Fayetteville Guard

The Fayetteville Guard was a professional indoor football team in the National Indoor Football League (NIFL) and American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). They played home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum from 2005 to 2010.

Fayetteville Guard
Established 2003
Folded 2010
Played in Fayetteville, North Carolina
at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum
League/conference affiliations
Team colorsBlack, green, brown, white
                   
Personnel
Team history
  • Myrtle Beach Stingrays (2003–2004)
  • Carolina Stingrays (2004)
  • Fayetteville Guard (2005–2010)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (3)
  • NIFL (2005, 2006)
  • AIFA (2009)
Home arena(s)

The Guard were replaced by the Fayetteville Force in the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) for the 2011 season. After a 3–0 start to the 2011 SIFL season, the Force collapsed and was eventually sold to the AIFA. The Force did not return in 2012 and were replaced the Cape Fear Heroes expansion team as part of American Indoor Football.

History

Stingrays

The teams began play in 2003 as the Myrtle Beach Stingrays of the National Indoor Football League in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, compiling a 6–8 record in their inaugural season. After two games in the 2004 season, the NIFL shut down the team due to the team owners, April Coble and Jack Bowman, failing to pay the players and other obligations. However, local investors including then head coach Terry Smith, saved the team in time to schedule a third game at the Staten Island Xtreme the last weekend of April. On April 29, the team was moved to Florence, South Carolina, for the remainder of the season as the Carolina Stingrays with seven home games at the Florence Civic Center.[1] The relocated team finished with a 3–6 record in Florence and a final 5–7 record in their second season.[2]

Guard

The following year, the team was purchased again and moved to Fayetteville to replace af2's Cape Fear Wildcats, who had moved to Albany, Georgia, as the South Georgia Wildcats. The new team had originally been called the Fayetteville Heat, but later changed their name to the Fayetteville Guard. The team started their season 0–5, but went 7–2 in their final nine regular season games, earning a 7–7 record and a playoff berth. The team defeated the Dayton Warbirds in the first round, but lost to the Cincinnati Marshals in the divisional round.

The Guard did better in 2006, posting a 13–1 record in the regular season, then defeating the Lakeland Thunderbolts and River City Rage en route to Indoor Bowl VI, where they lost to the Billings Outlaws.

In August 2006, it was reported that the Guard were moving to the World Indoor Football League.[3] However, the Guard denied these rumors by announcing that they were staying in the NIFL in a press conference two months later. During the 2007 season, the Guard and Wyoming Cavalry organized with owners of other independently owned NIFL teams to ensure they had a complete season, but without the approval of the rapidly falling apart NIFL management, which led to a midseason schedule split between the league-owned teams and the independent teams. Both the Guard and Cavalry were subsequently expelled from the NIFL before the post season.[4] They played against each other in the Budweiser Indoor Football Championship Bowl, where the Guard won 48–34.[5] Both teams joined the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) the following 2008 season.

Force
Fayetteville Force
Established 2010
Folded 2011
Played in Fayetteville, North Carolina
at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum
Fayetteville Force logo
League/conference affiliations
Southern Indoor Football League (2011)
Team colorsBlack, green, brown, white
                   
Personnel
Owner(s)Fanteractive, LLC
AIFA
Head coachDemetrius Ross
Matt Steeple
Team history
  • Fayetteville Force (2011)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Home arena(s)
  • Cumberland County Crown Coliseum (2011)

Following the 2010 AIFA season, the league split into two leagues: the AIFA West and East. The AIFA East, of which Fayetteville was a member, then merged into the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) for the 2011 season . However, a new Fayetteville-based sports marketing group claimed the rights to field a SIFL team in the Fayetteville market and the Guard did not return for the 2011 season. The new team, not affiliated with the Guard or its owners, were called the Fayetteville Force. After a 3–0 start to the 2011 SIFL season, the team collapsed.

