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  Northwest International Football League (1971-1979)

 

1971 Champion: Kirkland Bulldogs

1972 Champion: Seattle Cavaliers

1973 Champion: Pierce County Bengals 11-1

1974 Champion: Pierce County Bengals 10-1-1

1975 Champion: Pierce County Bengals 8-1

1976 Champion: Pierce County Bengals 12-0

1977 Champion: Pierce County Bengals 12-0

1978 Champion: Burien Flyers 11-1

1979 Champion: Pierce County Bengals 11-0

1980 Champion: Puget Sound Knights

1981 Champion: Seattle Cavaliers

1982 Champion: Washington County Grizzlies

1983 Champion: Oregon City Steelheads

 

Teams:

Pierce County Bengals (1973-1980)

Burien/Sea-Tac Flyers (1978-1980)

Van-Port Thunderbirds (1979-80)

Lynnwood-Edmonds Lions/Edmonds Chargers (1979)

Spokane Goldenhawks (1979-80)

Skagit Valley Raiders (1971-1979)

Kirkland/Eastside/Seattle Bulldogs (1971-74)

Seattle Cavaliers (1971-1979)

Kitsap County Chiefs (1978-1979)

Everett/Snohomish County Ramblers (1971-1978)

Seattle Titans (1975-1978)

Thurston County Vikings (1975-1976)

British Columbia Chargers (1971-74)

Seattle Bulldogs (1973-74)

Burnaby Barons (1973)

Whidbey Islanders (1971-73)

Whatcom County Lakers (1971-73)

Monroe Reformatory Tigers (1971-74)

 

Commissioner:

Frank Pomerleau (1971-1974)

Byron Smith (1975)

Ed Bemis (1980-1983)

 

Advisors:

Elmo Hudgens

Robert Davis

   

 

The Northwest International Football League was formed in the spring of 1971, originally consisting of the British Columbia Chargers, the Everett Ramblers, the Kirkland Bulldogs, the Whatcom County Lakers, the Whidbey Islanders and Monroe Reformatory.  Elmo Hudgens, with his 25 years of experience of semi-pro football ownership agreed to serve as an honorary member and consultant.

 

The first year ended in a 3-way tie between Kirkland, B.C. and Everett, with Kirkland acknowledged as the League winners since they had defeated everybody in the League under the first year schedule which had each team playing each other twice, even three times on some occasions, hence the slightly odd ending.

 

1972 saw the Seattle Cavaliers officially join the League and the British Columbia Chargers were split into 2 teams, the newcomer being the Burnaby Barons and with enough teams, a single game was played and the venerable Cavaliers emerged as League leaders.  The season ended with an All-Star game which the Cavaliers narrowly won 20-19 against a hand picked aggregation of the entire League.

 

In 1973, all the same teams returned and three new members sought membership- Pierce County Bengals, Skagit Valley Raiders and Sea-Tac Flyers of Burien, while Kirkland's name changed to Eastside Bulldogs in '72, is being considered for another change to Seattle Bulldogs, as most of their membership is from Seattle and their practices as well.

 

The League, while being called semi-professional, was actually the only amateur International tackle football organization in this hemisphere, if not the world.  The players were not paid, thereby never endangering the future college or other amateur status of any players.  Some teams did make provisions for travel reimbursement, but strictly within the Washington Athletic Union interpretations.

 

Headed by Commissioner Frank Pommerleau of Snohomish, assisted by Gerry Kay as Canadian Co-Commissioner, and Secretary-Treasurer and Public Relations by Marshall Paris of Bothell, co-owner of the Whidbey Islanders with an assist from Jerry Carson, experienced journalist and Seattle Cavalier member.

 

In 1974 the World Football League was formed and they placed a franchise in Toronto, in direct conflict with the Canadian Football League.  The Canadian Parliament passed a bill prohibiting any Canadian football team from playing in an American-based league.  Thus, bout the Chargers and Barons were forced to withdraw from the league.  Other changes saw the Whidbey Islanders merge with the Seattle Bulldogs, while the Flyer franchise played the season in Renton.  Once again on the field it was all Bengals going unbeaten and a 33-33 tie with the Cavaliers.  The All-Stars again nipped the Bengals 10-6.

 

In 1975 the Monroe Tigers dropped out and were replaced by the Thurston County Vikings out of Olympia and the Seattle Bulldogs, under new ownership changed to the Titans.  The Bengals again won the title with a perfect record.

 

The 1976 lineup remained the same and the Bengals won the championship over the Flyers 7-0.

 

The Bengals defeated the Ramblers in the '77 championship 23-0.  The playoffs were minus the Seattle Cavaliers who decided not to compete instead taking on Yakima Valley CC and Olympic CC.  Thurston County and Whatcom folded prior to the season while new teams formed at Fort Lewis and the Kitsap County Chiefs.

 

The 1978 season was the year of the Flyers.  For the first time in nearly five years the Bengals were defeated by a league opponent and again it was the Burien Flyers.  Defeating the Bengals early in the season, losing in mid-season, and then taking the rubber match in the NIFL championship for the title.  Authorities with the US Army disbanded the Fort Lewis Warrior team in the summer of 1978 sending a number of players to the Bengals including all-star and 1,000 yd rusher Grady Stroman.  Stroman, however, would not be available after the Bengals first game when he was sent to Europe.  He returned just in time for the playoffs.

 

The Seattle Titans and Snohomish County Ramblers would play their final games as their players would become the newly formed Lynnwood-Edmonds Lions which announced formation plans on Sept 13, Joe Brown as GM, this announcement coincided with the NIFL restructuring the last half of the league schedule.  The Goldenhawks and Thunderbirds entered the loop along with the Edmonds-Lynnwood Lions. 

