The Cardinals have been synonymous with excellence in the Chambersburg area for over sixty years. Founded in 1946, they began as a independent team playing at local Henninger Field until 1955. During that time they played teams such as their biggest rival, The Waynesboro Tigers, and fought hard to bring glory and excellence to the town of Chambersburg, boasting 70 wins, 17 losses, and 6 ties during those first nine seasons. In 1955, the team unfortunately disbanded due to scheduling conflicts with quality teams. In 1968, the Cardinals were reborn, joining the Interstate Football League (IFL), but moved to the Seaboard League in 1971, placing them in competition with tougher opponents. It was in this year that the motto “25 Years of Excellence” began. Both excellence and success were on the horizon, as the Cardinals celebrated victory in 1973, winning the league crown. Unfortunately, the team folded again a year later in the middle of their season with a 4-3 record. The next incarnation of the Chambersburg Cardinals occurred two years later, when they rejoined the IFL. The next ten years defined the excellence the team had always boasted, seeing the team with an average of 48 points per game and an unblemished 14-0 record in 1978. They went on to a perfect 16-0 record in 1980 and, alongside the Pierce County Bengals, were named national co-champions in Pro Football Weekly. 1982 saw another championship season with the defeat of the Chicago Lions at Trojan Stadium. Between the years of 1977 and 1984, the Cardinals won a record 72 straight games with five perfect seasons, securing the Cardinals legacy in the world of minor league football. By the mid-1990s, the team, now managed by the Chambersburg Athletic Club, again ceased operations. In 2002, the Cardinals proved their passion for the sport once more, returning as the Cumberland Valley Cardinals and rebuilding the team from scratch. Slowly, the team began their rise into minor league football fame, relocating to Chambersburg in 2007. This year marks the team’s move from the North American Football League to the Big Northeast Football Federation, fighting even harder for the championship, and never forgetting either the Cardinal Legacy or its tradition of excellence.  

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