Photo by Kim North Linsly grad and Bridgeport resident Chance Knight (0) listens to instructions during practice Monday as the Ohio Valley Ironmen are set to open their International Football Alliance season on Saturday against the Cincinnati Dukes at Monarch Stadium in Moundsville. Knight is listed as a defensive lineman.

MOUNDSVILLE — The Ohio Valley Ironmen are less than a week from making their return to the gridiron when they host the Cincinnati Dukes at Monarch Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Ironmen players arrived in the Ohio Valley over the weekend and had a walk-thru practice on Sunday in shorts. Monday was the team’s first practice in pads, so head coach/general manager Manny Matsakis and his staff got their first looks at what could be.

“I just want to see where we are and find ways to make us better than we were in the game before,” Matsakis said Monday during the team’s initial practice.

The Shadyside native has assembled a coaching staff with several members being Ohio Valley residents. The defensive coordinator is Bellaire alum Clint Lekanudos, with former Bridgeport standout and current Bellaire assistant football coach Bailey McGrath heading up the inside linebackers.

Offensively, Shawn Liotta and Stan Bedwell are coaching the wide receivers, while Jeremy Liotta will coach the defensive line. Shadyside product Dante DeFelice is the offensive line coach, with former Wheeling Park and Oklahoma State University running back Daryl “Boogie” Johnson coaching the running backs and Rob Caldwell, who has coached at the high school level in both Ohio and West Virginia, taking charge of the Ironmen’s Special Forces (Teams) and outside linebackers. The equipment manager is William “Sarge” Cordery, who has served in the same capacity for the Wheeling Park High School football team and had a stint in the Arena Football League with the Nashville Kats.

Matsakis is an offensive-minded coach. The Ironmen will use the run-and-shoot offense, which requires a strong-armed quarterback and some speedy wideouts. According to Matsakis, the Ironmen have a lot in both categories.

“We’re going to be fast. We’ve got a lot of speed,” he allowed. “We’ve got some very athletic players, it’s just a matter of getting them all on the same page and ready to play by Saturday. There are a lot of nuances on both sides of the ball, but I expect the defense to be further along than the offense, simply because of the simplicity on that side of the ball. Our offense has a lot of different sets and such. That is normal, though.”

The team has been holding Zoom meetings to install the schematics of both the offense and defense.

“We’ve also got a teaching system that is all online for the guys to study,” Matsakis added.

The two quarterbacks in camp are both former Mountain East Conference standouts. Chris Barrett played at West Virginia Wesleyan and Javonte Howard starred at the University of Charleston.

“Chris is a veteran … older guy who has played in the fan-controlled league,” Matsakis said. “Javonte had a great career at Charleston.”

Matsakis is playing the waiting game with quarterback James Franklin, who was the team’s first player signed.

“He is still making a decision on retiring or playing in Canada,” Matsakis said of the former Missouri quarterback.

There are a pair of local products on the roster in Chance Knight (Linsly) and Jaiden Kesterson (Bellaire).

“Chance was a two-time All American at Marietta College. He is built really well and can move for a big guy,” Matsakis raved. “He is listed as a defensive end, but he is strong and quick enough that he can play on the inside, as well.”

Matsakis noted that Knight recently had a pro day with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

“Both have been impressive thus far. Jaiden made some good plays his first day,” Matsakis continued. “He’s been here every day. We’re excited to see what he can do on Saturday.”

There are several players that Matsakis is excited to see perform.

“Terelle West is a very good running back with a lot of speed and Jeremiah Nelson (6-0, 245) is a really big boy,” he said. “D’Ago Hunter, from Towson State, may be on the small side, but he was a three-time All-American kick returner. He had a 95-yard return for a touchdown against WVU. Very fast.”

A receiver that Matsakis is really high on is 6-3 Cashid Raymond, who holds the title of PSAC Outdoor 200-meter champion with a time of 20.96 seconds, which broke the meet and conference record.

Defensively, Matsakis can’t wait to see what linebacker Juwan Mitchell can do. The 6-1, 235-pound Mitchell was the leading tackler at the University of Texas (2019-21) in 2021 when he had 62 stops. He then transferred to the University of Tennessee (2021-23) before finishing his career at the University of Colorado (2023-24).

“He’s very good,” Matsakis acknowledged.

What are Matsakis’ expectations?

“It’s hit-or-miss,” he admitted. “We’re brand new. All of the teams we play are new to us. Our first two opponents have already been playing games, so they are ahead of us, but we just want to get better every day.”

Cincinnati is currently 1-2, having beaten the New York Bandits (33-20) before losing its last two outings to the Michigan Bills (32-29) and the Motor City Rams (13-6). The Dukes are the two-time defending semi-professional Blue Collar Football League (BCFL) champions.

When asked about what type of crowd will turn out, Matsakis wasn’t really sure.

“It’s going to something outdoors on a Saturday night. It will be a festive environment, fan-friendly and very entertaining,” he said. “All of that combined makes for a good time.”

He said the team has sold between 600-700 season tickets.

“I think there will be a huge walk-up crowd,” he noted. “There’s going to be a lot of curiosity out there.”

TOUCHDOWNS

–The Ironmen were originally called the Wheeling Ironmen from 1962-64. They competed in the United Football League where they captured championships in 1962 and 1963 before the league dissolved. Lou Blumling was the head coach.

–Retired sports editor of The Intelligencer Newspaper, Doug Huff, will take part in the ceremonial coin flip before the game.