The 2016 West Michigan Ironmen season was the franchise's inaugural season and the city of Muskegon's first indoor football season since the West Michigan ThunderHawks folded following the 2009 season.
| 2016 West Michigan Ironmen season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Terrence Williams |
| Head coach | Tyrese Lynk |
| Home field | L. C. Walker Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–1 |
| Division place | 1st |
| Playoff finish | Won Northern Semifinals (Freedom) 78–37 Won Northern Championship (Steelhawks) 42–35 Lost AIF Championship (Lions) 32–74 |
The Ironmen won their first-ever season game against the Northern Kentucky 65–27 on March 20. Head coach Tyrese Lynk led the Ironmen to a 6–1 record and birth in the 2016 AIF Championship Game where they lost 32–74 to the Columbus Lions.
Coaching staff
edit| 2016 West Michigan Ironmen staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
|
Head coach
Assistant coaches currently vacant | |||||
Schedule
editKey: Win Tie Loss Bye
Preseason
editAll start times are local to home team
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | ||||||
| 1 | Sunday | March 6 | 3:05pm | Atlanta Vultures | W 63–29[1] | 1–0 | L. C. Walker Arena |
Regular season
editAll start times are local to home team
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | ||||||
| 1 | BYE | ||||||
| 2 | BYE | ||||||
| 3 | Sunday | March 13 | 3:05pm | at River City Raiders | L 68–75[2] | 0–1 | Family Arena |
| 4 | Sunday | March 20 | 7:05pm | Northern Kentucky Nightmare | W 65–37[3] | 1–1 | L. C. Walker Arena |
| 5 | BYE | ||||||
| 6 | Saturday | April 2 | 7:00pm | Chicago Blitz | W 34–30[4] | 2–1 | L. C. Walker Arena |
| 7 | Saturday | April 9 | 7:05pm | River City Raiders | W 69–49[5] | 3–1 | L. C. Walker Arena |
| 8 | BYE | ||||||
| 9 | Saturday | April 23 | 7:05pm | Cincinnati Bulldogs | W 73–6[6] | 4–1 | L. C. Walker Arena |
| 10 | Saturday | April 30 | 7:00pm | Northern Kentucky Nightmare | W 55–27[7] | 5–1 | L. C. Walker Arena |
| 11 | Saturday | May 7 | 7:05pm | Cincinnati Bulldogs | W 107–0[8] | 6–1 | L. C. Walker Arena |
| 12 | BYE | ||||||
| 13 | BYE | ||||||
| Cancelled | |||||||
Standings
edit| Team | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| y – West Michigan Ironmen | 6 | 1 | .857 |
| x – River City Raiders | 6 | 1 | .857 |
| x – Lehigh Valley Steelhawks | 6 | 2 | .750 |
| Philadelphia Yellow Jackets | 4 | 3 | .571 |
| Central Penn Capitals | 4 | 4 | .500 |
| Chicago Blitz | 3 | 3 | .500 |
| Triangle Torch | 3 | 4 | .429 |
| Winston Wildcats | 3 | 5 | .375 |
| Maryland Eagles | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Northern Kentucky Nightmare | 0 | 5 | .000 |
Playoffs
editAll start times are local to home team
| Round | Day | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div. Semifinals | Saturday | June 4 | 7:05pm | Myrtle Beach Freedom* | W 78–37[9] | L. C. Walker Arena |
| Div. Championship | Saturday | June 11 | 8:00pm | Lehigh Valley Steelhawks | W 42–35[10] | L. C. Walker Arena |
| AIF Championship Game | Saturday | June 18 | 7:00pm | at Columbus Lions | L 32–74[11] | Columbus Civic Center |
* — When initially announced, the Ironmen were set to play the Northern Division's fourth-seeded Central Penn Capitals. On May 30, the Capitals were replaced with the Southern Division's third-seeded Myrtle Beach Freedom.
Roster
edit| 2016 West Michigan Ironmen roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Kickers
|
Injured reserve
Transfer list
rookies in italics | |||
References
edit- ^ Mark Opfermann (March 6, 2016). "Johnson brothers, West Michigan Ironmen make strong showing in preseason debut". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (March 13, 2016). "West Michigan Ironmen drop inaugural football game on the road". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (March 20, 2016). "West Michigan Ironmen receiver hauls in six TD passes in home win". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (April 2, 2016). "Late kickoff return for TD a game-winner for West Michigan Ironmen". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (April 9, 2016). "Passing combo helps West Michigan Ironmen post arena win". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (April 23, 2016). "Orchard View grad part of near-shutout effort by West Michigan Ironmen". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (May 1, 2016). "West Michigan Ironmen pick up arena football win". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (May 7, 2016). "West Michigan Ironmen top 100 points in arena football rout". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (June 6, 2016). "Muskegon sports briefs: Ironmen, Mustangs win; Risers fall in soccer". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (June 11, 2016). "West Michigan Ironmen advance to league championship game". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
- ^ Mark Opfermann (June 19, 2016). "West Michigan Ironmen fall short in title game ended early by altercation". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved June 20, 2016.