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Honors
Sean Foster, PK 2009-NAFL West Kicker of Year
Jeff Fisher, 2009 NAFL Owner of Year
Phil Smith, 2009 NAFL West Head Coach of Year
Brian Young & Phil Smith 2012 PFL Coaches of the Year
All-League
Sean Hicks, LB (2008-GNFA HM; 2009 NAFL West 1st)
Chase Cantrell, DL (2008-GNFA HM; 2009
NAFL West 1st; 2012 PFL 1st, GNFA 2nd)
Mark Simmons, QB (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Justin Whitney, RB (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Jesh Morgan, WR (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Mike Coe, OL (2009-NAFL West 1st; 2012 PFL
1st, GNFA 2nd)
Zach Myers, OL (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Bill Hagee, DL (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Jake Tanner, DL (2009-NAFL West 1st; 2011
PFL 1st)
Austin Childs, DL (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Steve Faoro, LB (2009-NAFL West 1st; 2012
PFL 1st, GNFA 1st)
Jay Zimmerman, DB (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Sean Foster, PK (2009-NAFL West 1st)
Corey Culp, WR (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Nick Gavigan, WR (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Dave Oporto, OL (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Wes LaRocque, OL (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Dan Collins, OL (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Jimmy Nightingale, LB (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Andy Fulton, LB (2009-NAFL West 2nd; 2012
PFL 2nd, GNFA 2nd)
Brett Hall, DB (2009-NAFL West 2nd) RB
(2012 PFL 2nd, GNFA 2nd)
Joel Pears, DB (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Blake Manley, DB (2009-NAFL West 2nd)
Toby Seim, WR (2012 PFL 1st, GNFA 1st)
Aaron Erickson, OL (2012 PFL 1st, GNFA 1st)
Eric Pitner, DL (2012 PFL 1st, GNFA 2nd)
Miguel Pierre, DB (2012 PFL 1st, GNFA 1st)
Sean McGarva, DB (2012 PFL 1st, GNFA 1st)
All-America
Chase Cantrell, DL (2009-NFE 1st)
Jay Zimmerman, DB (2009-NFE 1st)
Jesh Morgan, WR (2009-NFE Hon Men)
The Bellingham Bulldogs got their start in 2008 when Dick McKinley and
Jeff Fisher purchased the Northwest Avalanche from Craig Jackson.
The Bulldogs applied for entry into the Pacific Northwest Football
Conference, however the PNFC decided to merge with the Evergreen
Football League. The EFL accepted the Bulldogs and the newest team
in Bellingham began its quest for an EFL title.
After a 3-6 finish in 2008, the Bulldogs
decided to try their luck in the summer leagues and departed the
Evergreen League for the NAFL in hopes of attracting players from
British Columbia disenchanted with the team options in Vancouver.
This move proved fruitful as the Bulldogs
opened the '09 season against the Langley (BC) Longhorns dominating the
Canadian contingent 49-0 and reeling off 11 straight victories on their
way to a date with the Renegades in the NAFLNw Championship. In
that game the Renegades found the Bulldogs and the 10-hour road trip too
much to overcome. A tough St. Paul Pioneers team fresh off a win
over the storied Racine Raiders came to Bellingham from Minnesota and
walked away with a 5-point victory ending the Bulldogs Cinderella
season.
The Bulldogs roared through the 2010
season winning the Olympic Division of the NAFL NW handily setting them
up for a run at the NAFL Championship. Defeating the Bay Area
Gamblers in the semi finals handily, the Bulldogs and Nashville Storm
were set to square off in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the NAFL
Championship. Bellingham went up 14-0 early but the Storm reeled
off 41 unanswered points to send Bellingham home disappointed.
2011 Began a new era as the Bulldogs
entered into the Pacific Football League comprised of some of the
strongest teams assembled in the Northwest. A convincing win over
the WWFA Renton Ravens seemed to start things off where they left off
the past two season, however the Snohomish Vikings detoured the Bulldogs
plans of being undefeated in the PFL North division. The following
week, the Colts took a 5 point offensive battle that started a
derailment of the Bellingham Season as the 'Dogs lost eight in a row.
The season wasn't a total loss as Bellingham upset Grays Harbor in what
would start the Bearcats late-season exit from the playoff race.
In the season finale the Vikings were dismantled in the rematch of the
Bulldogs PFL season opener.
2012 brought the formerly split town together as the
former PDFL Blitz merged with the Bulldogs and for the first time in
half a decade Bellingham was a united team. Prior to that, both
the WWFA and the PFL were announcing schedules for the Bulldogs/Blitz.
It's unknown if the Blitz formally announced their intentions to
withdraw from the WWFA, but the schedule the WWFA announced was
published anyway and is reflected in the canceled games.
The Bulldogs went to work quickly dismantling the Renton
Ravens of the WWFA, then traveling over the hill to face Wenatchee.
The Rams led the Bulldogs 10-0 through 3 quarters until WR Toby Seim
took over the game and the Bulldogs battled back to take a 21-17 victory
from the eventual WFL Champions.
A set-back against the Mavericks on the road cost
Bellingham a home playoff game, but they returned to Yakima and defeated
the Mavs to advance to the PFL Championship as North Division champions.
There they could not overcome the firepower of the Portland Monarchs who
went on to win the PFL and the GNFA crown.
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