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Huntsville Tigers

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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

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Alabama Renegades

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Women'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

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Huntsville Tigers
ColorsBlack, Silver, Purple
OwnerCarlos 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

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Sullivan 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

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Season records
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 records
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  • 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

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  1. ^ Goodson, Mike (July 23, 2004). "Women's football alive in Alabama". Gadsden Times. p. B3. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
  2. ^ Rozendaal, Neal (20 January 2016). The Women's Football Encyclopedia. Rozehawk. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-9970637-0-7.
  3. ^ "Official website of the WSFL". Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  4. ^ Pretty Tough.com
  5. ^ Boo's Unofficial Guide to Women's Tackle Football
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