Oklahoma Thunder

For the National Basketball Association franchise, see Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oklahoma Thunder
Founded	2008
Based in	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Home field	LaFortune Stadium
League	World Football League
Division	Central
Colors	Silver & Blue
Head coach	Rashid Lowe
World Bowl wins	2008, 2009, 2010
Website	oklahomathunder.net

The Oklahoma Thunder are a minor league American football team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[1] Starting with the 2011 season, the team competes in the Gridiron Developmental Football League, playing in the Midwest-North Division in the GDFL's Impact Conference.^[2] Players have included Bacone College alumni, former major college standouts, and former NFL players including Willie Ponder.^[3][4] The team was founded by James "Sonny" Ashford in 2007 and the team's name pre-dates the relocation of the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder.^[5][6][7] The team's official colors are silver and blue. The team's cheerleaders are known as the Thunder Cats.

From its founding in 2008 through the 2010 season, the Thunder competed in the Central Division of the new World Football League. Team founder Sonny Ashford was also an owner of the new WFL and served as its president. Through these three seasons, the team was undefeated with a 40–0 record and three consecutive league championships.^[8] In the GDFL, the team went 9-0 in the 2011 regular season and won 4 consecutive playoff games to win the Impact Conference Championship before losing to the Chambersburg Cardinals in the 2011 GDFL Championship game in Atlanta.

History

World Football League (2008–2010)

2008 season

In their 2008 inaugural season, the Oklahoma Thunder finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record under head coach Bruce Madden.^[4] After beating the previously undefeated Texas Bulldogs 84-6 in the semi-final game,^[4] the Thunder rolled to 29–6 victory over the Austin Gamebreakers in World Bowl II on October 18, 2008, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.^[6][9][10] (The new minor-league WFL retained the numbering from the original 1970s WFL.)^[11] After the game, Thunder head coach Bruce Madden was presented the WFL Coach of the Year Award and linebacker Joey Crawford was named WFL Player of the Year.^[9]

2009 season

In 2009, the team posted another unbeaten record and went on to defeat the Dallas Diesel 41–12 in World Bowl III on August 29, 2009, at LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa.^[12][13]

The Team ended the season with several award winners and many players making all-star game appearances.^[14] During the Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas, Thunder players received the following awards: QB Rico Watkins took home Quarterback of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and Overall Player of the Year. Coach Bruce Madden took home Coach of the Year. Corey Curtis won Offensive Lineman of the Year. Jeremy Gray won Defensive Player of the Year and Linebacker of the Year. T.J. Covington took home the Defensive Back of the Year award.^[12][13]

2010 season

Fifteen Thunder players were named to the All-WFL Team in late-July 2010, more than any other team in the league.^[15] Quarterback Rico Watkins, wide receivers Marcus Pugh and Michael Swalley, tight end Clayton Froese, offensive lineman Jeremy Gray, defensive end C.B. Boyd, defensive tackle Aaron Littell, linebackers Joey Crawford and Jeremy Nethon, defensive back Quito Lightbourne, and special teams player Eli Kennard were all named to the first team. The second team included Thunder offensive linemen Josh Toops and Corey Curtis, defensive tackle Calvin Wychoff, defensive back Kurtis Dawson, and kicker Brandon Hawley.^[15][16]

After a 10–0 regular season in 2010 and a playoff win over the Fort Worth, Texas-based Eagle Mountain Marauders, the Thunder competed in their third straight World Bowl on July 31, 2010, where they faced the Des Moines Blaze at the East Tulsa Sports Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[15][17] The Thunder defeated the Blaze, 52–10, to claim their third consecutive league championship and extend their unbeaten streak to 40 games.^[8] Joey Crawford was named World Bowl MVP, his second such honor.^[8]

Gridiron Developmental Football League (2011–present)

2011 season

For the 2011 season, the Thunder moved from the WFL to the larger Gridiron Developmental Football League. As of May 2011^[update], the team's general manager and president is Steven Roper.^[18] Other key personnel for 2011 include Tracey Flemons as Director of Player Personnel, Ven Movva, M.D., as Director of Sports Medicine, Renita Baker as Director of Community Events, Jason Admire as Equipment Manager, Pastor Jeff Voth as Team Chaplin, and Steven Braun as Team Announcer. Coaches for 2011 include Rashid Lowe as Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, Daniel Cornelison and Lamar Baker as Co-Defensive Coordinators, Khalid Lowe as WR and special Teams coach, Ty Forbes as RB and DL coach and Shannon Mayfield as Co-Offensive Coordinator.^[18]

The team played its 10-game regular season in the Midwest-North Division in the GDFL's Impact Conference.^[2] The Thunder's home field was LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa.^[18] On August 7, the Thunder broke two league records in their game against the Kansas Diamondbacks. They broke the league record for points scored (96) and largest win margin (90).^[19] After the blowout win, the Thunder became the #1 ranked team in the GDFL.^[19] After defeating the St. Louis Bulldogs on August 13, the Thunder finished the 2011 regular season with a perfect 9-0 record, winning the Midwest North Division and clinching the top seed in the playoffs, and were ranked as the #1 team in the GDFL.

