Invaders invading Perry

Semi-pro team will call Perry home; open tryout set for Sunday

JAMES JOHNSON

Local football fans who can’t wait until September for their NFL fix and players who want one last shot at pro glory before old age sets in will be given a treat at Perry High School this summer.

For the first time in its six years of existence, the Ohio Invaders semi-pro football team will play its home games this season just down Route 20 at Perry’s Alumni Stadium. The team, which previously played in Fairview Park on the west side of Cleveland, is hopeful it will become a permanent fixture in eastern Lake County.

“It would be great if we have a good season and the (Perry School) board loves us,” Invaders owner and head coach Mark Clement said. “We would love nothing more than to call that place home for however many years they’ll have us.”

The Invaders offer local fans and any area prospective players (an open tryout will be held on Sunday at Perry) a chance to see and participate in semi-professional football in a family friendly atmosphere in their own backyards. The team played one regula- season game at Alumni Stadium last year and had such a positive response from the Perry community that Clement decided to relocate the team here for the 2008 season.

“We played there once last year,” Clement, who shares ownership duties with his wife, Stephanie, said. “It’s a beautiful facility. The community seemed pretty warm to us. We played one game there last year and didn’t have a lot of advertisement, but a lot of people still came out to watch us.

“To me, that’s what it’s really all about.”

The Invaders, who open their season on the road on June 14 before kicking off their home schedule a week later, are one of around 100 semi-pro teams playing nationwide in the North American Football League. Playing a 10-game regular-season schedule, the Invaders are comprised mostly of former high school, college and pro players ages 18 to 35. The team comes off a successful 7-3 season last summer in which it qualified for the NAFL playoffs, losing in the first round. The organization hopes to go farther during their first year in Perry.

“We mostly play teams regionally, but once we get to the playoff brackets, we get to fly to places like Las Vegas,” Invaders defensive coordinator and starting tackle Randy Brewster said. “The championship game of the playoffs and our all-star game are in Las Vegas. The league assists you in your travel plans when you have to go to places like that.”

Brewster, 40, who played his high school ball at Riverside alongside new Michigan defensive coordinator Scott Shafer, started out just as a defensive line coach for the Invaders, but got drafted into service because of injuries and now plays and coaches.

“I had been coaching youth football for a few years and one of my coaches got involved,” Brewster said. “I came on board just to coach. We had a scrimmage and were short of defensive linemen. I hadn’t had any conditioning and they just threw pads and a helmet on me. I suffered, but made it through the game. That’s when I decided to stick with it.”

He’s living proof that it’s not too late for any former players to come out. In fact, both Brewster and Clement say you don’t even have to have a football background to play semi-pro ball.

“It’s open to everyone,” Brewster said. “Most people think that semi-pro ball is just for guys who are one step below the pro level, but it’s not like that at all. There is some guy on a team in our division who was home schooled. He had never even played organized football before now. But he was athletic and had the desire to play.

“There are a lot of guys who play high school ball who don’t know where to go at this point, especially if they can’t get a football scholarship but still want to play ball. We offer them a chance to get paid and come out and have a good time. We get a lot of 18-year old players that come out every year.”

Brewster does warn, however, that semi-pro ball is no joke and that anyone who tries out should keep that in mind.

“You have to have the desire to play,” Brewster said. “You may want to play, but that’s different than actually playing. These are grown ups you’re playing against. Once you snap on your chin strap, they’re going to hit you. These guys have chips on their shoulders, so you have to be ready all the time or they’re going to hurt you.”

Clement hopes to start a small advertisement campaign for the Invaders, which may include a few radio spots this spring. He invites all fans to come out and enjoy the action.

“We’re a nice, family oriented organization,” Clement said. “We’re asking people to come on out. We’re hoping we can do something during the season to even have some games broadcast on the radio.”

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