There is a Mountain Lake connection to Southern Plains Football League team
They’re goin’ Hawg wild!
And so are their fans – devotees of the South Central Hawgs of Truman – one of the 10 teams of the Southern Plains Football League (SPFL). The SPFL is an adult 9-man full-contact amateur football with teams based primarily in Minnesota.
The Hawgs are currently third in the league with a 5-1 record. They downed the the Southwest Minnesota Crusaders, 38-;, the Albert Lea Grizzlies, 32-0; defeated the Midwest Rampage, 35-6; suffered a slim one-point loss to one of the league leaders, the Buffalo Ridge Wildcats, 20-21 and rebounded to down Albert Lea a second time, 35-14.
Leading the SPFL are two undefeated teams at 6-0 – the Buffalo Ridge Wildcats and the Med City Freeze.
The Hawgs sport two coaches – and three players – from Mountain Lake. Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) Physical Education teacher and Activities Director Adam Bibbs, is the team’s Defensive Coordinator, while another MLPS Phy Ed instructor and Mountain Lake Area (MLA) Wolverine Head Football Coach, Tim Kirk, serves as a second-year Assistant Coach, bringing experience and knowledge as a Nine-Man Head Coach. Kirk is now able to once again coach his sons, Jordan and Carter, Hawg team members. Also on the roster is another Mountain Lake Public High School graduate, John Boyd.
At 6′ 2″ and 275 pounds, Jordan Kirk is an anchor for both the offensive and defensive lines; Carter Kirk, at 6′ 7″ and 240 pounds, is a wide receiver and linebacker and 6′, 155-pound John Boyd is a cornerback. This is Jordan’s second year with the team, while Carter and John are rookies.
Bibbs has actually been with the team since 2014, and last summer played defensive line and fullback until he tore his ACL and Meniscus. Following the injury, he assisted the coaching staff and became the Defensive Coordinator last year. According to Bibbs, who played college football for the Gusties of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, he has been rehabbing his injured leg and is hoping to make an appearance during the playoffs.
Team members come from – in addition to the contingent from Mountain Lake – Houston, Texas; Wells; Truman; Chisholm; St. Peter; Fairmont; Lake Crystal; Buffalo; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Lewisville; Corpus Christi, Texas; New Richland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Eden Prairie; Winnebago; North Mankato; Chandler, Arizona; Ellensburg, Washington; Wabasso; Amboy; Mankato.
Other Hawgs coaching and off-field personnel include Josh Johnson, Team Manger/Head Coach; Jonny Christensen, Special Teams Coordinator; Bennett Senf, Offensive Coordinator (who played offensive line for the Hawgs before becoming a coach, and who will take over as Head Coach for the Granada/Huntley/East Chain-Truman (GHEC-T) football program in the fall); Aaron Stickler, Assistant Coach; Dan Brookens, Voice of the Hawgs; James Hodge, Audio/Video Tech and Becca Fiebelkon, Team Owner.
Today (Saturday, June 11) they will play the North Iowa Bucks at the Bucks’ home Rockwell (Iowa) field. Their final regular-season game will be back at their home Truman High School football field against the Med City Freeze on Saturday, June 18, with kick-off at 7 p.m.
In addition to the Hawgs, teams in the SPFL include:
+ Buffalo Ridge Wildcats, who play on the West City Field in Lake Benton.
+ Med City Freeze, whose home field is the Rochester Community and Technical College’s Regional Stadium.
+ North Iowa Bucks, who play on the Rockwell, Iowa football field.
+ Southwest Minnesota Crusaders, who play on the Edgerton High School football field.
+ Midwest Rampage, whose home field is the Carlisle football field.
+ Albert Lea Grizzlies, who play at Grizzly Field at Frank Hall Park in Albert Lea.
+ Tri-State Buffalos, whose home field is the Hills-Beaver Creek High School football field.
+ Watertown Rebels, who play at Allen Mitchell Field in Watertown, South Dakota.
+ Southeast Minnesota Warhawks, who play 0n the Westcott Athletic Complex in Austin.
This league has evolved over the past 15 years, and over the course of that time, has been known as the Windom Football League and the Great Plains Football League – and for 10+ years now as the SPFL.
Jay Doyscher is the Commissioner of the league, and its Directors include John Elkin, Brent Hanson, Josh Johnson, Stephen Piper and Mike “Wiley” Tiedeman.
