March 21, 2006 > It's time for football

by Biff Jones

If you are one of those people who cannot wait for football season to start, you only have to wait four more days. The California Warriors of the Golden Coast Football League (GCFL) will begin play this coming Saturday, March 25th at Newark Junior High School, 6201 Lafayette, Newark. Game time is 1:00 p.m.

The Warriors are a new team in the Bay Area Conference (NFC) of the GCFL. Other teams in the NFC are the Bay Ticket 49ers of Redwood City, Norcal Lawmen from Richmond, North Bay Rattlers of Richmond and Oakland Vipers. The Valley Conference (AFC) consists of Capital City Fury from Sacramento, Merced Mustangs, Stockton Cobras, Lemoore/Hanford Falcons and East Bay Outlaws of Oakley.

The GCFL is amateur football for adults at the AAA minor league level. Players range in age from just out of high school (18-19) to as old as 40-45. These players maintain their amateur status while playing in this league as some players go on to play college or junior college football. Other players may move on to play arena football, and a select few get tryouts with NFL teams. Thus, the players are not paid for playing but instead have to pay the teams a fee for the right to play.

General Admission for these games is $5.00 or a season ticket of $25.00 which admits two for five home games. Family plan season tickets are also available at $40.00 for a family of four.

The following are the home games for the California Warriors:

Date/time Opponent
March 25th - 1:00 p.m. Bay Ticket 49ers
April 1st - 2:30 p.m. Stockton Cobras
April 15th - 1:00 p.m. Norcal Lawmen
April 22nd - 1:00 p.m. North Bay Rattlers
May 13th - 5:00 p.m. Oakland Vipers

There will be playoffs at the end of the regular season with the NFC winner facing the AFC winner. Then there is a possibility the GCFL champion will square off against the winner of another minor league from Southern California.

If it is football of the American variety you crave, then come on out to Newark Jr. High and root on your California Warriors.