MIFL vs GEFA Wars - Part 5
September 5, 2024 GEFA Staff
The Great Eastern Football Association All Star team was made up of NEPA Shock, Moshannon Valley Vikings, Cumberland Valley Hitmen, Williamsport Wildcats, Schuylkill County Predators, Coal Region Tigers, Tri-Town Braves, Dubois Mountain Lions, Upper Dauphin Comanche, Benton Maniacs, and State College Flash.
"We wanted to try and get as many reps from each team as possible. We felt we were the better league so we wanted to showcase that but not all teams were cooperative and the process for selections took way longer than we anticipated." - Thor Marlow
The night before the big game the GEFA All-Stars were still trying to fill out their roster with last second pick ups from Devon Prince and Matt Riddick from the Schuylkill County Predators.
"We wanted to get as much fire power as possible. Both Prince and Riddick brought that. The only question was how were we going to get them to the game. We also struggled with depth at the quarterback position. At the time we only had Shane Scott (Vikings) as our quarterback so I got on the phone with my quarterback, Brock Mitchell and asked him if he would be a part of this. Luckily for me, he agreed." - James Simerson
Brock Mitchell was in his first season with the NEPA Shock. He played for the Breaker Boys and Reapers before making the decision to come to the Shock.
"Reapers had just folded and I will still looking to play. I had a couple conversations with Simerson and I decided to add them to the list of teams I wanted to check out. My coach with the Reapers (Monk) went to the Comanche so I said I wanted to look at them before I made my decision. I just felt like the Shock was the better fit for me." - Brock Mitchell
Brock started that first season with the Shock at tight end but after a season ending injury to starting quarterback, Josh Cragle, Brock finally transitioned into where he belonged, quarterback finishing that season as the Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
"I knew what I was capable of. I knew James believed in me, I just had to wait my time and trust him like he kept telling me to. When James asked me to play in this All-Star game, I had just gotten back from vacation, wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet. I had long phone conversation with James and said let's do it." - Brock Mitchell
The game started with the GEFA kicking off to the MIFL. Joe Urso's first snap of the game led to a fumble quickly recovered by the offense. The second play of the game led to disaster for the MIFL as Joe Urso's first pass of the game was picked off by the Shock's Matt Talerico. Talerico led the league in interceptions that year with thirteen, not counting playoffs.
"I felt like we wanted to establish moving the ball very quickly coming out of the gate. We tried the quick pass off the high motion but it was batted around and the DB made a great play on the ball and grabbed the pick from the receiver." - Joe Urso
When the GEFA got the ball, the offense was very slow to develop a drive. Their only movements were on MIFL penalties before Shane Scott gave the ball back to the MIFL with an interception of his own.
"I had Corrales on a deep slant but was hit as I threw the ball and it went behind him for the interception." - Shane Scott
The second drive for the MIFL started with a sack from Stevie Eisenhuth. Stevie had played for the Flash for a few years now. He was also one of the top defenders but he came with a past of being one of the dirtiest in the game.
"Stevie didn't have the best of reputations in the GEFA. He was suspended a few times for fighting but we needed that intimidating size and toughness on our team since we were going into enemy territory." - Thor Marlow
After the sack, the MIFL went to the run and gain some success on the ground. The GEFA were still trying to adapt to the new rules as they were hit with a costly penalty for not declaring which linebacker can blitz.
"The rules were different than what we first agreed upon so we were trying to adapt as quickly as we can on the fly." - Monk Williams
On a long fourth down, the MIFL were able to convert putting them in position to score first right before the end of the first quarter. After the first quarter the score was 0-0.
"We used that first quarter as a feeling out period with the new rules. We were also going against a fifteen minute running clock which we weren't used to." - James Simerson
After a fumbled snap to start the second quarter, the MIFL took themselves out of scoring position and later turned the ball over on downs. The GEFA's second possession saw Shane Scott throw his second interception of the game but it was overturned by penalty on the MIFL. The GEFA then went to the ground and Sweeting took off down to the two yard line.
