American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Chambersburg, PennsylvaniaChambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
.
1946
The team was founded on the basis of local players returning from WWII, they were looking to return back to a life they once remembered. The name Chambersburg Amateurs was selected.
1947
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
The team was independent and played other teams from around the area. Home games were played at Henninger FieldHenninger Field is a little-known, historic ballpark located in historic Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.Erected in 1895, Henninger Field, , is the home of the Chambersburg Maroons...
. The first game was at home on 11/11/47 against the Harrisburg Eagles. They won by a score of 7-0. After that game, they felt they needed a new name and the Thundering Herd was adopted for the remaining two games.
Chambersburg Amateurs 7 – Harrisburg Eagles 0
Thundering Herd 13 – Norristown Red Roses 0
Thundering Herd 12 – Lancaster Presidents 7
Record 3-0 PF – 32 / PA – 7
1948
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
After the 1947 season, the name Thundering Herd never seemed right. After some thought, the name Cardinals was selected and the rest was history.
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Martinsburg Spitfires 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – South End A.C. (Hagerstown) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 37 – Twin Valley Rockets (Lykens) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Osceola Mills Redskins 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – Altoona Legionnaires 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 – Norristown Red Roses 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 37 – Martinsburg Legionnaires 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Harrisburg Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Harrisburg Eagles 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 - Osceola Mills Redskins 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Hagerstown Marketeers 0
Record 10-0-2 PF – 268 / PA – 13
1949
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
1949 was the first year the Cardinals experienced a loss. The team was the Waynesboro Tigers. That was the first of many battles against their enemy from the south.
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – South End A.C. (Hagerstown) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Cumberland G.O.P. 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Washington Willow Trees 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Martinsburg Spitfires 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 8 – Harrisburg Eagles 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 40 – Lewistown Steamrollers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Gablesville Owls (Boyertown) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Waynesboro Tigers 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Bressler AA Ramblers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Harrisburg Eagles 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 - Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 53 - Hagerstown Marketeers 0
Record 10-1-1 PF – 251 / PA – 26
1950
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
The Cardinals “Power House” presence stated to lose steam with a total of 4 losses for the year. They did however revenge that first defeat to the Waynesboro Tigers by a score of 18-7.
Chambersburg Cardinals 35 – Harrisburg Uptown A.C. Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 35 – Lancaster Presidents 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 2 – York White Roses 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Portage Bulldogs 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Washington Car Credit 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – York 49’ers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 18 – Waynesboro Tigers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – Annapolis Blue Devils 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Columbus Towhill Lions 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Harrisburg Eagles 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 - Lancaster Presidents 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 - York White Roses 14
Record 8-4 PF – 205 / PA – 67
1951
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
This year the team just made it over the 100 mark in point scores. Not the norm for a team that had scored over 200+ each full season prior.
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Washington Willow Trees 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – York White Roses 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Washington Car Credit 9
Chambersburg Cardinals 15 – Harrisburg Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Waynesboro Tigers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Harrisburg Eagles 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – York White Roses 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Hagerstown Merchants 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Washington Car Credit 15
Record 7-3 PF – 108 / PA – 62
1952
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
The Cardinals offensive prowess had not been what it was, and certainly giving up more points that taking, showed this fact.
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Indiantown Gap Red Devils 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 2 – Harrisburg Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Washington Car Credit 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 15 – Washington Willow Trees 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 16 – Waynesboro Tigers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Harrisburg Eagles 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 35 – Hagerstown Rams 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Indiantown Gap Red Devils 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Stonewall A.C. 13
Record 5-4-1 PF – 107 / PA – 108
1953
Independent Team / Coach “Bus” Peters
In 1953 they realized what they were not doing to put wins on the board and that was scoring. The team scored the most points in their history (69) against the Anacostia Eagles.
