Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Semipro Football: Piranha leave GDFL, will play 2015 season in WFF

The Central Penn Piranha are leaving the Gridiron Development Football League and will play in the World Football Federation this season, the team announced.

Several GDFL conferences have changed this offseason, which would have resulted in the Piranha traveling farther than they can afford during the playoffs.

"We are not in a financial spot to take that jump with the league," team co-owner and head coach Tom Laubach said in a statement. "We wish (league commissioner) Charles Thompson and the GDFL the best of luck for the 2015 season."

Co-owned by Laubach and former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Raheem Brock, the Piranha have won over 250 games (including playoffs) since being founded in 1995. The team claims to be the winningest team in minor football history.

Central Penn is coming off an 8-1 season in the GDFL that culminated with a 21-19 victory over the Oklahoma City Bounty Hunters in Gridiron Bowl V. The Piranha are switching to the WFF for the league's inaugural season.

The upstart league has three familiar foes for the Piranha in the Albany Metro Mallers, New England Soul, and local rival Lancaster Lightning. Central Penn outscored the Soul and Lighting by combined scores of 86-14 last season. Contests against the Mallers were more competitive.

Central Penn faced Albany three times last season. The Piranha won 52-31 at home and lost 41-13 on the road during the regular season before defeating the Mallers 21-10 in New York during the playoffs. They are expected to play Albany again this season.

The Piranha's season opener will be played at home (Warwick High School) on July 11th against the Lightning. The team's complete schedule is still being finalized by the WFF.