ANAHEIM, Calif. – The PBR Team Series may only be in the third week of its 10-week regular season, but that does not mean the Missouri Thunder aren’t worried about the standings.
The Thunder (5-1) took over sole possession of first place Friday night by defeating the Arizona Ridge Riders 169.5-0 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and coach Luke Snyder believes it is another building block toward the ultimate goal of winning a championship.
“First place always matters, but what matters most is just staying on,” Snyder said. “This whole deal – it doesn’t matter what points they put up, you just have to keep it between your legs, so that’s our whole goal. The comradery that this team is building is on another level. There’s never any, no matter if we ride a couple or buck off, the air never leaves the chutes.
“It’s always upbeat, it’s always hype. Any given bull we can just jump right back in.”
Four of Missouri’s five wins have come with its opponents recording one or zero rides. Snyder, though, doesn’t look at that as a lucky break by any means. His team’s job is to ride its bulls and not worry about the other side of the bucking chutes.
“I wouldn’t say other teams didn’t show up because they all got on flights just like we did, but it’s their fault that they aren’t performing up at our level,” Snyder said. “I’d say that we’re continuing to prove every single weekend, and we haven’t even seen our full potential yet.”
2012 PRCA champion Cody Teel got things going for the Thunder on Friday night with 84.25 points on Money before first-round draft pick Colten Fritzlan put the nail in the coffin with an 85.25-point ride on Orca.
Teel agreed with Snyder, and the veteran rider explained he could see his teammates were extra hyped for a game that was featuring the top two teams in the PBR Team Series standings. The Ridge Riders dropped to 4-2 with the loss.
“We’re just warming up,” Teel said. “After Kansas City (last week), that was the most energy I’ve felt so far and we’re starting to string them together. We won Cheyenne, and I saw that, but after Kansas City, when I saw where we were in the standings, it just became real. Like this is a competition and the competitor in all of us is coming out. We can see it now, what we’re trying to obtain in that Teams standings. Coming into this weekend, I just felt the guys, a little different, just trying to grow and get better and just keep moving forward.”
Fritzlan was absolutely smooth with his ride on Orca away from his hand. The Colorado native has helped clinch two of Missouri’s five wins this season, and he believes the Thunder could be turning into a high-octane freight train.
“It’s just getting started I reckon,” Fritzlan said. “The more rides you got, the more games you win. The more games you win and, I mean, it’s going to be there for you. As a team, we’re all learning and just looking forward to keeping on going.”
The Thunder will face the Carolina Cowboys (3-3, Anaheim 0-1) on Saturday night, and Fritzlan sees another chance for Missouri to take another step forward.
“I believe this team has a lot, even myself, of growth to do as well. You’re only as good as the people you hang out with,” Fritzlan continued. “Our team is the most positive set of guys you can pick. All around, they ride good, we have good attitudes. We either win or we learn.”
SATURDAY GAME SCHEDULE
Kansas City Outlaws (2-4, Anaheim 1-0) vs. Austin Gamblers (3-3, Anaheim 1-0)#
Oklahoma Freedom (2-4, Anaheim 1-0) vs. Nashville Stampede (2-4, Anaheim 0-1)#
Arizona Ridge Riders (4-2, Anaheim 0-1) vs. Ariat Texas Rattlers (1-5, Anaheim 0-1)*
Missouri Thunder (5-1, Anaheim 1-0) vs. Carolina Cowboys (3-3, Anaheim 0-1)*
*CBS Game of the Week Doubleheader (Sunday 1:30 p.m. ET)
#RidePass on Pluto TV (Saturday 9:45 p.m. ET)
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media