The West Texas Wildcatters were a professional indoor football team based in Odessa, Texas . The Wildcatters played their home games at the Ector County Coliseum . The Wildcatters began play in 2014 an expansion team in the Lone Star Football League (LSFL). They had planned on joining the CIF in 2014 during the merger of the LSFL and Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL), but were left out of the league.
19-784: The Wildcatters were the second indoor football team to call Odessa home, following the West Texas Roughnecks (originally the Odessa Roughnecks) which played in Intense Football League in 2004 and again from 2006 to 2008, the National Indoor Football League in 2005, the Indoor Football League from 2009 to 2011 and the LSFL from 2012 to 2013 before folding after they could not find a new owner. After
38-664: A new team would replace the Roughnecks at the Ector County Coliseum in 2014 – the West Texas Wildcatters . Like the Roughnecks did in their last season, the Wildcatters competed in the LSFL. In 2003, the nearly 20-year-old Arena Football League , which until then had been primarily in major markets like New York City and Chicago, began spreading across the nation into smaller to middle-sized cities. Jerry Jones of
57-669: A professional indoor football team based in Odessa, Texas that plays in the Lone Star Football League . The team's nickname was a tribute to the oil industry, which has been the source of Odessa's wealth over the past century. The team began operations in 2004 as the Odessa Roughnecks , a charter member of the Intense Football League (IFL). In 2005 , the IFL merged with the NIFL . For
76-799: The 2006 season, the IFL was resurrected, and the Odessa Roughnecks returned to their original league. In 2008 the Intense Football League merged again, this time with the UIF to create the Indoor Football League . The team played its home games at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa. The team was sold by its original owner (Tommy Benizio) in September 2008 to Allegiance Pro Sports, Inc. In January 2010, Dale and Jay Morris of Midland, Texas purchased
95-404: The 2009 season games were broadcast on KMCM , and KQRX broadcast the games in 2009–2011. With the LSFL having games available online through America One, no radio contract was made during the 2012 season. For the 2012 season, the Roughnecks moved to the Lone Star Football League . After the 2012 season, the team was put up for sale and never purchased. It was announced on October 16, 2013, that
114-984: The 2014 season the Lone Star Football League merged with the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) to become the Champions Indoor Football (CIF). The Venom and Bandits became part of the new league while the Sol joined the X-League Indoor Football (XLIF), but the Wildcatters have made no announcement of which league they would join and are now considered defunct. Running backs Wide receivers Defensive Lineman Defensive backs Kickers Exempt List rookies in italics Roster updated May 28, 2014 17 Active, 0 Inactive West Texas Roughnecks The West Texas Roughnecks were
133-650: The LSFL played with just five teams. Amarillo, Laredo, Corpus Christi, and Abilene (now known as the Bombers) returned from the 2012 season. The league added two new teams; the expansion San Angelo Bandits and the New Mexico Stars (formerly of the Indoor Football League and the LSFL's first and only team outside of Texas). The league announced in October that the Corpus Christi Hammerheads had been removed from
152-464: The LSFL, with a total $ 3,000 team salary cap per game, which averaged between $ 100 and $ 450 per player. The 2012 season began with the Houston Stallions , Amarillo Venom , Rio Grande Valley Magic , Laredo Rattlesnakes , West Texas Roughnecks , Corpus Christi Hammerheads , and Abilene Ruff Riders participating. While a number of the other teams scheduled to launch in 2012 did not make it to
171-500: The NFL's Dallas Cowboys kicked off his AFL franchise in Dallas and secured the rights to every smaller market in the state of Texas with a suitable arena for indoor football. When Jones could not be reached to discuss selling these rights, a new league was formed throughout the state. In August 2003, Chad Dittman, President of the fledgling Intense Football League announced that Odessa would be one of
190-441: The Roughnecks from Allegiance Pro Sports. The Roughnecks were coached by Chris Williams. The 2011 season will be Coach Williams's eighth season with the Roughnecks. The Roughnecks won its first championship in 2006 at Intense Bowl 2 by beating the Corpus Christi Hammerheads 97–56, which was an Intense Football League record for most points scored by one team in a game. The team finished with an overall record of 14–2. Up through
209-775: The Sioux Falls Storm of the United Indoor Football League lost to the Omaha Beef 34–18, ending their historic 40-game winning streak and giving them their first loss since July 15, 2005. They went on to win their fourth United Bowl later that season against the Bloomington Extreme. 2004–2012 - Chris Williams (74–47) Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Kickers Inactive roster Practice squad Lone Star Football League The Lone Star Football League ( LSFL )
SECTION 10
#1732859507830228-718: The arm of Bobby Glenn Ruth Jr. The record was broken with a 55–35 win over the Laredo Lobos in Odessa on June 17, 2006, giving the Roughnecks 26 straight regular season wins. The streak began with a 20–0 victory against the San Angelo Stampede on July 31, 2004, in San Angelo, Texas and ended at 27 wins with a 70–63 loss against the Louisiana Swashbucklers on July 1, 2006, in Lake Charles, Louisiana . On March 29, 2008,
247-402: The direction of head coach Chris Williams, who led the team to a 9–7 record and home field advantage in the playoffs. Lubbock defeated Odessa in overtime just one game shy of the championship but the season did not end without the success of leading the IFL in attendance and having promoted more players to the next level than any other team in the league. This success became well known throughout
266-530: The league due to its ownership violating by-laws. The Amarillo Venom defeated the Laredo Rattlesnakes 70–69 to repeat as league champions. After the season, in late September 2013, the Laredo franchise announced it was ceasing operations due to the financial and legal difficulties of its owner. With the Laredo and Abilene franchises failing to return, the LSFL added the West Texas Wildcatters in Odessa and
285-484: The national football community, and along with the hard work of the teams coaches, Odessa enjoyed a very rare undefeated regular season in the National Indoor Football League in 2005. Despite losing one game shy of the championship again, the Roughnecks were once more atop of their league in attendance, successfully hosted the first ever NIFL All-Star Game, and could boast a 16–1 overall record. The team
304-534: The sites for his new professional indoor football league. Through prayer shortly after, Abby and Tommy Benizio decided to purchased the franchise and moved to the Permian Basin along with their pet prairie dogs. By the close of 2003, the franchise creatively announced the name of "Roughnecks" along with the unveiling of a logo fit for the community and a mascot who has become a staple in both Odessa and Midland known as Digger. The team kicked off on May 8, 2004, under
323-644: The start of the regular season, only the Mesquite Bandits had their franchise revoked rather than fold voluntarily. The Houston team was 7–0 when it folded halfway through the season. The Amarillo Venom finished the regular season 10–4 and went on to defeat the Rio Grande Valley Magic 62–40 in the LSFL championship game. Former Clemson linebacker Antonio Clay was practicing with the West Texas Roughnecks in Odessa, Texas in 2012. [1] For 2013,
342-641: Was a regional professional indoor football minor league that played three seasons from 2012 to 2014. All of the LSFL's charter teams were based in the state of Texas , with five teams coming from the Southern Indoor Football League , three from the Indoor Football League , plus one expansion team. The LSFL played three seasons to completion before merging with the Champions Professional Indoor Football League in August 2014 to form Champions Indoor Football . Individual player salaries were varied in
361-473: Was later bought by Jay and Dale Morris of Midland, Texas, who changed the team name to the West Texas Roughnecks. For the 2012 season, the Roughnecks joined the Lone Star Football League . After the season, the team was put up for sale. With no buyer stepping forward, the team officially folded in October 2013. The Roughnecks at one time held the longest regular-season winning streak in professional football history with 27 straight regular-season victories under
#829170