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Quad City Steamwheelers game notes

April 22, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Quad City Steamwheelers (3-0) vs.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (2-0)
Date: Saturday, April 24, 2004
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. EST, 6:00 p.m. CDT
Site: Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (7,500)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: TBA
Officials: Scott McElwee (Referee), Michael Rattley (Umpire), Wayne Mackie (Head Linesman), Dale Shaw (Line Judge), James Quirk (Back Judge)
Radio: WFXN 1230 AM and KWPC 890 AM (Jim Albracht – Play-by-Play, Jim Foster-Color)
TV: None
Series Record: Quad City leads the all-time series 1-0 and this is the first ever meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Last Meeting: The last meeting between these two teams was the first ever and the Steamwheelers earned their first victory of the 2003 season with the 66-34 victory at The MARK. This season the teams will have a home-and-home series.
Streaks: The ‘Wheelers and Pioneers are two of only five teams remaining with unbeaten records in the af2. The ‘Wheelers have started the season with three wins and the Pioneers are winners of two straight.
Coaches:
Quad City - Rich Ingold (3-0; 27-9, Third season)
W-B/Scranton – Les Moss (2-0; 2-0 First season)

THE STAKES: With both teams bringing undefeated records, one of these teams will walk out still undefeated and the other will walk out with their first loss of the season. The Steamwheelers will also be looking to hold onto their No. 1 ranking in the Coaches Poll.
THE SERIES: The Pioneers are looking to even the series up at one win apiece as the Steamwheelers took the first ever meeting last season. This is the first of two meetings for the two teams.
THE IFs:
If Quad City defeats Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, it would ...
· Give Quad City a 2-0 all-time series lead
· Give Quad City an 18-game regular season game winning streak
· Give Rich Ingold a 28-9 record as a coach

QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (3-0, Won 3)
Date Opponent Result Score
4/3 Manchester 7:30 WIN 71-32
4/10 @Manchester 7:30 WIN 45-42
4/17 Tennessee Valley 7:30 WIN 47-29
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
4/24 @W-B Scranton 6:00 W-3 QC leads 1-0
5/1 Green Bay 7:30 L-1 QC leads 2-0
5/7 @Peoria 7:00 L-1 QC leads 4-2
5/15 Wichita 7:30 W-3 QC leads 4-1
5/22 @San Diego 9:00 L-3 QC leads 2-0
5/29 BYE
6/5 @Louisville 6:30 W-1 QC leads 4-0
6/12 W-B Scranton 7:30 W-2 QC leads 1-0
6/18 @Green Bay 7:30 L-1 QC leads 2-0
6/25 @Arkansas 7:30 L-2 QC leads 4-1
7/2 Peoria 7:30 L-1 QC leads 4-2
7/10 @Tenn. Valley 7:30 L-1 QC leads 6-2
7/17 Birmingham 7:30 W-2 QC leads 2-0
7/24 BYE
7/31 Louisville 7:30 W-1 QC leads 4-0

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (2-0, Won 2)
Date Opponent Result Score
4/10 COLUMBUS WIN 38-33
4/16 @ Green Bay WIN 75-39
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
4/24 QUAD CITY 7:00 W3 0-1
5/1 LOUISVILLE 7:00 W1 N/A
5/8 @ Albany 7:00 L1 1-5
5/15 @ Peoria 8:00 L1 N/A
5/22 CAPE FEAR 7:00 W1 N/A
5/29 @ Louisville 7:30 W1 N/A
6/5 MANCHESTER 7:00 L2 3-3
6/12 @ Quad City 8:30 W2 0-1
6/18 @ Albany 7:30 L1 1-5
6/26 CAPE FEAR 7:00 W1 N/A
7/10 MANCHESTER 7:00 L2 3-3
7/17 ALBANY 7:00 L1 1-5
7/24 @ Cape Fear 7:30 W1 N/A
7/30 @ Manchester 7:30 L2 3-3

HEAD COACHES: Rich Ingold is in his third season as the Steamwheelers head coach after guiding them to a 2003 National Conference Midwest Division championship. Ingold has a 27-9 record in his two-plus seasons at the helm and has posted 17 straight regular season victories.
Les Moss, one of the most experienced and respected coaches in Arena Football history, will lead the Pioneers into the 2004 arenafootball2 season. Coach Moss most recently served as Assistant Coach/Director of Player Personnel for the AFL's Orlando Predators. During his career with Orlando, Moss helped guide the Predators to 11 playoff appearances, six ArenaBowl championship games, and two titles (1998 and 2000).

