For Northwest football fans, the outlook may have looked bleak there for a little bit. One yard away from a second consecutive Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl championship, snatched away (literally) in the final moments. Oregon Ducks football going through a quarterback transition. Months left before meaningful football. Analysts trying to explain how running 4.49 instead of a 4.55 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine impacts draft status (does anyone really know?) It can certainly be a daunting few months.
However, there is some light left for those fearing a loss of football. The Portland Thunder, the Rose City’s Arena Football League franchise, return in March, bringing professional football back to Portland for a second season. In fact, training camp is just a few weeks away, kicking off on March 6th, with Opening Night at the Moda Center set for March 27th.
The Thunder look to regain their momentum from their inaugural season to propel themselves into 2015 with a bang. For those who do not recall, the Thunder had ups and downs through the regular season, struggling with quarterback consistency. Four different men took snaps under center, including former Oregon Duck Darron Thomas. However, near the end of the season, the Thunder captured momentum and secured a playoff spot in with a win at the Moda Center against fellow new franchise the Los Angeles KISS. Despite their 5-13 regular season record, the Thunder got in to the playoffs and gave eventual champion Arizona Rattlers a tough first round matchup before bowing out.
Over the offseason, the Thunder have not rested on their laurels after earning a playoff spot. There have been tons of changes over the season to help the Thunder in their quest to continue progressing in the postseason. First off, head coach Matthew Sauk was fired in the offseason. Sauk has moved to the LA KISS as offensive coordinator. In his stead, the Thunder have brought on Arena Bowl winning coach Mike Hohensee (known affectionately as Coach Ho). Hohensee has a long career in the Arena Football League, both as a player for a couple seasons and a long-time coach. For Seahawk fans, it is worth noting the Super Bowl standout Chris Matthews got his start playing under Coach Ho when he was the head coach of the Iowa Barnstormers.
In addition, the Thunder have a slew of new players competing for the 24 regular season roster spots. While Thunder veterans will be returning, including quarterback Kyle Rowley (the team’s most consistent gunslinger unfortunately beset by injuries in 2014), expect a handful of new faces to make waves in the AFL for the Thunder.
The league itself has seen changes as well. Another new franchise will be popping up for the 2015 season, this time in Sin City. The Las Vegas Outlaws join the Thunder’s National Conference and look to steal away a playoff spot from the Rose City. This year, the league holds twelve teams vying for this year’s Arena Bowl.
In a special preseason series, I’ll be catching up with former Thunder players, including Douglas McNeil III, who was on the Seahawk roster, talking about returning veterans and new faces and seeing Coach Ho’s vision for the 2015 Thunder. And we’ll preview the season, including the Opening Night matchup against the LA KISS.
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