Madelia--This will be the inaugural season for the Minnesota Brawlers, of the Northern States Football League, and the club, which will play three of their four home games this year at Madelia High School, held an open practice at the field Saturday night to introduce themselves to the community.

The team will play eight games total, with their fourth home game being contested in New Ulm, said Trevor Coxworth, the team’s coach, creator, and catalyst. The team has players from all over the country, and many are former Minnesota State University-Mankato gridiron gladiators.

Coxworth helped birth teams in South Dakota and Iowa, so he’s been at this for awhile. A Blue Earth native, he played football before finally blowing out his knee at 39.

Coxworth, 43, said the Brawlers are short on numbers and don’t have a lot of size. Many of their players will have to pay both ways this season against teams drawing from superior numbers. This makes health a paramount concern. With an already thin team, and injuries could prove pernicious to the Brawlers.

The Brawlers open their season with a pair of home games. The first is in New Ulm Saturday at 7 p.m., but they’ll be in Madelia at 7 p.m. May 23.

“We’re ready to go; my only concern is depth, but we have a lot of young guys who are in good shape. I’m excited and nervous,” Coxworth said. “I know we’re thin, but I think our group has a lot of skill.”

For the rest of this story, plus more photos, please see the May 14 print edition of the St. James Plaindealer. 

Read the Online Article at stjamesnews.com