18 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, March 24, 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE Local resident to skipper Lobos football squad EAMONN MAHER Mexico border. Staff Writer Fisher will work long days until the start of the IFL’s regular season on April 20. Last The former owner of Atlantis Athletic weekend, 100 players were offered a one- Fitness Centre in Georgetown has taken day tryout to try to make the team, drawing over the reins as head coach of an arena NFL cast-offs, regular Joes off the street football league expansion franchise in and even three former American Gladiator Laredo, Texas for the upcoming season. TV show regulars. Lawrence Fisher sold his interest in the “ brings back an Ironman local fitness centre this past fall in order to mentality that’s been lost in the NFL assume his new role with the Lobos, who because everything is so specialized in that will play in the six-team ,” added Fisher. “We’ve got players League, with teams located along the U.S. who have to play on both sides of the ball Gulf Coast. (offensively and defensively), meaning that “I’m so happy to be in a city where the they have to have toughness and team has already been embraced because— endurance. They’re trying to make our as everyone knows— football and Texas team and get game film footage from me so are synonymous, like ice hockey is in that they can go on and excel at the next Georgetown,” said Fisher while on a recent level.” quick visit back to Halton Hills to celebrate This is the 20th anniversary season for the second birthday of his son, Dante. the AFL, a product that has struggled in “I’ve been coaching as an assistant for so Part-time local resident Lawrence Fisher was recently introduced as the new head many markets, but has shown to be suc- long and this is an opportunity to make my coach of the expansion Laredo Lobos’ franchise in south cessful in several others. family back home proud.” Texas and his two-year-old son Dante was also on hand for the press conference. “If you had told me 20 years ago that A native of Clearwater, Florida, the 42- The Lobos begin their regular season in a couple of weeks. Submitted photo Arena Football was going to expand the year-old Fisher attended Jarvis Collegiate From there, Fisher went on to coach at a Fisher served as the defensive co-ordina- way it has with NFL teams buying into the high school in Toronto, then went to number of high schools, club level, some tor for the Odessa, Texas franchise for the concept, most people would say you’re Eastern Michigan University, where he U.S. colleges and even in Europe for a year, past two seasons, helping the Roughnecks crazy,” Fisher said. “It has created more played defensive back for the Eagles’ foot- before interviewing for the defensive co- post a 16-1 record in 2005, with their lone jobs for people and given players we call ball team and graduated with a communi- ordinator’s job with the Toronto Phantoms defeat coming in the conference champi- ‘tweeners’ the opportunity to get noticed cations degree. After a free-agent tryout arena league team in 2002. Unfortunately onship game. and move up to bigger and better things. with the NFL’s Detroit Lions, he dabbled as for Fisher, the Phantoms folded not long The IFL was re-established this year as a But right now, we are working hard toward a guest coach with the CFL’s Hamilton afterward, but during his brief stay in development stage for the Arena Football bringing a championship to a champi- Tiger Cats and Toronto Argonauts in the Toronto, he met a cheerleader for the team League, with Fisher making the jump with onship city like Laredo.” early 1990s before catching on with the from Georgetown named Melanie Booth— Odessa owners Glenn McCampbell and York University football program as a now a consultant for Accenture— and the Pierre Deschesnes to head up the team in (Eamonn Maher can be reached at receivers’ coach in 1995. couple was married in June 2003. Laredo, which is located on the U.S.- [email protected]) Atom AA squad forces game five Minor Atom, Bantam AEs claim OMHA championships Two Georgetown Raider teams sewed ander Bantam AE Raiders lost the first up Ontario Minor Hockey Association game of their final series, but rallied with championships on Wednesday evening three straight wins over the Caledon and another is poised to win one on Hawks to capture the OMHA Group 1 home ice at the Mold-Masters SportsPlex title. tonight. Game 4 on Wednesday at the Mayfield The Minor Atom additional entry rep Arena was never in doubt as the Raiders Sports Unlimited Raiders closed out their took a 2-0 first period lead and dominat- Georgetown’s Sports Unlimited Raiders scored a comeback 2-1 win over host series with the Aurora Tigers with a 2-1 ed all facets of the contest to post an 8-2 Aurora Wednesday to win the 2006 OMHA minor atom AE Group 1-3 champi- road victory, winning the best-of-5 win. Brandon Usher (2), Jacob Krane, onship as they took the best-of-five series 3-1. Members of the team (front row, matchup 3-1. Jake Spence potted the Dylan Hanzelka, Dylan Chalmers, Cam from left) are: Tyler Anderson, Matthew Hopson, Josh Fera and Joe Wallace. winning goal in the third period for Maltby, Mark Giordano and Patrick Second row: Matthew Carr, Blair Davies, Callum Biehn, head coach Murray Georgetown to clinch the OMHA Group White all found the back of the Caledon Anderson, Cory Highfield, Kevan Hadad, Stevie Rosa. Third row: Mark Bowen, 1-3 crown. net for Georgetown. Brad Ranson, Jake Spence, Adam Dobis, Adam Charalambides, Dane Firhoj, Like the minor atom AEs, the Nicholas Hale. Back row: Assistant coach Gord Carr, manager Wendy Highfield, Georgetown Goebelle MacAdam Alex- See ATOM, pg. 20 trainer Greg Biehn, assistant coach Dave Hopson, goalie coach Bob Spence. 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