Franchise history
In March 2008, it was announced that indoor football would be returning to Wheeling, West Virginia. [1] Owner Dave Bender was debating on putting the team in Elmira, New York, but when he saw the opportunity to Wheeling, he couldn't pass it up. [1] Bender also cited that the location of teams in the league were a large part of why the Wildcats joined the CIFL. [2] The team tried to establish rivalries, challenging the Rochester Raiders to play the Wildcats in the Raiders' first home game. [2] However, the Raiders have since left the CIFL for the newly established Indoor Football League, leaving the challenge unanswerable. In August, the team announced the signing of head coach Shawn Liotta, who had been coaching the Erie RiverRats of the American Indoor Football Association. [3] [4] In December 2008, the Wildcats announced the signing of former University of Pittsburgh standout quarterback, Rod Rutherford. [5] The team also signed former NFL and Arena Football League player, Robb Butler to play receiver. [6] With both Rutherford and Butler player together for Liotta in Erie the year before, the team's offense had high expectations. [7] [8] The Wildcats, as well as the rest of the CIFL, had an opportunity to get a higher caliber player in 2009, as the Arena Football League suspending its 2010 season. The reason that many of the AFL players did not make it onto the Wildcats roster was largely that the players wanted more money than the CIFL would allow. [9]
The Wildcats inaugural season began with a 55−47 road loss to the Marion Mayhem. Two weeks later, the Wildcats played their first home game against the Fort Wayne Freedom. The Freedom offense put on a good display, scoring on every drive except one, en route to defeating the Wildcats 49-34. [10] The following week the Chicago Slaughter came to WesBanco Arena. The undefeated Slaughter had signed several of the Chicago Rush's players who were looking for a place to play with the AFL suspension. The Slaughter defeated the Wildcats 67-59. [11] Four weeks into their season, the Wildcats were 0-4, and faced the also winless Miami Valley Silverbacks. The Wildcats were able to work out their first win against the traveling Silverbacks. The Wildcats defeated the Silverbacks again three weeks later to make their record 2–6. The Wildcats lost their remaining four games of the season to Marion, Rock River, [12] Fort Wayne [13] and Wisconsin. Despite having a good roster, including several NFL, AFL and division one college players, and David Dinkins (who had previously played for AIFA teams in Erie, Pennsylvania, and won the 2005 AIFA MVP), [14] the Wildcats went 2-10 and folded after one season. Liotta, Rutherford and Dinkins returned to Erie in 2010. [15]
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL). It was formed by Jeff Spitaleri, his brother Eric, and a third member, Cory Trapp, all from the Canton, Ohio, area.
The Dayton Sharks were a professional indoor football team based in Dayton, Ohio. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The franchise started as an expansion team in the CIFL during the 2013 season. The Sharks were the fifth indoor football team to be based in Dayton, the first being the Dayton Skyhawks of the original Indoor Football League. The Skyhawks were followed by the Dayton Warbirds, who later became the Dayton Bulldogs, of the National Indoor Football League the third being the Cincinnati Marshals who played their 2007 season in Dayton and the fourth being the Dayton Silverbacks who played from 2006 to 2012. The Owner of the Sharks was CA Sports Entertainment LLC. The Sharks played their home games at Hara Arena in nearby Trotwood, Ohio.
The Erie Explosion was a professional American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007 as the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the Explosion played in the Professional Indoor Football League, the United Indoor Football League, the Southern Indoor Football League, the Continental Indoor Football League and the American Indoor Football Association and operated continuously from 2007 to 2015.
Marquette Dennison Robinson is a former American football defensive back of the Arena Football League (AFL). He now serves as the Assistant Defensive Coordinator and ( )for the Chicago Blitz of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). He last played for the Chicago Slaughter of the CIFL. He attended the University of West Georgia.
Rayshawn Askew is a former American football running back. He has played for the All American Football League, United Indoor Football, Canadian Football League, Continental Indoor Football League and the National Indoor Football League.
The Saginaw Sting was a professional Indoor Football team based in Saginaw, Michigan. The team was most recently a member of American Indoor Football (AIF). They began play in 2008 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League and then moved to the Indoor Football League for the 2009 season. They suspended operations for the 2010 season before becoming an inaugural member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. The following season they were suspended by the UIFL and re-joined the CIFL under new ownership. The team has since moved to the AIF. The owners of the Sting were Stuart Schweigert, Rob Licht and Jim O'Brien. The Sting played their home games at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.
The 2010 Continental Indoor Football League season was the league's fifth overall season. The regular season started on Saturday March 13 with the expansion Cincinnati Commandos defeating the Miami Valley Silverbacks 38-32, and ended with the 2010 CIFL Championship Game, on June 26, 2010, at the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio where the Commandos defeated the Wisconsin Wolfpack 54-40.
