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The Huntsville Tigers is a women's American football team located in Huntsville, Alabama. The Tigers played their first season of full-contact football in the spring of 2012. This was the Tigers' first season as a new team. The team consists of former Alabama Renegades and Tennessee Valley Tigers players as well as a number of new players.
History
editAlabama Renegades
editWomen's football has existed in the Huntsville area since the fall of 2000 when the Alabama Renegades first came into existence. The Renegades were one of the founding teams of the National Women's Football Association (NWFA). In the fall 2000, the Alabama Renegades and the Nashville Dream played a six-game exhibition season to determine the viability of a women's full-contact football league. The exhibition games were a huge success and the National Women's Football Association (NWFA) expanded to 12 teams in its first full season of play in the spring of 2001. Ray Quinn was the man who first brought full-contact football to Huntsville and he owned the team for two years.[1]
Nancy Byrd, a Renegades player, took over the team from Quinn in 2003. Byrd continued to play for the Renegades while owning the team. At the end of the 2008 season Byrd retired from playing and put the team up for sale. Byrd later stated: "I decided to retire from playing and no one was willing to take on the responsibility of running this team. I appreciate the opportunity Ray and Catherine Masters (NWFA founder) gave me to play football", stated Byrd.[citation needed] The NWFA league ceased operations that same year.[2]
Tennessee Valley Tigers
edit | |
| Colors | Black, Silver, Purple |
|---|---|
| Owner | Carlos Mathews |
Carlos Mathews, the former offensive coordinator for the Renegades, realized the potential for women's football in the Huntsville area and decided to explore ways to bring the game back for a 2009 season. Mathews researched several leagues but only found one with the stability needed to support women's football in the Huntsville Area. The Tigers officially joined the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) on August 12, 2008, as a Tier II team. On October 24, 2011, after learning that Carlos Matthews wasn't bringing the team back, former player Carmelesia Sullivan looked into forming a team.[3][4][5]
Huntsville Tigers
editSullivan formed the Huntsville Tigers from former Tennessee Valley Tigers players. In the first season of play, the Tigers finished with a 5–3 record, losing twice to the Chattanooga Locomotion - another Tier II team - and once to the Atlanta Xplosion - a Tier I team in 2009. The Tigers also defeated then ranked number seven Clarksville Fox who in the 2008 season had competed for the Independent Women's Football League Tier II championship. The Tigers played their home games at Milton Frank Stadium in Huntsville, Alabama. Because of the devastating effects of the 2011 Super Outbreak, the Tigers had to forfeit their final two regular-season games. On August 30, the Tigers announced they had left the IWFL to join the WSFL.
Season-By-Season
editThis section needs to be updated. (July 2019) |
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Exhibition Season | -- |
| 2001 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2nd Southern | -- |
| 2002 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1st Central | Lost Southern Conference Semifinal (Pensacola) |
| 2003 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2nd Southern Central | Won Southern Conference Quarterfinal (Asheville) Lost Southern Conference Semifinal (Pensacola) |
| 2004 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2nd Southern Gulf Coast | -- |
| 2005 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7th Southern | -- |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3rd Southern Southeast | -- |
| 2007 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3rd Southern Central | -- |
| 2008 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4th Southern East | -- |
| Totals | 42 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Valley Tigers (IWFL) | |||||
