(El Paso Sixshooters, El Paso Spurs)

El Paso is one of the oldest franchises in USL. The Sixshooters took the field for one season as an indoor team in 1989 before becoming the Spurs in 1990. The following year, the club was brought under the ownership of Enrique Cervantes, who still owns the franchise today. Cervantes took the team outdoors and transformed it into the Patriots, the scud-busting missile utilized in Desert Storm. The team posted winning records the next four years to reach the postseason, but saw its greatest success as a member of the Pro League in 1995. Outside of another winning season and postseason appearance, the club reached and hosted the U.S. Open Cup Championship match, where it was defeated by the Richmond Kickers in penalty kicks after finishing tied 1-1. The club moved to the Select League (Division Three) in 1996 and the A-League in 1997. In its first A-League season, the club suffered its first losing season since its indoor days from 1989-91. One of the original founders of the Sixshooters was Dan Guard, who doubled as the club's first coach.