tevita Mo'unga|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|55|Ben Moa|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|99|Javian Williams|link=no}} | style="width: 25px;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Linebackers {{NFLplayer|17|Sherrod Williams|link=no}} Defensive backs {{NFLplayer| 5|Elijah Belle|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|16|Ty'Korian Brown|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|23|Atoa Fox|link=no}} {{NFLplayer| 2|Justic'e King|link=no}} {{NFLplayer|14|Tariq Thompson|link=no}} {{NFLplayer| 2|Kishawn Walker|link=no}} Kickers {{NFLplayer|22|Ernesto Lacayo |link=no}} | style="width: 25px;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Reserve lists
Rookies in italics [https://sdstrikeforce.com/sports/football/roster/2022?&sort=position Roster] updated March 18, 2024 32 Active, 0 Inactive → More rosters |
Season-by-season results
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%;" |
| style="background:#fcc;"|League champions
| style="background:#dfd;"|Conference champions | style="background:#96cdcd;"|Playoff berth | style="background:#c8a2c8;"|League leader |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" | ||
| rowspan="2" | Season
!rowspan="2" | League !rowspan="2" | Conference !colspan="3" | Regular season !rowspan="2" | Postseason results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses |
| 2019
| IFL | | 10th | 1 | 13 | | ||
| 2020
| IFL | | | 1 | 0 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021
| IFL | colspan="5" |Dormant year | ||
| 2022
| IFL | Western | 6th | 3 | 13 | | ||
| 2023
| IFL | Western | 5th | 6 | 9 | | ||
| 2024
| IFL | Western | style="background:#96cdcd| 4th | 10 | 6 | align=left| Won First round (Bay Area) 49–40 | ||
| rowspan="4" colspan="4"|Totals
! 21 | 41 | All-time regular season record |
| 1 | 1 | All-time postseason record |
| 22 | 42 | All-time regular season and postseason record |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://sdstrikeforce.com/}}
{{IFL}}
{{San Diego Sports}}
{{California sports}}
Category:American football teams in San Diego
Category:Indoor Football League teams
Category:American football teams established in 2018