Rapid City Flying Aces
Rapid City Flying Aces | |
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Established 2000 Folded 2006 Played in Don Barnett Arena in Rapid City, South Dakota | |
League/conference affiliations | |
Indoor Football League (2000)
National Indoor Football League (2001–2004, 2006)
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Current uniform | |
Team colors | Black, brick red, white |
Personnel | |
Owner(s) | Howard Neal |
Head coach | Dan Majiejczak |
Team history | |
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Championships | |
League championships (0) | |
Conference championships (0) | |
Division championships (0) | |
Playoff appearances (3) | |
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Home arena(s) | |
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The Rapid City Flying Aces were a professional
The Flying Aces won at least 10 out of 14 games three times in their seven seasons; however, organizational turmoil threatened the existence of the franchise.
History
2000–2005
The team began play as the Black Hills Machine of the
2006 season
In 2006, the franchise moved back to the NIFL and became the Rapid City Flying Aces. During the 2006 season, they began the season 8–0. It appeared the team was going to fold when owner Howard Neal left the franchise in a financial mess;[2] However, several local investors helped pay the bills and save the team. The team went on to the Pacific Conference title game, where they lost to the Billings Outlaws.
Unfortunately, there was not enough time to save the team and the franchise would fold in December 2006.[3] Former owner Howard Weiner, who went by the alias "Howard Neal", was sentenced to four months in prison after admitting to committing bank fraud and was also sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $116,000 in restitution. He had until July 18, 2011, to turn himself in at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Coleman, Florida.[4]
Season-by-season
Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
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Black Hills Machine (IFL) | |||||
2000 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2nd WC Northern | Lost Round 1 ( Topeka )
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Rapid City Red Dogs (NIFL) | |||||
2001 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1st PC Central | Lost Round 1 (Sioux Falls) |
2002 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 4th PC Western | — |
2003 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3rd PC Western | — |
Black Hills Red Dogs (NIFL) | |||||
2004 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4th PC Western | — |
Black Hills Red Dogs (UIF) | |||||
2005 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 4th North | — |
Rapid City Flying Aces (NIFL) | |||||
2006 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1st Pacific West | Won Pacific Semi-Final (Katy) Lost Pacific Championship (Billings) |
Totals | 52 | 51 | 0 | (including playoffs) |
Notable players
- Tony Case
- Chris Dixon
- Renz Julian – American rapper
- Scott Pingel
References
- ^ "Red Dogs Season Opener". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 19, 2002. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Rapid City Flying Aces ownership slapped with judgment last Friday, Black Hills Pioneer, May 15, 2006
- ^ Rapid City indoor football team folds, Jim Holland, Billings Gazette, December 21, 2006
- ^ "Former Flying Aces owner sentenced to prison for bank fraud". Rapid City Journal. May 21, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2018.