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.
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LAKELAND THUNDERBOLTS TICKETS
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History
The Lakeland Thunderbolts began in 2005 as an expansion member of the
National Indoor Football League, finishing their inaugural season with a 6-8 record and losing in the first round of playoffs to the
Rome Renegades with a score of 53 to 7.
Lakeland's
2006 season ended with a 44-18 loss to the
Fayetteville Guard, in
Fayetteville, North Carolina, 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 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 on
April 23,
2006 at the
Canton Memorial Civic Center 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, defeating the
Reading Express 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.
On Tuesday
December 4 2007, the AIFA announced they have reached an agreement with the Lakeland Center, and the Thunderbolts will return in 2009. There is a possibility that Thunderbolts could play in the Southern Indoor Football League in 2010.
Season-By-Season
Note:
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties''
| Season
| W
| L
| T
| Finish
| Playoff results
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| Lakeland Thunderbolts (NIFL)
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| 2005
| 6
| 8
| 0
| 3rd Atlantic South
| Lost AC Quarterfinal (Rome)
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| 2006
| 12
| 2
| 0
| 1st Atlantic South
| Won AC Quarterfinal (M. Maulers)
Lost AC Semifinal (Fayetteville)
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| Lakeland Thunderbolts (AIFA)
|
| 2007
| 11
| 2
| 0
| 1st Southern
| Won Round 1 (Carolina)
Won SD Championship (Mississippi)
Won Championship Bowl I (Reading)
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| 2008
| Did Not Play
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| 2009
|
| Totals
| 33
| 14
| 0
| (including NIFL and AIFA playoffs)
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2007 Season Schedule
| Date
| Opponent
| Home/Away
| Result
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| February 17
| Mississippi Mudcats
| Away
| Lost 36-46
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| February 25
| Florence Phantoms
| Home
| Won 69-25
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| March 11
| Canton Legends
| Home
| Won 39-36
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| March 16
| Baltimore Blackbirds
| Home
| Won 69-14
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| March 23
| Florence Phantoms
| Away
| Won 54-18
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| April 5
| Danville Demolition
| Away
| Won 71-6
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| April 14
| Carolina Speed
| Home
| Won 57-19
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| April 20
| Tallahassee Titans
| Away
| Lost 40-48
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| May 5
| Mississippi Mudcats
| Home
| Won 54-31
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| May 12
| Tallahassee Titans
| Home
| Won 51-24
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| May 19
| Montgomery Bears
| Away
| Won 34-32
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| May 25
| Carolina Speed
| Away
| Won 39-21
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| June 2
| Montgomery Bears
| Home
| Won 72-56
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| June 11
| Carolina Speed (Playoffs)
| Home
| Won 55-32
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| June 18
| Mississippi Mudcats (Playoffs)
| Home
| Won 84-62
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| June 23
| Reading Express (Championship Bowl I)
| Neutral (Florence)
| Won 54-49
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