Fayetteville Guard
Established 2003
Folded 2010
Played in Fayetteville, North Carolina
at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum
League/conference affiliations
Current uniform
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 (1)
NIFL: 2006
Division championships (1)
NIFL: 2006
Playoff appearances (3)
  • NIFL (2005, 2006)
  • AIFA (2009)
Home arena(s)

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.

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
League/conference affiliations
Southern Indoor Football League (2011)
Current uniform
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)

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
Finish Wins Losses Ties
Myrtle Beach Stingrays
2003 NIFL Atlantic Eastern 4th 6 8 0
Myrtle Beach/Carolina Stingrays[a]
2004 NIFL Atlantic Eastern 3rd 5 7 0
Fayetteville Guard
2005 NIFL Atlantic Central 3rd 7 7 0 Won Conf. Quarterfinal 78–63 (Dayton)
Lost Con. Semifinal 69–70 (Cincinnati)
2006 NIFL Atlantic Eastern 1st 13 1 0 Won Conf. Semifinal 44–18 (Lakeland)
Won Con. Championship 72–70 (River City)
Lost Indoor Bowl VI 44–59 (Billings)
2007 NIFL/Ind.[b] Atlantic Eastern 1st[c] 11 0 0 Won Budweiser Indoor Football Championship Bowl 48–34 (Wyoming)
2008 AIFA Eastern East 4th 5 9 0
2009 AIFA South 2nd 8 6 0 Lost Div. Championship 35–45 (Columbus)
2010 AIFA Eastern 2nd 2 12 0
Totals 57 50 0 All-time regular season record (2003–2010)
4 3 — All-time postseason record (2003–2010)
61 53 0 All-time regular season and postseason record (2003–2010)
Fayetteville Force
2011 SIFL Eastern Mid-Atlantic 3rd 3 9 0
Totals 3 9 0 All-time regular season record (2011)
0 0 — All-time postseason record (2011)
3 9 0 All-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

Date Opponent Result Att. Record
March 26 at River City L, 43–46 3,892 0–1
April 2 Odessa L, 46–52 2,991 0–2
April 9 at Cincinnati L, 54–57 4,208 0–3
April 16 Rome L, 57–60 2,828 0–4
April 23 at Montgomery L, 20–35 3,965 0–5
April 30 Montgomery W, 64–21 — 1–5
May 8 at Rome L, 45–48 (OT) 1,250 1–6
May 13 at Kissimmee W, 47–34 1,102 2–6
May 21 River City W, 60–51 — 3–6
May 28 Cincinnati W, 48–34 1,634 4–6
June 4 Kissimmee W, 55–14 2,600 5–6
June 11 Daytona Beach W, 41–37 4,012 6–6
June 18 at SW Louisiana L, 38–53 4,012 6–7
June 25 Miami W, 62–2 3,012 7–7
Conference Quarterfinal
July 9 Dayton W, 78–63 2,180
Conference Semifinal
July 16 Cincinnati L, 69–70 3,443

2006

Date Opponent Result Att. Record
March 25 at Montgomery W, 44–7 2,144 1–0
April 1 at Osceola W, 58–55 1,897 2–0
April 9 at Florida W, 44–41 — 3–0
April 14 at Greensboro W, 45–26 3,218 4–0
April 22 Osceola W, 54–51 3,200 5–0
April 29 at Lakeland L, 41–60 2,697 5–1
May 4 at Charleston W, 62–44 1,800 6–1
May 13 Cincinnati W, 70–26 2,097 7–1
May 20 Palm Beach W, 59–20 2,000 8–1
May 27 Palm Beach W, 70–0 4,185 9–1
June 3 Tennessee W, 78–14 2,645 10–1
June 10 Greensboro W, 58–40 1,563 11–1
June 17 Charleston W, 74–14 1,241 12–1
June 24 Montgomery W, 68–14 2,385 13–1
Conference Semifinal
July 16 Lakeland W, 44–18 3,129
Conference Championship
July 22 at RiverCity W, 72–70 (OT) 3,223
Indoor Bowl VI
July 28 at Billings L, 44–59 7,934

