The inaugural season of the Wichita Falls Nighthawks got off to a glorious start. A Justin Johnson 80-yard scamper along with an incredible 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Tyron Carrier highlighted what was a dominating performance on both sides of the ball. The impressive play of the Nighthawks' led to a 44-15 mud hole stomping of the North Texas Stampede on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The team was also well received by an estimated 10,000 fans for their home opener. "I went as a last second, spur of the moment kind of thing, but boy was I glad I did. It was a heck of a game," said Aaron Culver, my roommate. This may not sound like a huge endorsement, but coming from a guy that is typically extremely critical of all things Wichita Falls this is a ringing endorsement. It was not just big offensive and special teams plays that led the Nighthawks' either. The ' Nightmare Defense' for the Nighthawks was outstanding, causing two fumbles, one for a TD. They also forced an intentional grounding play in the Stampede endzone causing a safety in the process. On the field the team seemed  well rounded and very impressive. The only criticism I could find was they were a little heavy on penalties. I had intended to count them but somewhere in the 3rd quarter I lost count.

The marketing team for the Nighthawks' did a great job preparing and promoting the game

photo by Aaron Galloway
photo by Aaron Galloway
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as well. The commercials and game promotions this season are fantastic including Sunday' s special guest NFL Quarterback ad Heisman Winner Tim Tebow. Timmy was a huge draw as many fans, I am sure, made the trip to get a glimpse and a chance to meet the beloved QB. "It was really cool how he presented the $5,000 check to that youth group. He could have just shown up and signed some stuff. That showed how good his character was," said Culver. Tebow fans who showed up for the game were treated to a heck of a game. Things are only looking up for the new minor league professional football team as they hope to win it all in their inaugural season. Just because the Tebow has left doesn't mean the game promotions stop either. I for one am hoping to drive home the new Nighthawks' Dodge Challenger that the team is giving away at their next home game on March 10th. With what seems to be a pretty talented team and a great marketing strategy it seems that the Nighthawks' are going to be a force to be reckoned with both for opposing teams as well as when it comes to local sports. One thing is for certain. We Have a TOUCHDOWN!

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