Oregon High Desert Storm
| Oregon High Desert Storm | |
|---|---|
| Established 2020 Folded 2023 Played in Redmond, Oregon at First Interstate Bank Center | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Black, sand, silver, white |
Nicknames | High Desert Storm |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Platinum Events & Security, LLC |
| President | Chris Reynolds |
| Head coach | Keith Evans |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Playoff appearances (2) | |
| |
| Home arena(s) | |
| First Interstate Bank Center (2021–present) | |
The Oregon High Desert Storm are a professional
History
On October 15, 2018, the American West Football Conference (AWFC) was founded by the Idaho Horsemen and added the Skyhawks, Reno Express, and Tri-Cities Fire to create the league.[1][2]
The AWFC postponed the 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic[3] and then cancelled the season entirely due to the unavailability of arenas during the pandemic.[4] The AWFC played the 2021 season, adding two teams in the Oregon High Desert Storm and Tri-City Rush, but the Skyhawks were unable to play any home games due to their home arena, the Town Toyota Center, being used for as a pandemic relief center and vaccination site.[5] The Storm began play in 2021 at the First Interstate Bank Center at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond.
In 2023, the Storm made it to American West Bowl IV to face the Idaho Horsemen after they defeated the Skyhawks 44–40 in the semi-final. However, they lost the championship to the Horsemen 42–20.[6] Shortly afterward, the team's website and social disappeared, leading many to believe that they have folded.
Oregon would get the indoor game back with the launching of the Oregon Blackbears of the revived Arena Football League for 2024 and beyond.
References
- ^ "A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE". AWFC Insider. October 15, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "Western US based indoor football league forming for 2019". Arena Football Talk. October 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "2020 AWFC Season Postponed due to Coronavirus". www.americanwestfootballconference.com. March 13, 2020. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ "THE AWFC CANCELS THE 2020 SEASON DUE TO COVID-19". American West Football Conference. July 31, 2020. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ @WSkyhawks (May 21, 2021). "It's been a very crazy 2 years for us, players, and most importantly, our seasons ticket holders and sponsors. It's out of our control as well as the TTC. Due 2 the TTC being the relief center as well as the vaccine location, we are unable to play any home games at this time" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "IDAHO HORSEMEN CLAIM VICTORY IN AMERICAN WEST BOWL IV". American West Football Conference. July 2, 2023. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.