Rock River Raptors
Encyclopedia
This page is for the Continental Indoor Football League team, for the National Premier Soccer League
team also based in Rockford, see Rockford Raptors
.
The Rock River Raptors are a professional indoor football team in the Continental Indoor Football League, USA. The Raptors play at the Rockford MetroCentre
. The franchise was established in 2000 as the Tennessee Valley Vipers
, a charter member of af2
. The franchise was based at the Von Braun Center
in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2005, the franchise moved to United Indoor Football
as the Tennessee Valley Raptors. To accommodate the Vipers' af2 return to Huntsville, team owner Art Clarkson announced in August 2005 that the franchise would relocate to Rockford, Illinois
. Coincidentally, Rockford was the site of the first-ever Arena Football game in 1986.
On October 1, 2007, the Raptors announced they will not play in the UIF in 2008. Eighteen days later, they announced they would move to the CIFL to begin play there for the 2008 season.
The team is not to be confused with the Rockford Raptors
, a soccer
team also based in Rockford, which is a member of the National Premier Soccer League
.
| colspan="6" align="center" | Tennessee Valley Raptors (UIF)
|-
|2005 || 6 || 9 || 0 || 3rd South || Won Round 1 (Fort Wayne
)
Lost Semifinals (Sioux City
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Rock River Raptors (UIF)
|-
|2006 || 11 || 4 || 0 || 1st Central || Won Round 1 (Sioux City
)
Lost Semifinals (Lexington
)
|-
|2007 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1st East || Lost Round 1 (Bloomington
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Rock River Raptors (CIFL)
|-
|2008 || 7 || 5 || 0 || 2nd Great Lakes West || Won GLD West Finals (Chicago)
Lost GLD Championship (Kalamazoo
)
|-
|2009 || 7 || 5 || 0 || 3rd Western || --
|-
!Totals || 41 || 28 ||
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...
team also based in Rockford, see Rockford Raptors
Rockford Raptors
The Rockford Raptors were an American soccer team based in Rockford, Illinois. The team began in the USISL and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. In 1999, the team was relegated to the Premier Development League....
.
The Rock River Raptors are a professional indoor football team in the Continental Indoor Football League, USA. The Raptors play at the Rockford MetroCentre
Rockford MetroCentre
The BMO Harris Bank Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Rockford, Illinois. It is currently home to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs hockey team...
. The franchise was established in 2000 as the Tennessee Valley Vipers
Tennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
, a charter member of af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
. The franchise was based at the Von Braun Center
Von Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2005, the franchise moved to United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
as the Tennessee Valley Raptors. To accommodate the Vipers' af2 return to Huntsville, team owner Art Clarkson announced in August 2005 that the franchise would relocate to Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. Coincidentally, Rockford was the site of the first-ever Arena Football game in 1986.
On October 1, 2007, the Raptors announced they will not play in the UIF in 2008. Eighteen days later, they announced they would move to the CIFL to begin play there for the 2008 season.
The team is not to be confused with the Rockford Raptors
Rockford Raptors
The Rockford Raptors were an American soccer team based in Rockford, Illinois. The team began in the USISL and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. In 1999, the team was relegated to the Premier Development League....
, a soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team also based in Rockford, which is a member of the National Premier Soccer League
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...
.
Season-By-Season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Tennessee Valley Raptors (UIF)
|-
|2005 || 6 || 9 || 0 || 3rd South || Won Round 1 (Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne Freedom
The Fort Wayne Freedom was a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, the team retained a red, white, and blue color scheme, and played in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum....
)
Lost Semifinals (Sioux City
Sioux City Bandits
The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team, currently a member of the American Professional Football League. They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center....
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Rock River Raptors (UIF)
|-
|2006 || 11 || 4 || 0 || 1st Central || Won Round 1 (Sioux City
Sioux City Bandits
The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team, currently a member of the American Professional Football League. They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center....
)
Lost Semifinals (Lexington
Lexington Horsemen
The Kentucky Horsemen were an indoor football team based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team played its home games at Rupp Arena. The organization began as a 2003 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, where they were successful...
)
|-
|2007 || 10 || 5 || 0 || 1st East || Lost Round 1 (Bloomington
Bloomington Extreme
The Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,...
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Rock River Raptors (CIFL)
|-
|2008 || 7 || 5 || 0 || 2nd Great Lakes West || Won GLD West Finals (Chicago)
Lost GLD Championship (Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Xplosion
The Kalamazoo Xplosion are a 2007 expansion team of the Continental Indoor Football League, formerly the Great Lakes Indoor Football League. They are based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and they play their home games at Wings Stadium.-History:...
