Racine Raiders

Last updated
Racine Raiders
Founded1953
League
Team historyRacine Raiders (1953–1975)
North Shore Gladiators (1978)
Racine Gladiators (1979–1985)
Racine Raiders (1986–present)
Based in Racine, Wisconsin
Stadium Horlick Field
ColorsBlack, silver, cardinal    
PresidentMatt Nelson
Head coachWilbert Kennedy
Championships10 (1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2023)
Division titles21
DancersRaiders Dance and Stunt Team
MascotR.J. Raider

The Racine Raiders are a semi-professional American football club based in Racine, Wisconsin. The team plays in the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL). [1]

Contents

Founded in 1953, they are the oldest minor league football team still operating in Wisconsin. They are the second-oldest, non-collegiate sports team in Wisconsin. They own a total of nine national titles, the most of any semi-pro team in the United States. Entering the 2023 season, the Raiders have 652 wins, more wins than any other semi-pro team in the United States.

The Raiders were the first minor league football team to gain 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1990. [2] The organization is composed entirely of volunteers. The helmet design is a silver background with a cowboy bandit in black with an eye patch on the left eye with a half and half bandanna of cardinal and black.

Staff

Franchise history

Summary

William "Wigs" Konicek, [3] a graduate of Horlick High School and local restaurateur, started the Racine Raiders in 1953. [4] The team began in the Bi-States Football League (BSFL) and won their first league championship in 1954.

The team was able to sustain itself until 1975 when it disbanded. Although they did not field a team for the 1976 and 1977 season, they remained organized for those seasons. New owners started the Racine Gladiators in 1978. They paid players and were successful on the field, winning three National Championships. The team fell on hard times and disbanded following the 1985 season.

In 1986, Bob Milkie, a retired bearing company executive, Joe Mooney, a police sergeant, Jess Levin, a local banker, and others rebuilt the team, this time as community-owned, non-profit organization. [5]

Perhaps the biggest moment in the team's history, as well as that of minor league football, came in 1989 when the team traveled to Ottawa, Canada, to play in a World Championship game. While the team won the game in five degree weather and a blizzard, just playing the game was the important element. The team was now able to apply for, and received, 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit status from the Internal Revenue Service, setting the tone for dozens of minor league football teams since to be able to do the same.

The Raiders have won nine national championships and have had nearly a dozen players with National Football League (NFL) experience. They also have 38 players, coaches, or staff in the American Football Association (AFA) Semi Pro Hall of Fame, more than any other team. [6]

American Football Association (AFA) Minor League Football Hall of Fame

1982Harry GilbertCoach Category
1987Bob MilkiePlayer Category
1988Kurt KampendahlPlayer Category
1988Ed O'ReillyCoach Category
1989Greg JohnsonPlayer Category
1990Charlie BlissPlayer Category
1994Norm KillionCoach Category
1996Ron HartPlayer Category
1997Tom KohrCoach Category
1999Arnie GarberCoach Category
1999Joe MooneyExecutive Category
2000John ScardinaPlayer Category
2001Phil MicechPlayer Category
2002Tony LombardoPlayer Category
2003Jordan KopacCoach Category
2003Dennis GalipoPlayer Category
2004Brian ForstonPlayer Category
2004Brian EricksonPlayer Category
2005Ron AntonPlayer Category
2005Terry ConverseCoach Category
2005Gary KuykendallPlayer Category
2005Mike WillkommPlayer Category
2006Dan DraganPlayer Category
2006Gary SuhrMedia Category
2007Chris PivovarCoach Category
2007Scott SmithPlayer Category
2010Greg FictumPlayer Category
2010Jerry KupperCoach Category
2013Wilbert KennedyPlayer Category
2013Brian JansenPlayer Category
2015Pedro TrevinoCoach Category
2016 Adam Walker Player Category
2018Todd GorslinePlayer Category
2018John MamerowPlayer Category
2019Mark TrudelPlayer Category
2019 Don Wadewitz Media Category
2022Greg ErchullPlayer Category
2022Matt NelsonPlayer/Coach/Executive Categories

Minor League Football News Hall of Fame

2007Brian Forston
2007Peter Deates
2007Jordan Kopac
2015Gary Griffin
2016 Don Wadewitz

Retired numbers

10Jim MayQuarterback1964–1965
11Charlie BlissQuarterback1980–1989, 1992
23Tony LombardoRunning back1962–1966
51Bob MilkieCenter1957–1971
53L. Fred VondraCenter1979–1985
55Wilbert KennedyDefensive tackle1988–2009
74Kurt KampendahlDefensive tackle1982–1993
75Ron HartDefensive tackle1964–1975
82Ron AntonTight end1964–1973
83Phil MicechDefensive end/Defensive tackle/Tight end1985–1995, 2001

Players that played professional outdoor football

Head coaches

1953Don Perkins(1-2-2)
1953Les Kalchik(1-6-0)
1954–1962Frank Schinkowitch(46-47-5)
1963 Jim Haluska (2-8-0)
1964–1967, 1982Harry Gilbert(44-9-2)
1968–1969Jim Thompson(11-12-0)
1970–1972Bruno Wojtaszek(15-24-0)
1973–1974Warren Greco(16-9-0)
1975, 1979Larry Benjamin(15-12)
1980–81, 1986–90, 1997–2000Bob Milkie(137-29-0)
1983–1984Pete Bock(32-3-0)
1985Rich McClure(9-7-0)
1991–1994Terry Converse(49-3-0)
1995–1996Kurt Kampendahl(29-4-0)
2002–2004Gregg Brenner(36-10-0)
2001, 2005–2007, 2011Jordan Kopac(63-20-0)
2008–2010John Mamerow(17-10-0)
2012–2013Gino Perfetto(28-3-0)
2014–presentWilbert Kennedy(104-25-0)

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References

  1. ↑ "Racine Raiders Join GDFL,Opens up Midwest".
  2. ↑ D'Amato, Gary (13 March 1990). "Racine Raiders gain tax-exempt status". The Journal Times. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "Obituaries". The Journal Times. 10 July 1989. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Brehm, Keith (30 March 1953). "Sports, It's this way..." The Journal Times. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Danowski, Jeff (22 June 1986). "'Return of Raiders' to premier this week". The Journal Times. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2011-08-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ↑ "Blitz Signs DeWitt Kicker". newspaperss.com.
  8. ↑ "DeWitt's Cox to St. Louis". newspaperss.com.
  9. ↑ "Hall of Fame - Cox kicks way to hall nomination". dewittobserver.com.
  10. ↑ "Ron Daughtry". profootballarchives.com.
  11. ↑ "Ron Daughtry". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Don Deerwester". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  13. ↑ Legacy Obituaries , accessed August 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ The Milwaukee Sentinel "Berzinski, Haluska sign with Racine", accessed June 23, 2011.
  15. ↑ Arizona Star website , accessed July 10, 2013.
  16. ↑ Tim Rucks, 1960-2015. Carthage College Athletics.
  17. ↑ Brehm, Keith (27 August 1953). "Raiders Assembling Topnotch Grid Team". The Journal Times. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  18. ↑ Nelson, David (6 July 2016). "Former Red Men Adam Walker Inducted Into the American Football Association Semi-Pro Hall of Fame". carthage.edu. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Sheboygan Press "North Wall of Fame to Induct 3", accessed March 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Brett Wilson". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

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