Bemidji Axemen

The Bemidji Axemen were a professional indoor football team based in Bemidji, Minnesota. The Axemen joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) as an expansion team in 2013 and first took the field for the 2014 season. They participated in the United Conference of the IFL. The Axemen played their home games at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.

Bemidji Axemen
Established 2013
Folded 2015
Played in Sanford Center
in Bemidji, Minnesota
MinnesotaAxemen.com
Bemidji Axemen logo
League/conference affiliations
Indoor Football League (2014–2015)
  • United Conference (2014–2015)
Team colorsRed, blue, silver, white
       
MascotAxel the Axeman
CheerleadersThe Axes
Personnel
Owner(s)Phil Sallberg
Nate Coffin
Dan Skaug
Tom Ulve
PresidentTom Ulve
General managerRichard Davis
Head coachRichard Davis
Team history
  • Bemidji Axeman (2014–2015)
  • Minnesota Axemen
Championships
League championships (0)
0
Conference championships (0)
0
Division championships (0)
0
Home arena(s)

The Axemen are the first-ever indoor/arena football team to call Bemidji home, as well as Minnesota's first indoor/arena football team since the Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks and the Mankato-based Minnesota Purple Rage both played in the original Indoor Football League for the 2000 season, the league's last before folding.

The team would change their name to the Minnesota Axemen prior to the 2016 season.[1] However, the league terminated the franchise's membership as they failed to meet the league's operational standards and commitments. Thus, the franchise folded on November 24, 2015[2]

History

On July 15, 2013, the Bemidji Pioneer reported that the IFL was looking to expand to Northern Minnesota and the Sanford Center, with a press conference taking place three days later on July 18.[3] League expansion director and Cedar Rapids Titans owner Chris Kokalis would state that for a team to begin play for the 2014 season, ownership had to be found between late August and early September at the latest. Reports of a potential ownership group forming surfaced on August 15.[4] Five days later, on August 20, the IFL confirmed that an agreement had been reached and a team would indeed be coming to Bemidji, with an official press conference scheduled for the following day.[5][6]

Main article: 2014 Bemidji Axemen season

The team was officially named the Bemidji Axemen on September 5, 2013; the name is partly meant to reflect Bemidji's history and incorporated the Paul Bunyan tale so linked with the area.[7] On February 22, 2014, the Axemen won their inaugural regular season game, claiming victory over the Green Bay Blizzard.[8] The team performed well through early May, posting a 5-4 record, but then collapsed with 5 consecutive losses to complete the season at 5-9 and 3rd place in the United Conference. Fuller was fired after the end of the season.

Main article: 2015 Bemidji Axemen season

Under the leadership of new head coach Dixie Wooten, the Axemen struggled out of the gate, dropping their first two games.[9] The Axemen bounced back quickly, winning their next two games to even their record at 2-2.[10] The Axemen struggled with consistency at the quarterback position, having 4 different players start during the first 10 games of the season. After a 27-37 loss to the Colorado Ice, Wooten was released as the head coach of the Axemen, replaced by Lee Patten as the interim head coach.[11]

Changes and folding

Two weeks after the Axemen's 2015 season had ended, the team named Richard Davis the team's fourth head coach in team history. Davis was also named the team's general manager.[12] On August, 20, 2015, he announced that the team will change its name to the Minnesota Axemen prior to the start of the 2016 season as a new LLC will be created known as Minnesota Axemen, LLC.[1] Said name change was confirmed on September 25, 2015.[13]

On November 24, 2015, the league terminated the Axemen's franchise membership as they failed to meet the league's operational standards and commitments according to league commissioner Mike Allshouse.[14]

Players

Final roster
Minnesota Axemen roster
Quarterbacks
  • -- Brion Carnes

Running backs

  • Currently vacant

Wide receivers

  • -- De'Joshua Johnson
  • -- Elby Pope
  • -- Dominic Rufran
  • -- Cody Ward
Offensive linemen
  • 50 Henry Orelus
  • 56 William Slade
  • 70 Kasimili Uitalia
  • 55 Neemia Vitale

Defensive linemen

  • -- Mohammed Usman
Linebackers
  • Currently vacant

Defensive backs

  •  4 Tony Grimes
  • -- Melvin Taveras
  •  2 Antonie Tharpe

Kickers

  • Currently vacant
 Injured reserve
  • Currently vacant

Transfer list

  • Currently vacant

Refused to report

  • Currently vacant
  • Rookies in italics
  • Roster updated November 16, 2015
  • 14 Active, 0 Inactive

All-League selections
  • WR Ryan Balentine (1), Josh Jarboe (1)
  • DL Jordan Morgan (1)
  • KR Mulku Kalokoh (1)

Individual awards

The following is a list of all Axemen players who have won league Awards

Staff
Minnesota Axemen staff
  • Owner/President - Tom Ulve
  • Owner – Phil Sallberg
  • Owner – Nate Coffin
  • Owner – Dan Skaug
  • Head coach – Richard Davis

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results
League Champions Conference Champions Division Champions Wild Card Berth League Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
Finish Wins Losses Ties
2014 2014 IFL United 3rd 5 9 0
2015 2015 IFL United 5th 2 12 0
Totals 7 21 0 All-time regular season record (2014–2015)
0 0 — All-time postseason record (2014–2015)
7 21 0 All-time regular season and postseason record (2014–2015)

Head coach records
Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
W L T Win% W L
Robert Fuller 2014 5 9 0 .357 0 0
Dixie Wooten 2015 2 8 0 .200 0 0
Lee Patten 2015 0 4 0 .000 0 0
Richard Davis 2016 0 0 0 – 0 0

References
  1. New Axemen GM starting fresh: Changes on the horizon as IFL team will drop ‘Bemidji,’ become ‘Minnesota Axemen’, Kristopher Lodes, The Bemidji Pioneer, August 20, 2015
  2. IFL Issues Statement on Minnesota Axemen, IFL website, November 25, 2015
  3. Hageman, John (July 15, 2013). "Indoor Football League officials to visit Bemidji". Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  4. Hittinger, Jack (August 15, 2013). "Possible ownership group lined up for IFL franchise". Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  5. Hittinger, Jack (August 20, 2013). "It's official: Bemidji gets IFL franchise". Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  6. "IFL Announces Expansion Team in Northern Minnesota". Indoor Football League. August 20, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  7. Hittinger, Jack (September 5, 2013). "IFL team name: Bemidji Axemen (with video)". Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  8. Hittinger, Jack (February 22, 2014). "Indoor football: Axemen stop Green Bay in season opener". Bemidji Pioneer. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  9. Kristopher Lodes (March 16, 2015). "INDOOR FOOTBALL: Turnovers doom Axemen in 38-26 loss to Iowa". www.bemidjipioneer.com. The Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  10. Kristopher Lodes (March 30, 2015). "INDOOR FOOTBALL: Axemen beat Green Bay on final play, 55-54". www.bemidjipioneer.com. The Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  11. Kristopher Lodes (May 13, 2015). "INDOOR FOOTBALL: Wooten out as Axemen head coach". www.bemidjipioneer.com. The Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  12. Kristopher Lodes (July 7, 2015). "INDOOR FOOTBALL: Axemen name new GM/head coach". www.bemidjipioneer.com. The Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  13. "INDOOR FOOTBALL: It's official: Hello 'Minnesota' Axemen". Bemidji Pioneer. September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  14. IFL Issues Statement on Minnesota Axemen, IFL website, November 25, 2015
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