Semi-pro football team to call Collinsville home this summer
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By Mark Jurgena
What do football fans do when it isn’t the fall and the BattleHawks season is now over?
They travel to Wilson Field in Collinsville to cheer on their hometown River City Sharks that’s what.
The Sharks are part of the semi-pro Mid-Central Football League which opens regular season play Saturday night in St. Louis against the St. Louis Falcons at Trinity High School. Admission is $15 for that game.
Their home opener is on June 3 against the Indy Bison in Collinsville.
River City is part of the MCFL an eight-team league covering four states that will play in the late spring and summer months.
Co-owners Mike Lee and Steven Carroll did a lot of the leg work to get the organization off the ground and onto the practice field.
Steve Roustio is the third owner of the club and serves as the head coach.
He believes this league is perfect for so many individuals who once played football.
“Years ago I hurt for kids in week nine of their high school football season knowing full well it may very well be the final time they suit up for competition,” Roustio said in a press release. “Outside of a few flag football leagues, semi-pro football has presented opportunities for players to continue playing a sport they have so much passion for…bringing back great memories of what it felt like competing in the great game of American football!”
River City will play at Wilson Field thanks to communication between linebacker Brad Rice, a Greenville High School graduate, and the Collinsville Raiders Youth Football organization athletic director Drew Wion.
The owners of RCS and the Board of Directors for the Raiders agreed to allow for home games to be at Wilson Park.
After that, a decision was made for Sharks players to work with Raider coaches for their camps and clinics during their fall football season.
“I believe this provided a win-win situation for both organizations through the development and building of a mentoring program with older seasoned football players spending quality time with younger athletes who have aspirations of playing football throughout their high school and college careers,” said Roustio.
The Sharks played a preseason game in Chicagoland on April 30 where they fell to the Joliet Buccaneers 12-0.