With home field advantage through all the preliminary playoff rounds, the Thunder defeated the North Texas Marauders (70-0) in the divisional playoff, the Dallas Diesel (24-22) in the regional playoff, the Indianapolis Tornados (48-13) in the Impact Conference South game, and the Kentucky Wolverines (42-6) in the Impact Conference Championship game. The Oklahoma Thunder travelled to Tara Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, as the visitor to play the Xtreme Conference champion Chambersburg Cardinals in the GDFL Championship game. Suffering their first loss in franchise history, the Thunder fell 19-14 to the Cardinals.^[20]

Date	Visitor	Home	Kickoff	Venue	Score
Regular Season
June 4, 2011	Kansas Kaos	Oklahoma Thunder	7:00 PM CDT	Lafortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 71 Kaos 0
June 11, 2011	Oklahoma Thunder	Kansas Knights	7:00 PM CDT	Topeka, Kansas	CANCELLED
June 18, 2011	OKC Wolverines	Oklahoma Thunder	7:00 PM CDT	Lafortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 63 Wolverines 14
June 25, 2011	Oklahoma Thunder	Kansas Diamondbacks	5:00 PM CDT	Maize South High School Wichita, Kansas	Thunder 80 Diamondbacks 0
July 9, 2011	St. Louis Bulldogs	Oklahoma Thunder	7:00 PM CDT	LaFortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder Win by Forfeit
July 16, 2011	Oklahoma Thunder	Kansas Kaos	7:00 PM CDT	Shawnee Mission South High School Athletic Complex (Shawnee Mission, KS)	Thunder 52 Kaos 7
July 23, 2011	Arkansas Sabers	Oklahoma Thunder	7:00 PM CDT	LaFortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 27 Sabers 12
July 30, 2011	Oklahoma Thunder	Dallas Diesel	7:00 PM CDT	Dallas, Texas	Thunder 31 Diesel 23
August 6, 2011	Kansas Diamondbacks	Oklahoma Thunder	8:00 PM CDT	LaFortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 96 Diamondbacks 6
August 13, 2011	Oklahoma Thunder	St. Louis Bulldogs	8:00 PM CDT	St. Louis, Missouri	Thunder 51 Bulldogs 23
Post-Season
Divisional Playoff August 27, 2011	North Texas Marauders	Oklahoma Thunder	7:00 PM CDT	G.W. Carver Middle School Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 70 Marauders 0[21]
Regional Playoff September 3, 2011	Dallas Diesel	Oklahoma Thunder	8:00 PM CDT	Lafortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 24 Diesel 22[22]
Impact Conference South September 10, 2011	Indianapolis Tornados	Oklahoma Thunder	8:00 PM CDT	Lafortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 48 Tornados 13
Conference Championship September 17, 2011[23]	Kentucky Wolverines	Oklahoma Thunder	8:00 PM CDT	Lafortune Stadium Tulsa, Oklahoma	Thunder 42 Wolverines 6
GDFL Championship October 1, 2011	Oklahoma Thunder	Chambersburg Cardinals	5:30 PM EDT	Westlake High School Atlanta, Georgia	Thunder 14 Cardinals 19[20]

Home stadium

In 2008, the team played its home games at Booker T. Washington Stadium and S.E. Williams Stadium in Tulsa.^[1] For the 2009 season, home games were moved to Exchange Bank Stadium in nearby Skiatook, Oklahoma.^[6] The Thunder played most of their 2010 home games at LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before relocating to the East Tulsa Sports Complex. The Thunder's home field for 2011 is Lafortune Stadium in Tulsa.^[18]