)
|-
|2009 || 7 || 5 || 0 || 3rd Western || --
|-
!Totals || 41 || 28 ||
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
2008 Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14 | Kalamazoo Xplosion Kalamazoo Xplosion The Kalamazoo Xplosion are a 2007 expansion team of the Continental Indoor Football League, formerly the Great Lakes Indoor Football League. They are based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and they play their home games at Wings Stadium.-History:... |
Away | Lost 26-33 (OT) |
| March 21 | Muskegon Thunder Muskegon Thunder The West Michigan ThunderHawks are a member of the Indoor Football League L The team is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, starting in 2010 the ThunderHawks will play their home games at the DeltaPlex Arena in nearby Walker From their inception in 2007 until 2009, the ThunderHawks were known as the... |
Away | Lost 36-44 |
| March 29 | Chicago Slaughter | Home | Won 55-45 |
| April 4 | Fort Wayne Freedom Fort Wayne Freedom The Fort Wayne Freedom was a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, the team retained a red, white, and blue color scheme, and played in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.... |
Home | Won 64-29 |
| April 19 | Fort Wayne Freedom Fort Wayne Freedom The Fort Wayne Freedom was a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, the team retained a red, white, and blue color scheme, and played in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.... |
Away | Lost 54-55 |
| April 26 | Saginaw Sting Saginaw Sting The Saginaw Sting are a team in the Continental Indoor Football League that began play as a 2008 expansion franchise in the Continental Indoor Football League and then moved to the Indoor Football League for the 2009 season and then suspended operations after the season... |
Home | Won 51-50 |
| May 3 | Chicago Slaughter | Away | Lost 59-67 |
| May 10 | Kalamazoo Xplosion Kalamazoo Xplosion The Kalamazoo Xplosion are a 2007 expansion team of the Continental Indoor Football League, formerly the Great Lakes Indoor Football League. They are based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and they play their home games at Wings Stadium.-History:... |
Home | Lost 28-36 |
| May 17 | Flint Phantoms Flint Phantoms The Flint Phantoms were a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, playing in the 2008 season. They played their home games at the Perani Arena and Event Center, which was previously home to the Indoor Football League's Flint Flames in 2000, and the playoff home for the defunct Michigan... |
Home | Won 69-38 |
| May 23 | Milwaukee Bonecrushers | Away | Won 56-3 |
| May 31 | Flint Phantoms Flint Phantoms The Flint Phantoms were a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, playing in the 2008 season. They played their home games at the Perani Arena and Event Center, which was previously home to the Indoor Football League's Flint Flames in 2000, and the playoff home for the defunct Michigan... |
Away | Won 49-6 |
| June 7 | Milwaukee Bonecrushers | Home | Won 53-29 |
| June 13 | Chicago Slaughter (Playoffs) | Away | Won 54-39 |
| June 21 | Kalamazoo Xplosion Kalamazoo Xplosion The Kalamazoo Xplosion are a 2007 expansion team of the Continental Indoor Football League, formerly the Great Lakes Indoor Football League. They are based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and they play their home games at Wings Stadium.-History:... (Playoffs) |
Away | Lost 42-56 |
2009 Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 7 | Wisconsin Wolfpack Wisconsin Wolfpack The Wisconsin Wolfpack was an American football franchise based in Wisconsin. The Wolfpack name and brand has been used for two teams: an indoor football team in the Continental Indoor Football League and a traditional football team in the Mid Continental Football League.The indoor and outdoor... |
Home | Lost 38 - 40 |
| March 20 | Milwaukee Bonecrushers | Home | Lost 40 - 53 |
| March 27 | Chicago Slaughter | Away | Lost 38 - 69 |
| April 4 | Wisconsin Wolfpack Wisconsin Wolfpack The Wisconsin Wolfpack was an American football franchise based in Wisconsin. The Wolfpack name and brand has been used for two teams: an indoor football team in the Continental Indoor Football League and a traditional football team in the Mid Continental Football League.The indoor and outdoor... |
Away | Lost 23 - 50 |
| April 11 | Miami Valley Silverbacks Miami Valley Silverbacks The Dayton Silverbacks are a professional indoor football team based in Dayton, Ohio. A member of the Continental Indoor Football League, the Silverbacks play their home games at Hara Arena in nearby Trotwood.-History:... |
Home | Won 41 - 14 |
| April 18 | Milwaukee Bonecrushers | Away | Won 41 - 31 |
| April 25 | Wisconsin Wolfpack Wisconsin Wolfpack The Wisconsin Wolfpack was an American football franchise based in Wisconsin. The Wolfpack name and brand has been used for two teams: an indoor football team in the Continental Indoor Football League and a traditional football team in the Mid Continental Football League.The indoor and outdoor... |
Home | Won 25 - 21 |
| May 1 | Fort Wayne Freedom Fort Wayne Freedom The Fort Wayne Freedom was a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, the team retained a red, white, and blue color scheme, and played in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.... |
Away | Won 48 - 46 |
| May 9 | Chicago Slaughter | Home | Lost 47 - 77 |
| May 16 | Milwaukee Bonecrushers | Home | Won 32 - 12 |
| May 23 | Wheeling Wildcats Wheeling Wildcats The Wheeling Wildcats are a professional indoor football team located in Wheeling, West Virginia and beginning play in the CIFL's 2009 season. The team will fill the void left by the demise of the Ohio Valley Greyhounds, who played their final down of football in 2007... |
Away | Won 46-34 |
| June 6 | Marion Mayhem Marion Mayhem Marion Mayhem was an indoor American football team. It was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League , later renamed the Continental Indoor Football League . The team folded during the 2010 season due to financial problems. They played their home games at the Veterans Memorial... |
Away | Won 43-40 |