It wasn’t the famous squared pizza or the four-season calendar that attracted Josh Resignalo’s attention, and it wasn’t the riverfront festival season, the easy interstate access, or even the impressiveness of Oglebay that caught his eye.
But Wesbanco Arena is a perfect platform, The Highlands Sports Complex is an absolute blessing, and the Upper Ohio Valley has a storied history of fandom for the indoor football game.
Check! Check! Check!
“It’s about what we put out there about what we offer our players like a great place to live with some amenities the players on other teams wish they had,” said Resignalo, the Miners’ general manager and head coach. “We also offer a terrific venue like Wesbanco Arena so they can showcase what they can do, but a lot of the players don’t know anything about Wheeling until I tell them about it and I didn’t know much about it until being here last year.
“I always make sure I explain the history Wheeling has with the arena game with the Greyhounds and the Roughriders, and I tell them it’s a great market for the game and the fans are great fans,” he said. “These guys want to play in front of great crowds, and that’s something we’re looking forward to this season.”
That’s what it’s about. Football and the fans. That’s why the Miners finished their inaugural season with a 10-0 record and an American Arena League-2 champions, and it’s why Resignalo may not know much about the Friendly City’s past, but he does plan to be a part of its future.
“This is really a beautiful part of the country, that’s for sure, but I don’t get the chances to enjoy it very often because of the work I do with our players and the coaching staff, and also with our partners and our sponsors,” said Resignalo, who’s entering his fifth season as a coach in the National Football League. “We work very hard on every aspect of the games, and that includes everything from what happens on the field to the entertainment that surrounds those games. We want to be both talented and fun for the fans in the stands.
“But hopefully, now that it’s our second season and there’s a lot of organization in place, I’ll have more time to enjoy places like Oglebay and Wheeling parks,” he said. “I’m sure my wife will make it happen sooner than later as long as we stay successful for our fans.”
Warm and Cozy
It’s an arena league so, of course, the Miners will play five home games inside Wesbanco Arena and their away games in buildings in Denver, Greensboro, Shreveport, Sioux City, and Columbus.
Most teams in the NAL, though, do not have many opportunities to practice where they play, and that includes Resignalo and his Miners football team. But Wheeling’s head coach has what many consider to be a secret weapon, and that’s The Highlands Sports Complex.
The state-of-the-art, $32 million athletic supercenter at The Highlands opened fully four year ago and features six basketball/volleyball courts, full-sized turf fields inside and outside, a play/climb area and meeting rooms, an arcade, on-site café, and a second-level viewing area.
“I don’t believe any of the other teams in the NAL have a facility like The Highlands Sports Complex that they can use, and that means we’re a lucky team,” Resignalo insisted. “I know there are similar facilities around the country, but the sports complex at The Highlands lets us do anything and everything we need to during training camp and during practices. Because we also have the Nailers at Wesbanco Arena, we don’t have the chance to practice in the arena very often.
“Plus, there are a lot of shows that take places, too, so it’s terrific that we can just go up to The Highlands and do what we need to do as a team,” he explained. “Not only are we the only team with a facility like the sports complex, but the other teams usually don’t have the chance to practice indoors. That’s pretty important this time of year.”
The Miners wrapped up training camp this week at the sports complex and Resignalo and his staff will hold the team’s official Kickoff Party tomorrow at the 19th Hole from 2-5 p.m. The Home Opener is scheduled for Monday, March 10th in downtown Wheeling.
The NAL’s “GameDay” broadcast will be on hand for a pre-game show and four former Pittsburgh Steelers – Merrill Hoge, Louis Lipps, Brian Blankenship, and Bubby Brister – will meet fans and sign autographs before Wheeling welcomes the Colorado Spartans at 7 p.m.
“We’re going to be a very good football team, and the NAL is a more challenging league so there are no guarantees. We won’t be winning games by 60 points, that’s for sure,” Resignalo said. “But what we offer our players to come play for the Wheeling Miners is very attractive because of our partners and because of our fans. When we get enough seats filled, Wesbanco Arena is a huge advantage for us because it gets loud.
“I guess you could say the Miners came to Wheeling because arena football has been successful here on and off the field and we want to add to that winning tradition.”