"Sweeting is the GEFA's all time leading rusher and we knew if we were going to have any kid of success it was going to be because we got him going." - Dan Beatty
Two plays later, on a quarterback keep, the GEFA All Stars drew first blood as Shane Scott pushed over the goal line for the game's first points giving GEFA an early 6-0 lead in the second quarter. After a delay of game penalty that pushed GEFA back, Shane Scott's pass to Xavier Warner was incomplete on the two-point conversion.
With two minutes left the go into the half, Steel City Stampede quarterback, Matt Santiago stepped into the game and immediately began to move the ball down field through the air. With thirty-nine seconds left in the half, the MIFL called a timeout to regroup.
"We had first and goal so I pulled my guys together and told them how we needed these points before the half. Santiago told me he got me." - Jim Collins
The MIFL pulled out their big formation and after two straight run plays with less than ten seconds left in the half the MIFL scored to tie the game, 6-6. Santiago tried going to the corner but it was incomplete. That was the score going into the half in a competitive game between the two warring leagues.
"The game really wasn't going the way we wanted. A lot of us felt we needed to make adjustments and in a hurry. I told Travis, you used to be a part of that league and with the rules now switched in their favor I needed his guidance and expertise to give us an edge." - James Simerson
To start the second half, Brock Mitchell threw a screen pass to Matt Riddick that went for a thirty-eight yard touchdown. The GEFA took a 12-6 lead and then extended their lead with the two point conversion to Malik Breon to make 14-6.
The MIFL came back and started to establish their own drive but a faulty interception thrown in the end zone by Joe Urso to the Hitmen's Gabe George that was returned deep into MILF territory.
The ensuing drive for the GEFA All-Stars struck oil again when Brock Mitchell hit a wide open Xavier Warner (Wildcats) for the touchdown giving the GEFA All Stars a commanding 20-6 lead in the third quarter. They failed to convert the conversion.
"We tried to do too much on the conversion, we tried doing a pitch pass with Malik but Stroup was covered." - Dan Beatty
On the following the drive, the MIFL answered with a solid run attack and short passes that took the GEFA defensive backs out of their schemes. They scored after a twenty yard run but failed to convert the extra point. The GEFA still led, 20-12 late in the third quarter.
Going into the fourth quarter, Brock led the offense down the field with some precision passes and as the fourth started the GEFA saw first and goal from the four yard line. The first play of the fourth quarter, Brock Mitchell ran a quarterback keep down to the two yard line. That's when disaster struck for the GEFA. Brock threw an ill advised throw across his body that led to a pick six by the MIFL.
The MIFL wasn't going away and they erased a 20-6 deficit to now only be down by two in the fourth quarter.
"I should have just kept it, instead I tried to make something happen and it back fired. Stupid on my part." - Brock Mitchell
With two straight scores, the MIFL was starting to gain momentum. The first drive for the GEFA after the pick six saw two straight run plays for loss. On top of it, a wide open touchdown pass to Malik Breon went right through his hands. On fourth down, the GEFA needed some kind of prayer as they were now finding themselves struggling. Brock Mitchell, after avoiding the rush, throws a thirty yard touchdown pass to Matt Riddick. Brock Mitchell capped off the scoring drive with rushing for the extra point giving the GEFA All Stars a 27-18 lead with four minutes left in the game.
"We needed that. We were struggling after giving up two touchdowns so to be able to move the ball down the field and answer with a score like we did, that was huge. That was a true testament of these guys' heart." - James Simerson
The MIFL was running out of time, now down nine points late in the fourth. Santiago, determined to lead the come back, began driving the MIFL All Stars down the field again. The MIFL matched all the way down the field but began to stall once the end zone was in sight. On fourth and goal, the MIFL put in their biggest back from the Tri-County Lions in hope of scoring and making this game a two point game but the Shock's Nick Parlanti had other ideas and stuffed him for a loss, turning the ball over.