2007

Date Opponent Result Record
March 31 Columbia W, 69–18 1–0
April 14 The Marshals W, 77–14 2–0
April 20 at Greensboro W, 60–28 3–0
April 28 at The Marshals W, 59–28 4–0
May 5 Atlanta W, 64–22 5–0
May 26 at Columbia W, 34–24 6–0
June 2 Greensboro W, 68–28 7–0
June 9 The Marshals W, 91–6 8–0
June 23 Columbia W, 108–0 9–0
June 30 at Greensboro W, 63–24 10–0
July 7 Greensboro W, 47–0 11–0
Postseason (independent)
July 14 Wyoming W, 48–34

2008

Date Opponent Result Record
March 22 at Mississippi L, 34–82 0–1
March 30 Augusta L, 14–47 0–2
April 13 Florence L, 38–39 0–3
April 19 at Columbus L, 16–75 0–4
April 26 at Carolina W, 19–18 1–4
May 3 at Huntington W, 34–26 2–4
May 10 Augusta W, 56–43 3–4
May 17 at Reading L, 24–51 3–5
May 23 at Canton L, 22–34 3–6
May 30 at Florence L, 6–50 3–7
June 7 Huntington W, 51–21 4–7
June 14 Florida W, 48–34 5–7
June 21 Columbus L, 58–59 5–8
June 28 Florida L, 41–43 5–9

2009

Date Opponent Result Record
March 21 at South Carolina W, 39–18 1–0
March 28 Carolina W, 58–32 2–0
April 4 at Florence L, 49–50 2–1
April 11 at D.C. W, 56–18 3–1
April 18 South Carolina L, 48–53 3–2
April 25 Columbus W, 41–37 4–2
May 2 Erie W, 58–28 5–2
May 9 at Reading L, 50–63 5–3
May 23 at South Carolina W, 46–34 6–3
May 30 Reading W, 57–53 7–3
June 6 Florence W, 59–27 8–3
June 13 at Columbus L, 43–61 8–4
June 20 at Carolina L, 40–45 8–5
June 20 Columbus L, 25–44 8–6
Division Championship
Columbus L, 35–45

2010

Date Opponent Result Record
March 21 at Baltimore L, 0–59 0–1
March 27 New Jersey W, 75–15 1–1
April 3 at Richmond L, 39–55 1–2
April 10 at Harrisburg L, 21–49 1–3
April 17 at New Jersey W, 37–19 2–3
April 24 Baltimore L, 19–91 2–4
May 1 Reading L, 33–62 2–5
May 8 at Richmond L, 28–55 2–6
May 13 Baltimore L, 34–63 2–7
May 22 at Erie L, 52–55 2–8
May 29 Harrisburg L, 28–64 2–9
June 12 at Reading L, 48–49 2–10
June 19 Erie L, 58–65 2–11
June 26 Richmond L, 33–56 2–12

2011

Date Opponent Result Record
March 18 Carolina W, 44–39 1–0
March 27 Harrisburg W, 75–66 2–0
April 3 at Trenton W, 56–53 3–0
April 9 Columbus L, 29–28 3–1
April 16 at Richmond L, 43–61 3–2
April 23 Albany L, 40–43 3–3
April 29 Trenton L, 41–69 3–4
May 7 at Columbus L, 32–81 3–5
May 21 at Erie L, 0–138 3–6
May 29 at Carolina L, 22–84 3–7
June 4 at Alabama L, 12–92 3–8
June 11 Richmond L, 66–88 3–9

References

  1. ^ "Stingrays to finish the season in Florence". Morning News. April 29, 2004. Archived from the original on August 31, 2004. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "2004 NIFL stats". NIFL. July 10, 2004. Archived from the original on December 16, 2007.
  3. ^ "Hopes run high for new indoor league 081906 - the Augusta Chronicle". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
  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

External links

Southern Indoor Football League
Categories