2010 Arkansas Diamonds season

Indoor Football League team season January 2025 Arkansas Diamonds IFL team logo.png Arkansas Diamonds 2010 11–3 (regular season) 1st, Lonestar East 2nd, Intense Conference Danton Barto Jim Smith Verizon ArenaNorth Little Rock, Arkansas Lost in conference finals 2009 2011 The 2010 Arkansas Diamonds season was the franchise's eleventh season as a football franchise, first in the Indoor Football League, and only season as the "Arkansas Diamonds". The team, led by head coach Danton Barto, played their home games at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Diamonds finished the regular season with an 11–3 record (6–1 in division play) and first place in the 2010 Lonestar East Division. The team's playoff run ended with a loss to the Billings Outlaws in the Intense Conference Finals. For the 2011 season, the team relocated to Texas as the Allen Wranglers. Off-field moves thumb|left|Logo presented when the name change was first announced. After the af2 league folded following the 2009 season, the Arkansas Twisters initially joined the newly formed Arena Football 1 but shifting league structure and concerns for stability lead to a November 2009 announcement that the team had jumped to the Indoor Football League. However, the rights to the names and logos of the former af2 teams belonged to Arena Football 1. Given the option of paying to buy or lease the trademarks, the Arkansas franchise chose instead to hold a "name the team" contest in late January and became the "Arkansas Diamonds" for the 2010 season. (There had been another unrelated "Arkansas Diamonds" in the Southwest Independent Soccer League from 1989 to 1991 and in 1994 in the United States Interregional Soccer League. Arkansas is the site of the only diamond mine in the United States.) The new team colors for 2010 were Carolina blue, black, and gray. Diamonds head coach Danton Barto had been coaching the Manchester Wolves in af2 for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He was the head coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League in 2007. In 2005, Barto was head coach of the Memphis Xplorers and led them to win ArenaCup VI, the 2005 af2 championship. As the season came to a close, rumors circulated (later proved true) that the team's ownership wanted to move the franchise as soon as possible for financial reasons. One reporter compared the team's playoff run to the 1989 comedy Major League in which the players rally to win in order to frustrate the owner's relocation plans. Two months after the playoffs, in September 2009, team owner Jim Smith announced that the franchise was relocating to Allen, Texas, a prosperous suburb of Dallas. Roster moves The team held its first open tryout for the 2010 season on December 12, 2009, at the D1 Sports Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Prospects paid $50 to register and were judged on their performance in the 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle, vertical jump and agility challenges, plus select skills specific to each position. To expand its search for players, the team held a second open tryout on January 17, 2010, on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. On December 15, the team announced that its first official player signing for the 2010 season was arena football quarterback James Pinkney. He had spent the 2009 season as the quarterback of the af2's Manchester Wolves. The Diamonds opened their 2010 training camp on February 15, less than two weeks before the start of the 2010 season. The camp used the practice facilities at Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and Cabot High School in Cabot, Arkansas. In post-season honors, Diamonds defensive lineman Luis Vasquez was named all-IFL second team. Schedule #CCFFCC Win 1px solid #AAAAAA #FFFFCC Tie 1px solid #AAAAAA #FFCCCC Loss 1px solid #AAAAAA #CCCCCC Bye 1px solid #AAAAAA Regular season Week Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location Final score Team record 1SundayFebruary 284:05pmat Corpus Christi HammerheadsW 26–181–0American Bank Center 2 Bye 3FridayMarch 