The High Country Grizzlies were a professional indoor football team that began play in the 2017 season. Based in Boone, North Carolina, the Grizzlies played their home games at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center on the campus of Appalachian State University.
| High Country Grizzlies | |
|---|---|
| Established 2016 Folded 2019 Played in Boone, North Carolina at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center HighCountryGrizzlies.com | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Black, orange, silver, white |
| Nicknames | Grizzlies |
| Mascot | Grizzy |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Paul & Christine Potter Don Thompson Bryan Bouboulis |
| General manager | William Thompson |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Home arena(s) | |
| |
History
On April 14, 2016, American Indoor Football (AIF) announced that it had granted an expansion franchise to the High Country region for the 2017 season.[1] At an introductory press conference on July 14, the Grizzlies officially introduced themselves, their staff, head coach, name, logo, colors and venue.[2][3] However, on July 18, the AIF ceased operations forcing the Grizzlies to find a new league.[4] On July 21, the team announced it had joined the Arena Developmental League for the new league's inaugural season.[5] In November 2016, the ADL then changed its name to National Arena League.
Prior to the 2017 season, the Grizzlies had recruited former Appalachian State and NFL wide receiver Dexter Jackson to be the marquee player and face of the team for marketing and ticket sales, agreeing to sales incentives and relocation reimbursement for Jackson and his family. Jackson initially requested his ticket sales incentives in February prior to the start of the season, but Jackson would leave the team over non-payment in May and the league suspended Jackson. In August, Jackson took the Grizzlies to arbitration with the league and the NAL ruled in Jackson's favor with the team owing Jackson US$9,500. Jackson filed another complaint with Watauga County over continued non-payment by the team as of January 2018.[6]
After one season in the NAL, the Grizzlies announced on September 20 that the organization had joined the newly formed American Arena League (AAL) for the 2018 season.[7] Scoot Meserve was hired as head coach and the team finished the season with a 2–6 record, failing to make the AAL playoffs.
Prior to the 2019 season, the Grizzlies hired Jeff Hunt as head coach, but the team ceased operations in February 2019 a month before the season was to begin.
Players and staff
Individual awards
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | |||
| Season | Player | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Malachi Jones | WR | |
Staff
| High Country Grizzlies staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
| Coaches
| |||||
Statistics and records
Season-by-season results
| League Champions | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Playoff berth | League leader |
| Season | Team | League | Regular season | Postseason results | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | ||||||
| 2017 | 2017 | NAL | 5th | 3 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | 2018 | AAL | 8th | 2 | 6 | 0 | |||
| Totals | 5 | 13 | 0 | All-time regular season record (2017–2018) | |||||
| 0 | 0 | — | All-time postseason record (2017–2018) | ||||||
| 5 | 13 | 0 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2017–2018) | ||||||
Head coaches' records
| Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | Win% | W | L | |||
| Josh Resignalo | 2017 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | — | — | |
| Scott Meserve | 2018 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | — | — | |