Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League

APDFL Staff Writer
March 1, 2023

New Orleans, LA – With the 2023 APDFL football season officially set to kick-of, Week 1 is expected to bring a great deal of delight.

As usual, the overall slate for opening weekend is relatively light. 16 teams will open their season this weekend with a few of those being highly favored.

Headlined by a Top 5 showdown in New Orleans, however, there are a few impactful games this weekend. In conjunction, Week 1 also brings some rivalries, conference games and some notable non-conference clashes.

Opening weekend, Game of the Week, showcases two Top 5 teams that are expected to fight for a right to finish atop the Western Conference.

Game of the Week
No. 3 Bayou Lacombe Cardinals, travel to New Orleans to face No. 2 Crescent City Kings, in a match-up that will surely set the early stage for the Western Conference. Despite their proximity, these programs haven’t met too often. On each occasion however, they both tend to be dominant teams when they do. Both programs have potential top-tier defenses and will be tested this weekend by opposing powerful offensive play.

Rivalry Game
No. 7 Walton County Chiefs at No. 8 Panhandle Crusaders
This contest could also be placed in the conference section however, this is the only one that’s set up to be a true rivalry. Even though both programs have more bitter matchups elsewhere in the schedule, expect to hear noise about this outcome for weeks to come.

Notable Conference Game
No. 15 Nashville Elite at No. 6 Arkansas Punishers
Punishers is viewed as a top-tier team coming into the 2023 season, and Elite will be looking to build on a positive season from a season ago. This is a massive clash for both teams, especially given the possibility it could come back to play an important role in seeding come post-season.

Other Notable Game
No. 11 Winchester Ducks at No. 12 Atlanta Tigers
Tigers will make their return to APDFL this weekend as they face a tough Ducks team making the leap for the first time. Ducks are eager to open the season as members of APDFL for the first-time following seasons of success elsewhere. Meanwhile, Tigers has an opportunity for a much-needed marquee win that would quiet rumblings throughout the Eastern Conference.