The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) for the 2012 season. The Blue Racers returned to the CIFL in 2013. The team had announced that it would be joining the Xtreme Indoor Football League (XIFL) for the 2014, but later re-signed with the CIFL. During the 2015 season, the Blue Racers played as members of X-League Indoor Football.
Mike Anthony Tatum is an American football coach who is the head coach and offensive coordinator for the Omaha Beef of the National Arena League (NAL). He is former indoor American football wide receiver for the Nebraska Danger, Bismarck Bucks and the Sioux Falls Storm of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Oxnard College. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Marion Mayhem in 2009. He played with the Mayhem until their disbanding during the 2010 season. Tatum then finished the 2010 season with the Fort Wayne FireHawks. Tatum then returned to Marion in 2011, when a new franchise called the Marion Blue Racers expanded into the CIFL. Tatum has also played for the Everett Raptors of the IFL.
The Northern Kentucky River Monsters were a professional indoor football team based in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The River Monsters began play as a charter member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) for its inaugural 2011 season spending one season in the UIFL before reaching an agreement with league management to leave. After a two-year hiatus, the River Monsters returned in 2014 as a member of the South Division of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The River Monsters played their home games at The Bank of Kentucky Center. On June 6, 2011, it was announced that the UIFL and the River Monsters mutually agreed to part ways, leaving the team free to join another league. However, the UIFL had a lease agreement with the arena, which hampered the likelihood the River Monsters would play in Highland Heights in 2012. The team had been mentioned as a charter member Stadius Football Association in 2012, but that league never got off the ground. The team suspended operations on October 1, 2014.
Derrick Crawford is a former American indoor football defensive lineman. He has most recently played for the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League. He attended Avon Park High School in Avon Park, Florida, where he was a standout at tight end being named the 1997 Florida District 12 3A Player of the Year. After a junior college career at Trinity Valley Community College, Crawford attended Texas A&M University-Commerce where he was a standout on defense, twice being named to All-Lone Star Conference Teams and named the conference's Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2003.
The Dayton Silverbacks were a professional indoor football team based in Dayton, Ohio. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The franchise started as the Miami Valley Silverbacks and joined the CIFL in 2007 after playing their inaugural season as an expansion team in the American Indoor Football Association. The Silverbacks were the fourth indoor football team to be based in Dayton, the first being the Dayton Skyhawks of the original Indoor Football League. The Skyhawks were followed by the Dayton Warbirds, who later became the Dayton Bulldogs, of the National Indoor Football League and the third being the Cincinnati Marshals who played their 2007 season in Dayton. The Silverbacks played their home games at Hara Arena in nearby Trotwood, Ohio.
The Kane County Dawgs were a professional indoor American football team based in Kane County, Illinois. The team joined the Continental Indoor Football League in 2013 as an expansion team. The Dawgs were one of three indoor football teams based in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League are based in Rosemont, and the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League are based in Hoffman Estates. The CIFL has had the Chicago Pythons which replaced the Chicago Knights, formerly the Chicago Cardinals, as the Illinois-based CIFL team, which replaced the Slaughter after they left for the Indoor Football League after a dispute with CIFL management. The Owners of the Dawgs are Mike Dortch and Macey Brooks. The Dawgs played their home games at the Seven Bridges Ice Arena in 2013.
The 2013 Kane County Dawgs season was a short-lived season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
Shawn Liotta is currently the Head Football Coach at Fan Controlled Sports and Entertainment and is the author of the book "No Huddle No Mercy" which details his record setting offensive system that has been used by football programs around the world. Since 2018 Liotta has served as the Head Football Coach at Burrell High School
The 2010 Erie Storm season was the 4th season for the American Indoor Football Association franchise.
The 2009 Erie RiverRats season was the third season for the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) franchise.
The 2008 Erie RiverRats season was the 2nd season for the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) franchise.
The 2007 Pittsburgh RiverRats season was the 1st season for the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) franchise. The Explosion began play in 2007 as the Pittsburgh RiverRats, playing that season's home games at the Rostraver Ice Garden in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania. The "RiverRats" name and logo were originally supposed to be used by the Reading Express, but that team chose the Express branding instead, freeing it up for use by another American Indoor Football League (AIFL) team. In August 2006, more arguments came about the RiverRats name as a team in the Eastern Indoor Football League, called the 3 River Rats, had intentions of suing the RiverRats to retain the naming rights of the team.
Charles J. Tarver is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Hudson Valley Community College
