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MANSFIELD -- Even though it is in its first year of existence, the Southern New England Rage semi-pro football team will be looking to contend for a division title in the New England Football League's A-Division this season.

The Rage is one of eight teams in the NEFL A-Division and will play their home games at Alumni Field, which is the turf field behind Mansfield High School. A number of the players on the fledging team where members of the Tri-Boro Rhinos a year ago, but the organization folded following a 3-5 campaign last summer.

`` The Rhinos unfortunately were not able to field a team this year,'' said head coach Tito Santos, who was a coach with the Rhinos last summer. `` Twelve-15 guys from that team still wanted to play. So that group joined this team, found out who else wanted to play and got busy recruiting.''

The Rage will open its inaugural eight-game schedule at home on tonight at 6:30 p.m. against the Hillsborough County Devils of New Hampshire.

The Rage will be on the road the next two games, traveling to Norwich, Conn. to battle the Connecticut Storm on July 30 and then heading to Ashaway, R.I. to face the Southern Rhode Island Raptors on August 6. The team will return to Mansfield for a game on August 14 at 1 p.m. against the Mid Coast Chaos of Hampden, Maine.