The 2016 Georgia Firebirds season was the first season for the American indoor football franchise, and their first in American Indoor Football.
| 2016 Georgia Firebirds season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Gridiron Central Group |
| General manager | Terence Fowler |
| Head coach | David Daniels (fired on March 21, 0-1 record) Antwone Savage (interim) |
| Home field | Albany Civic Center 100 West Oglethorpe Boulevard Albany, GA 31701 |
| Results | |
| Record | 3–5 |
| Division place | 5th |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
On November 18, 2015, the Firebirds finalized the contract with the city of Albany, Georgia, and the Albany Civic Center, to play indoor football for the 2016 season.[1] Prior to becoming an indoor team, the organization had played in various semi-pro outdoor leagues.
On March 20, 2016, the Firebirds lost their first ever game in franchise history. The following day, Daniels was fired as the Firebirds head coach, replaced by Antwone Savage.[2]
On May 14, 2016, the Firebirds were forced to forfeit their final game at the Savannah Steam due to transportation issues.[3]
Schedule
editKey: Win Tie Loss Bye
Exhibition
editAll start times are local to home team
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | ||||||
| 1 | Wednesday | March 9 | 7:00pm | Capital City Cobras | W 42–22[4] | 1–0 | Albany Civic Center |
| 2 | Saturday | May 7 | 7:00pm | South Carolina Ravens | W 73–24[5] | 2–0 | Albany Civic Center |
Regular season
editAll start times are local to home team
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | ||||||
| 1 | BYE | ||||||
| 2 | BYE | ||||||
| 3 | BYE | ||||||
| 4 | Sunday | March 20 | 4:00pm | at Columbus Lions | L 0–86[6] | 0–1 | Columbus Civic Center |
| 5 | Saturday | March 26 | 7:00pm | Atlanta Vultures | L 38–40[7] | 0–2 | Albany Civic Center |
| 6 | Saturday | April 2 | 7:00pm | Savannah Steam | W 43–34[8] | 1–2 | Albany Civic Center |
| 7 | Monday | April 11 | 7:05pm | at Myrtle Beach Freedom | W 49–20[9] | 2–2 | Myrtle Beach Convention Center |
| 8 | Sunday | April 17 | 7:05pm | at Florida Tarpons | L 31–52[10] | 2–3 | Germain Arena |
| 9 | Saturday | April 23 | 7:00pm | Myrtle Beach Freedom | W 56–43[11] | 3–3 | Albany Civic Center |
| 10 | Saturday | April 30 | 7:00pm | Columbus Lions | L 19–73[12] | 3–4 | Albany Civic Center |
| 11 | BYE | ||||||
| 12 | Saturday | May 14 | 7:00pm | at Savannah Steam | L 0–2 (forfeit)[13] | 3–5 | Savannah Civic Center |
| 13 | BYE | ||||||
| 14 | BYE | ||||||
Standings
edit| Team | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|
| y – Columbus Lions | 8 | 0 | 1.000 |
| x – Florida Tarpons | 7 | 1 | .875 |
| x – Myrtle Beach Freedom | 4 | 4 | .500 |
| x – Savannah Steam | 3 | 5 | .375 |
| Georgia Firebirds | 3 | 5 | .375 |
| Central Florida Jaguars | 2 | 6 | .250 |
| Atlanta Vultures | 1 | 7 | .125 |
References
edit- ^ Carlton Fletcher (November 18, 2015). "Georgia Firebirds, city of Albany finalize arena football pact". www.albanyherald.com. Albany Herald. Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ "Firebirds Announce New Coach". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ "Wheels derail the Firebirds game vs Savannah". WTOL 11. May 14, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ Jake Wallace (March 9, 2016). "Firebirds introduce themselves with exhibition win". www.walb.com. Frankly Media and WALB. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Timothy Threadcraft (May 7, 2016). "Georgia Firebirds romp past South Carolina". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ Dana Barker (March 20, 2016). "Lions trounce Firebirds". www.mcall.com. Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Time Morse (March 26, 2016). "Georgia Firebirds show improvement but fall 40-38". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Nolan Imsande (April 3, 2016). "Georgia Firebirds earn first victory". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Georgia Firebirds win again". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Georgia Firebirds fall to Florida". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ Nolan Imsande (April 23, 2016). "Change at QB leads Georgia Firebirds to victory". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
- ^ Timothy Threadcraft (April 30, 2016). "Columbus Lions rout Georgia Firebirds again". www.albanyhearald.com. Albany Herald. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- ^ Theo Dorsey (May 14, 2016). "Wheels derail the Firebirds game vs Savannah". www.kmov.com. Frankly Media and KMOV. Retrieved May 16, 2016.