Haifa Underdogs
Encyclopedia
The Haifa Real Housing Underdogs is an amateur American football
team based in Haifa, Israel, playing in the Israeli Football League (IFL)
.
Haifa Underdogs was established at 2005, the year that the IFL was established. In 2007 team became a part of the IFL which was at the time joined under the AFI (American Football in Israel)
.
in Haifa
has been played weekly since the 90's
and in the turn of the century, was mainly located at Haifa's "Sportec" field. The games were unofficial, and gathered players from Haifa, Krayot, Nahariya
, Ein HaShofet
, and from other places in the North of Israel. Parallel to those games, similar games took place at Tel Aviv
's "Sportec" field played by the residents of Gush Dan
. Once a month or so, friendly games were scheduled between the Haifa's players and Tel Aviv's players. Most of those games ended with the victory of Tel Aviv's team, which in turn lead to the Haifa's team name, the Underdogs, reminding the players that the team's place and respect must be earned each time they take the field.
. In the season of 2005
-06
, the club won the first ever IFL championship. In the finals, that took place at the Baptist village, on June 23 2006, the Underdogs defeated the Tel Aviv Pioneers by the score of 37-14.
standards. In its first season, the league featured 4 teams: Haifa Underdogs, Tel Aviv Sabres, Tel Aviv Pioneers, and Jerusalem Lions. Some of the players that participated in the unofficial games in Haifa were the ones to become the coaches and captains of the Underdogs club, and together with their colleagues from Tel Aviv, and the AFI, founded the Israeli (tackle) Football League.
-08
, Haifa Underdogs won over Ha'Sharon Pioneers team in the semi finals, but lost in the finals to the Jerusalem Lions in overtime, at the end of the inaugural season, after a very tight game.
In 2008
-09
season, the league grew up to 5 teams. at that season, the Underdogs were undefeated for most of the season, losing their last two games to the Jerusalem Lions and Modi'in Pioneers. Haifa Underdogs finished the regular season in the 2nd place. The Underdogs were again knocked out of the playoffs by the Jerusalem Lions on a touchdown pass with 5 seconds remaining in the game. The Underdogs later won the consolation game against the Jerusalem Kings
.
In 2009
-10
season, the team was coached by Jay Armstead and Alan Hearn. Captained by Itamar Levin, Niv Medlinger, Roei Ziv, and Shahar Yeshurun, this season also started good to the Underdogs, standing in the middle of the season in first place with 4-1 score, in a league of 7 clubs. Nevertheless, the Underdogs couldn't get another victory in the rest of the season, not in the remaining 5 matches of the regular season, nor the wild card game against the Judean Rebels.
) but cannot be used for any purposes other than soccer. Many venues have rejected the Underdogs' requests to be named as the Underdogs' home field. As of the 2007-08 season, the Underdogs played their home games at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet
, outside of Haifa.
Shortly after the start of the 2008-09 season, the Underdogs changed their home stadium to Yokneam Stadium. The new field, located near the Yokneam Mall, is closer to Haifa and overall a better field.
* before the merge of IFL and AFI
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Haifa, Israel, playing in the Israeli Football League (IFL)
Israeli Football League
The Israel Football League was founded in the Summer of 2005 by a group of Israelis, led by Mr. Ofri Becker, who wanted to play tackle American football. The first season, played without pads or an official governing body, began in the Fall of 2005...
.
Haifa Underdogs was established at 2005, the year that the IFL was established. In 2007 team became a part of the IFL which was at the time joined under the AFI (American Football in Israel)
American Football Israel
American Football in Israel is a non-profit association that in spring 2004 was granted official recognition as the sport's governing body in Israel by the Ministry of Education's Sports Authority...
.
The 90's and 2000's - Unofficial games
American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
has been played weekly since the 90's
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
and in the turn of the century, was mainly located at Haifa's "Sportec" field. The games were unofficial, and gathered players from Haifa, Krayot, Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
, Ein HaShofet
Ein Hashofet
Ein HaShofet is a kibbutz in northern Israel in the Hills of Ephraim. Located in the Ramat Menashe region around 30 km from the city of Haifa, close to Yokneam, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2008 it had a population of 759....
, and from other places in the North of Israel. Parallel to those games, similar games took place at Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
's "Sportec" field played by the residents of Gush Dan
Gush Dan
The Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area , or Gush Dan , is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. The area is closely linked to the city of Tel Aviv through social, economic, and cultural ties. It is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline...
. Once a month or so, friendly games were scheduled between the Haifa's players and Tel Aviv's players. Most of those games ended with the victory of Tel Aviv's team, which in turn lead to the Haifa's team name, the Underdogs, reminding the players that the team's place and respect must be earned each time they take the field.
