Lakeland Thunderbolts
Encyclopedia
| Lakeland Thunderbolts | |
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| Founded | 2005 |
| Arena | Lakeland Center Lakeland Center The Lakeland Center is an 8,178-seat multi-purpose arena, in Lakeland, Florida. It opened in November 1974, as the Lakeland Civic Center, it gained its current name in June 1994.... |
| Based in | Lakeland, Florida Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406... |
| Colors | Black, gold, white |
| League | American Indoor Football Association |
| Head coach | Teddy Keaton Teddy Keaton Teddy Keaton is an American football coach that currently serves as the fourth head coach of the Stillman College Tigers since the reinstatement of the program in 1999. Keaton graduated from Stillman in 1999 and served as an assistant coach under Theophilus Danzy through the 2004 season... |
| General Manager | Bennie King |
| Dance Team | Thunderbolts Dance Team |
The Lakeland Thunderbolts are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at the Lakeland Center
Lakeland Center
The Lakeland Center is an 8,178-seat multi-purpose arena, in Lakeland, Florida. It opened in November 1974, as the Lakeland Civic Center, it gained its current name in June 1994....
.
History
The Lakeland Thunderbolts began in 2005 as an expansion member of the National Indoor Football LeagueNational Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
, finishing their inaugural season with a 6-8 record and losing in the first round of playoffs to the Rome Renegades
Rome Renegades
The Rome Renegades were a professional indoor football team, based out of Rome, Georgia. The Renegades played their home games at Forum Civic Center. They began as a 2002 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, as the Oklahoma Crude. After three unsuccessful seasons, they moved...
with a score of 53 to 7.
Lakeland's 2006 season ended with a 44-18 loss to the Fayetteville Guard
Fayetteville Guard
The Fayetteville Force is the former name of a professional indoor football team in the Southern Indoor Football League. They debuted the SIFL following the SIFL/AIFA merger and play home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum....
, in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, during the second round of the NIFL playoffs. The Thunderbolts finished the regular season fourth overall (third in the Atlantic Conference) with a 12-2 record.
After the 2006 season ended, the 'Bolts decided to move to the American Indoor Football Association. Perhaps the team's biggest victory so far is their 39-36 win over the defending champion Canton Legends
Canton Legends
The Canton Legends was a professional indoor football team based out of Canton, Ohio. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association, which played their first season under the name Atlantic Indoor Football League, and their second season as the American Indoor Football...
on March 11, 2007, ending their 12-game winning streak dating back from the previous season (The previous team to defeat Canton was the Reading Express
Reading Express
The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
on April 23, 2006 at the Canton Memorial Civic Center
Canton Memorial Civic Center
The Canton Memorial Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena in Canton, Ohio, USA. It was built in 1951. It was the home to the Canton Legends arena football team and Canton Invaders indoor soccer team and Ohio Aviators of the American Basketball Association...
by a score of 56-18). Lakeland secured the 2007 Southern Division Championship after an 84-62 win over the Mississippi Mudcats on June 16, 2007. On June 23, they would win AIFA Championship Bowl I at the Florence Civic Center
Florence Civic Center
The Florence Civic Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Florence, South Carolina. It hosted the infamous eighth WWF In Your House pay-per-view in 1996, during which a storm knocked out the power and thus the broadcast signal during the event. The card was retelecast two nights later from...
, defeating the Reading Express
Reading Express
The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
by a score of 54-49.
On Saturday, October 20 2007, it was announced that the Thunderbolts had declined on rejoining the AIFA for 2008.http://www.aifaprofootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114&Itemid=1
On Tuesday December 4 2007, the AIFA announced they have reached an agreement with the Lakeland Center, and the Thunderbolts will return in 2009. http://www.aifaprofootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=126&Itemid=1 There is a possibility that Thunderbolts could play in the Southern Indoor Football League in 2010. The Thunderbolts will likely return to the American Indoor Football Association in 2011
Season-By-Season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Lakeland Thunderbolts (NIFL)
|-
|2005 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd Atlantic South || Lost AC Quarterfinal (Rome
Rome Renegades
The Rome Renegades were a professional indoor football team, based out of Rome, Georgia. The Renegades played their home games at Forum Civic Center. They began as a 2002 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, as the Oklahoma Crude. After three unsuccessful seasons, they moved...