 

1979 - Standings

 

The 1979 Burien Flyers could not repeat their phenomenal '78 championship campaign even with Warren Moon's backup QB Duane Akina calling the shots, and the Pierce County Bengals regained their championship ways going 11-0 and securing the title with a 12-9 OT victory over the Spokane Golden Hawks.

 

The 'Hawks, at times playing in front of crowds numbering 9,000 at Joe Albi Stadium, made an impressive 9-2 showing in their inaugural season.  These same Golden Hawks may have forced the name change of a team after a 59-0 dismantling on Aug 11.  After the Aug 4 jamboree, the Lynnwood-Edmonds Lions, a team made up of players from the now defunct Seattle Titans and Snohomish County Ramblers were embarrassed in front of 9,000 rabid Spokane fans.  When the season officially kicked off on Aug 18, the "Lions" were now being billed as the Edmonds Chargers perhaps in an effort to distance themselves from that game.  It didn't work.  The Chargers finished 2-6 for the season including another shellacking at the hands of the 'Hawks 71-0 on Sept 22..

 

The 1979 playoffs were played in Spokane's Joe Albi Stadium in double-header fashion.  The Bengals manhandled the Thunderbirds in the 4:30 affair and the hometown Golden Hawks worked over the Cavaliers in the 8 o'clock nightcap.

 

Quincey Williams of Phil Pompeo's Flyers set a record with a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Seattle Cavaliers on Aug 18.

 

The NIFL would field only 4 teams in 1980 with a separate group of teams restructuring under another banner.

   

1978 Schedule/Results

 
Aug 12  
Burien 48 Seattle Titans 0  
Aug 19  
Burien 14 Pierce County 3  
Aug 26  
Burien 25 Snohomish County 6  
Pierce County 47 Kitsap County 0  
Sept 2  
Skagit Valley @ Burien  
Seattle Cavaliers 25 Kitsap County 19  
Snohomish County 6 Pierce County 52  
Sept 9  
Seattle Titans @ Burien Flyers  
Pierce County 20 Seattle Cavaliers 12  
Skagit Valley 7 Snohomish County 2  
Sept 16  
Pierce County 36 Skagit Valley 6  
Sept 23  
Seattle Cavaliers @ Burien  
Pierce County @ Snohomish County cancel
Sept 30  
Burien 0 Pierce County 10  
Seattle Titans 0 Seattle Cavaliers 44  
Oct 7  
Burien @ Kitsap County  
Seattle Titans 0 Pierce County 46  
Oct 14  
Burien 19 Seattle Cavaliers 0  
Snohomish County @ Pierce County W FFT  
Oct 21  
Kitsap County 0 Burien 36  
Seattle Cavaliers @ Skagit Valley cancel
Oct 28 - NwIFL Playoffs  
Seattle Cavaliers 20 Pierce County 21  
Kitsap County 0 Burien 26  
Nov 4 - NwIFL Championship  
Burien 7 Pierce County 3  
   

1979 Schedule/Results

 
Aug 4 - NWIFL Jamboree  
Aug 11  
Burien vs Van-Port  
Lynnwood 0 Spokane 59  
Aug 18  
Seattle 21 Burien 16  
Van-Port 13 Kitsap County 7  
Pierce County 41 Edmonds 7  
Spokane 39 Skagit Valley 6  
Aug 25  
Seattle @ Edmonds PPD  
Van-Port 0 Pierce County 51  
Spokane 16 Burien 14  
Kitsap County 10 Skagit Valley 0  
Sept 1  
Seattle 33 Van-Port 27  
Pierce County 20 Spokane 0  
Kitsap County 10 Burien 51  
Edmonds 6 Skagit Valley 0  
Sept 15  
Pierce County 62 Burien 7  
Van-Port 27 Edmonds 13  
Spokane 42 Seattle 0  
Kitsap County 12 Skagit Valley 6 OT  
Sept 22  
Spokane 71 Edmonds 0  
Burien 23 Van-Port 19  
Pierce County 56 Kitsap County 2  
Seattle 35 Skagit Valley 10  
Sept 29  
Seattle 7 Kitsap County 0  
Van-Port 0 Spokane 41  
Burien 24 Skagit Valley 17  
Edmonds 0 Pierce County 55  
Oct 6  
Seattle 28 Skagit Valley 0  
Edmonds @ Spokane PPD  
Pierce County 30 Burien 7  
Kitsap County 0 Van-Port 44  
Oct 13  
Kitsap County 7 Seattle 19  
Spokane 7 Pierce County 43  
Burien 20 Edmonds 0  
Skagit Valley 0 Van-Port 54  
Oct 20  
Pierce County 50 Skagit Valley 0  
Van-Port 29 Seattle 20  
Spokane 28 Burien 20  
Edmonds 20 Kitsap County 13  
Oct 27 - NWIFL Playoffs  
Pierce County 63 Van-Port 10  
Spokane 43 Seattle 7  
Nov 10 - NWIFL Championship  
Spokane 9 Pierce County 12 OT  

1979 Division Standings

Olympic

W L T
Seattle Cavaliers 7 2 0
Van-Port Thunderbirds 5 5 0
Kitsap County Chiefs 2 8 0
Skagit Valley Raiders 0 9 0

Columbia

W L T
Pierce County Bengals 11 0 0
Spokane Golden Hawks 9 2 0
Burien Flyers 5 5 0
Lynnwood-Edmonds Lions/Chargers 2 6 0
   
1980 Standings W L T PF PA
Pierce County Bengals 7 0 0    
Spokane Golden Hawks 3 4 0    
Portland Thunderbirds 2 5 0    
Burien Flyers 2 5 0    
   
   
   
   
 
 
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