Wichita Wild
Encyclopedia
The Wichita Wild is a professional indoor football team located in Wichita, Kansas
. The wild plays in the Indoor Football League
the second biggest football league (by number of teams) in the United States
only after the NFL. The IFL was formed in 2008 through a merger between the Intense Football League and the United Indoor Football (UIF) league. Both leagues had been in business for four seasons before the merger. The Wild Host their home games in Park City, Kansas
at the Hartman Arena
.
The owner of the team is Wink Hartman. Hartman was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and graduated from Wichita State University with a business degree and double major in marketing and economics. Wink presently owns and oversees a variety of companies including oil service and drilling, commercial construction, Chester’s Chophouse and Wine Bar and Hartman Arena. With the recent acquisition of additional oil companies, Hartman Oil became the largest oil producer in the state of Kansas. He was named 2008 “Businessman of the Year” by the Wichita Business Journal.
Ken Matous was hired as Head Coach of the team on July 28, 2008. Matous came to the Wild from the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League (AFL) where he served as Offensive Coordinator, Special Teams Coordinator, and directed player personnel for three seasons. Matous has 30 years of coaching experience under his belt, including eight in Arena Football. Matous has a record of 21-11 as head coach of the Wild and is the teams all-time winningest coach.
| colspan="6" align="center" | Wichita Wild (Independent)
|-
|2007 || 9 || 0 || 0 || -- || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Wichita Wild (UIF)
|-
|2008 || 2 || 12 || 0 || 4th East || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Wichita Wild (IFL)
|-
|2009 || 10 || 7 || 0 || 3rd United Central || Won United Conference Quarterfinal (Bloomington
)
Won United Conference Semifinal (Omaha
)
Lost United Conference Championship (River City)
|-
|2010 || 11 || 6 || 0 || 2nd Central West || Won Round 1 (Bloomington
)
Won Conference Semi-Final (Rochester
)
Lost United Conference Championship (Sioux Falls
)
|-
|2011 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd Great Plains || --
|-
!Totals || 38 || 33 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
. The Wichita Wild went undefeated with a record of 9 wins and no losses.
. The UIF the next season merged with the Intense Football League to form the Indoor Football League
. They played their home games at the Kansas Coliseum
in Wichita, Kansas
.
. The 2010 season was the most successful season in franchise history in terms of success on and off the field. The team went 9-5 in the 2010 regular season and went on to win two playoff games before falling to Sioux Falls in the United Conference Championship. The 11 total wins for the Wild in 2010 was the most in franchise history. The team also set a record for total attendance by seeing almost 30,000 fans attend Wild home games in 2010. A crowd of 4,755 attended and watched the Wild snag their first win of the 2010 season. After an 8-4 start to the 2010 Indoor Football League season the Wichita Wild Clinched their second playoff berth in franchise history.
* = was named the Odessa Roughnecks on 05/23/09 when Wichita won 62-42
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. The wild plays in the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
the second biggest football league (by number of teams) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
only after the NFL. The IFL was formed in 2008 through a merger between the Intense Football League and the United Indoor Football (UIF) league. Both leagues had been in business for four seasons before the merger. The Wild Host their home games in Park City, Kansas
Park City, Kansas
Park City is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States; it is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297.-History:...
at the Hartman Arena
Hartman Arena
Hartman Arena is a privately managed 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at 77th Street North and I-135 in Park City, Kansas. Ground was broken on March 25, 2008, and opened the last week of March, 2009. It hosts home games of the Wichita Wild indoor football team. Tickets.com and Hartman Arena...
.
The owner of the team is Wink Hartman. Hartman was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and graduated from Wichita State University with a business degree and double major in marketing and economics. Wink presently owns and oversees a variety of companies including oil service and drilling, commercial construction, Chester’s Chophouse and Wine Bar and Hartman Arena. With the recent acquisition of additional oil companies, Hartman Oil became the largest oil producer in the state of Kansas. He was named 2008 “Businessman of the Year” by the Wichita Business Journal.
Ken Matous was hired as Head Coach of the team on July 28, 2008. Matous came to the Wild from the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League (AFL) where he served as Offensive Coordinator, Special Teams Coordinator, and directed player personnel for three seasons. Matous has 30 years of coaching experience under his belt, including eight in Arena Football. Matous has a record of 21-11 as head coach of the Wild and is the teams all-time winningest coach.
Season-By-Season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Wichita Wild (Independent)
|-
|2007 || 9 || 0 || 0 || -- || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Wichita Wild (UIF)
|-
|2008 || 2 || 12 || 0 || 4th East || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Wichita Wild (IFL)
|-
|2009 || 10 || 7 || 0 || 3rd United Central || Won United Conference Quarterfinal (Bloomington
Bloomington Extreme
The Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,...
)
Won United Conference Semifinal (Omaha
Omaha Beef
The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey...
