Measuring up

May 12, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Wichita Stealth News Release


In sports, there are always a number of measuring sticks for players, coaches, and teams, whether it is statistics, coaching victories, or number of championships, there are always comparisons to see who is the greatest. Entering the 2004 season, the Wichita Stealth players, coaches, and staff had high expectations of themselves and this weekend's game could go a long way in seeing how this team measures up to those expectations. The undefeated 5-0 and number one ranked Wichita Stealth will be traveling to face the measuring stick for all af2 franchises, the 5-1 and number two ranked Quad City Steamwheelers.

The Steamwheelers are year in and year out one of the elite franchises in af2. They have an all-time regular season record of 60-10 (32-3 at home and 28-7 on the road) with three playoff appearances and two af2 championships to their credit. The Stealth are coming off of two consecutive playoff appearances and look to gain their third one this season. The Stealth hope to measure up to the Steamwheelers and hand them their fourth regular season home loss in team history and leave no doubt as to who is the #1 team in af2.

"This will be a true test for us this weekend," said Stealth head coach Sean Ponder. "Quad City is the most successful af2 franchise ever and our players and coaches need to be ready for this weekend."

The two teams come into this weekend's game almost identical in several offensive and defensive categories. The Stealth are ranked number one in scoring defense (28.4 points per game), while Quad City is ranked second (31.5 ppg). In total defense, the Stealth rank first with 192.8 yards per game and the Steamwheelers are third with 209.0 yards per game. Offensively, Wichita is ranked 16th in scoring offense (45.4 ppg) and the Steamwheelers are ranked 13th (47.3 ppg). In total offense the Stealth rank 12th at 260.0 yards per game and the Steamwheelers rank 13th at 259.7 yards per game.

"If you look at these two teams on paper, they look like the exact same team," said Ponder. "We have very similar players that will be on the field Saturday night and we both are really close in almost every statistical category."

The Stealth will take to the field with some dangerous receiving threats this weekend. After sitting out last weekend's game versus the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, Stealth offensive specialist Michael Dritlein will be back on the field and paired alongside Damon Thompson. Last season, Thompson caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and 27 touchdowns, while Dritlein caught 56 balls for 853 yards and 22 touchdowns, despite only playing in nine games.

In the only game these two talented individuals played together so far this season, the Stealth put up their best offensive night of the young season. In that game versus the Green Bay Blizzard, this dynamic duo caught 15 passes for 190 yards and six touchdowns, as the Stealth put up a season high 371 yards in total offense and defeated the Blizzard 68-53.

"When we have Michael and Damon on the field at the same time we can be explosive," said Ponder. "These two complement each other very well and they can be a terror for opposing defenses."

Last season versus the Steamwheelers, Dritlein had six catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns and added six kick-off returns for 171 yards and a touchdown in the heartbreaking 62-56 Quad City win over Wichita.

The Steamwheelers will counter with a dynamic receiving duo of their own this weekend in Tim Dodge and Jeff Hewitt. Dodge was named to the 2003 National Conference All-af2 First team last season as he caught 80 passes for 1,275 yards and 22 touchdowns. Hewitt caught 88 balls for 1,338 yards and 31 touchdowns. So far this season, the duo has put up an average of 203 yards per game and rank among the league leaders in several offensive categories. Hewitt is tied for fourth in touchdowns (13) and scoring (78 points). Dodge is tied for second in the league in receiving yards per game (110.2) and tied for sixth in receptions (39).

"These receivers are a huge challenge for our defense," said Stealth assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Troy Biladeau. "Hewitt is one of the best in the league and Dodge is not too far behind him."

But if any defensive unit is up to the challenge it is the Stealth. They only give up 176.8 yards per game through the air and have shut out their opponents in eight of the twenty quarters they have played thus far.

After you talk about receivers, you have to talk about the guy throwing the ball to them and when it comes to these two teams the field generals leading their respective teammates mirror each other just as the receivers do. For the Stealth, quarterback Aaron Sparrow is among the leaders in af2 and he has similar numbers to the Steamwheelers quarterback, Ronnie Gordon. Sparrow is currently sixth in the af2 in passing yards per game (250.6) while Gordon is ninth (239.5). Gordon may have the advantage in total offense over Sparrow, but once again they both rank in the top ten in af2, Sparrow sits in seventh place (1,266 yards), while Gordon is second (1,480 yards). They both have thrown 20+ touchdowns so far this season, Sparrow with 25 and Gordon with 22 and they both have guided their team to five victories.

So by all accounts it looks like these two teams measure up pretty well this week and it looks like this game could go a long way in telling just how these two teams may finish at the end of the season. Hopefully for the Stealth this game will help them measure up to the expectations that they have set for themselves during the 2004 season and continue on the road to the 2004 af2 championship.



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