North American Football League Northwest (2008 -)

North American Football League Northwest Division (2008 - Present)

2008 Champion: British Columbia Spartans (12-1) 2009 Champion: Bellingham Bulldogs (12-1) Commissioner: Lorie Rarey (2008 - 2009) Asst Commissioner: Brandon Powell (2008)		Teams: King County Jaguars (2008 - Present) West Sound Saints (2008 - Present) East County Blackshirts (2008 - Present) Southern Oregon Renegades (2008 - Present) North King County/Pacific Northwest Wildcats (2008) Kitsap County Bears (2008-Present) British Columbia Spartans (2008) Valley Mustangs (2008) Grays Harbor Bearcats (2009 - Present) Yakima Mavericks (2009) Layton Longhorns (2009) Bellingham Bulldogs (2009 - Present) Portland Raiders (2009 - Present) Lane County Lumberjacks (2008 -Never Formed) Cottage Grove Gryphons (2008-09 - Never Played) Tacoma Predators (2008 - Never Formed) Clark County Yellowjackets (2008 - Never Formed) Lewis County Pythons (2008 - Never Formed) Skagit County Crusaders (2008 - Never Formed) Plateau Nightmare (2008 - Never Formed)

In 2008, owners of the King County Jaguars and West Sound Saints facing an ultimatum from the NAFL (North American Football League) chose to cut ties with the NWFL (Northwest Football League) which they had been long standing members with to pursue the "National Championship" playoff system the NAFL offered. Lorie and Rob Rarey, owners of the Jaguars and Brandon Powell of the Valley Mustangs were installed as officers of the NAFL Northwest division. Powell had not yet informed his colleagues with the PNFC (Pacific Northwest Football Conference) of his decision to remove the Mustangs from the league and faced a huge backlash for the problems created by his secret intentions. The newly formed BC Spartans with former members of the Bellingham Bulldogs, looking to gain entry into the Evergreen Football League were denied due to the cross-border issues involved with a Canadian-based team, and Tod Shackleford took the Spartans to the NAFL. Four other teams, the East County Blackshirts of Portland, the Southern Oregon Renegades, North King County Wildcats, and Kitsap County Bears were formed, while two ownership groups in Eugene, Oregon failed to get teams off the ground. Only the Gryphons stayed alive with a possible entry in 2009. The Spartans and Blackshirts (mostly spring GNFA champion Monarchs) and Renegades (with OFL runner up Rogue Warriors) were the class of the league with the Spartans winning the inaugural championship over the Blackshirts in Vancouver, Canada. Meanwhile, the once powerful King County Jaguars and West Sound Saints slipped in their quest to remain a top contender. 2009 was a season of turmoil as teams left and new teams entered the league. The Valley Mustangs and champion BC Spartans were disbanded, while the Kitsap County Bears left for the Cascade Football League. The Bellingham Bulldogs left the Evergreen League to join the NAFL-NW, the Portland Raiders left the NWFL to join but found competing with the Blackshirts for players was very difficult. North King renamed their team the "Pacific Northwest Wildcats" but ownership issues forced them to play as an independent, while the Langley Longhorns and Grays Harbor Bearcats formed new teams. When the Cottage Grove Gryphons announced they could once again not field a team, the spring league Yakima Mavericks formed a summer version to take the place of the Gryphons on the schedule. The Longhorns folded after the first week, and a week 2 scheduled game between the Mavericks and Renegades was called off when Yakima was unable to secure a suitable field. Yakima eventually folded after an ugly game that ended in a tie with the West Sound Saints. Bellingham and Southern Oregon battled in the championship with Bellingham emerging as Conference Champions before losing at home to the St. Paul Pioneers.