Georgia Fire
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox indoor American football team
| name = Georgia Fire
| logo =
| helmet =
| founded = 2014
| folded = 2014
| city = Rome, Georgia
at the Forum Civic Center
| colors = Red, Black, Gold, White
{{Color box|red}} {{Color box|black}} {{Color box|yellow}} {{Color box|white}}
| coach = Cosmo Dematteo
| owner = PIFL
| president =
| general manager = Jeff Gonos
| cheerleaders =
| league =
Professional Indoor Football League (2014)
- American Conference (2014)
| team_history =
- Georgia Fire (2014)
| no_conf_champs = 0
| conf_champs =
| no_div_champs = 0
| div_champs =
| no_league_champs = 0
| league_champs =
| no_playoff_appearances = 0
| playoff_appearances =
| arena_years =
- Forum Civic Center (2014)
}}
The Georgia Fire were a professional indoor football team based in Rome, Georgia. They were members of the American Conference in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) during the 2014 season.
The Fire joined the PIFL in 2014 as an expansion team, after the PIFL was forced to find a replacement team for the Albany Panthers, who were kicked out of their home arena by city official in Albany.{{cite web |url=http://www.walb.com/story/24755781/panthers-owner-city-doesnt-want-us-here |title=Panthers owner: City doesn't want us here |date=February 18, 2014 |publisher=Worldnow and WALB |work=www.walb.com |accessdate=April 22, 2014}} They are the latest franchise to play indoor football after the Rome Renegades of the now-defunct National Indoor Football League (NIFL).
The Fire played their home games at the Forum Civic Center in Rome.
Franchise history
{{main|2014 Georgia Fire season}}
With complications surrounding the Albany Panthers franchise for the 2014 season, the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) introduced the Fire to replace the Panthers for the 2014 season. With the league running the team, PIFL Executive Director, Jeff Ganos was named the franchise's general manager and Cosmo DeMatteo was named the team's innaurgal head coach on February 27, 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4745034 |title=DeMatteo and Gonos to Lead Fire |date=February 27, 2014 |publisher=OurSports Central |work=www.oursportscentral.com |accessdate=April 22, 2014}} With the season starting on April 5, 2014, the Fire were given the Panthers roster, where players who didn't wish to play for the new franchise, refused to report.{{cite web |url=http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/sports/local/fire-to-have-first-training-camp-this-week/article_2ed2a390-af1d-11e3-ad10-0017a43b2370.html |title=Fire to have first training camp this week |date=March 19, 2014 |publisher=Rome News-Tribune |work=www.northwestgeorgianews.com |accessdate=April 22, 2014}} In the first game in franchise history, the Fire knocked off defending PIFL Champions, the Alabama Hammers by a score of 57-55.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4764842 |title=Fire Burn Hammers For Inaugural Win |date=April 7, 2014 |publisher=OurSports Central |work=www.oursportscentral.com |accessdate=April 22, 2014}}
Players of note
=Final roster=
| class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;" |
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; background-color:red; color:yellow; border:2px solid black;"| Georgia Fire roster |
|---|
| style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Quarterbacks
{{playern |
| -|Barry Brunetti}}
{{playern|7|Cecil Lester}} {{playern|10|Chris Mitchell}} Running backs {{playern|21|Xavier Stinson}} Wide receivers {{playern|6|Antwontis Cutts}} {{playern|9|Ronald Davis}} {{playern |
| -|Terrence Ebagua}}
{{playern|4|John Harris}} {{playern|1|Johnny Lester}} | style="width: 25px;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Offensive linemen {{playern|50|Jeremy Buchanan}} {{playern|59|Brandon McElroy}} {{playern|72|Jason Peacock}} {{playern|77|Aaron Wheeler}} Defensive linemen {{playern|94|Clinton Barley}} {{playern|92|Joe Marshall}} {{playern|19|Elisee Pmoplius}} {{playern|15|Jerome Raymond}} | style="width: 25px;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Linebackers {{playern|5|Larry Edwards}} {{playern|8|Adrian McLeoad}} {{playern|41|Robert Russell}} Defensive backs {{playern|17|Boubacar Cissoko}} {{playern|27|Robert Durham}} {{playern|3|Kieron Jones}} {{playern|2|Demetrie McCray}} {{playern|16|Billy McGahee}} Kickers {{playern|13|Ryan Gates}} | style="width: 25px;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | Injured reserve {{playern|99|Ishmyl Johnson DL}} {{playern|75|Kevin McAlmont OL}} {{playern|11|Clenton Rafe WR}} {{playern|12|Nathan Wade WR}} Exempt list
Failure to report-exempt {{playern |
| -|Archie Alexander OL}}
{{playern |
| -|Vauchard Goodridge DL}}
{{playern |
| -|Darian Payne LB}}
{{playern |
| -|James Stallons QB}}
{{playern |
| -|Derrick Wimbush FB}}
{{plainlist|1=
}} |
=All-League players=
The following Fire players were named to All-League Teams:
- WR Johnny Lester, John Harris
- OL Aaron Wheeler
- LB Adrian McLeod
Coaches of note
=Head coaches=
| class="wikitable" |
| rowspan="2" style="width:140px;"|Name
! rowspan="2" | Term ! colspan="4" | Regular season ! colspan="2" | Playoffs ! rowspan="2" | Awards |
|---|
| W
! L ! T ! Win% ! W ! L |
| style="text-align:center;"|Cosmo DeMatteo
| style="text-align:center;"|2014 | style="text-align:center;"|4 | style="text-align:center;"|8 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|4|8}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
=Coaching staff=
| class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;" |
| colspan="7" style="background:red; color:yellow; text-align: center; border:2px solid black;"|Georgia Fire staff |
|---|
| colspan=7 align="right" | |
| valign="top"|
| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Front office
|width="35"| |valign="top"| | style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Head coach
|
Season-by-season results
| class="wikitable" style="margin:center; font-size:75%;" |
| style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;"|League Champions
| style="text-align:center; background:#dfd;"|Conference Champions | style="text-align:center; background:#d0e7ff;"|Division Champions | style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|Wild Card Berth | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"|League Leader |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" | ||
| rowspan="2" | Season
!rowspan="2" |Team !rowspan="2" | League !rowspan="2" | Conference !rowspan="2" | Division !colspan="4" | Regular season !rowspan="2" | Postseason results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finish
!Wins !Losses !Ties | ||
| background:#fcc;"
! style="text-align:center;"| 2014 | style="text-align:center;"| 2014 | style="text-align:center;"| PIFL | style="text-align:center;"| American | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| 3rd | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;background:#c8a2c8;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | | ||
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5" colspan="6"|Totals
! style="text-align:center;"|4 ! style="text-align:center;"|8 ! style="text-align:center;"|0 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"|All-time regular season record (2014) | ||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0 | 0
| |
| colspan="3"|All-time postseason record (2014) | ||
| style="text-align:center;"|4
! style="text-align:center;"|8 ! style="text-align:center;"|0 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"|All-time regular season and postseason record (2014) |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.georgiafire.us}}
- [https://www.facebook.com/Georgiafirepifl Official Facebook]
{{PIFL}}
Category:2014 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:2014 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state)