Amateur adult football could be coming to Monessen
MONESSEN – Amateur adult football could be coming to Monessen, after Monessen School Board heard a presentation from the Mon Valley Sabers, a team that wants to use the district’s facilities for games.
David and Lauri Mosley of Charleroi addressed the board with their desire to bring the Premium Amateur Football League team to Monessen. The PAFL is an amateur football league based in Ohio, with teams also in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, that plays during the summer months, according to its Facebook page.
David Mosley started playing in the league last year for the tier 1 Strabane Spartans and the tier 1 Pittsburgh Rangers. He said the Sabers are currently in tier 3 and if the team wins the league championship, it will be moved up to tier 2. “I think it would be great for our area to have some recognition if we were to win,” Lauri Mosley said.
David Mosley said the team has 52 players ages 18 and older. He said this team allows fathers to play football with their sons, helps to keep people out of trouble, and would help to bring people to the Monessen field. Lauri Mosley said the team has an indoor facility for practices, so it would be looking to use the Monessen field for games.
She said each team in the league has a school that supports it and the Sabers are looking for a district to form a partnership. “We want to have a home,” she said.
Lauri Mosley said there are 40 teams in the PAFL. Games would start in May and the team would play four home games. She said the league has bylaws that teams are required to follow and the team would provide security and pay for items such painting the field or paying janitors to clean up after the games.
Superintendent Dr. Leanne Spazak said the one of the school district’s organizations could staff the concession stand during the games and the district could keep the profits.
Vice President Roberta Bergstedt asked if the team would be willing to split the gate fees with the district. Lauri Mosley said that could be worked out, but since it is a nonprofit organization, it would only be retaining enough to satisfy its costs.
Bergstedt said this could bring entertainment and opportunity to the community.
“It could be a very worthwhile venture for both parties,” Bergstedt said. She said the board will investigate this proposal in order to ensure it is viable for the district to proceed before making a decision.