2005-06 Season - The Israeli Football League
In 2005 the club was established as Haifa's first and only representative in the Israeli Football LeagueIsraeli Football League
The Israel Football League was founded in the Summer of 2005 by a group of Israelis, led by Mr. Ofri Becker, who wanted to play tackle American football. The first season, played without pads or an official governing body, began in the Fall of 2005...
. In the season of 2005
2005 in sports
2005 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Bode Miller ** Women's overall season champion: Anja Pärson -American football:...
-06
2006 in sports
2006 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 2, Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 34-20 Notre Dame* January 2, Sugar Bowl – West Virginia 38-35 Georgia...
, the club won the first ever IFL championship. In the finals, that took place at the Baptist village, on June 23 2006, the Underdogs defeated the Tel Aviv Pioneers by the score of 37-14.
2006-07 Season - First fully equipped season
In 2007, the IFL, and the Underdogs along with it, joined forces with the AFI to form the first fully equipped tackle football league in Israel. The equipment meets the NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
standards. In its first season, the league featured 4 teams: Haifa Underdogs, Tel Aviv Sabres, Tel Aviv Pioneers, and Jerusalem Lions. Some of the players that participated in the unofficial games in Haifa were the ones to become the coaches and captains of the Underdogs club, and together with their colleagues from Tel Aviv, and the AFI, founded the Israeli (tackle) Football League.
2007-Present - Israeli Football League
In the season of 20072007 in sports
2007 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* February 4 – Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 to win Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The win was the Colts' first Super Bowl Championship since their 1970-71 team, when...
-08
2008 in sports
2008 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* Louisiana State University Tigers defeat The Ohio State University Buckeyes 38-24 in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game, thus becoming the first two-time BCS National Champions, and the first BCS titlists with two...
, Haifa Underdogs won over Ha'Sharon Pioneers team in the semi finals, but lost in the finals to the Jerusalem Lions in overtime, at the end of the inaugural season, after a very tight game.
In 2008
2008 in sports
2008 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* Louisiana State University Tigers defeat The Ohio State University Buckeyes 38-24 in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game, thus becoming the first two-time BCS National Champions, and the first BCS titlists with two...
-09
2009 in sports
-Alpine skiing:* Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 held at Val d'Isère, Savoy, France-American football:* The Florida Gators defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in front of a Dolphin Stadium record crowd of 78,468 to win the 2009 BCS National Championship Game...
season, the league grew up to 5 teams. at that season, the Underdogs were undefeated for most of the season, losing their last two games to the Jerusalem Lions and Modi'in Pioneers. Haifa Underdogs finished the regular season in the 2nd place. The Underdogs were again knocked out of the playoffs by the Jerusalem Lions on a touchdown pass with 5 seconds remaining in the game. The Underdogs later won the consolation game against the Jerusalem Kings
Jerusalem Kings
The Jerusalem Kings are an Israeli "American Football" Team, a member of the IFL . The team is based in Jerusalem, Israel and uses Kraft Family Stadium as its home field.- History :- 2008 Season :...
.
In 2009
2009 in sports
-Alpine skiing:* Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 held at Val d'Isère, Savoy, France-American football:* The Florida Gators defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in front of a Dolphin Stadium record crowd of 78,468 to win the 2009 BCS National Championship Game...
-10
2010 in sports
2010 in sports will describe the year's events in world sport.-January:* Alabama defeats Texas 37–21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, thereby claiming the 2009 National Championship in College Football....
season, the team was coached by Jay Armstead and Alan Hearn. Captained by Itamar Levin, Niv Medlinger, Roei Ziv, and Shahar Yeshurun, this season also started good to the Underdogs, standing in the middle of the season in first place with 4-1 score, in a league of 7 clubs. Nevertheless, the Underdogs couldn't get another victory in the rest of the season, not in the remaining 5 matches of the regular season, nor the wild card game against the Judean Rebels.
Logos and uniforms
The team's uniforms are black with yellow, with the club's logo of a bulldog on the crest.Stadium
The lack of fields in Haifa is a problem for the Underdogs. There is one soccer stadium in the city (Kiryat Eliezer StadiumKiryat Eliezer Stadium
The Haifa Municipal Stadium , more commonly known as Kiryat Eliezer , is a multi-use stadium in the Kiryat Eliezer neighborhood of Haifa, Israel. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Haifa...