LAST SERIES MEETING: The last was the first for these two teams and the Steamwheelers took the inaugural meeting between the two teams, a 66-34 thumping at The MARK of the Quad Cities.

SERIES NOTABLES: With this being the second time in history that these two teams have gone head to head and the first of two matchups this season, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a much-improved team, this game and the season series should be an interesting one.

LEAGUE TOP 10s: Players from this week's matchup who rank among af2's statistical leaders:
STEAMWHEELERS' LEADERS
Player Rank Category Stat
Jeff Hewitt 1 All-Purpose Yds. 253.7
Jeff Hewitt 8 Scoring (TD's) 7
Jeff Hewitt 1 Rcv. Yds/g 138.0
Jeff Hewitt 6 Kickoff Ret. Avg. 26.2
Jeff Hewitt 1 MFG Returns 22.3
Jeff Hewitt 4 Rcv. Yds./Game 108.8
Ronnie Gordon 5 Scoring 14 pts
Ronnie Gordon 5 Scoring (TD's) 2
Ronnie Gordon 8 Passer Rating 113.0
Ronnie Gordon 7 Passing Yards 246.0
Ronnie Gordon 4 Total Offense 249.0
Tim Dodge 2 Rec. Yds./g 113.3
Tim Dodge 10 Receptions 6.0
LaRico Cole 18 Tackles 8.5
Ryan Geisler 4 Kick Scoring 19
Ryan Geisler 1 PAT Kicking 16-21
Matt Forbes 2 Fumbles Forced 2
Matt Forbes 11 Tackles 13.5
Matt Forbes 8 Interceptions 2
Matt Forbes 9 Passes Defended 5




FAMILIAR FACES: Although there are no members remaining from the Quad City Steamwheelers 2000 ArenaCup Championship team, a name that is familiar to the Steamwheelers organization appears on the Pioneers roster. Backup quarterback Mike Gluski started the season for the Pioneers as the starter, but has been moved to backup. He was the backup in Quad City in 2000 to Billy Dicken.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Steamwheelers and Wolves stack up:
Statistical Steamwheelers Pioneers
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 7 54.3 4 56.5
Scoring Defense 4 34.3 5 36
Total Offense 10 269.3 14 253.3
Total Defense 7 216.7 8 217
Pass Offense 6 259.3 15 223
Pass Defense 9 206.3 11 215
Rushing Offense 19 10 9 30.5
Rushing Defense 7 10.3 3 2
Scoring (Non-Kick) 2 140 12 98
Scoring (Kicking) 3 19 12 15
Pass Rating 8 109.5 18 89.9
Pass Def. Rating 2 81.2 9 94
Kickoff Returns 3 24 2 26.9
MFG Returns 6 22.3 16 9
Turnover Margin 8 1.33 10 1
Field Goals 15 1-4 6 1-2
PAT Kicking 10 16-21 5 12-14
Sacks By 7 6-29 11 4-13
Sacks Against 19 4-16 2 0-0
First Downs 9 39 18 31
Opp. First Downs 17 38 5 27
Penalties 19 55 10 54.5
Opp. Penalties 18 55.3 14 64

YOUR TEAM INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
QB Brian Eyerman Foot Questionable
OL/DL Pete Traynor Foot LTIR
OL/DL Brandon Williams Knee LTIR

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES: Ingold on this week's game: "Les Moss is a good coach, he has been around the game a long time. He will have his team ready to go on Saturday night."

MILESTONES: A system that Steamwheelers coach Rich Ingold has mastered is spreading the wealth to his receivers. He is mastering that again this season as Jeff Hewitt (340 yards), Tim Dodge (324 yards) and LaRico Cole (119 yards) have all been at the receiving end of quarterback Ronnie Gordon's passes. The trio is looking to match last years record of thee 1,000 yard receivers.
DROPBACK: The Steamwheelers improved to 3-0 last weekend with a 47-29 trouncing of the visiting Tennessee Valley Vipers. The win was the seventh in the series history against the Vipers. ‘Wheelers wide receiver/defensive back Tim Dodge caught eight passes for 119 yards and accounted for two scores. Wide receiver/linebacker LaRico Cole also hauled in two touchdown passes and quarterback Ronnie Gordon threw for four touchdowns and rushed for two more to guide the ‘Wheelers to victory.

