In three weeks, the River City Raiders will kick off their 2017 indoor football campaign at Family Arena with a new swashbuckling skipper on the sidelines.
The St. Charles County-based collective hosts the Alabama Outlawz on Saturday, March 25.
Finishing 7-2 last season in American Indoor Football (AIF), the Raiders now compete in the newly-minted Arena Pro Football (APF). As the lone Midwestern entrant in the eight-team league, the franchise’s missive during the off-season was to hire an experienced and effective on-field figurehead.
In short, the Raiders didn’t necessarily want just a coach. They desired a chief.
On Thursday, the team publicly announced that Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Greg Moore will handle game-day decisions for the team’s nine-game regular season.
Moore goes by the nickname “Chief,” which references to his leadership skills both on and off the field.
Locally in the sport, he has been a lynch pin of the St. Louis Bulldogs semi-pro football franchise since its 1993 inception. The squad, a current member of the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL), has claimed a plethora of hardware, including a pair of national championships.
As a result of his achievements, Moore was inducted into the American Football Association (AFA) Hall of Fame as a coach in 2001.
Away from the turf, Moore has been active in law enforcement as both a police chief for two local municipalities and as a multi-year worker for the FBI.
“Coach Moore has an extensive resume, not just in football but in his duty to our great country,” said Raiders Vice President of Operations Jason Pilarski. “(He) is very well respected, not only in the football world but also nationwide for his public and national service.”
Moore also possesses knowledge of the indoor game as a member of the coaching staff for the River City Rage of the former Indoor Football League (IFL). That will be crucial as the Raiders host five APF games at Family Arena this season.
“Arena football is an exciting, fan-connected, fast-paced game,” Moore said. “(It is) designed to score touchdowns, and me being a defensive guy, I’ve got to devise a way to stop the other team from scoring touchdowns.”
Because of prior gridiron success, if there ever was a coach that could implement his own brand of football justice, it would be the Raiders new chief.
The team is offering free tickets to their March 25 opener at Family Arena by going to THIS LINK.
For more information on the Raiders, go to their official website.
RIVER CITY RAIDERS 2017 HOME SCHEDULE
Held at Family Arena – Kickoff at 7 PM.
SAT 3/25 vs. Alabama Outlawz
SAT 4/8 vs. Florida Tarpons
SAT 4/15 vs. Richmond Rough Riders
SAT 4/29 vs. Savannah Coastal Outlaws
SAT 5/13 vs. Myrtle Beach Sharks