In 2009, the Burlington Blue Devils’ season ended in a Conference Championship loss to rival Wauwatosa, 26-18, the victim of the same offensive inconsistency that had plagued the team for much of its season. It continued to haunt owner and head coach Tom Hawkins’ psyche throughout this past offseason as he pondered what had gone wrong. “We (had taken) a step back,” he said. “We finished strong, but we couldn’t get over that hump that we had been able to overcome midway through the season.” That ‘hump’ was a 3-3 record in their first six games, a startling sign for a team many felt would be the favorite to win the Conference. “We were a very inconsistent team, offensively, last year,” said former Blue Devils quarterback Jeff Supernaw, “because we never really developed a personnel grouping that we could hang our hats on.” Fortunately, the Blue Devils were able to pull things together to string together an impressive five-game winning streak, which delivered them to the American Conference Championship Game. “Our defense played strong and gave our offense great field positioning, especially down the stretch,” said Hawkins. “Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we had hoped they would.” Toiling for weeks after that defeat, he discovered what had gone wrong. “We were more productive under the older (offensive) system,” he explained. With that in mind, Hawkins began restructuring his team in order to avoid the collapses in consistency.

The first order of business was rearranging his coaching staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Hawkins did so by first resuming his duties as offensive coordinator and head coach, a move he had first made in 2008, the first year the Blue Devils went to the American Conference Championship. “I didn’t want to take a chance this season to misuse any talent,” Hawkins said. “I want to know that everyone is ready this year.” Shoring up the offensive line was the next priority, as it had proven porous at times last year, as well as committing costly penalties. Hawkins tackled these issues by hiring two standout individuals, the first of whom is Steven J. Boldt, a former All-American Offensive Tackle and Hall of Famer(UW-Whitewater), who, in addition to being a proven winner as a coach(87-42 record; 4 WIAA playoff berths; 2 Conference Titles), is also a proven winner on the field, where he played for the 1997 undefeated Portage Hitmen, the pioneering IFL team that won the very first Iron Bowl. Steven will also assist Tom Hawkins with head coaching responsibilities. The second of these individuals is three-time All-American Offensive Lineman Dan Morjal. A National Champion with the 2001 Racine Raiders, Dan comes to the Burlington Blue Devils with an array of knowledge gained from 13 years of playing in both outdoor and indoor---otherwise known as arena---leagues. He will assume the position of offensive line coach. Hawkins also added Bert Arnold, father of Warren Arnold, as quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator. Satisfied that the offensive side of the ball had been properly taken care of, Hawkins looked to strengthen his already stout defense. And to do that, he put the call in to Stan “Pops” Stankowski. Arguably one of the most respected coaches in the history of the IFL, “Pops” jumped at the chance to come Burlington. “I am very honored to be related to such a great team of talent, and a coaching staff that supports these players,” said Stankowski. “Only the future knows what is in store for the Blue Devils.” Stan will take the helm of the linebacking corps, as well as assist defensive coordinator Duane Gietzel, a Burlington native.
 
The on-field talent has also been shuffled to reflect the Blue Devils’ intense focus on reaching the Iron Bowl. 2-time IFL All-Star DB Miguel Vargas as well as perennial All-Star OL Shawn Wiza and RB Joe Brooks from Wauwatosa join the Blue Devils in 2010, as well as players from the national scene. FB Joshua Macara, a two-year NAFL veteran with the Racine Raiders, also came to Hawkins’ organization looking to help capture gold for the Blue Devils. “These guys came here because they can see we are on the cusp,” Hawkins said. “They know we run a great organization.” When asked about the additions, Warren Arnold expressed confidence. “We’ll have more talent than we’ll know what to do with. I’d be very disappointed if we are not better than we were last year. There’s a lot of very good athletes on this team, a lot of big offensive and defensive linemen, and that can only mean success for us. “I see us accomplishing a lot this year.” “We have a lot of good talent, both young and veteran,” 2-time team MVP Kevin Barrett added. “I believe with the coaching staff and the leadership that the veterans are giving, I think that those young guys will be prepared to step in and take a leadership role, if need be; something that we missed last year and the year before.” With the improvements made this year on both sides of the ball, the Blue Devils are looking to not only assert themselves as the team to beat in the American Conference, but also to see some gold in their awards display. And 2010, according to Tom Hawkins, is when it will happen. “We are primed for the Iron Bowl.