127:35pmSan Angelo Stampede ExpressW 33–262–0Verizon Arena 4SaturdayMarch 207:05pmAustin TurfcatsL 29–312–1Verizon Arena 5SaturdayMarch 277:00pmAbilene Ruff RidersW 53–343–1Verizon Arena 6SaturdayApril 37:05pmCorpus Christi HammerheadsW 35–214–1Verizon Arena 7 Bye 8SaturdayApril 177:05pmat San Angelo Stampede ExpressW 23–105–1San Angelo Coliseum 9SaturdayApril 247:00pmat Abilene Ruff RidersW 26–236–1Taylor County Expo Center 10SaturdayMay 17:05pmWest Texas RoughnecksW 71–287–1Verizon Arena 11SaturdayMay 87:05pmOmaha BeefL 33–717–2Verizon Arena 12SaturdayMay 157:11pmat West Texas RoughnecksW 41–298–2Ector County Coliseum 13SaturdayMay 227:05pmat Amarillo VenomL 20–358–3Cal Farley Coliseum 14SaturdayMay 29 6:30pmat Austin TurfcatsW 21–169–3Luedecke Arena 15FridayJune 47:35pmAmarillo VenomW 68–4110–3Verizon Arena 16 Bye 17SaturdayJune 196:30pmat Austin TurfcatsW 54–4011–3Luedecke Arena Playoffs Round Day Date Kickoff Opponent Results Location Final score Team record 1SaturdayJune 267:05pmCorpus Christi HammerheadsW 44–29---Verizon Arena 2SaturdayJuly 37:05pmAmarillo VenomW 46–31---Cal Farley Coliseum 3SaturdayJuly 107:00pmBillings OutlawsL 42–53---Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark Standings Diamonds Roster 2010 Arkansas Diamonds roster Quarterbacks 12 Brian Jones 8 Stephen Wasil Running backs 10 Dedrick Poole Wide receivers 4 Graylin Allison 15 Bradly Chavez 22 A. J. Harris 18 Bret Smith 11 Eric Ware Offensive linemen 67 Dwayne Delaney 75 Sam McNaulty 56 Cody Pree 73 Korey Raymond Defensive linemen 92 Ell Ash 98 Francis Maka 44 Luis Vasquez 90 Richard Washington Linebackers 7 Alvin Ray Jackson 9 Tyler Knight 21 Blair Phillips Defensive backs 5 Ken Fontenette 1 Martel VanZant 14 Vickiel Vaughn Kickers 2 Brian Umstead Injured Reserve currently vacant Exempt List currently vacant rookies in italicsRoster https://web.archive.org/web/20150402235649/http://www.goifl.com/historic_stats April 2, 2015 updated July 10, 2010 23 Active, 0 Inactive → More rosters References 2 Austin American-Statesman Sockadillos cruise past Diamonds D3 February 25, 1991 Our Sports Central Arkansas Twisters Arkansas Twisters Join IFL http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3931073 November 19, 2009 October 14, 2012 Our Sports Central Arkansas Twisters Name Barto Head Coach http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3931075 November 19, 2009 October 14, 2012 Our Sports Central Arkansas Twister Announce First Open Tryout Date http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3938461 December 8, 2009 October 14, 2012 Our Sports Central Arkansas Twisters Sign James Pinkney As Signal Caller http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3941017 December 15, 2009 October 14, 2012 Our Sports Central Twisters Looking Statewide For Players http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3950271 January 11, 2010 October 14, 2012 Associated Press Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Twisters taking suggestions for new name http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/jan/29/twisters-taking-suggestions-new-name/?sports January 29, 2010 October 14, 2012 Amarillo Globe-News Legal issue forces change by Dusters http://amarillo.com/stories/012910/loc_15670365.shtml January 29, 2010 October 13, 2012 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Twisters now the Diamonds http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/feb/04/twisters-now-diamonds/?latest February 4, 2010 October 13, 2012 Nick Walker Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Twisters fans take shine to Diamonds nickname 25 http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/feb/05/twisters-fans-take-shine-diamonds-nicknam-20100205/ February 5, 2010 October 13, 2012 KARK-TV Twisters Change Name to Arkansas Diamonds http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=290002 February 5, 2010 October 17, 2012 https://archive.today/20130117042028/http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=290002 January 17, 2013 dead mdy-all Our Sports Central Arkansas Diamonds Training Camp Begins