Years of Operation: 1998- 2016

Overall Record:  61-133

First Game: June 20, 1998 vs Oregon Thunderbolts

First Win: July 4, 1998 vs Oregon Panthers

Final Game: July 16, 2016 vs Spokane Wolfpack

League Affiliation:  

Independent (1998, 2009-2012)

Northwest Football League (1999 - 2008, 2010)

Western Washington Football Alliance (2013-2016)

Team Headquarters:

Kelso, WA/Olympia, WA/Centralia, WA

Owner: Bill Booth

General Manager: Don Orton, Chris Potts (2009)

Coaches: Bill Booth, John Sanders, Chris Potts (2004-08), Ross McDougal, Bob Mulligan (HC-2002) Jamie Roberts (2010); James King (2011-13)

Home Field(s): Tootle Lake HS, Longview HS, Winlock HS, Shelton HS, Black Hills HS, Tumwater HS, North Thurston HS, Evergreen State College, Yelm HS, Tenino HS, Kelso HS

Titles Won: 

Honors

Robert Jelvik, MLB 2002 NWFL Defensive Rookie

Bill Booth, Owner, 2006 MLFN Hall of Fame

2014 WWFA All-Stars

Luke Swetich, Andre Palmer, Mike Carlson, Colin Bodin, Mike Beasley, Dom Caine, Malcolm Trevino, Cedric Ward, Dakota Phillips, Josh Brown

All-League

Brian Redmond, TE (2012 GNFA HM)

Jeff Boykin, QB (2012 GNFA HM)
Derek Holman, UT (2012 GNFA HM)

Don Orton, C (2007 Hon Men); DT (2006 1st, 2004 2nd) OG (2005 2nd); OT (2001 Hon Men)

Chris Raffleson, OT (2007 3rd); DT (2007 3rd)

Chris Potts, PK (2007 3rd, 2006 3rd); LB (2006 3rd, 2001 Hon Men, 2000 3rd)

Joel Brown, DE (2007 2nd)

Orlando Johnson, SS (2007 Hon Men, 2004 Hon Men, 2001 3rd)

Herm Benson, CB (2007 Hon Men)

Chris Cook, DE (2006 2nd, 2005 1st, 2004 1st; 2003 Hon Men, 2001 Hon Men)

Bryan Hooper, WR (2006 Hon Men; 2001 2nd); PR (2004 3rd)

Scot Domingo, OG (2005 3rd, 2000 2nd)

James King, LB (2004 Hon Men)

Kory McElravy, LB (2004 Hon Men); TE (2001 3rd, 2000 3rd)

Barry White, FB (2004 2nd); OT (2003 Hon Men)

Rikki Reid, WR (2004 Hon Men; 2001 3rd, 2000 3rd)

Jose Garcia, OG (2004 3rd)

Leo Cagle, OT (2004 3rd)

Elton Huard, ST (2004 2nd)

Joe Winther, FB (2003 Hon Men)

Kirt Fain, DT (2003 Hon Men)

Erik Olson, LB (2002 Hon Men, 2000 Hon Men)

Robert Jelvik, P (2002 Hon Men)

Nate Conkey, RB (2002 Hon Men)

Sean Bell, C (2002 Hon Men); OG (2001 Hon Men)

Jimmy Williams, QB (2001 Hon Men)

Lowell Hoff, DE (2001 1st, 2000 Hon Men)

Dan Kissner, LB (2001 Hon Men)

Paul Kennedy, PR (2000 Hon Men); RB (2000 Hon Men); KR (2000 1st)

Chris Farley, OT (2000 Hon Men)

Derek Johnson, QB (1999 3rd) *

Travis Seymour, TE (1999 2nd) *

Jay Miller, PK (1999 3rd) *

Shay Dean, LB (1999 1st) *

* Played as the "Cougaliers" in Cougar uniforms.

The beginnings of the Cavaliers is at times a difficult one to nail down, but officially the team was re-born in 1998 when Bill Booth reorganized the team in Kelso, Washington as an independent team following the shut down of the Cowlitz County Cavaliers followng the 1996 season. 

