MOUNDSVILLE — Building a professional franchise from the ground up is a tedious step-by-step process.

The Ohio Valley Ironmen, of the upstart International Football Alliance, currently are going through those paces currently under general manager/head coach Manny Matsakis, a Shadyside native.

The team took the first step in the process Tuesday afternoon by announcing its home stadium and practice facility. The Ironmen will train and play at John Marshall High School’s Monarch Stadium. They will make their home debut on Saturday, June 14, when San Antonio visits. The Caballeros are coached by Hal Mumme and recently added former Super Bowl-winning head coach Brian Billick to their coaching staff.

“The people more than anything else,” Matsakis said as the main factor in the decision. “The location, obviously, is ideal. It’s right off of W.Va. 2 which makes it easy to get to and the parking is set up nicely there.

“I think there are a lot more people in that area that will support it. When it came down to it, working with (John Marshall Athletic Director) Roger (Simons) made it really easy. He set up all the steps to make this happen over the last couple of weeks.”

Monarch Stadium, with a seating capacity of 3,500, was renovated in 2018-19 with installation of an artificial surface replacing the natural grass playing field. A new restroom/concessions building, along with locker rooms, bleachers and a press box were also added.

“Manny called me and I was intrigued about the thought, but I didn’t know what to make of it,” Simons admitted. “So, I started doing a little checking on some things and listened to what he had to say. We got the ball rolling by getting our Principal (Jason Marling) and Superintendent (Shelby Haines) involved, along with the City of Moundsville and Marshall County officials.

“We think this is a good way to showcase our new stadium and the improvements we made,” Simons added. “Hopefully, it will help us.

“I didn’t even have a vote. I just tried to nudge them (the board of education a little bit) by telling them I’d handle all the logistics, but, ultimately, it was the board’s decision. Dr. Haines had a lot of good questions at first but once she left there she felt they were all answered very well and they (the board) went along with it.”

Another step along the process is finding players.

During a recent tryout at Shadyside High School’s Fleming Field, nearly two dozen prospects showed up, some from nearby, but, surprising to Matsakis, some came from as far as Syracuse, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, Kentucky and North Carolina.

“I wondered why these guys were coming this far, but then I realized they were looking to get a shot at playing outdoor football,” said Matsakis, who has a stellar resume of coaching stops. “Most of those guys were invited to come back for our last tryout.”

He said there were more quarterbacks than other positions.

“We had four that could all throw the ball,” he noted. “One was from Columbus. He was a backup at the University of Cincinnati. Another played overseas in Germany and another was a starter at Morehead State.”

The next step?

“We are currently working on a merchandising deal and we’re also working with a ticketing company,” Matsakis said. “We will be bringing in seat-back stadium seats. Reserved seats will go on sale in December.”

Teams in the IFA include the Dallas Pioneros; San Antonio; Baltimore Lightning; Chihuahua (Mexico) Rebelion; Tampa Tornadoes and Alabama Beavers.

The inaugural IFA draft will be held March 21-22, 2025, at the Westin Hotel in Huntsville, Alabama.