http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3964522 February 15, 2010 October 14, 2012 Rudy Rivera Corpus Christi Caller-Times Hammerheads fall in opener http://www.caller.com/news/2010/mar/01/hammerheads-fall-in-opener/ March 1, 2010 October 13, 2012 Abilene Reporter-News Diamonds rough on Riders, who lose 3rd straight http://www.reporternews.com/news/2010/mar/27/no-headline---riders_game/ March 27, 2010 October 14, 2012 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Hammerheads allow early TD off open kickoff, never recover http://www.caller.com/news/2010/apr/04/hammerheads-allow-early-td-never-recover/ April 4, 2010 October 13, 2012 Mike Whitson San Angelo Standard-Times Stampede slip after half http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/apr/18/stampede-slip-after-half/ April 18, 2010 October 14, 2012 Joey D. Richards Abilene Reporter-News Riders blow 11-point lead in loss to Diamonds http://www.reporternews.com/news/2010/apr/25/riders-blow-11-point-lead-in-loss-to-diamonds/ April 25, 2010 October 14, 2012 Kevin Buehler Odessa American Indoor Football League: Roughnecks fall in Arkansas http://www.oaoa.com/sports/article_d5586227-9e4e-51fe-86b4-864a9e353cec.html May 1, 2010 October 14, 2012 Omaha World-Herald Football: Sankey engineers win by the Beef http://www.omaha.com/article/20100508/SPORTS/100509601/-1# May 8, 2010 October 14, 2012 Dave Henry Amarillo Globe-News Venom defense takes shine off Diamonds http://amarillo.com/stories/052310/loc_localpro1.shtml May 23, 2010 October 14, 2012 Doug Crise Amarillo Globe-News Arkansas blasts Venom http://amarillo.com/stories/060510/loc_16768287.shtml June 5, 2010 October 14, 2012 Jeremy Hirsch KELO-TV Storm's Terry, Tubbs Named 2nd Team All-IFL http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/storms-terry-tubbs-named-2nd-team-all-ifl/?id=101698 June 24, 2010 October 14, 2012 May 22, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140522233547/http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/storms-terry-tubbs-named-2nd-team-all-ifl/?id=101698 dead Corpus Christi Caller-Times Arkansas ousts Corpus Christi from playoffs http://www.caller.com/news/2010/jun/28/arkansas-ousts-corpus-christi-from-playoffs/ June 28, 2010 October 13, 2012 Dave Henry Amarillo Globe-News Fancy meeting you here; Venom WR started year with opponent http://amarillo.com/stories/070310/loc_16995201.shtml July 3, 2010 October 14, 2012 Dave Henry Amarillo Globe-News Amarillo bows out; Arkansas tops Venom, 46–31 http://amarillo.com/stories/070410/loc_localpro2.shtml July 4, 2010 October 14, 2012 Dave Henry Amarillo Globe-News The Short List http://amarillo.com/stories/070610/loc_localpro2.shtml July 6, 2010 October 14, 2012 Mike Zimmer Billings Gazette Arkansas to test Outlaws on both sides of the ball http://billingsgazette.com/sports/football/professional/arena/article_df7c5088-8b1d-11df-af9b-001cc4c002e0.html July 8, 2010 October 14, 2012 Mike Zimmer Billings Gazette Outlaws move on to the title game http://billingsgazette.com/sports/football/professional/arena/article_8c4f1156-8c9f-11df-8e37-001cc4c03286.html July 10, 2010 October 14, 2012 Lindsay Irvin Arkansas Sports 360 Diamonds Update: Indoor Football Unlikely to Continue in Arkansas http://www.arkansassports360.com/19950/diamonds-update-indoor-football-unlikely-to-continue-in-arkansas September 16, 2010 October 25, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110102011610/http://www.arkansassports360.com/19950/diamonds-update-indoor-football-unlikely-to-continue-in-arkansas January 2, 2011 Matt Welch Allen American-Star Indoor football team bound for Allen, team name contest begins http://www.allenamerican.com/articles/2010/09/16/sports_update/9163.txt September 16, 2010 October 14, 2012 Candace Carlisle Dallas Business Journal Cowboys disappointing? Check out Wranglers http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/2010/11/north-texas-gets-another-football-option.html November 1, 2010 October 12, 2012 External links Texas Revolution official website Arkansas Diamonds Category:Arkansas Twisters seasons Arkansas Diamonds