Logo unveiling, January 17, 2007
1/18/2007
Football for a Cause



Minor league team plans to benefit local rehab facility

By Greg Caldwell
Intelligencer Journal

Published: Jan 18, 2007 12:33 AM EST

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Lancaster residents have shown a real appreciation for professional sports in recent years, and this spring they will have a new minor league football team to follow.

The Atlantic Coast Patriots unveiled their logo and uniform Wednesday at Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center on Community Drive in Lancaster. The logo and uniform will be a big part of the marketing of the team as they prepare to begin play at home March 3 against the Frederick (Md.) Outlaws at a field to be determined.

Team owner and head coach Ron Sultzbach said the team is looking at possible locations to play, including Millersville University, Manheim Township, Manheim Central, Hempfield, Columbia and Pequea Valley high schools, but a final decision has not been made.

The unveiling of the uniform at Schreiber was significant, as the Rehab Center will serve as the main sponsor of the team and the main beneficiary of the team’s success.

“We are a football team, but it is more important for us to be important and active members of this community. Fifty percent of our earnings will go to Schreiber as long as we are in existence,” Sultzbach, who has coached at McCaskey and Stevens Tech, said. “It will be mutually beneficial to both organizations.”

Sultzbach, who works fulltime as a financial consultant, is a former minor league player who played quarterback for 13 years. He admitted he did not have the size and skills to take his game to the next level, but always loved the game.

“I started coaching and decided I would love to start a team that played in the spring, which would allow us to bring in a lot more top-caliber players,” Sultzbach said. “All other minor league teams play in the summer, and this prevents them from bringing in players who want to try out for NFL camps. We wanted a league that would be done in May so we could bring in all these players.”

He pitched his idea to other teams in the area, and 12 teams from five states decided to form the East Coast Football Alliance this year.

Slugger’s Pizzeria, and owner Chris Ditzler have been promoting the team since it was formed in September. The restaurant, at 701 North Queen Street, still offers a special that makes a donation to the team. A banner on the wall advertised the team, and Ditzler said it has led to quite a few questions.

The Patriots’ first schedule includes five home and four away games. The extra home game will be a special benefit April 14 against the New York City Police Department. Sultzbach said proceeds from that game will go to the police widow fund.

The team has also worked with the Lancaster Recreation Commission to help get word out. In return, the Patriots offered an introductory football camp for children ages 8-14 in September, and will continue to offer this program year-round to the children in the city. Other businesses which have helped promote the team include Blue Ridge Cable, the Brickyard and the Pa. Dutch Visitor’s Center.

The team includes many players with a local connection. Co-owner and General Manager Chad Davish graduated from Lancaster Catholic and currently works at Kelly Sports in West Chester. Players with local connections include quarterback Justin Brandenburg (Millersville), tailback Julius Brown, who was a standout at Garden Spot and Bloomsburg, defensive back Tyquan Cooper, a McCaskey graduate, Millersville University defensive lineman Ken Eckert and defensive end Tyler Ott, punter Butch Derr (Hempfield) and kicker Tim Roth. The current roster of 61 players must be cut to 45 by the start of the season.

Sultzbach said he has a good problem at quarterback. “I have three good quarterbacks who could all start for me. It will be a difficult decision to pick a starter, but I hope they all stay and stick it out.”

The other two quarterbacks are Texas native Shawn Pfeiff and Jamie Sellers, who has Arena Football League experience and most recently played with the Philadelphia Scorpions in the North American Football League.

Sultzbach and Davish head a coaching staff that includes offensive line coach Ron Kerr, defensive coordinator Ken Horn, who will be assisted by Tim Laubach, and Paul Culbreth, who serves as wide receivers coach at Stevens Tech and will hold the same title with the Patriots.

The Patriots are looking for more players and sponsors to help support the team. Anyone interested in more information can contact the team at atlanticcoastpatriots@yahoo.com.