Indoor Football League (1999–2000)

The Riverhawks began play in 1999 as the Topeka Knights of the original Indoor Football League. The team missed the playoffs during its inaugural season, finishing third in the Northern Division at 6-6. During its second season, the team changed ownership and became the Topeka Kings. It finished with a much better record, going 10-4 and winning the Western Conference, Southern Division championship. During the playoffs, it defeated the Black Hills Machine during the quarterfinal round before losing to the Bismarck Blaze in the semifinals.

Move to Tennessee (2001–2003)

After the season, the team moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, became the Tennessee ThunderCats, and moved to the Indoor Professional Football League.^[1]

It then won the league championship during its first year. After the IPFL folded, the ThunderCats moved to the NIFL.^[2] During its tenure in the league, the team had a degree of success in 2002, but considerably less as the Tennessee Riverhawks in 2003.

Beyond

In 2004, while it was the Greenville Riverhawks, this team's ownership folded after three games, and moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where it played its remaining games. It was subsequently re-founded by Andrew Haines, owner of the Atlantic Indoor Football League.^[3] The team was purchased by Brian Schwelling of Atlanta, Georgia in February 2005. Schwelling operated the team successfully until September of that same year when it was sold to Michael Dawson. Schwelling was successful in bringing the Riverhawks to the semifinal game in the team's inaugural season.

On March 4, 2006, the team won its first game of its second season on the road 21-14 against the Steubenville Stampede, which made AIFL history by becoming the lowest scoring game in the league's then two-year existence.

On March 26, 2006, the Riverhawks lost the AIFL's very first overtime game 41-38 against the Reading Express at home.

In the 2008 season, the Riverhawks ended its contract with the Johnstown War Memorial.

AIFL owner Andrew Haines announced he was relaunching the defunct AIFL as the Ultimate Indoor Football League during the 2011 season and would be bringing back Johnstown in the process. The revived team was to bear the name "Johnstown Generals."^[4][5]