| 2009 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10th Tier II | -- |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3rd Tier II East Southeast | -- |
| 2011 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5th East Mid-South | -- |
| Tennessee Valley Tigers (WSFL) | |||||
| 2012* | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Totals | 10 | 14 | 0 | ||
* = Current Standing
2011 schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Time | Event Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Memphis Belles | Away | 7pm | N/A | L, 12-16 |
| April 16 | Clarksville Fox | Away | 7pm | N/A | L, 6-32 |
| April 23 | Georgia Peachez | Home | 7pm | TBA | W, 2-0** |
| April 30 | Bye | ||||
| May 7 | Memphis Belles | Home | 4pm | TBA | L, 6-32 |
| May 14 | Clarksville Fox | Home | 7pm | N/A | L, 6-12 |
| May 21 | Clarksville Fox | Home | 7pm | TBA | L, 6-22 |
| May 28 | Chattanooga Locomotion | Away | 7pm | Battle for the Border Rivalry Game | L, 0-2*** |
| June 4 | Bye | ||||
| June 11 | Atlanta Xplosion | Home | 7pm | TBA | L, 0-2 |
** = Won by forfeit *** = Forfeited
Single season records
edit| Date | Name | Record | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Alber, Marty | Season Passing Leader | 917 yards |
| 2009 | Alber, Marty | Season Passing TD Leader | 15 |
| 2009 | Bady, Starry | Season Receiving TD Leader | 4 |
| 2009 | Harvey, Stephanie | Season Receiving Leader | 210 yards |
| 2009 | Suttles, Marsheka | Season Rushing TD Leader | 6 |
| 2009 | White, Katie | Field Goal Leader | 2 |
| 2009 | White, Katie | Extra Point Completed | 16 |
| 2009 | Bady, Starry | Interception Yards | 55 yards |
| 2009 | Hendrix, Danielle | Leading Tackler | 41 |
| 2009 | Team Offense | Most Points in a Single Game | 68 |
| 2009 | Team Defense | Most shutouts in a season | 4 |
| 2010 | White, Katie | Longest Kickoff Return for TD | 70 yards |
| 2010 | Eatman, Dionne | Season Rushing Yards Leader | 496 yards |
| 2010 | Eatman, Dionne | Single Game Rushing Yards | 174 yards |
2011 roster
edit| Player | Position | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Carmela Sullivan | DB | 22 |
| Carmelesia Sullivan | DB | 23 |
| Carson Wakefield | OL | 84 |
| Cheronda "Rock" Phillips | RB | 50 |
| Christina Whitney | DB/K | 51 |
| Lauren "LC" Coleman | DB | 9 |
| Sharessa "TJ" Allen | DB | 82 |
| Sonia Leggs | RB/WR | 34 |
| Franchesca Atkins | QB/WR/CB | |
| Nina Cook | RB/WR | TBA |
| Shelley Drake | DE | TBA |
| Chasity Herron | WR/LB | TBA |
| Becky Hensel | QB/WR | TBA |
| Hayley Howard | LB | 55 |
| Monique Jefferson | OL/DT | TBA |
| Shana Levett | CB | TBA |
| Heidi McQuire | DL/OL/FB | TBA |
| Mosheda Pettus | TE/DE | TBA |
| Yvette Price | TBA | TBA |
| Aisha Robinson | C/OL | TBA |
| Jayme Truitt | WR/CB | TBA |
| Liz Wilson | QB/WR/CB | TBA |
2012 season
edit| Reg Schedule | Home | Away | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/28 | Huntsville Tigers | Memphis Dynasty | 16-6 L |
| 5/28 | Huntsville Tigers | Arkansas Rampage | 32-0 W |
| 5/12 | Carolina Queens | Huntsville Tigers | 22-19 L |
| 6/2 | Arkansas Rampage | Huntsville Tigers | 41-0 W |
| 6/9 | Cape Fear Thunder | Huntsville Tigers | 40-0 W |
| 6/23 | Huntsville Tigers | Cape Fear Thunder | 50-0 W |
| 6/30 | Tri-State Bruisers | Huntsville Tigers | 2-0 W |
| 7/7 | Huntsville Tigers | Tri-State Bruisers | 2-0 W |
| Playoffs | |||
| 7/21 | Game won due to forfeit of other team | 2-0 W | |
| 7/28 | New Jersey Titans | Huntsville Tigers | 26-6 L |
Staff
edit- Owner/Offensive Coordinator - Carlos Mathews
- Offensive Line Coach - Ella Banghart
- Assistant Defensive Coach - JJ Johnson
- Delegate - Brady Wakefield
- Marketing/Sales - Jamie Flynt
- Acting General Manager - Carson Wakefield
Notes
edit- ^ Goodson, Mike (July 23, 2004). "Women's football alive in Alabama". Gadsden Times. p. B3. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
- ^ Rozendaal, Neal (20 January 2016). The Women's Football Encyclopedia. Rozehawk. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-9970637-0-7.
- ^ "Official website of the WSFL". Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ^ Pretty Tough.com
- ^ Boo's Unofficial Guide to Women's Tackle Football