Average Attendance: 2,701
The Bemidji Axemen were an expansion team in the IFL in 2014. The Axemen went 5-9 in their inaugural year, beating Green Bay three times and Wyoming twice. Cody Kirby and Hunter Wanket split the most time at quarterback for the first-year team, combining to throw 39 touchdowns to just six picks and 2,159 yards. Ryan Balentine caught 71 balls for 1,029 yards and 14 scores. Gary Wilburn was a standout on defense, picking four passes. The Axemen set a franchise high mark by scoring 92 points against Wyoming. In the game, six of Wanket’s thirteen completed passes went for touchdowns. At 5-9, the team missed the playoffs, but five losses came by eleven points or less. Ryan Balentine moved from wide receiver to QB for the 2015 season, leading the team to a 2-12 season. Balentine passed for eight touchdowns and nine picks, completing just 39% of his passes. The team was outscored by an average of 25 points per game. Against Sioux Falls, the Axemen fell 90-20. An ownership change occurred late in the season and in the four games under new owners, Bemidji lsot by an average of 52 points per game and was shutout in the final week 48-0 against Cedar Rapids. The team appeared on the original 2016 IFL schedule, but folded prior to Thanksgiving, forcing the league to revise its schedule.
