Huntsville Tigers

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

Alabama Renegades

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. The NWFA league ceased operations that same year.[2]

Tennessee Valley Tigers

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

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

Season records
SeasonWLTFinishPlayoff results
2000330Exhibition Season--
20015302nd Southern--
20027201st CentralLost Southern Conference Semifinal (Pensacola)
20037402nd Southern CentralWon Southern Conference Quarterfinal (Asheville)
Lost Southern Conference Semifinal (Pensacola)
20046302nd Southern Gulf Coast--
20055307th Southern--
20064403rd Southern Southeast--
20073503rd Southern Central--
20082604th Southern East--
Totals42330
Season records
SeasonWLTFinishPlayoff results
Tennessee Valley Tigers (IWFL)
200953010th Tier II--
20104403rd Tier II East Southeast--
20111705th East Mid-South--
Tennessee Valley Tigers (WSFL)
2012*----------
Totals10140

* = Current Standing

2011 schedule

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

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

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

Reg ScheduleHomeAwayScore
4/28Huntsville TigersMemphis Dynasty16-6 L
5/28Huntsville TigersArkansas Rampage32-0 W
5/12Carolina QueensHuntsville Tigers22-19 L
6/2Arkansas RampageHuntsville Tigers41-0 W
6/9Cape Fear ThunderHuntsville Tigers40-0 W
6/23Huntsville TigersCape Fear Thunder50-0 W
6/30Tri-State BruisersHuntsville Tigers2-0 W
7/7Huntsville TigersTri-State Bruisers2-0 W
Playoffs
7/21Game won due to forfeit of other team2-0 W
7/28New Jersey TitansHuntsville Tigers26-6 L

Staff

  • 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

  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. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-9970637-0-7.
  3. Official website of the WSFL
  4. Pretty Tough.com
  5. Boo's Unofficial Guide to Women's Tackle Football
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