The AIFA entered into an asset purchase agreement of selected assets of the Fayetteville Force from Fanteractive, LLC, the Force's parent company, but the AIFA did not purchase the corporation that was operating the Force. Under the agreement the AIFA retained the Force name, logo, likeness, playing equipment, and the artificial turf. The AIFA guaranteed that it would play the remaining four Force games with the Southern Indoor Football League.[6]

Due to contractual issues between the previous owner and his players and coaches at the time, the AIFA was unable to take over those contracts. On two-day notice before the Erie away game, the AIFA had to assemble a team of available players from a group of former indoor players and rookies. The AIFA selected as head coach Matt Steeple, a veteran indoor coach from the Indoor Football League for the balance of the 2011 season. The new Fayetteville Force never won a game and has the dubious distinction of setting a record for the largest single-game losing margin and points allowed in the history of indoor football – in any league – following a 0–138 loss to the Erie Explosion on May 21, 2011.[7]

The AIFA reorganized as American Indoor Football (AIF) after the SIFL folded following its lone 2011 season. The Force did not return in 2012 and were replaced the Cape Fear Heroes expansion team in the AIF.

Season-by-season

Results
League champions Conference champions Division champions Playoff berth League leader
Season League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
Myrtle Beach Stingrays
2003 NIFLAtlanticEastern 4th680
Myrtle Beach/Carolina Stingrays[lower-alpha 1]
2004 NIFLAtlanticEastern 3rd570
Fayetteville Guard
2005 NIFLAtlanticCentral 3rd770Won Conf. Quarterfinal 78–63 (Dayton)
Lost Con. Semifinal 69–70 (Cincinnati)
2006 NIFLAtlanticEastern 1st1310Won Conf. Semifinal 44–18 (Lakeland)
Won Con. Championship 72–70 (River City)
Lost Indoor Bowl VI 44–59 (Billings)
2007 NIFL/Ind.[lower-alpha 2]AtlanticEastern 1st[lower-alpha 3]1100Won Budweiser Indoor Football Championship Bowl 48–34 (Wyoming)
2008 AIFAEasternEast 4th590
2009 AIFASouth 2nd860Lost Div. Championship 35–45 (Columbus)
2010 AIFAEastern 2nd2120
Totals 57500All-time regular season record (2003–2010)
43—All-time postseason record (2003–2010)
61530All-time regular season and postseason record (2003–2010)
Fayetteville Force
2011 SIFLEasternMid-Atlantic 3rd390
Totals 390All-time regular season record (2011)
00—All-time postseason record (2011)
390All-time regular season and postseason record (2011)
  1. Relocated and changed names during the season.
  2. Due to league issues, the Guard and Wyoming Cavalry were kicked out of the league before the postseason. The NIFL then never had any playoffs before ending the season.
  3. At the time when they were expelled.

Schedules

2005
DateOpponentResultAtt.Record
March 26at River CityL, 43–463,8920–1
April 2OdessaL, 46–522,9910–2
April 9at CincinnatiL, 54–574,2080–3
April 16RomeL, 57–602,8280–4
April 23at MontgomeryL, 20–353,9650–5
April 30MontgomeryW, 64–21—1–5
May 8at RomeL, 45–48 (OT)1,2501–6
May 13at KissimmeeW, 47–341,1022–6
May 21River CityW, 60–51—3–6
May 28CincinnatiW, 48–341,6344–6
June 4KissimmeeW, 55–142,6005–6
June 11Daytona BeachW, 41–374,0126–6
June 18at SW LouisianaL, 38–534,0126–7
June 25MiamiW, 62–23,0127–7
Conference Quarterfinal
July 9DaytonW, 78–632,180
Conference Semifinal
July 16CincinnatiL, 69–703,443

2006
DateOpponentResultAtt.Record
March 25at MontgomeryW, 44–72,1441–0
April 1at OsceolaW, 58–551,8972–0
April 9at FloridaW, 44–41—3–0
April 14at GreensboroW, 45–263,2184–0
April 22OsceolaW, 54–513,2005–0
April 29at LakelandL, 41–602,6975–1
May 4at CharlestonW, 62–441,8006–1
May 13CincinnatiW, 70–262,0977–1
May 20Palm BeachW, 59–202,0008–1
May 27Palm BeachW, 70–04,1859–1
June 3TennesseeW, 78–142,64510–1
June 10GreensboroW, 58–401,56311–1
June 17CharlestonW, 74–141,24112–1
June 24MontgomeryW, 68–142,38513–1
Conference Semifinal
July 16LakelandW, 44–183,129
Conference Championship
July 22at RiverCityW, 72–70 (OT)3,223
Indoor Bowl VI
July 28at BillingsL, 44–597,934

