‘Have fun, dominate, win’: Native developmental soccer crew to start ninth season in 2026

In late 2015, John Caudill had a dream to turn into the proprietor of a developmental – or semiprofessional – soccer crew within the southeast.

Just one yr later, Caudill had that chance realized when creating the Dalton Danger, an area developmental crew which begins their ninth season in 2026 and boasts a 99-15 total win-loss file.

“We are a men’s developmental football league consisting of players 18 (years old) and above,” he stated. “And they’re all from different levels and backgrounds. We’ve got some players that have just graduated high school all the way up to people that have played in the NFL or potentially playing NFL.”

The genesis of the crew first started when Caudill started “brainstorming” concepts of a crew within the spring of 2016, “which meant rushing a squad onto the gridiron with only four months or so of preparation.”

In doing so, Caudill stated he partnered with Kacee Smith and Mike Smith, former homeowners of Dalton’s personal skilled indoor soccer crew often known as the Georgia Rampage, which formally folded in 2015.

Caudill stated in founding the Dalton Danger alongside the Smiths, Steed Rymer and Benjamin Bridges, the start-up yr for the crew started with a placement within the World Developmental Football League and ended with a 12-3 file and a loss within the semifinals to the Henry County Horsemen, who went on the win the championship that yr.

Beginning the following season in 2017, once they joined the National Developmental Football League, the Danger went on to assert three back-to-back league championships from 2017-2019 and a nationwide championship in 2018. During that 2017 season, the crew went undefeated with a 14-0 file on their approach to successful the NDFL Championship. The Danger received their first and solely nationwide title in early 2018 by defeating Ohio’s Cincinnati King Comets within the National 3AAA Spring Championship.

In the spring of 2018, the crew joined the IAFL and misplaced within the playoffs after amassing a 14-2 file earlier than rejoining the NDFL the next season. The Danger’s 2019 season as soon as once more included an undefeated streak main to a different league championship.

“In 2020 and 2021, we took off a year and a half due to (the COVID-19 pandemic),” Caudill stated. “Then we started back up in 2022. We’ve made the playoffs every year that we’ve been (a program).”

Playing as a part of the southern-based NDFL, Caudill stated the Danger performs in opposition to groups from each state that touches Georgia, together with North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. During their most up-to-date season within the spring of 2025, the Danger went undefeated main as much as the league championship recreation in Snellville on May 24, which resulted in a 32-28 loss to the Union County Hornets after their opponents scored a closing landing within the final 10 seconds of the sport.

Despite the loss, the Danger’s efficiency all through the most recent season was sufficient to put them fifth within the National Bowl Series Events’ South Region Tier 2 Rankings in May 2025, behind solely the Carolina Raiders, North Florida Warriors, Union County Hornets and East Coast Sharks.

Heading into a brand new season in early 2026, Caudill stated this yr’s schedule consists of eight video games.

“We’ll have two preseason games prior to March 1, then our season officially starts,” he stated. “That will begin during the second week of March. We work hand in hand with Dalton (Parks and Recreation) and we play (and practice) at Dalton’s Lakeshore Park.”

Stepping into the function of head coach for the Danger this yr is Willie Parker, who has an “extensive background in minor league football,” stated Caudill.

“This is his first time as head coach,” he stated. “He is coming from the Huntsville Rockets, a premier minor league football team in Alabama, and he will drive here from the Huntsville area.”

Caudill stated the Danger’s 2026 squad will function between 45 and 55 whole gamers.

“Last year, we carried 50, which was the league maximum,” he stated. “We also made 23 cuts last year. We’re kind of unique to most developmental situations because we’re such a winning program and we’ve been nationally ranked ever since our inception. We have a kicker/punter that played at Shorter (University), and we have players from Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham and Knoxville. We really try to recruit local players because we want to give them the opportunity at that next level, but I would probably say only about 10% actually come from the Dalton area.”

Overall, Caudill stated the crew provides athletes a possibility and an outlet to play the sport of soccer on the developmental stage, particularly because the closure of the Georgia Rampage.

“I’ve been amazed that we’ve had the tenure as long as we’ve had,” he stated. “Most teams at this level don’t last this long. I’ve been mostly proud of the talent that we’ve been able to acquire. We had BJ Stewart, who was with the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad for a while, and Adam Anderson, who was a (University of Georgia Bulldogs) star and he played with us last season. It’s amazing some of the talent that we have acquired just based off of the branding, the name, the record and the tenure that we’ve had. Every year that we’ve played, we’ve been at least to the semifinals, and few teams can say that. And in eight years, to only lose 15 games, it’s amazing.”

With 99 wins beneath the crew’s belt, Caudill stated he’s excited concerning the Danger successful their one centesimal victory.

“Hopefully it’ll be our first preseason game this year,” he stated. “We’re hoping that it will be the first week of February. We also have a scrimmage with a local semipro team out of Calhoun, and I think that will be in (late) January.”

Caudill stated he’s additionally excited concerning the upcoming slate of video games for the Danger.

“Obviously we want to have a winning season,” he stated. “We have several players that will be retiring or stepping away from the game this year, so we’re hoping to put another championship ring on their finger. But first and foremost, it’s all about having fun, dominating and winning some games.”