Media affiliations

Home games are televised on KWHB-TV and Cox cable channel 7 in Tulsa on a one-hour delay.^[6]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Hibdon, Glenn (July 19, 2008). "Oklahoma Thunder 101". Tulsa World. http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?articleID=20080719_235_B6_spancl599411. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Oklahoma Thunder History in the Making". Gridiron Developmental Football League. February 25, 2011. http://gdfl.net/?p=764. Retrieved May 10, 2011. 
3. ^ Tupa, Mike (May 27, 2009). "Pro football Thunder feature local connections". Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. http://www.examiner-enterprise.com/articles/2009/05/27/sports/sports533.txt. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Burton, Wendy (October 2, 2008). "Former Warriors 'Thunder' Through Playoffs". Baconian Online (Bacone College). http://baconian.bacone.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=722%3Aformer-warriors-thunder-through-playoffs&Itemid=167. Retrieved August 2, 2010. 
5. ^ Dierking, Kyle (July 20, 2008). "NBA Could Share Team's Thunder". KOTV. http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8704321. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Davis, Dwayne (May 6, 2009). "The Real Thunder: Ready for your love, Tulsa's World Football League team gears up for another season". Urban Tulsa. http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A27000. Retrieved July 30, 2010. 
7. ^ Sussman, Matt (July 19, 2008). "But There's Already An Oklahoma Thunder". Deadspin. http://deadspin.com/5026940/but-theres-already-an-oklahoma-thunder. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
8. ^ ^{a b c} "Thunder Win 3rd Straight World Bowl". World Football League. August 1, 2010. http://wflnow.com/uncategorized/thunder-win-3rd-straight-world-bowl/. Retrieved August 2, 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Oklahoma Thunder Wins World Bowl II". Baconian Online (Bacone College). October 20, 2008. http://baconian.bacone.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=751%3Aoklahoma-thunder-wins-world-bowl-ii&Itemid=167. Retrieved August 2, 2010. 
10. ^ Genske, Kevin (November 11, 2008). "Oklahoma Thunder takes WFL by storm". The Collegian (University of Tulsa). http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/article.asp?article=3917. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
11. ^ McGinn, Des (October 19, 2008). "Oklahoma wins World Bowl II over Austin". Shreveport Times. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/shreveporttimes/access/1696475841.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT. Retrieved May 10, 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b} "Thunder wins World Bowl". Tulsa World. August 31, 2009. http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=235&articleid=20090831_29_B2_Footba650395. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Tupa, Mike (September 8, 2009). "Ex-Ironmen grid star thrives for the Oklahoma Thunder". Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise. http://www.examiner-enterprise.com/articles/2009/09/08/sports/sports211.txt. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
14. ^ Brown, Mike (June 30, 2009). "Derailed Recovery". Tulsa World. http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=223&articleid=20090630_29_B1_Former95624. Retrieved October 25, 2011. 
15. ^ ^{a b c} Banning, Troy (July 30, 2010). "All World: Bell, Miller, Elkin and Sowle tagged 1st-team players in WFL". The Daily Freeman-Journal. http://www.webstercitynews.com/page/content.detail/id/507193.html. Retrieved August 1, 2010. 
16. ^ "WFL Announces All-WFL Team". World Football League. http://wflnow.com/uncategorized/wfl-announces-all-wfl-team/. Retrieved July 29, 2010. 
17. ^ "WFL in Tulsa, OK on July 31st 7:00 PM". World Football League. July 26, 2010. http://wflnow.com/uncategorized/wfl-in-tulsa-ok-on-july-31st-700pm/. Retrieved July 30, 2010. 
18. ^ ^{a b c d} "Staff". Oklahoma Thunder Football. http://oklahomathunder.net/staff/. Retrieved May 10, 2011. 
19. ^ ^{a b} "A New GDFL No.1 For The First Time In 2011". GDFL.org. August 9, 2011. http://gdfl.net/?=p2061. 
20. ^ ^{a b} "2011 GDFL National Championship Game". Total Sports Coverage. October 1, 2011. http://www.meridix.com/mbp/football/index.php?liveid=TotalSPortsCoverage&recordid=21556&event_position&event_type=football. Retrieved October 2, 2011. 
21. ^ Hillsman, J. (August 29, 2011). "Stormy Start To GDFL First Round Playoffs". Total Sports Coverage. http://www.meridix.com/story.php?storyid=13642. Retrieved September 5, 2011. 
22. ^ "GDFL Playoffs Continue". Total Sports Coverage. September 4, 2011. http://www.meridix.com/story.php?storyid=13675. Retrieved September 5, 2011. 
23. ^ "2011 Playoff Bracket" (PDF). Gridiron Developmental Football League. http://gdfl.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Playoff-Bracket.pdf. Retrieved September 11, 2011. 

External links

• Oklahoma Thunder official website
• Gridiron Developmental Football League official website
• World Football League official website