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Waynesboro Tigers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 16 – Washington Willow Trees 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Ashland Miners 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Harrisburg Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Washington Car Credit 14
Chambersburg Cardinals 38 – Lebanon Rams 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 69 – Anacostia Eagles 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 48 – Susquehanna Eagles 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Harrisburg Lions 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 29 – Waynesboro Tigers 0
Record 8-3 PF – 238 / PA – 41
1954
Independent Team / Coach Merle Leisher
The offense was certainly getting back to what it does best. The Cardinals set yet another team record by compiling 280 points for the season.
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Harrisburg Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Ashland Miners 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Venango Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Portage Bulldogs 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Harrisburg Lions 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 15 – Mechanicsburg (Harrisburg) Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Ashland Miners 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 57 – York White Roses 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Washington Car Credit 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Waynesboro Tigers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 23 – Susquehanna Eagles 0
Record 10-1-1 PF – 280 / PA – 54
1955
Independent Team / Coach Merle Leisher
The defense was certainly coming along at the team posted 8 shutouts. Certainly makes for some easy winning when the other team doesn’t score. They did lose their first game but was able to quickly turn the team around for finish the season with that only loss.
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Philadelphia Bisons 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – Fifth Ward A.C. (Lebanon) 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Harrisburg Eagles 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Mechanicsburg Bears 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 42 – Willow Grove Gridders 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – Marcus Hook Oilers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Alexandria Rams 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Waynesboro Tigers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Washington Car Credit 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Cumberland Valley Colts 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Mechanicsburg Bears 0
Record 9-1-1 PF – 199 / PA – 25
1956
The team disbanded due to difficulty scheduling quality teams. The Cardinals would not field another team until 1968.
Joining a League
The second incarnation of the Cardinals entered the Interstate Football League as an expansion team in 1968. They played in the IFL until 1971 when a portion of the IFL, including Chambersburg, merged with the Mason-Dixon Football League to become the Seaboard Football LeagueThe Seaboard Football League was a minor American football league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded after the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent....
-- a league that held, among other teams, the Hartford Knights, Long Island Chiefs and New England Colonials, who were, or would move to, the Atlantic Coast Football LeagueThe Atlantic Coast Football League was a minor football league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.For the...
in 1973. They went on to win the league crown in 1973 (when some of the better teams left for the ACFL) before the team and league folded midseason in 1974.
1968
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Harry Hopple
The Chambersburg Cardinals returned with Coach Harry Hopple at the wheel. They played their first game on 08/17/68 vs. Baltimore Eagles. They lost that game 7-33 and finished the season 5th in the league standings.
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Baltimore Eagles 33
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Waynesboro Tigers 19
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Cumberland Colts 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Troy Chiefs 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 52 – Red Lion Lions 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Reading Keystones 18
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Baltimore Eagles 18
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Frederick Falcons 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Red Lion Lions 26
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Waynesboro Tigers 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Frederick Falcons 33
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 – Cumberland Colts 14
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Troy Chiefs 0
Record 4-9 PF – 177 / PA – 249
1969
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Harry Hopple
1969 was the year that certainly is remembered by many of Chambersburg and surrounding football fans. First year the Cardinals won a championship vs. Frederick Falcons on 11/22/69.
Chambersburg Cardinals 30 – Waynesboro Tigers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 35 – Baltimore Eagles 19
Chambersburg Cardinals 40 – Cumberland Colts 19
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 12
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Frederick Falcons 33
Chambersburg Cardinals 29 – Hagerstown Bears 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Hanover Packers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 – Frederick Falcons 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 47 – Hagerstown Bears 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 – Waynesboro Tigers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Cumberland Colts 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 8 – Baltimore Eagles 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Hanover Packers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Frederick Falcons 28 / Championship Game
Record 11-4 PF – 402 / PA – 189
1970
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Harry Hopple
1970 was a strange year as the Cardinals had some blowout games both giving and receiving. They still ended up winning their division.
