Four Former 'Wheelers To Compete for ArenaBowl XVIII
Published on June 2, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa â In the final week of the Arena Football League's 2004 season, seven former Quad City Steamwheelers saw action, with four moving on to the eight team playoff for the rights to the James Foster Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the ArenaBowl.
The weekend finished with five teams sitting at 11-5 and tied for the top ranking. The other three teams were separated from the top by only two games. This season's playoff race was so tight that a 9-7 New York Dragons team did not make the post-season.
Two former âWheelers were a part of that Dragons team that did all they could to qualify for a run at the Cup. In a 69-54 win over the expansion Philadelphia Soul, Dragons wide receiver/linebacker Chris Anthony had four touchdowns and did so in three different ways. Anthony caught three passes for 49 yards, two going for touchdowns. Anthony also intercepted a pass and returned it 38 yards for a score. Anthony then added another score when he fell on a fumble in the endzone. He added 1.5 tackles on defense to close out his career high day.
His teammate, offensive lineman/defensive lineman Tim McGill had 1.5 tackles in the win as well. Despite having an identical 9-7 record as playoff bound Los Angeles, the Dragons missed the playoffs because the Avengers had beaten the Dragons 58-53 earlier in the season.
Speaking of the Avengers, offensive lineman/defensive lineman Sean McNamara had a pass breakup in the Avengers 52-50 loss to the Orlando Predators.
Despite not recording any stats this past weekend, fullback/linebacker Frank Trentadue and his Arizona Rattlers knocked off the San Jose Sabercats 50-43 to gain the top seed in the playoffs. Trentadue and the Rattlers will take on the Avengers at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The second ranked Sabercats will host the seventh seeded and defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm in a nationally televised quarterfinal matchup at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday on NBC.
The New Orleans VooDoo were one of the five teams who finished with an 11-5 record, much of that thanks to wide receiver/linebacker turned offensive specialist Ira Gooch. In the VooDoo's 38-21 victory over the Austin Wranglers, Gooch had two receptions for 24 yards, a five-yard touchdown run and returned three kickoffs 37 yards. The fourth seeded VooDoo will host the fifth seeded Colorado Crush on Sunday at 2 p.m.
In their season finales, three former Steamwheelers went head to head. Las Vegas Gladiators wide receiver/defensive back Dennison Robinson did just about everything he possibly could to help his team to a 64-51 victory over the Columbus Destroyers. In the game, Robinson had a pass attempt fall incomplete, rushed for a yard, caught two passes for 36 yards, returned two kickoffs, and that was just on offense. He had two tackles and a pass breakup on defense. Teammate, fullback/linebacker Frank Carter had two rushes and a tackle in the victory.
Former teammate and now opponent, Destroyers offensive lineman/defensive lineman Jamarr Ward had 1.5 tackles in the loss.
Wide receiver/defensive back Leo FenceRoy is still on the Chicago Rush practice squad and will be available for the Rush this week as they prepare for the Orlando Predators. The Rush will host the Predators at AllState Arena this Sunday at 2 p.m. with the game being televised regionally in the Quad City area on NBC.
With playoff action heating up, so is the NBC's coverage of the AFL on NBC.
This weekend all four of the playoff matchups will be televised. The San Jose/Tampa Bay game is the only Saturday game and will be broadcast nationally. Then on Sunday, the remaining three matchups will all kickoff at 2 p.m. CDT with each game being broadcast regionally. Don't miss a minute of playoff action seen every week on the AFL on NBC.
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