)
Lost United Conference Championship (River City)
|-
|2010 || 11 || 6 || 0 || 2nd Central West || Won Round 1 (Bloomington
Bloomington Extreme
The Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,...
)
Won Conference Semi-Final (Rochester
Rochester Raiders
The Rochester Raiders are a professional indoor football team based in the Rochester, New York area. They are currently a member of the Indoor Football League and play their home games at the Dome Arena in the suburb of Henrietta...
)
Lost United Conference Championship (Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls Storm
The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena...
)
|-
|2011 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd Great Plains || --
|-
!Totals || 38 || 33 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
Regular Season
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Score | Team Record | ||||
| 1 | Bye | ||||
| 2 | March 7 (Mon) | 7:05pm | @Nebraska Danger Nebraska Danger The Nebraska Danger is a professional indoor football team set to begin play in the Indoor Football League for the 2011 season. Based in Grand Island, the Danger will play its home games at Eihusen Arena.... |
L 59-70 | 0-1 |
| 3 | March 12 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Green Bay Blizzard Green Bay Blizzard The Green Bay Blizzard is a professional indoor football team, which was founded in 2003. The Blizzard began play in the Indoor Football League in 2010, after having played the previous seven seasons in af2, in the now defunct the minor league of the Arena Football League. The Blizzard play in... |
L 41-55 | 0-2 |
| 4 | Bye | ||||
| 5 | March 26 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena... |
L 20-92 | 0-3 |
| 6 | April 1 (Fri) | 7:05pm | West Texas Roughnecks | L 47-54 | 0-4 |
| 7 | April 9 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Omaha Beef Omaha Beef The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey... |
L 24-36 | 0-5 |
| 8 | April 16 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Amarillo Venom | W 56-32 | 1-5 |
| 9 | April 23 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Allen Wranglers | L 44-56 | 1-6 |
| 10 | April 29 (Fri) | 7:07pm | @Bloomington Extreme Bloomington Extreme The Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,... |
W 20-18 | 2-6 |
| 11 | May 7 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Bricktown Brawlers Bricktown Brawlers The Bricktown Brawlers were an Indoor Football League team that played in the 2011 season. Based in Oklahoma City, the Brawlers played its home games at Cox Convention Center... |
W 51-14 | 3-6 |
| 12 | May 14 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Omaha Beef Omaha Beef The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey... |
L 44-48 | 3-7 |
| 13 | May 21 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @West Texas Roughnecks | W 22-21 | 4-7 |
| 14 | May 28 (Sat) | 7:05pm | @Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena... |
L 16-78 | 4-8 |
| 15 | June 4 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Nebraska Danger Nebraska Danger The Nebraska Danger is a professional indoor football team set to begin play in the Indoor Football League for the 2011 season. Based in Grand Island, the Danger will play its home games at Eihusen Arena.... |
W 65-22 | 5-8 |
| 16 | June 11 (Sat) | 7:05pm | Bloomington Extreme Bloomington Extreme The Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,... |
W 62-22 | 6-8 |
2007 season
They began play in 2007 as an independent organization playing all games at home against semi-pro opponents from the midwest. They played their home games at the Kansas ColiseumKansas Coliseum
Kansas Coliseum was a complex, in the Wichita suburb, of Valley Center, Kansas, that hosted sporting events, concerts and shows.It consists of four pavilions, one RV park and the 9,686-seat Britt Brown Arena, named for Harry Britton Brown Jr., of Wichita, the former owner of The Wichita Eagle...
. The Wichita Wild went undefeated with a record of 9 wins and no losses.
2008 season
In 2008, they competed in the UIFUnited Indoor Football
United Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
. The UIF the next season merged with the Intense Football League to form the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. They played their home games at the Kansas Coliseum
Kansas Coliseum
Kansas Coliseum was a complex, in the Wichita suburb, of Valley Center, Kansas, that hosted sporting events, concerts and shows.It consists of four pavilions, one RV park and the 9,686-seat Britt Brown Arena, named for Harry Britton Brown Jr., of Wichita, the former owner of The Wichita Eagle...