"Nick used to play linebacker for me with the Shock in the MIFL, I knew he knew how this game worked and he read it perfectly. He put himself in a position to make the play and he killed the drive for the MIFL." - Travis Grobes
The final blow in the game, wouldn't come from the GEFA, per say, it came from someone who used to be a part of the MIFL. After Parlanti's huge stop, a one time hostile MILF crowd became over shadowed with GEFA chants.
"The GEFA chants were deafening. The sense of pride we had as a league will always be one of my favorite moments in GEFA history. Every single member of the GEFA all at once, while in enemy territory, stood out in unity and chanted that their league was the best. That was special." - Thor Marlow
The game was over and the GEFA stood tall. The game that John Thellion so desperately wanted finally happened.
"Both leagues were honored with the upmost respect and it was just good football. I knew at that moment everything I wanted to accomplish was complete. My time in the MILF was now over and I couldn't be happier." - John Thellion
News of the GEFA victory over the MIFL rang out like a bell between the leagues. Some happy, some disappointed. One person from the MIFL wrote "I can't believe we lost to a backyard football league."
"No matter what anyone wants to say, nobody could ever take this moment away from us. And for all those who said we couldn't do it within our own league, you guys were right, we shouldn't have done this game so I'd like to apologize… FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! GEFA runs this!" - James Simerson
In 2018, they tried to replicate the success of this game, this time at an outdoor GEFA field but both sides couldn't agree on the rules. A year later, the "war" finally ended when the Raptors left the MIFL and put a secondary team in the GEFA rather than the MIFL. Also, John Thellion, the former Commissioner of the MIFL, along side Frank Susino, started the Monmouth Rage out of New Jersey and joined the GEFA.
"It was good to be back but so much had changed. There were a lot more teams in the GEFA than when I was here last. Frank and I had to give it one more go at it. It's like what Rocky said, I guess we still had some stuff left in the basement that we needed to get out." - John Thellion
In 2019, Brian Rodgers stepped down as President of the GEFA and was replaced by James Simerson. Simerson, who was known as the War Time General during the MIFL/GEFA Wars faced his biggest challenge yet in 2020 during the Covid 19 Pandemic that almost bankrupt the league.
Rio Prisco lasted five more years before closing down operations in 2022. The MIFL never rekindled the momentum for the league after the loss to the GEFA so when the Covid 19 Pandemic happened it was almost like a death sentence for the MIFL.
"Covid 19 really didn't help things. We kept limping a long but it wasn't the same. Once the AAL2 started and some of our teams went there, I decided it was time. My kids were starting to get involved with sports and I felt that was more important to me." - Rio Prisco
Today, John Thellion and Frank Susino are still with the GEFA in limited roles as assistant conference directors. Travis Grobes retired from coaching in 2024 but is still the Mountain Conference Director. Zane Simpson came back as a coach and owner in the GEFA. The game between John's Rage and Zane's Spartans never happened do to limited play during the Covid years. Last year, Zane retired from the GEFA and sold his team.
As for James Simerson and Rio Prisco? Simerson is still President of the GEFA, seven years later, him and Rio have been working together to create the GEFA2, a new developmental league for the GEFA where new teams get their start and existing teams can build for the future with farm teams. GEFA2 also adopted the MIFL's championship game, the Independence Bowl and to keep Duke Mitchell's memory alive by using the MIFL's Duke Mitchell Championship trophy.
"GEFA2 is going to be the future of the GEFA, no more will we have new teams being thrown to the wolves and have to figure it out on their own. We have a mentor team in the GEFA2 and Rio has been great in helping me. By having Rio involved, even in a limited role, I wanted to preserve the MIFL's history and this was the best way to do it. We are using the MIFL championship trophy for the GEFA2 and we are honoring their history by putting the names of all their champions on the trophy, from the Bucks County Broncos to the Reading Raptors, to the Maryland Eagles, the history and their legacy will always be preserved." - James Simerson
Thank you for everyone who took this journey down memory road with both leagues. Thank you to everyone who let us interview them, no matter how awkward it may have been. This wasn't as much of a WAR as it was a brotherly rivalry. The game between the two leagues went down as one of the largest events in semi pro history and set the bar on what can happen when leagues work together.
