Camp Thunder open for business

By John Kovach

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley Thunder, who proved to be a big hit last season by averaging about 4,500 fans for eight arena football games at the Chevrolet Centre, is preparing for its second year in the af2.

The Thunder, guided again by Coach Michael Hold, will hold its first official day of practice for the 2008 season on Monday from 9:30 a.m. until noon at the Salem Community Center.

The team, which had 30 players on the roster as of Friday but was expected to bring 35 into camp, will hold all 16 training camp practices at the Salem Community Center until camp ends on March 23.

Players checked in Saturday and are scheduled to have their physical examinations today.

The Thunder is one of 29 teams in the af2 and competes in the four-team American Conference East.

The Thunder will open its second season on March 29 on Cortland Banks Field inside the Chevrolet Centre against the Albany Conquest at 7:05 p.m.

Also in the American Conference East are Albany, the Manchester Wolves and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.

Owned by Dr. Michael Slyk, Dr. Jon Saadey and Tim Chesney with Adam Tokash returning as general manager, the Thunder will play eight home games as part of its 16-game regular season in af2, a developmental league for the Arena Football League.

The af2 is beginning its ninth season that will culminate in its championship game, Arenacup9. Last season in Arenacup8, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lost to the Tulsa Talons, 73-66.

Although the Thunder failed to qualify for a playoff berth last season with a 7-9 record, they closed out the year with three straight home victories.

In the season finale on July 28, the Thunder were led by quarterback Mike Schneider’s 28-for-32 passing for 278 yards, six TDs and no interceptions. The Thunder beat the Green Bay Blizzard at home, 70-50, in front of 3,762 fans. The Thunder set a single game franchise record with the 70 points.

Schneider, a native of Sharon, Pa., did not return to the Thunder this year. But quarterback Josh Swogger of Vienna, a former Ursuline High, Washington State and Montana player, appears ready to lead the Thunder in his first af2 season.

Among the Thunder’s top holdovers are: wide receivers DeMarcus Mathes (6-foot, 200 pounds) and Brian Majors (6-1, 189); fullback-linebacker Tim Murphy (6-0, 240), a two-way player who played in 14 games last season; offensive-defensive linemen Wally Sonnie (6-2, 320, Ashland), a four-year veteran of af2; and Mike Lane (6-5, 255).

Murphy, playing predominantly as a fullback last season, rushed for a team-high 343 yards and 14 TDs while catching 12 passes for 125 yards and two scores. His 16 touchdowns ranked third on the team.

Murphy’s offensive production earned him a spot on the All-af2 first team.

Mathes was the Thunder’s third-leading receiver last season with 71 receptions for 1,027 yards and 17 TDs while playing in 13 games.

Anthony Farris, the Thunder’s media relations coordinator/account executive, said Mathes tried out for an AFL team but did not make it, and that it is highly probable he will return to the Thunder.

Hold said Sonnie helped to rejuvenate the Thunder’s offensive line last year, which allowed only five sacks in the final six games.

“Wally came in and was the start of our resurgence on the offensive line,” Hold said. “Getting Wally back will help [this] season. He is a veteran in this league and will help the young guys around him.”

The Thunder offense, riding the performances of the big men up front, accumulated more than 300 yards of total offense in three straight games.

Eddie Robinson, meanwhile, joined the Thunder with five games remaining in the regular season and quickly became a starter along the defensive line.

Playing in the final five games, Robinson registered seven tackles, including one tackle for loss, as part of a defensive line that created 13 quarterback pressures over the season’s final five games.

Hold said Robinson is a key building block in the defensive line.

“He came in late last year and gave us an immediate boost along the defensive front,” said Hold. “We expect Eddie to continue to improve and help some of our new guys make the transition to af2.”

kovach@vindy.com