Chambersburg Cardinals 30 – Hanover Packers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 35 – Baltimore Eagles 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 40 – Cumberland Colts 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 47
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – York Lions 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 29 – Hagerstown Bears 24
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Carroll County Chargers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 – Hagerstown Bears 3
Chambersburg Cardinals 47 – Hanover Packers 19
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Carroll County Chargers 21
Chambersburg Cardinals 26 – Waynesboro Tigers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Cumberland Colts 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 8 – Waynesboro Tigers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – York Lions 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 25 – Frederick Falcons 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Frederick Falcons 40
Record 12-4 PF – 425 / PA – 147
1971
Seaboard Football League (SFL) / Coach Ralph Tolbert
With a change in leagues, another Head Coach stepped in for Mr. Hopple by the name of Ralph Tolbert. They ended up finishing second in their division.
Chambersburg Cardinals 39 – Conshohocken Steelers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 47
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Washington Generals 3
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Ridley Township Green Knights 52
Chambersburg Cardinals 33 – Hagerstown Bears 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Frederick Falcons 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 15 – Carroll County Chargers 16
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 45
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – Ridley Township Green Knights 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 82 – Washington Generals 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 23 – Conshohocken Steelers 12
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Hagerstown Bears 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 10 – Frederick Falcons 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 23 – Conshohocken Steelers 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Carroll County Chargers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 31
Record 9-7 PF – 350 / PA – 321
1972
Seaboard Football League (SFL) / Coach Tom Carr
King CorcoranJames Sean Patrick "King" Corcoran was an American football quarterback in the Atlantic Coast Football League, Seaboard Football League, World Football League, and briefly in the American Football League. Corcoran played college football, mostly as a back-up, for the Maryland Terrapins...
played for the Cardinals in 1972, after the Cardinals offered him a starting job. Corcoran had played for the Montreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
but refused to take a job as a backup. Corcoran left for the Philadelphia BellThe Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell....
of the World Football LeagueThe World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
in 1974.
’72 saw another change at the helm. The new Head Coach was Tom Carr. He led the Cardinals to the Championship game only to lose to the Hartford Knights by a score of 7-17.
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Conshohocken Steelers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 43 – Baltimore Eagles 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 45
Chambersburg Cardinals 19 – Hagerstown Bears 34
Chambersburg Cardinals 43 – Long Island Chiefs 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Aston Green Knights 0 (OT)
Chambersburg Cardinals 23 – Conshohocken Steelers 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Schuylkill Coalcrackers 45
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Hartford Knights 47
Chambersburg Cardinals 31 – Hagerstown Bears 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 37 – Portsmouth Buccaneers 7
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Hartford Knights 17
Chambersburg Cardinals 14 – Long Island Chiefs 17
Chambersburg Cardinals F – Conshohocken Steelers -
Chambersburg Cardinals 10 – Aston Green Knights 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 28 – Portsmouth Buccaneers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Aston Green Knights 12
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Hartford Knights 17 / Championship Game
Record 14-4 PF – 356 / PA – 192
1973
Seaboard Football League (SFL) / Coach Tom Carr
The Cardinals won their second championship against a team from upstate New York called the Albany Metro Mallers. The final score was 31-12.
Chambersburg Cardinals 16 – Columbus Barons 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 48 – Washington Stonewalls 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 57 – Philadelphia Pros 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 23 – Hagerstown Bears 3
Chambersburg Cardinals 51 – Wyoming Valley Giants 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 28 – Aston Green Knights 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Binghamton Jets 27
Chambersburg Cardinals 30 – Bucks County Steelers 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Albany Metro Mallers 10
Chambersburg Cardinals 29 – Aston Green Knights 19
Chambersburg Cardinals F – Bucks County Steelers -
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Hagerstown Bears 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 30 – Lackawanna Eagles 13
Chambersburg Cardinals 17 – Binghamton Jets 3
Chambersburg Cardinals 31 – Albany Metro Mallers 12 / Championship Game
Record 41-1 PF – 428 / PA – 132
1974
Seaboard Football League (SFL) / Coach Tom Carr
This year the team folder midway through the season with a 4-3 record. A major reason behind the folding was community resentment following a home game against the Boston Colonials in which the stadium lights failed and 4,000 fans were sent home without a refund. The team folded on 09/24/74
Chambersburg Cardinals 51 – Jersey Oaks 0
Chambersburg Cardinals 34 – Brooklyn Golden Knights 0
Chambersburg Cardinals PF – Boston Colonials PF
Chambersburg Cardinals 23 – Lackawanna Eagles 17 (2OT)
Chambersburg Cardinals 27 – Valley Forge Minutemen 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Wilkes Barre Bullets 14
Chambersburg Cardinals 21 – Wilkes Barre Bullets 26
Chambersburg Cardinals 9 – Bridgeport Jets 10
Record 4-3 PF – 172 / PA – 73
1976
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Don Heiges
The Cardinals returned to the IFL with a new leader. His name was Don Heiges and organization was on the top of his list. The team finished third in their division.
