Page 54 - FOP June 2019 Magazine

Enforcers come up short of title game but still have a winning season
■ BY DAN CAMPANA
When the CPD Enforcers hoisted the First Responders Trophy after knocking off the CFD Blaze at St. Rita High School on May 31, a glimmer of hope existed for a second straight champion- ship game appearance.
However, thoughts of playing for a National Public Safety Football title for the second consecutive year were doused less than 24 hours later, following a day of scoreboard and livestream watching – not to mention tiebreakers and power ranking math.
“Any time you can hold up that First Responders Trophy, it’s a good feeling. But we are on the outside looking in,” said CPD Enforcers President Jason Slater, who works in 019 and is a 10- year team veteran.
The Enforcers picked up their third consecutive First Re- sponders Bowl victory with a 42-8 win over the Blaze that gave CPD a 4-1 season record but, more importantly, a 3-1 mark in NPSFL play. A loss by Charlotte and an NYPD Finest win over its firefighter rivals would have put the Enforcers in position for a rematch of last year’s title tilt against NYPD Finest.
“I don’t think anyone factored in NYPD losing,” Slater said.
Sure enough, FDNY scored an upset to move past the Enforc- ers. Disappointed, the Enforcers realized they had a chance to get the job done themselves during the May showdown on the road at NYPD.
“We knew we had to beat them,” said Slater, noting that NYPD showed what a complete team it is during the 42-21 win over CPD. “You tip your hat to them.”
Slater made it clear that no players are hanging their heads after posting a 9-2 record over the past two seasons, with the losses coming against NYPD.
“That’s a hell of a record,” he added. “We believe we belong in that conversation as one of the best teams in the league.”
The Enforcers rolled through most of the regular season that began in March with a 51-2 thrashing of the Central Texas Wolf Pack and then featured home wins in questionable April weath- er over San Bernardino, 44-15, and Columbus, 47-0. The Brook- lyn bump in the road against the Finest proved to be the only blemish on the 2019 record.
New blood with a strong veteran core helped bolster the En- forcers in recent years, but more importantly, Slater said the program’s culture has changed, even if the number of players was down this year.
“Everyone plays as one,” he explained. “Everyone wants to step up.”
More important than what happened on the field, the En- forcers continued their commitment to charity and supporting the families of officers lost in the line of duty. Officers Samuel Jimenez, Eduardo Marmolejo and Conrad Gary were honored during halftime of the season finale. Slater said meeting the loved ones of fallen officers, thanking them for their sacrifice
54 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2019
and raising money to help them is “rewarding, grounding and numbing.”
So now, with unfinished business to be taken care of in 2020, the new year of fundraising is just a few months away with a raf- fle for Bears tickets and, in December, a holiday toy drive.
“We are very lucky to have this platform,” Slater confirmed.