Historically, arena football has never thrived in Cincinnati. The combination of a professional NFL team and mediocre arena teams like the Rockers, Swarm, Marshals, and more recently, the Jungle Kats have made for only one or two seasons played before the teams disbanded. This year, however, a new team is taking the Continental Indoor Football League by storm. That team is the Cincinnati Commandos. They play their home games at the Cincinnati Gardens and are led by head coach Billy Back.
The Commandos are definitely a hometown team, as 18 of the 30 players went to high school in the Cincinnati area. Two of the most notable players are familiar faces for UC football fans. Ben Mauk, former UC quarterback, and Dominick Goodman, former UC wide receiver, have been the two leaders.
However, seven other players on the Commandos team also played football for UC, including running back Greg Moore, offensive lineman Khalil El-Amin, and defensive lineman Terrill Byrd.
The Commandos started the season on March 13 with a win against the Miami Valley Silverbacks, and have been rolling over their competition since. In their most recent game against the Fort Wayne FireHawks, they faced their largest deficit during a game, but rallied to win.
They are now 9-0 and have secured the #1 seed in the playoffs, meaning they will receive home-field advantage. If they beat the Wisconsin Wolfpack on May 29, they will go undefeated for the regular season.
As of May 23, the Commandos led the CIFL in scoring offense, total offense, touchdowns scored (69), yards per play, rushing yards, and turnover margin (+18).
Arena football is mainly about offense, but the Commandos are also excelling on the defensive side of the ball. They rank first in interceptions with 25 and are on pace for 31, which would break the CIFL record of 28. They rank first in sacks with 26, tying the CIFL record. They also rank first in pass defense efficiency, and second in total defense and scoring defense.
Ben Mauk is continuing where he left off in his football career, as he posts a 109.2 quarterback rating, with 46 touchdowns thrown. He leads in 12 of the offensive categories for the league.
Dominick Goodman, who at one time was the all-time UC wide receiver, leads the league in five offensive categories and has 47 catches for 473 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Cincinnati Commandos have brought an excitement about football in a season when sports fans are more focused on baseball. Knowing the recent history of arena football teams in this city, people may be a bit surprised to find out that they are doing very well.
However, if someone remembers what Mauk, Goodman, El-Amin, and Byrd did while playing for the Bearcats, it is not surprising to see a winning team at the Cincinnati Gardens. If you want to follow the team through the rest of the season and the playoffs, you can visit www.cincinnaticommandos.com.