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Harrisburg Cowboys 26 (OT)
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Binghamton Jets 35
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Northeast Stars 27
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Frederick Falcons 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Hanover Rhinos 24
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Cumberland Colts 3
Chambersburg Cardinals 49 – Alleghany Cougars 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 12 – Hanover Rhinos 9
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Frederick Falcons 26
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Carroll County Chargers 10
Chambersburg Cardinals F – Alleghany Cougars -
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Cumberland Colts 16
Record 4-8 PF – 128 / PA – 202
Era of champions
Between 1977 and 1984, the Cardinals won 72 straight regular season games, including five perfect seasonA perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
s, a record for non-collegiate football, although there is record of at least one loss in that time frame, to the Racine Gladiators in the 1981 Minor Professional Football League championship.
1977
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Don Heiges
The Cardinals returned to the IFL with a new leader. His name was Don Heiges and organization was on the top of his list. The team finished third in their division.
Chambersburg Cardinals 20 – Harrisburg Cowboys 26 (OT)
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Binghamton Jets 35
Chambersburg Cardinals 13 – Northeast Stars 27
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Frederick Falcons 20
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Hanover Rhinos 24
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Cumberland Colts 3
Chambersburg Cardinals 49 – Alleghany Cougars 6
Chambersburg Cardinals 12 – Hanover Rhinos 9
Chambersburg Cardinals 7 – Frederick Falcons 26
Chambersburg Cardinals 0 – Carroll County Chargers 10
Chambersburg Cardinals F – Alleghany Cougars -
Chambersburg Cardinals 6 – Cumberland Colts 16
Record 4-8 PF – 128 / PA – 202
1978
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Don Heiges
In 1978 the team had a 14-0 record and averaged over 48 points per game, no one challenged them for the national championship. That same year the Cardinals' cousin, the Franklin County Minutemen, joined the Mason Dixon Football League and captured the title.
1980
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Don Heiges
The Cardinals were named national co-champions by Pro-Football Weekly alongside the Pierce County Bengals after a 16-0 season.
1982
Interstate Football League (IFL) / Coach Bob Herstine
In 1982, the Cardinals defeated the Chicago Lions in the championship game held at Trojan Stadium while being watched by over 5,000 fans.
AIFL
In 2006The 2006 American Indoor Football League was the league's 2nd overall season. The league champions were the Canton Legends, who defeated the Rome Renegades in American Bowl II.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
, after a reorganization of the American Indoor Football LeagueAmerican Indoor Football is a professional indoor football league that has gone through various incarnations since 2005.The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United States in 2005; after a rapid, and largely failed, expansion effort in 2006, most of the...
that saw the departure of the Syracuse SoldiersThe Syracuse Soldiers was a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football League. They played their home games at the War Memorial at Oncenter in Syracuse, New York until the AIFL ended their season on Friday, May 19, 2006....
, the Cardinals were asked to fill two holes in the schedule. In their first game against the nearby Johnstown RiverhawksThe Johnstown Riverhawks was a professional indoor football team based out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association. They played their home games at Cambria County War Memorial Arena....