Booth was also co-operating the Vancouver Posse in 1997 and 1998 with Larry Jobe.  By 1999 the Posse was reformed into the Vancouver Cougars, however the NWFL would only recognize the Cavaliers name which bred the term "Cougaliers".  In essence the 1999 "Cavaliers" was in fact the Vancouver Posse, sold to become the Columbia Cougars.  It would be the only winning season in Cavalier history until 2012.  In 2000 the Cougaliers became the Columbia Cougars, and the Cavaliers would begin to migrate operations towards the Olympia area.

**The Cavaliers/Cougars were basically one in the same in 1999.  The Cavaliers were the recognized team according to the NWFL, but the team was made up of players known as the Cougars, formerly the Posse.  Depending on which view one takes, the Cavaliers could have been a non-existent team, or the Cougars would be the non-existent team of 1999.  The GNFA puts the season results under both franchises, but recognizes the post-season awards here under the Cavaliers page.

Offensive Guard Scot Domingo (97)

Following the 2008 season, the Cavaliers decided to explore an independent schedule after longtime general manager Don Orton left to help form the Grays Harbor Bearcats taking a sizeable chunk of the Cavaliers playing talent with him.  The Cavaliers left their home field in Olympia, for Yelm and Tenino.  The move was not fruitful as the Cavaliers lost all of the games on the schedule.

The Cavaliers dropped four straight to open the 2010 season before squeaking out a 1-point win over the Raiders, a "home" game played in Kelso and won a second consecutive game over the Thunder of the WWFA, the first time since 2006 that feat was accomplished.  The Cavs beat WWFA runner up Tacoma before losing to PDFL bottom dweller Oregon to close out the 2010 season.  With the loss to the Thunderbolts, the Cavaliers earned the dubious honor of becoming the fastest franchise in history to lose 100 games.

Longtime Cavalier defenseman James King was named head coach for the 2011 season after being the interim coach midway through 2010 when Jamie Roberts left the team.  The Cavaliers finished 3-6.

In 2012, the Cavaliers fresh off a solid move to the Chehalis/Centralia region, once again played an independent schedule and early on ventured into the deep end against former Cavaliers now playing with the Grays Harbor Bearcats, the Clark County Vipers and the Wenatchee Valley Rams.  All three games were losses.  Once through that portion of the schedule the Cavaliers faced longtime rival Pierce County and WWFA foes.  Washington won five home games in a row and squeaked out wins in the final 2 road games to finish a 7-0 run to end the season and the first winning record in Cavalier franchise history.

In November it was announced the Cavaliers would join the WWFA after 2012 Champion Seattle announced they were leaving for the PFL.  The Cavaliers, with victories over 5 of the league members in '12 were immediately tabbed as contenders for the 2013 championship.

Coach King took advantage of the opportunity in the WWFA in 2013 running the Cavaliers record to 9-1 and avenging the only loss of the season to Renton by blanking the Ravens 23-0 in the Championship for the Cavs only title in team history.

2014 was a return to reality as King and his followers left to form the Thurston County Mayhem and play closer to the Olympia area, while the Cavaliers remained further south. 

2015 was almost a first-to-worst season for the Cavaliers fell to 2-7 with the perennially bad Thunder and the upstart Cowlitz County Blackhawks providing the only wins of the season.

2016 would be a repeat as the Thunder and Blackhawks (now the Cobras) would provide the only victories in a 2-8 campaign.  The Cavaliers were not getting better, while the WWFA was gaining strength from the PFL and WFL.  The Kings and Rams would provide blowouts to start the season to a tune of 133-6.

2016 had the look of a promising season with a double overtime loss to rival Thurston County and close victories over the Cobras and Ravens, but a back-loaded second half of the season saw the Cavs drop their remaining games including 3 consecutive bombings to finish against the Bellingham Bulldogs, Puyallup Nation Kings and Spokane Wolfpack by a combined 222-32.

The Cavaliers would not return for the 2017 season, bringing an end to one of the longer surviving teams, but also one of the losingest. (In 18 seasons, the Cavs had a winning record in only 3.  However, 1999 was a blended team of the Cavaliers name and Vancouver Cougars players that finished 5-4 and would play on as the Columbia Cougars in 2000 winning 10 games).

Bill Booth sold his interests in the Cavaliers in 2017 to Rick Winkly, a former Portland Thunderbolt in the 1990's.  The team would be rebranded the Pacific Northwest Cavaliers with hopes of hitting the field in 2018.

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