Carroll’s Cannons Aim High

Written By Scott Braden

It was the first playoff victory in the Carroll County Cannons’ three-year history. The Taneytown-based team had defeated the Valley Tigers 20 -13 during round one of the 2009 East Coast Football Association (ECFA) playoffs.

Before the win on June 6, the men were just a group of like-minded athletes coming together for the love of the game. Now, the minor league team that Cannon’s owner John Welker helped build was a playoff contender.

“I played semipro football for three seasons in the early Ô90s,” said Welker, who earns his living as a commercial carpet cleaner. “I enjoy football, and starting a football team was always something I wanted to get involved in. The owner of the Frederick Outlaws talked me into this when he was forming a spring league.”

The spring league – the 20-team ECFA – runs from March to May, with playoffs and the league championship scheduled for June. The Cannons’ tryouts take place at Cecil-Lee Field at Taneytown Memorial Park from September through December.

One thing that Welker could not be talked into was starting a football team like some of those he had played against during his semipro career with the Baltimore Bears from 1990 to 1992. Instead, he and his coaching staff wanted to raise their sights.

“Players want to play for a team that’s organized and disciplined,” said head coach Mike Kraus, who works as a managing director for commercial installation at BGE Home when he is not coaching the Cannons or the South Carroll High School team.

“When we play the game, we play it the way it’s supposed to be played,” said Kraus. “My coaching staff and I set the ground rules, and we look for players who we know will be good representatives of the organization.”

The team’s positive outlook has generated countless fans, and expanded interest in football in Carroll County.
“The fans have been great,” said Kraus. “We’ve got tremendous support out here in Taneytown. We also have a great following throughout the Westminster and South Carroll areas.”

“The team is well received,” added Welker. “We have a local cable access show. We’re getting more newspaper coverage, and one of our sponsors talks up the team on WTTR [the Carroll County radio station]. Word is getting out there and we’re growing.”

A lot of hard work went into creating a winning team. Going into the playoffs, the Cannons had a team record of 6 – 4, and averaged 29 points per game. Defensively, they have four shutouts. Offensively, the team has put up more points this year than it did in its first two years combined. And the reason? The players.

Players like wide receiver Mike Brown have made the Cannons’ third year its strongest to date. A new face this season, Brown – a retailer who works with security guard firms when he is not on the field – came from the Cannons’ strongest rival, the Outlaws. (Welker likened the rivalry to that of the Ravens and the Steelers.) According to Brown, he was thinking of quitting football until he joined the Cannons. Playing with his new teammates has him pumped up, and in return, he has energized the team.

“He’s got a ton of heart and shows it when he’s out here,” said Welker.

And his spirit has translated into wins on the football field. Brown has racked up more than 500 yards receiving.

“He’s been our biggest surprise of the season,” said Kraus, “and he’s one of the main reasons we are where we are.”

But as Kraus pointed out, Brown is only one of many leading personalities on the team.

“We’ve got Jason Wiles and Brad Durden on defense,” said Kraus. “Both of my sons – Tyler and Nick Kraus – are playing on the squad and are real solid. Offensively, we have Mike Brown and Kyle Bean. They are both giving our offense a good kick in the butt. We’re real pleased with them.”

As for the rest of the team, they are just as important – and as dedicated. Unlike their pampered major league counterparts, each Cannon team member pays $135 for the right to play. Although the community and local businesses foot most of the team’s bills, the players’ dues pay for uniforms and medical supplies, among other expenses. They also drive themselves to most of their games, although the organization provides a bus for the team’s two out-of-state games.

The players’ dedication sometimes yields painful results. In their first two years, the team’s injury rate was high. This year is a different story.

“We’ve only had two ankle injuries that have put players out for the season,” said Welker. “Last year, we were pretty banged up. This year has been good so far.”

One of the Cannons’ most dedicated players – and one that Welker calls the “offensive leader of the team” – is quarterback John Luster. When he is not playing football, the former McDaniel College quarterback works as a salesman for a California-based biomedical company. But three years ago, it was the Cannons he knew who sold him on the team.

“I tried out for a couple of arena football teams,” said Luster, “and I ran into a guy I used to play against in high school. He said, ÔHave you heard about the Cannons? They’re getting organized, and tryouts are in a couple weeks.’

“So, I tried out. Coach [Scott] Esworthy and Coach Kraus coached me at South Carroll High School. I had a previous affiliation with them, I knew them really well, and I trusted them. When I heard that they were associated with the team, I was in.”

During the regular season, Luster threw for an average of 161 passing yards per game. He also threw 22 touchdown passes and six interceptions for a 104.2 quarterback rating. But although Luster is a superstar in his own right, the concept of team is a big reason why he and the other players are proud to call themselves Cannons.

“We ask our players to understand and follow the team concept,” said Welker. “We preach team. You win together and you lose together. And if you can’t fit in with the program, you can always go somewhere else.”

“I’ve been here since the first year,” said Luster, “and we’ve kept the same core guys together. This is by far the closest I’ve ever been with a team. The first two years not everyone knew each other’s names, and some guys were missing games. But this year, everybody’s here and everybody’s committed. We have one goal and that’s to win it all.”