af2 Green Bay Blizzard

Offense and Defense Both Shine as Blizzard Shuts Down Steamwheelers 57-34

Published on April 16, 2006 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release


To say that the rivalry between the Green Bay Blizzard and the Quad City Steamwheelers is a heated one would be an understatement. The two teams, separated by only 330 miles, are from opposite ends of the Arena Football spectrum. The Steamwheelers won the first two Arena Cups with a combined record of 31-1; the Blizzard entered the af2 three years later, only to struggle to 2-14 in 2003 and 6-10 in 2004. The Steamwheelers are steeped in AFL tradition, being founded by Jim Foster, the father of Arena Football; the Blizzard were a fledgling expansion team, trying to find an identity in the midst of a harried early history. The differences are as vast as the Mississippi River that separates the Quad Cities, but there are also a lot of similarities.

Green Bay is no stranger to football glory, nor to the pride that goes with achieving the ultimate goal - a league championship. The city itself is an homage to the legendary figures and teams that forged a football dynasty that would help to make the smallest city in all of professional sports the epicenter of the football world. For arenafootball2 to have its most storied team in the heart of the Midwest only mirrors the success that Green Bay has known.

Whenever these two teams face off, as they have done every season they have both been in the league, the battles are hard-fought, earnest and austere. Saturday night's matchup was no different. Although the Steamwheelers held a 5-1 edge in the series with the Blizzard, the record belies the intensity and ferocity of the games: 4 of the 6 meetings have been decided by a single-digit margin of victory. In 2005 the Blizzard posted a 56-49 win, and the Steamwheelers countered with a 40-37 win later in the season.

The two teams had both experienced similar starts to the 2006 season, dropping their respective season openers at home to teams that missed the playoffs in 2005: the Blizzard to the Albany Conquest and the 'Wheelers to the Arkansas Twisters. The Blizzard, however, came into the game on a high by virtue of their 48-34 road win over the Manchester Wolves last week.

The Blizzard, known primarily for their stifling defense in an overwhelmingly offense-driven league, showed that they can put points on the board, as they did early and often in their 57-34 win over the Steamwheelers. Blizzard QB Ronnie Gordon and OS Randall Lane - both former 'Wheelers - teamed up less than 5 minutes into the game for a 10-yard TD. Only 3 minutes later, Gordon scored again on a 4-yard TD run to give the Blizzard a 13-0 lead. (A model of consistency, the Blizzard has begun all three of their games this season with a 13-0 first quarter lead over their opponents.)

The Steamwheelers would come back strong, and the teams would trade scores through halftime: a 20-yard TD pass from Steamwheelers QB Tim Hicks to OS Tim Dodge; a 21-yard TD pass from Gordon to WR/DB Luke Leverson for the Blizzard; Hicks to Dodge for an 8-yard TD; another Gordon rushing TD, this time from 6 yards out; Hicks to WR/DB Bo Smith for a 6-yard TD; Gordon to WR/DB Bobby Boyer for a 23-yard TD.

The Blizzard would go into the locker room up 33-20, and whatever Head Coach Bob Landsee during intermission inspired them to come out swinging. The Blizzard would score 17 straight points to open the second half, breaking the game open with a 24-yard field goal by K Wade Tydlacka, a 16-yard scoring strike from Gordon to WR/LB Robert "Superman" Garth and a 6-yard TD pass from Gordon to Leverson. The flurry of points equaled a 50-20 lead and a shell-shocked Steamwheelers team.

Hicks would get the 'Wheelers back in the scoring swing with a 24-yard TD pass to WR/LB Jack Walker, Jr., but the Blizzard would answer in a flash, unleashing a one-man wrecking crew on the 'Wheelers defense: FB/LB Matt Pagel. In only 2 plays, Pagel would put the Blizzard back on the scoreboard, first by exploding with a 30-yard run to the QC 3-yard-line, then hammering his way into the end zone on the very next play. The TD would close out the scoring for the Blizzard, putting them ahead 57-27.

The 'Wheelers would add one more score, a 14-yard TD pass from backup QB Matt Pike to WR/LB Alfonso Pugh with just :41 seconds left on the clock. It proved to be too little, too late, however, as the final gun would sound and the Blizzard would come away with the 57-34 victory and a 2-1 record. With the loss the Steamwheelers would fall to 0-2 for only the second time in their history, and the first time since 2003.

The Blizzard didn't just get the job done on the offensive side of the ball - the defense did their part as well. They snared 3 INTs, one each by WR/DB Dontrell "Quick" Jackson (32-yard return), OL/DL Jason Hardee (no return), and DS Edward Kwaku (15-yard return), who also added a fumble recovery (no return). After recording no sacks in the win over the Wolves, the Blizzard opened the floodgates with 5 against the 'Wheelers: OL/DL Robert Boss had 1.5, OL/DL Terence Taylor and WR/DB Covell Crosby each had 1.0, and OL/DLs Whitney Bell, Brett Huyser and Jason Hardee had 0.5 each.

Gordon finished the game a stellar 15-of-25 for 177 yards and 5 TDs, with no INTs. Lane would lead the Blizzard in receiving, with 5 catches for 69 yards and 1 TD, and Pagel's 2 rushes for 33 yards and 1 TD paced the Blizzard running game.

For the Steamwheelers, Hicks went 21-of-36 for 244 yards and 4 TDs, with 3 INTs. Walker led Steamwheelers' receivers with 9 catches for 122 yards and 1 TD, while FB/LB A.J. Novak could muster only 2 rushes for 3 yards and no TDs.

As the Blizzard returns home to prepare for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, the do so with the pride that comes from knowing that they accomplished something great: they went into one of the most difficult af2 arenas to play in, and beat the most storied team in the league handily. There is a great deal of history between these two teams, and if history has shown us anything, it is that the next time they meet - on Friday, May 19th in Green Bay - the records will be thrown out the window and it will be another knock-down, drag out battle 'til the end. The fate of each team lies in their own hands as well as the hands of the other, and neither will let anything - not history, not tradition, not pride - stand in their way as one tries to regain past glory and the other continues its climb to the top.

The Blizzard returns home to take on the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz on Friday, April 21st. The game will feature a special appearance by the Southern University Marching Band, who will perform the National Anthem before kickoff, and then again at halftime and after the game. Then the Blizzard hits the road again for two straight weeks. First up is a Saturday, April 29th meeting with the Louisville Fire, and then a Friday, May 5th matchup with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.

For more information, or to get your Green Bay Blizzard tickets and merchandise, contact the Blizzard office at (920) 405-1264.

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