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46 °F 5 Day Forecast Sunday, November 30, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend July 4, 2002 IWFL title game comes to Ashland By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune Unlikely as it may sound, Ashland is currently the center of the women’s tackle football world. The Independent Women’s Football League’s inaugural national championship game is set to invade Ashland High School’s Walter A. Phillips Field on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Eastern Conference champion New York Sharks and the Western Conference winning Austin (Texas) Outlaws will duel for the title. Tickets are $10 at the gate, with children 12 years old or younger getting in free. Kezia Disney — the IWFL’s Western Conference director in addition to being the owner of and a player on the Ashland-based Oregon Thunder — says Ashland is the right place for the league’s first championship contest. "Even though we’re not as big as some of the other cities that have IWFL teams, we have a better environment for the sport," says Disney, whose Thunder went winless in their first season. "We really have had a great community around here and a lot of support. ... The locals are much more apt to come out and watch the game here than they are in a lot of other places." In the Sharks and Outlaws, fans will see an undefeated, imposing powerhouse (New York) match up against a speedy, well-balanced upstart (Austin), according to Disney. The Sharks (8-0) are coached by former New York Jets tailback Freeman McNeil and feature quarterback/owner Andra Douglas, who is "one of the pioneers of women’s football," Disney says. The Outlaws (8-2), who defeated the Corvallis Pride on June 22 in Corvallis to advance to the title game, have a group of Pop Warner coaches shouting out instructions and a bevy of former rugby players wreaking havoc. "We were just learning how to play the game this year," Disney says of her Thunder. "These teams that are coming in, the skill level is quite a bit higher than what we showed. "It’s gonna be exciting football, that’s for sure." Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times