in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
| Date | Team | Result |
| 03/08/08 | Sioux City Bandits | L 23-31 |
| 03/15/08 | River City Rage | L 25-26 |
| 03/22/08 | @Bloomington | L 38-59 |
| 04/05/08 | Bloomington Extreme | L 35-44 |
| 04/10/08 | Omaha Beef | L 24-31 |
| 04/19/08 | @River City Rage | W 22-15 |
| 04/26/08 | @Billings Outlaws | L 13-55 |
| 05/03/08 | @Omaha Beef | L 16-67 |
| 05/10/08 | @Colorado Ice | W 35-31 |
| 05/17/08 | @Sioux Falls Storm | L 14-57 |
| 04/24/08 | River City Rage | L 13-41 |
| 05/31/08 | Omaha Beef | L 6-54 |
| 06/07/08 | Billings Outlaws | L 31-58 |
| 06/13/08 | @Colorado Ice | L 24-56 |
2009 season
The Wild's breakout year came in 2009 when the Wild established themselves as top tier indoor football franchise. The Wild won the IFL's Central Division and fell in the Conference Championship game to RiverCity. Following the season, Wichita was recognized as the IFL's Franchise of the Year. Running back Darius Fudge set league records for rushing touchdowns and rushing yards, which still stand today. Fudge was named the IFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.| Date | Team | Result |
| 03/20/09 | @Omaha | L 36-41 |
| 04/04/09 | Sioux Falls Storm | L 41-45 |
| 04/11/09 | River City Rage | W 56-40 |
| 04/18/09 | @River City Rage | L 31-52 |
| 04/25/09 | @Sioux City Bandits | L 28-30 |
| 05/02/09 | Abilene RuffRiders | W 49-33 |
| 05/09/09 | @San Angelo Stampede | W 48-35 |
| 05/16/09 | @Sioux Falls Storm | L 21-49 |
| 05/23/09 | Odessa Roughnecks | W 62-42 |
| 05/30/09 | @Sioux City Bandits | W 39-29 |
| 06/06/09 | @Bloomington Extreme | L 34-38 |
| 06/13/09 | Omaha Beef | W 39-37 |
| 06/27/09 | River City Rage | W 73-33 |
| 07/02/09 | Alaska Wild | W 76-9 |
2010 season
For the new season the Wild have returned last years stars in Dixie Wooten, Clinton Soloman, and Darius Fudge. The Wichita Wild Season opener was February, 26 at the Hartman ArenaHartman Arena
Hartman Arena is a privately managed 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at 77th Street North and I-135 in Park City, Kansas. Ground was broken on March 25, 2008, and opened the last week of March, 2009. It hosts home games of the Wichita Wild indoor football team. Tickets.com and Hartman Arena...
. The 2010 season was the most successful season in franchise history in terms of success on and off the field. The team went 9-5 in the 2010 regular season and went on to win two playoff games before falling to Sioux Falls in the United Conference Championship. The 11 total wins for the Wild in 2010 was the most in franchise history. The team also set a record for total attendance by seeing almost 30,000 fans attend Wild home games in 2010. A crowd of 4,755 attended and watched the Wild snag their first win of the 2010 season. After an 8-4 start to the 2010 Indoor Football League season the Wichita Wild Clinched their second playoff berth in franchise history.
| Date | Team | Result |
| 2/26/10 | La Crosse Spartans | W 57-20 |
| 3/13/10 | Sioux Falls Storm | L 34-43 |
| 3/20/10 | Colorado Ice | W 54-40 |
| 3/29/10 | @Omaha Beef | W 57-47 |
| 4/03/10 | @Sioux Falls Storm | W 44-26 |
| 4/10/10 | Omaha Beef | W 56-50 |
| 4/17/10 | Sioux Falls Storm | L 27-34 |
| 5/01/10 | @Sioux City Bandits | L 47-48 |
| 5/09/10 | @Colorado Ice | W 32-30 |
| 5/15/10 | @Sioux City Bandits | W 53-44 |
| 5/22/10 | San Angelo Stampede Express | W 42-35 |
| 6/05/10 | @Green Bay Blizzard | L 38-40 |
| 6/12/10 | Sioux City Bandits | W 67-17 |
| 6/19/10 | @Omaha Beef | L 31-48 |
vs Opponent
| Opponent | OVERALL | HOME | AWAY | PLYFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Ruff Riders | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) | (0-0) |
| Alaska Wild | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) | (0-0) |
| Allen Wranglers | (0-1) | (0-0) | (0-1) | (0-0) |
| Amarillo Venom | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) | (0-0) |
| Billings Outlaws | (0-2) | (0-1) | (0-1) | (0-0) |
| Bloomington Extreme | (4-3) | (2-1) | (2-2) | (2-0) |
| Bricktown Brawlers | (1-0) | (0-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) |
| Colorado Ice | (3-1) | (1-0) | (2-1) | (0-0) |
| Green Bay Blizzard | (0-1) | (0-0) | (0-1) | (0-0) |
| La Crosse Spartans | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) | (0-0) |
| Nebraska Danger | (1-1) | (1-0) | (0-1) | (0-0) |
| West Texas Roughnecks* | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) | (0-0) |
| Omaha Beef | (4-7) | (2-3) | (2-4) | (1-0) |
| RiverCity Rage | (3-4) | (2-3) | (1-1) | (0-1) |
| Rochester Raiders | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) | (1-0) |
| San Angelo Stampede | (2-0) | (1-0) | (1-0) | (0-0) |
| Sioux City Bandits | (3-3) | (1-1) | (2-2) | (0-0) |
| Sioux Falls Storm | (1-8) | (0-4) | (1-4) | (0-1) |