, the Cardinals lost by a score of 68 to 0, billed as the first shutout in AIFL history, although, since it was an AIFL team against a non-AIFL team, that would not be a fair comparison. Their second game against league powerhouse Reading ExpressThe Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
had a similar result, a 74-0 loss. The AIFL declared that all records set against the Cardinals and the GhostchasersThe AIFL Ghostchasers was an all-road team that was created four weeks into the 2006 AIFL season after the Carolina Ghostriders lost 15-straight games and declared themselves inactive. This team was around for the remainder of the 2006 regular season, occupying the rest of the scheduled road...
, a team hastily established to fill the schedule of another team, the Carolina GhostridersThe Carolina Ghostriders is a now-defunct indoor football team and charter member of the American Indoor Football League. The team has a rather strange history....
(which, in turn, had been hastily assembled to fill the schedule of yet another team the year before), would be marked with an asteriskAn asterisk is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often pronounce it as star...
.
The games referenced were not, nor ever meant to be, anything other than scrimmages for the Cardinals. Both opponents considered them real games but the Cardinals used them as a way to judge new players since they were unable to obtain scrimmages with other teams. It should also be noted that the Cardinals were out of season, as the NAFL is a summer/fall league and the AIFL played in spring, and were likely unprepared for a full-contact game.
2007
North American Football League (NAFL) / Coach Jake Minnich
Returned the Cardinal name to Chambersburg and went back home to Trojan Stadium.
2010
Big North East Football Federation (BNEFF) / Coach Chad Fauson
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS vs. New Jersey Wolves 42-8 in Palisades Park, NJ (11/07/10)
2011
Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL) / Coach Chad Fauson
LEAGUE / NATIONAL CHAMPIONS vs. Oklahoma Thunder 19-14 in Atlanta, GA (10/01/11)
Current Team
The current team was born in 2010, when an investment group saw an opportunity with the existing trend in American Outdoor football. In 2007, NFL Europe folded and created a lack of placement for quality players. The talk of creating a farm system in the United States became a top issue for the NFL. The investment group felt that Chambersburg would be a great place to start such a team. They could look back through history and see how Chambersburg supported a semi-pro team called the Chambersburg Cardinals. The Cardinals went through many different phases. In the beginning, the Cardinals were labeled as an adult amateur team because of the local players just wanting to play football after high school was over. This went on up until 1969. In 1970 the team status changed to semi-pro where they recruited players and got them jobs and housing. This continued through the 70's and 80's. In the 90's, Arena Football and NFL Europe came on the scene. At that point, semi-pro football lost most quality players, and it returned to the local player adult amateur status. There were many debates while creating this new professional team. The biggest debate was whether to have a new name for the area or acquire the Cardinals name. The investment group embraced the history of the Cardinals and decided to acquire it. In 2010, the Cardinals recruited heavily and had over 20 players from around the country come to live in Chambersburg for the football season. Building from scratch, the team began a rise into its current position. The Cardinals, while in the Gridiron Developmental Football League, won the league title in 2011. From all the different statuses, the Cardinals have held, from adult amateur, to semi-pro, to now professional, Chambersburg has been an American Football league champion a total of 13 times.
External links
- http://www.chambersburgcardinals.com/history.html
- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/403432-semi-pro-football-coming-to-a-town-near-you
- http://www.semiprofootball.org
- http://www.nationalfootballevents.com
- http://minorleaguefootballnews.com
- http://www.americanfootballassn.com
- http://www.semiprofootball.org/minor/records/playscor.htm
- http://www.semiprofootball.org/minor/records/playpass.htm
- http://www.summithealth.org/cs/Satellite?c=eHA_Content_C&cid=1285348019769&pagename=Summit%2FeHA_Content_C%2FSummit_Press_Release_Content_Page_Template
- http://www.luckyshow.org/football/LIChiefs.htm
- http://www.shipraiders.com/hof.aspx?hof=60&path=&kiosk=
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