Fayetteville Guard

USFootball team
color1 = #567E3A
color2 = black
logo =
pixels = 150px
founded = 2003
league = NIFL (2003-2007)
AIFA (2008-present)
history = Myrtle Beach Stingrays 2003-2004
Carolina Rays 2004
Fayetteville Guard 2005-present
arena = Cumberland County Crown Coliseum
city = Fayetteville, North Carolina
colors = Black, Green, Gold, White
president = Richard King
coach = Reggie Pinkney
championships = 0
titles = 2 (2006, 2007 NIFL)
cheerleaders =
dancers = Reveille
mascot = Grid Iron Joe

The Fayetteville Guard is a professional indoor football team. They were a member of the National Indoor Football League from 2003-2007, but will join the American Indoor Football Association in 2008. They play their home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum. The team 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.

At the beginning of the 2004 season, the NIFL pulled them out of Myrtle Beach, and the team almost folded. However, some local investors saved the team, playing as the Carolina Stingrays in the Florence Civic Center. They managed to finish 3-6 in their shortened season.

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 and are currently playing as the South Georgia Wildcats. The new team had originally been called the Fayetteville Heat, but later on 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, thus earning them 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 even 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 would lose to the Billings Outlaws. The best player ever for the Fayetteville Guard wasformer Hawai'i QB-K Shawn-Ke'ali'i Withy-Allen, 6'5", 234 lbs.

In August 2006, it was reported that the Guard were moving to the World Indoor Football League [http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/081906/spa_93104.shtml] . However, the Guard denied these rumors by announcing that they were staying in the NIFL in a press conference two months later.

During a May 7, 2007 conference call, a group of NIFL team owners led by Guard owner Richard King decided to take control of the troubled league [http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=261860] ; a decision that was approved by NIFL director of football operations Cleveland Gary. The ten teams involved will finish out the season playing only against each other.

After a troubled NIFL season, the Guard played against the Wyoming Cavalry in the Indoor Football Championship Bowl, an unsanctioned championship game between the two conference leaders. They won the game 48-34. A day before the game, Guard owner Richard King announced they have decided to join the American Indoor Football Association.

Season-by-Season

-
colspan="6" align="center" | Myrtle Beach Stingrays (NIFL)
-
2003 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd Atlantic Southern || --
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Carolina Stingrays (NIFL)
-
2004 || 3 || 6 || 0 || 3rd Atlantic Southern || --
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Fayetteville Guard (NIFL)
-
2005 || 7 || 7 || 0 || 3rd Atlantic Central || Won AC Quarterfinal (Dayton)
Lost AC Divisional (Cincinnati)
-
2006 || 13 || 1 || 0 || 1st Atlantic Central || Won AC Semifinal (Lakeland)
Won AC Championship (River City)
Lost Indoor Bowl VI (Billings)
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Fayetteville Guard (NIFL/Independent)
-
2007 || 11 || 0 || 0 || 1st Atlantic || Won Indoor Football Championship Bowl (Wyoming)
-
colspan="6" align="center" | Fayetteville Guard (AIFA)
-
2008 || 5 || 9 || 0 || 4th EC Eastern || --
-
2009 || -- || -- || -- || -- || --
-!Totals || 49 || 33 || 0
colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
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2005

External links

* [http://www.fayettevilleguard.com/ Official website of the Fayetteville Guard]
* [http://www.thestatguys.com/AIFA/FAY.HTM Guard's 2008 Stats]