)
|-
|2006 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 1st Atlantic South || Won AC Quarterfinal (M. Maulers
Montgomery Bears
The Montgomery Bears were a professional indoor football team that played their home games at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. The team began play as the Montgomery Maulers of the National Indoor Football League and won the...
)
Lost AC Semifinal (Fayetteville
Fayetteville Guard
The Fayetteville Force is the former name of a professional indoor football team in the Southern Indoor Football League. They debuted the SIFL following the SIFL/AIFA merger and play home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum....
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Lakeland Thunderbolts (AIFA)
|-
|2007 || 11 || 2 || 0 || 1st Southern || Won Round 1 (Carolina)
Won SD Championship (Mississippi
Mississippi Mudcats
The Mississippi MudCats are a team of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi.-History:...
)
Won Championship Bowl I (Reading
Reading Express
The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
)
|-
|2008 || colspan="5" rowspan="3" valign="middle" align="center" | Did Not Play
|-
|2009
|-
|2010
|-
!Totals || 33 || 14 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including NIFL and AIFA playoffs)
2007 Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 17 | Mississippi Mudcats Mississippi Mudcats The Mississippi MudCats are a team of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi.-History:... |
Away | Lost 36-46 |
| February 25 | Florence Phantoms Florence Phantoms The Florence Phantoms was a professional arena football team based out of Florence, South Carolina, in the United States. They are a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, and the current AIFA Champions as of the 2008 season's end... |
Home | Won 69-25 |
| March 11 | Canton Legends Canton Legends The Canton Legends was a professional indoor football team based out of Canton, Ohio. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association, which played their first season under the name Atlantic Indoor Football League, and their second season as the American Indoor Football... |
Home | Won 39-36 |
| March 16 | Baltimore Blackbirds Baltimore Blackbirds The Baltimore Blackbirds were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They played the 2007 season as an expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, at the 1st Mariner Arena.-History:... |
Home | Won 69-14 |
| March 23 | Florence Phantoms Florence Phantoms The Florence Phantoms was a professional arena football team based out of Florence, South Carolina, in the United States. They are a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, and the current AIFA Champions as of the 2008 season's end... |
Away | Won 54-18 |
| April 5 | Danville Demolition Danville Demolition The Danville Demolition were an American Indoor Football Association team played in 2007. The team played their home games at the David S. Palmer Arena.- History :... |
Away | Won 71-6 |
| April 14 | Carolina Speed | Home | Won 57-19 |
| April 20 | Tallahassee Titans Tallahassee Titans The Tallahassee Titans were an American Indoor Football Association team that began play as a 2007 member. The team played its home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida.-History:... |
Away | Lost 40-48 |
| May 5 | Mississippi Mudcats Mississippi Mudcats The Mississippi MudCats are a team of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi.-History:... |
Home | Won 54-31 |
| May 12 | Tallahassee Titans Tallahassee Titans The Tallahassee Titans were an American Indoor Football Association team that began play as a 2007 member. The team played its home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida.-History:... |
Home | Won 51-24 |
| May 19 | Montgomery Bears Montgomery Bears The Montgomery Bears were a professional indoor football team that played their home games at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. The team began play as the Montgomery Maulers of the National Indoor Football League and won the... |
Away | Won 34-32 |
| May 25 | Carolina Speed | Away | Won 39-21 |
| June 2 | Montgomery Bears Montgomery Bears The Montgomery Bears were a professional indoor football team that played their home games at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. The team began play as the Montgomery Maulers of the National Indoor Football League and won the... |
Home | Won 72-56 |
| June 11 | Carolina Speed (Playoffs) | Home | Won 55-32 |
| June 18 | Mississippi Mudcats Mississippi Mudcats The Mississippi MudCats are a team of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi.-History:... (Playoffs) |
Home | Won 84-62 |
| June 23 | Reading Express Reading Express The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006... (Championship Bowl I) |
Neutral (Florence Florence, South Carolina -Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits... ) |
Won 54-49 |