Mississippi MudCats
 | |
| Founded | 2007 |
|---|---|
| League | American Indoor Football Association |
| Team history |
Mississippi Mudcats 2007 |
| Based in | Tupelo, Mississippi |
| Arena | BancorpSouth Arena |
| Colors |
Green, Gold, White, Silver |
| Owner(s) | Jim Waide |
| Head coach | William McCarthy |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division titles | 1 (2008) |
| Dancers | MudCat Dancers |
| Mascot | Muddy |
The Mississippi MudCats was a team of the American Indoor Football Association. They played their home games at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi.
History
The team was announced on June 20, 2006, the same day as the team now known as the Danville Demolition. One month later, it was announced that Todd Ellis, former Georgia Tech Football Player, would be the team owner and president.
A name-the team contest was held, and despite Ellis' preference of "Tupelo Kings" (which would have been in honor of Elvis Presley-the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" was born in Tupelo), the team was christened the Mississippi MudCats (honoring the state's catfish industry), the same day they would announce Brian Brents as their head coach.
In 2007 the Mudcats had a great first season and averaged over 3,200 fans per game more than any other team in the AIFA. At the end of the 2007 season, civil rights attorney Jim Waide bought the team from Todd Ellis the founder of the team.
After another great start, the MudCats won their final two games and the Division Playoff game against the Columbus Lions, ending their season with only 2 losses, the best record in the AIFA for 2008.
Tupelo had previously hosted another indoor football team, the Tupelo FireAnts, who played in the NIFL and United Indoor Football from 2002 until 2005.
In late 2008, owner Jim Waide has said he will not field a team in 2009 due to financial reasons and failure to find new owners. He has not ruled out a return in the future for the team.
Through Mr. Waide's and Ellis' efforts in the community the Mudcats team was beloved by the fans. In their community efforts they supported the Boys and Girls Clubs as well as other youth organizations near and around the Tupelo area.
Season-By-Season
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2nd Southern | Won SC Round 1 (Tallahassee) Lost SC Championship (Lakeland) |
| 2008 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1st WC Southern | Won WCS Round 1 (Columbus) Lost WC Championship (Wyoming) |
| 2009 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Totals | 26 | 6 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
2007 Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 3 | Pittsburgh RiverRats | Home | Won 54-34 |
| February 10 | Montgomery Bears | Home | Won 57-27 |
| February 17 | Lakeland Thunderbolts | Home | Won 46-36 |
| February 24 | Gulf Coast Raiders | Home | Won 74-45 |
| March 10 | Tallahassee Titans | Away | Won 62-58 |
| March 17 | Florence Phantoms | Home | Won 63-14 |
| March 24 | Baltimore Blackbirds | Home | Won 80-20 |
| April 2 | Montgomery Bears | Away | Won 62-37 |
| April 7 | Carolina Speed | Away | Lost 52-64 |
| April 14 | Tallahassee Titans | Home | Won 80-75 |
| April 28 | Carolina Speed | Home | Won 70-28 |
| May 5 | Lakeland Thunderbolts | Away | Lost 31-54 |
| May 19 | Florence Phantoms | Away | Lost 45-44 |
| May 25 | Erie Freeze | Away | Won 53-47 |
| June 10 | Tallahassee Titans (Playoffs) | Home | Won 62-32 |
| June 18 | Lakeland Thunderbolts (Playoffs) | Away | Lost 62-84 |