2007
DateOpponentResultRecord
March 31ColumbiaW, 69–181–0
April 14The MarshalsW, 77–142–0
April 20at GreensboroW, 60–283–0
April 28at The MarshalsW, 59–284–0
May 5AtlantaW, 64–225–0
May 26at ColumbiaW, 34–246–0
June 2GreensboroW, 68–287–0
June 9The MarshalsW, 91–68–0
June 23ColumbiaW, 108–09–0
June 30at GreensboroW, 63–2410–0
July 7GreensboroW, 47–011–0
Postseason (independent)
July 14WyomingW, 48–34

2008
DateOpponentResultRecord
March 22at MississippiL, 34–820–1
March 30AugustaL, 14–470–2
April 13FlorenceL, 38–390–3
April 19at ColumbusL, 16–750–4
April 26at CarolinaW, 19–181–4
May 3at HuntingtonW, 34–262–4
May 10AugustaW, 56–433–4
May 17at ReadingL, 24–513–5
May 23at CantonL, 22–343–6
May 30at FlorenceL, 6–503–7
June 7HuntingtonW, 51–214–7
June 14FloridaW, 48–345–7
June 21ColumbusL, 58–595–8
June 28FloridaL, 41–435–9

2009
DateOpponentResultRecord
March 21at South CarolinaW, 39–181–0
March 28CarolinaW, 58–322–0
April 4at FlorenceL, 49–502–1
April 11at D.C.W, 56–183–1
April 18South CarolinaL, 48–533–2
April 25ColumbusW, 41–374–2
May 2ErieW, 58–285–2
May 9at ReadingL, 50–635–3
May 23at South CarolinaW, 46–346–3
May 30ReadingW, 57–537–3
June 6FlorenceW, 59–278–3
June 13at ColumbusL, 43–618–4
June 20at CarolinaL, 40–458–5
June 20ColumbusL, 25–448–6
Division Championship
ColumbusL, 35–45

2010
DateOpponentResultRecord
March 21at BaltimoreL, 0–590–1
March 27New JerseyW, 75–151–1
April 3at RichmondL, 39–551–2
April 10at HarrisburgL, 21–491–3
April 17at New JerseyW, 37–192–3
April 24BaltimoreL, 19–912–4
May 1ReadingL, 33–622–5
May 8at RichmondL, 28–552–6
May 13BaltimoreL, 34–632–7
May 22at ErieL, 52–552–8
May 29HarrisburgL, 28–642–9
June 12at ReadingL, 48–492–10
June 19ErieL, 58–652–11
June 26RichmondL, 33–562–12

2011
DateOpponentResultRecord
March 18CarolinaW, 44–391–0
March 27HarrisburgW, 75–662–0
April 3at TrentonW, 56–533–0
April 9ColumbusL, 29–283–1
April 16at RichmondL, 43–613–2
April 23AlbanyL, 40–433–3
April 29TrentonL, 41–693–4
May 7at ColumbusL, 32–813–5
May 21at ErieL, 0–1383–6
May 29at CarolinaL, 22–843–7
June 4at AlabamaL, 12–923–8
June 11RichmondL, 66–883–9

References
  1. "Stingrays to finish the season in Florence". Morning News. April 29, 2004. Archived from the original on August 31, 2004.
  2. "2004 NIFL stats". NIFL. July 10, 2004. Archived from the original on December 16, 2007.
  4. "Fayetteville owner says good riddance to NIFL". Casper Star-Tribune. July 7, 2007.
  5. "Fayetteville Guard To Host Wyoming Cavalry In Indoor Football Championship Bowl". July 2, 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  6. Letter to the Fans Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Go Erie article
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