) but cannot be used for any purposes other than soccer. Many venues have rejected the Underdogs' requests to be named as the Underdogs' home field. As of the 2007-08 season, the Underdogs played their home games at Kibbutz Ein HaShofet
Ein Hashofet
Ein HaShofet is a kibbutz in northern Israel in the Hills of Ephraim. Located in the Ramat Menashe region around 30 km from the city of Haifa, close to Yokneam, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2008 it had a population of 759....
, outside of Haifa.
Shortly after the start of the 2008-09 season, the Underdogs changed their home stadium to Yokneam Stadium. The new field, located near the Yokneam Mall, is closer to Haifa and overall a better field.
Current roster
Roster — accurate as of December 28, 2009.| No. | Name | Position | Height (m) | Weight (kg) | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Shahar Yeshurun | WR, QB, S | 1.90m | 96 kg | 24 |
| 4 | Alex Fries | TE, DE | 1.93m | 107 kg | 28 |
| 5 | Roey Ziv | QB, TE, LB | 1.80m | 86 kg | 27 |
| 6 | Yuval Hochberg | QB, CB | 1.82m | 68 kg | 17 |
| 7 | Dagan Sadrinas | CB | 1.78m | 72 kg | 29 |
| 10 | Johny Khoury | DL, OL | 1.83m | 118 kg | 18 |
| 11 | Niv Lifschits | WR, DB | 1.77m | 75 kg | 17 |
| 20 | Tal Yeshurun | RB, LB | 1.85m | 84 kg | 21 |
| 23 | Niv Medlinger | RB/LB | 1.71m | 102 kg | 28 |
| 25 | Guy Bershadsky | RB, LB | 1.71m | 79 kg | 26 |
| 27 | Talor Bearman | RB, LB, CB | 1.72m | 85 kg | 25 |
| 30 | Dan Vardi | DB | 1.82m | 76 kg | 22 |
| 33 | Liron Rosenblat | OL, DL | 1.80m | 110 kg | 26 |
| 35 | Harrison Bailey | RB, LB | 1.75m | 86 kg | 22 |
| 36 | Ziv Cohen | WR, DB | 1.83m | 83 kg | 27 |
| 37 | Yoav Cohen | WR, CB | 1.75m | 71 kg | 23 |
| 42 | Ilan Rotberg | OL,DL | 1.83m | 90 kg | 24 |
| 44 | Jay Armstead | OL | 1.84m | 88 kg | 39 |
| 51 | Haim Nanikashvili | LB | 1.87m | 100 kg | 28 |
| 53 | Losha Ivlev | LB | 1.73m | 92 kg | 29 |
| 54 | Igal Schneider | RB, DE | 1.72m | 82 kg | 33 |
| 55 | Arbel Rom | WR, CB | 1.75m | 67 kg | 33 |
| 56 | Konstantin Stolyarsky | RB, LB | 1.74m | 85 kg | 31 |
| 60 | Yotam Berant | DL, OL | 1.80m | 95 kg | 19 |
| 66 | Gal Hochberg | C, DL | 1.87m | 100 kg | 21 |
| 70 | Alan Hearn | RB, DL | 1.85m | 112 kg | 34 |
| 71 | Itamar Levin | RB, LB | 1.72m | 96 kg | 27 |
| 77 | Erez Kaminski | OL,DE | 1.89m | 95 kg | 19 |
| 81 | Erez Baharav | RB, CB | 1.65m | 63 kg | 29 |
| 84 | Meir Halachmi | WR | 1.87m | 87 kg | 17 |
| 89 | Roy Rubin | WR, CB | 1.83m | 75 kg | 20 |
| 92 | Ben Friedman | OL, DL | 1.83m | 102 kg | 28 |
| 93 | Gabriel Israelov | OL, DL | 1.90m | 160 kg | 28 |
| 97 | Itamar Gutman | OL, DT | 1.92m | 110 kg | 24 |
| 98 | Craig Morris | OL, DL | 1.68m | 112 kg | 38 |
| 99 | Alex Primak | OL, DL | 1.94m | 130 kg | 28 |
Coaching History
| Year | Coach | Trophies |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | Ori Shterenbach | Champions. * |
| 2007–2008 | Ori Shterenbach | Finalist. |
| 2008–2009 | Ori Shterenbach | Lost in the semi finals to Jerusalem Lions. |
| 2009–2010 | Jay Armstead | Lost in playoffs to Judean Rebels. |
| 2010–2011 | Ori Shterenbach | Finished 1-9, failed to reach playoffs. |
* before the merge of IFL and AFI
Managerial history
- 2005 - 2009
Ori Shterenbach - 2009 - 2010
Jay Armstead - 2010 - present Ori Shterenbach