By Randy Snow

In one of the best games ever played in the Continental Indoor Football League's three seasons, the Saginaw Sting narrowly defeated the Kalamazoo Xplosion on Sunday, June 29, to claim the CIFL title. Both teams finished the 2008 season with 13-2 records, but it was the first year Sting that walked off the field as champions in a thrilling 41-37 win.

After the 12-0 Rochester Raiders bolted from the league at the end of the regular season, the two teams with the best records in the league were the Xplosion and the Sting. It was inevitable that these two teams would meet in the championship game.

Allen, who had served in both capacities during the 2008 season, has begun searching for the third head coach in Silverbacks' history.

"My focus in this search is going to lean toward experience and coaching knowledge," Allen said. "I want to find a coach who can be balanced. Professional experience is not a necessarily a requirement, but our candidate should be able to make the jump successfully to this level. "I would prefer to find a candidate that can handle professional athletes and the business side of minor league sports, but is also tied to the local community."

Two Teams, One Ownership Group

Some sports owners wait an entire lifetime to get their team into the championship game.  For the ownership group Football Enterprises, Inc., they had to wait just two years to have two Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchises fighting for a championship.

Mike Johnson, Esteban Rivera, and Mike Trumbell make up the fortunate ownership group, who will watch their two teams, the Saginaw Sting and the Kalamazoo Xplosion, battle for the 2008 CIFL Championship Sunday, June 29 at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, where the Xplosion is tied for the CIFL record for wins in one arena, with 15 straight victories.  Kickoff is set for 3 pm.

Congratulations to the Saginaw Sting for winning the 2008 Atlantic Conference title!

Congratulations to the Kalamazoo Xplosion for winning the 2008 Great Lakes Conference title!