Monday night at Portland’s Moda Center began a new era in Arena League football. The Portland Thunder opened their inaugural season with pyrotechnics, roaring Harley Davidson engines and (what else?) AC/DC classic, “Thunderstruck” and the feeling in the arena was, without exaggeration, truly electric. The raucous crowd filed in and got into party mode right away during the team introductions and the noise would crescendo as the anticipation for the player many were waiting for quickly gained momentum. Though it did seem the Thunder were trying not to treat any player as the “star,” former Oregon Duck Darron Thomas received a goose bump raising welcome and the short but loud ovation must have shown the young signal caller that while he may have been gone for a bit, he was hardly forgotten. In his two years at the U of O, Thomas lead the Ducks to a classic national title tilt versus Auburn, losing by 3 in the final seconds, a game in which he shined as brightly as Tigers star Cam Newton did. Thomas and the Ducks continued their success the next year with a Rose Bowl victory over the Russell Wilson led Wisconsin Badgers, and as his name rang out over the public address system the fans showered the affable face of the new franchise with a little Rose City love.
When the smoke cleared and the audience had been treated to a jazz saxophone rendition of the national anthem, the San Jose Sabercats got down to the job of welcoming the extremely young Thunder to the AFL. Things started quite well for Portland as Thomas, wearing his trademark number 1 jersey, lead the team to a first possession touchdown and the 8,905 in attendance were perhaps already dreaming of greatness. However, while there is a great deal of reason for optimism, the Cats were apparently not in town to provide a story book ending to the Thunder’s inaugural contest. On the kickoff following the Portland’s first ever TD, head coach Matt Sauk elected to onside kick to the crowds delight but San Jose came away with the ball and in a single short pass put up six points of their own. Almost from the outset and throughout the game, costly errors born of the young team’s inexperience and lack of familiarity with their surroundings resulted in a 64- 34 loss to a tight veteran San Jose squad. The Sabercats offence was efficient, polished and opportunistic scoring touchdowns on its first two plays from scrimmage and victimizing the Portland defense twice after officials threw penalty flags and the San Jose wide outs went straight for the end zone. Sabercat quarterbacks Russ Michna and Nathan Stanley went 12 of 16 for 166 yards with 5 touchdowns and 8 of 14 for 89 yards with 3 touchdowns respectively and seemed in control most of the evening. The Thunder defense stiffened in the second half and even began to show characteristics that could well become its hallmark. Former North Carolina standout Donte Paige Moss had a jarring third quarter sack and Western Oregon’s own Bryce Peila intercepted San Jose and had a heavy duty hit on a Cats kick returner in the third quarter, while defensive back Dwight McLean accounted for 6 solo tackles. In the end, the Thunder fielding 16 rookie players to San Jose’s 3 was the obvious difference between the teams. Head coach Matt Sauk said in his post-game press conference, “It’s frustrating to lose, without a doubt but I’m proud of my guys; none of them quit.” Sauk is right and in fact the entire organization can give itself a pat on the back for putting on a really entertaining show.
On offense most stat lines were unremarkable with Thomas (11 for 27 with a score and an interception) and compatriot Nathan Enderle a 5th round pick of the Chicago bears harassed by the San Jose defense often and seemed to understandably unaccustomed to the speed of the arena game. Thomas however, in typical likable fashion, had no excuses. "I got a big wakeup call with the pressure I’m going to work on getting the ball out quick next week." He said to the press later. Despite all the growing pains there was a moment when fans, rising from their seats, thought they were about to see a blast from the past with Thomas escaping from a collapsing pocket and slashing between and around defenders on his way to a spectacular score only to be pulled down literally by the tail of his shirt as he broke into open field. The signal callers were hardly the only Thunder players to have a less than perfect game with the offensive line wavering and then stiffening all game long and the receivers dropping two or three catchable balls.
On the whole however, the young team reminds one of a nothing-to-lose University of Michigan fab five basketball team from Chris Webber era. With easy, loose interaction amongst teammates and a young smart coach who, even after the loss, managed to keep his sense of humor, Thunder fans will have a great deal to cheer about soon. The team is loaded with young talent for example wide outs Duane Brooks (#4) who was something akin to spectacular with seven receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns 269 all-purpose yards and Jeffrey Solomon (#7) 6 catches, 56 yards and one score as well as veteran former San Jose receiving leader Samora Goodson, who showed his toughness taking the nights most vicious hit on an attempt at a reception that sent him head over heels over the dasher boards. As for the oft underestimated Darron Thomas and his thoughts after his first night back on an Oregon football field? "It was nasty… the score got out of hand. On the offensive side, we all learned what the game is going to be," he stated with a wry smile.
I remember that grin, Thunder fans, it was the same one he wore as he jogged onto the Autzen Stadium turf in 2008 with Boise State leading by a mile.
Look it up.
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