Lighting Strikes in the WFA!
The Women’s Football Alliance is pleased to announce that the Knoxville Lightning has officially signed on as a full member and will play in the WFA for the 2018 season. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Lightning will compete in the Southeast Region as members of Division 3 for 2018.
“The Lightning have a really talented group of young players and a well-respected organization. We are glad to add another solid veteran team to the Southeast Region and look forward to some great games in the future. We expect them to be a strong contender for a D-3 National Championship.” stated WFA Commissioner Lisa King.
Established in 2014, the Lightning are the first women’s football team to call the Marble City home since the Knoxville Summit (2002-2004) and Knoxville Tornadoes (2004-2005).
A member of their former league’s “Affilitates Division,” the Lightning kicked off in the 2015 season with a rocky start, finishing 0-7. However, they quickly rebounded the following year, finishing at 4-4 in 2016 and making it to that league’s Affiliate Bowl before losing 48-0 to the Maine Mayhem (who would go on to join the WFA last year and were ranked #2 in the final D3 Massey Ratings).
This past season, the Lightning played three competitive games against their future WFA Division 3 regional rivals, losing to the Music City Mizfits 36-14 on April 15 in the first-ever “Volunteer Bowl,” then defeating the Derby City Dynamite 30-20 on May 26 in Knoxville before losing to the Dynamite 28-0 on June 16 in Louisville. With the dwindling number of in-league regional opponents in their former league, it was an easy decision for the Lightning to make the move for 2018.
Although the Lightning remain grateful to their former league for giving them the chance to play these past three seasons and wish it the best in its future endeavors, they are very happy to be part of the world’s #1 women’s football league now.
In addition to renewing their feuds with in-state rivals the Music City Mizfits and Tennessee Train, the Lightning look forward to building their rivalry with the Derby City Dynamite as well as the new ones ahead with teams such as the Cincinnati Sizzle, Huntsville Tigers and South Carolina Smash. The Lightning expect to be contenders in the race for the Division 3 National Championship during W-Bowl Weekend and will surely prove a strong challenge to the Orlando Anarchy as Southeast Region and National Conference champions.
For more information about the Lightning, please follow their social media sites:
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Email: KnoxvilleLightning@gmail.com
Phone: (865)-399-1325
Website: www.knoxvillelightning.com
