Coventry Jets (American Football) - History - 2008 Season

2008 Season

The 2008 season will see the Jets compete in the EFL, the top tier of European American Football as well as their domestic duties within BAFL. There have already been some significant changes, Coaches Athersmith, Micthell, Zerr and Barnes joining the squad. Coach Athersmith is the current head coach of BUAFL side Birmingham Lions and has worked as an offensive co-ordinator with the GB Lions and GB Bulldogs. Coach Mithcell was the head coach of Ipswich Cardinals, who were finalists in the 2007 D1 Finals and has been a coach on 2 British National Championship teams, 2001 Ipswich Cardinals and 2004 Farnham Knights. He was also a member of the Knights coaching staff in the 2004 EFAF Cup Final loss to Swarco Raiders Tirol of Austria. Coach Zerr, a Saskatoon native, will take over as Defensive Co-oordinator for the 2008 season. Coach Zerr was a member of the Saskatoon Hilltops in 1996, who won a national championship at High School in Canada and has 9 years of experience coaching Canadian High School level. Coach Barnes is a former wide receiver with the Michigan Wolverines and has 10 years experience as head coach at high school level in the United States.

Offensively the team welcomes back receivers Dom Olney, Nathan Dobson, Mark Cohen, Jeremy Simms, Joe Black and James Hossack along with new addition David Sonne, a Canadian national from rival outfit the Bristol Aztecs to forge arguably the strongest WR corps in the BAFL. Competing for the QB role this year are Neil Balthazaar, Stu Ennis and Dax Michelena. Balthazaar, a Canadian national and graduate from the University of Guelph played for the Aztecs last season where he led the team to a 5-4-1 record and a place in the BAFL Premier semi-final. A three-time Region of Peel All-Star and Canadian All-East Star faced the Jets twice in 2007, losing both games including a narrow loss to the Jets in the BAFL Premier semi-final. Ennis is a British QB and is regarded as one of the best in the UK. He previously played for the Birmingham Bulls and local BUAFL Birmingham Lions, where he set many team and league passing records. He has led the Bulls and Lions into the playoffs in their respective divisions before and won the BUAFL championship with the Lions. He is a talented athlete who may figure at free safety as well as QB. Michelena, an American national, previously played for Eidsvoll 1814s in Norway, where he led them to the Eurobowl semifinal and the Norwegian championship. He has previously played in France, Sweden and Germany. He is a graduate of the University of Sioux Falls, where he was the starting QB and still holds many school records.