EVERETT — Less than a year ago, Washington Wolfpack general manager Miguel Morga wondered what he’d gotten himself into.
Sunday, when his Arena Football One team will be featured on national television (VICE TV) against the Southwest Kansas Storm at 4 p.m., it will mark the resiliency shown by his Everett-based indoor football franchise that calls Angel of the Winds Arena its home.
Early in the 2024 season, the organization then known as the Arena Football League was a mess.
Half of the league’s 16 teams folded midseason. A TV deal that was announced preseason never materialized. Players on some teams were reportedly not being paid. The league leadership changed, with former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher stepping in to add some stability in a sport that seemed to be crashing before it got off the ground.
“And, I could write a book about what people don’t know about,” said Morga, with a chuckle but also not kidding. “…We thought we would be competitive and be middle of the road, and I think if (the league) didn’t implode, we would have been.”
New to team ownership a year ago, and suddenly a seasoned vet as the franchise begins its second year, Morga believes the league and his team see a bright future. The league has a different name, and many of Washington’s players have changed, but the Wolfpack return the same ownership group, general manager head coach J.R. Wells.
“This year, we’ve taken what we did last year and put gas on the fire as far as identifying some key free agents that we could bring in and really be that catalyst to put us in position to be a contender. We’re bringing back some players from last year that were standouts — (Jackson High School graduate) Johnny Navarro, Brian Sarnowski, Dom Moore — but we also targeted a few players.”
Among the additions is 6-foot-5 quarterback Joe Hess, who beat the Wolpack twice last season with two different teams. He began the season with West Texas, and after that franchise folded, he became the starter for Wichita. Hess said he had a good experience in Everett last season, and took note that the Washington ownership group seemed determined to make sure opponents’ players had a good experience.
“It spoke volumes of the organization because everything starts at the top,” Hess said. “I just wanted to be somewhere where the players are taken seriously and valued.
Hess, a pro-style quarterback who possesses a big arm, believes the team is poised for a big season.
“We’ve got a really good thing going here,” Hess said. “Coach J.R. (Wells) is a really good leader of men. We’re very bucked up — very tight-knit.”
Wells, who was a receiver for a previous Everett AFL team, has seen many of the ups and downs of his sport.
“We’re embracing the process,” Wells said. “It’s not a destination. It’s a journey, and we have to embrace every moment of it, from the struggles that we faced last year into the nice way that we’re building right now. One step at a time.”
The final roster had not been released at press time, but the team appeared to include some more size on the lines than last year’s Wolfpack. A mix of tall receivers who will threaten the outside, as well as some quick options caught passes from Hess and fellow quarterback Adam Kruse in Thursday’s practice at Snohomish Sports Dome. Wells was not ready to name the starting quarterback on Thursday night, but Hess and fellow quarterback Adam Kruse were both getting time in practice. Though a half-foot shorter that Hess, Kruse showed some dynamic running ability in addition to his passing skills.
Regardless of who’s throwing passes for Washington, Wells believes area fans will enjoy the fast-paced, high-scoring nature of AF1 and this year’s Wolfpack team.
“We’re not what we were last year…,” Wells said. “Come have a lot of fun and enjoy this process with us.”
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