The Georgia Force’s return to the Arena Football League last season, a two-year hiatus, was a major success.
Under new ownership, they finished in second place (11-7) in their division, went to the playoffs and reached the American Conference championship game before losing to eventual league champion Jacksonville.
The franchise, under two previous owners, including Arthur Blank, made the playoffs in five of seven seasons from 2002-08 and reached the ArenaBowl in 2005.
Virgil Williams operated the franchise from 2002-04, followed by Blank until 2008.
The team is currently owned by Doug MacGregor of Gunnison, Colo., and Donn Jennings of Huntsville, Ala., and is back for another AFL season, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Gwinnett Arena for the Force.
The opener is a rematch of their American Conference semifinal game with the Cleveland Gladiators.
While the Force will be without their top passer in quarterback Brett Elliott and receiver in Maurice Purify, they are expected to be solid. They were ranked 10th in the AFL’s coaches poll.
“Preseason polls really don’t matter to us, but it’s kind of disrespectful with as many players as we have returning,” said quarterback Darnell Kennedy, who will try to replace some of Elliott’s 90 touchdown passes. “We just have to go out and play. It’s not like college. We have a playoff system. If we can get there, we can make it happen.”
The team has been working out for the past two weeks and went through a brisk two-hour workout at George Pirkle Park in Sugar Hill on Thursday.
“It was an outstanding camp for us,” Force coach Dean Cokinos said. “We’ve got a good blend of returning players from our team, veterans from other teams and just the right amount of rookies, who are learning the game quickly.”
Kennedy, who started three games last season, will split the quarterback spot with R.J. Archer, who spent some time in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings in 2010. Last season, he completed 221 of 373 passes for 2,353 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Milwaukee Mustangs.
“In my mind, we have two starters at the position,” Cokinos said.
AFL fans likely will recognize the name of wide receiver/linebacker Derek Lee, a former Force player who was one of the stars from 2005-07.
“I’m always going to be a Georgia Force player,” said Lee, a graduate of Woodward Academy. “This is where I started. This is home for me. When I got the opportunity to come back, I was excited.”
Lee, who caught 323 passes for 3,547 yards and 70 touchdowns in his previous stint with the Force, played for Chicago last season. He was named to the league’s All-Rookie team in 2005 and was All-Arena first team and All-Ironman in 2006.
He helped Chicago reach the semifinals last season before they lost to Arizona.
“Right now, I’m in a different role,” Lee said. “I’m more of the vet. I’m pretty much trying to take some of the young guys under my wing like the guys did when I was younger.”
With Lee, the Force hopes that they will have one of the more potent receiving corps in the AFL with C.J. Johnson and Larry Shipp.
“He’s still crafty, a big target and he knows the game,” Cokinos said.
Lee has been to playoffs in four of his previous seven AFL seasons.
“We’re ready to throw the pads on and hit somebody else,” Lee said.
Some of the familiar names on the roster include wide receiver Brandon McRae (Mississippi State), defensive lineman Morrice Richardson (Westlake High and Notre Dame), defensive back Jerrell Norton (Arkansas) and defensive linemen Broderick Stewart (Vanderbilt).
“We got to the conference finals,” Cokinos said. “We fell maybe two plays short of the ArenaBowl, but that’s why you play 60 minutes.”
This season, the Force doesn’t want to come up short of their goals.
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