FORWARD MOTION: The Steamwheelers will return home after this weekend's contest to host the Green Bay Blizzard. The Blizzard also have a former ‘Wheeler on their team in the form of offensive specialist Randall Lane. The Steamwheelers hold a 2-0 edge over the Blizzard.

TEAM NOTES/TRENDS:
The Steamwheelers are looking to remain the winningest team in arenafootball2 history as they have posted a 64-10 record, playoffs included, in the four-plus year history of the league. The Steamwheelers are also back on a winning streak, winners of 17 straight regular season games. Their last loss came against the Tennessee Valley Vipers on April 11, 2003.

Gordon Back to 100-percent: Steamwheelers starting quarterback Ronnie Gordon is back to 100-percent after having an all but perfect night last weekend. Gordon completed 16 of 28 passes for 229 yards including four touchdowns. Gordon also scampered for two more scores to help the ‘Wheelers to their third victory of the season.

First Game Gift: Steamwheelers backup wide receiver/linebacker Carmelo Ocasio played in his first ever Arena Football game last Saturday. In his debut, Ocasio received a gift from Tennessee Valley quarterback Bryan Snyder. Midway through the third quarter Snyder dropped back to pass only to get tripped up by the fullback. As he fell to the ground, Snyder attempted a pass to no one in particular. The flailing duck fell right into the arms of Ocasio, who ran it back eight yards for the touchdown. The score put the ‘Wheelers up 40-17.

Gift for the Easter Bunny: After spending a week as the Easter Bunny in Davenport, Iowa's NorthPark Mall, Steamwheelers wide receiver/linebacker LaRico Cole was given a late Easter present last Saturday night. In the third quarter with the Steamwheelers driving, quarterback Ronnie Gordon was looking for a crossing Tim Dodge. The ball went off of Dodge's arm and about 10 feet into the air. When it landed, it fell into the arms of the waiting Cole, who "knew it was coming to (him) the whole time."



Dodge Making Splash:
Receptions No. Yards TD's Long
Weeks 1 & 2 10 221 4 44
Week 3 8 119 2 23

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
‘Wheelers WR/DB Tim Dodge: After returning for a second season after turning down offers to NFL Europe and the AFL, Dodge has picked up right where he left off. So far this season, Dodge has 18 receptions for 340 yards and six touchdowns. And Dodge is still living up to his nickname of the "60-Minute Man" as he has recorded 6.5 tackles on defense.

‘Wheelers DS Matt Forbes: After suffering an MCL tear midway through last season, which sidelined him for all but the remainder of the season, Forbes has returned to the 2004 season fully healthy and it shows. This season he has 13.5 tackles, one tackle for a loss, two interceptions returned 14 yards, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles. Last week Forbes earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors.

KEY DATES IN TEAM/LEAGUE HISTORY: Last year on April 26, the Steamwheelers won their second game of the 2003 season with a 37-34 victory over the Bakersfield Blitz. The win was the second of 14 straight for the Steamwheelers and first of 17 straight regular season wins, a streak that is currently active.

GETTING TO KNOW A NEW STEAMWHEELER: This week's featured player is Bear Brown. Brown was born on August 8, 1977. Bear has a son, Zach, who is 6 years old. His hobbies include reading, playing basketball, and lifting. Bear has a championship ring as he was a member of the St. Louis Rams Super Bowl championship team in 2000. He has also played in NFL Europe and with the af2's Peoria Pirates.

af2 BABY RUTH REAL DEAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Week Team Player
3 Cape Fear Matt Burnstein

af2 U.S. ARMY IRONMAN OF THE WEEK
Week Team Player
3 Wilkes-Barre Leroy McFadden

af2 ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Week Team Player
3 Louisville Justin Thomas





Trivial Pursuit
Oldest player: 32, Harvie Herrington – 2/4/72
Youngest player: 23, Brian Eyerman – 3/25/81
Tallest Player: 6'8" – Bear Brown
Shortest Player: 5'10" – Four Players
Heaviest Player: 350 – Bear Brown
Lightest Player: 175 – Matt Forbes
Native Iowans: 3
Colleges represented: 23
Iowa Colleges: 5
Illinois Colleges: 3
Players 300+ pounds: 3
Players 6'5" or taller: 1
2004 Roster Breakdown
By College/University

California-Lutheran Purdue
Cal. St. – Northridge St. Ambrose
Duquesne San Diego State
Eastern Kentucky Simpson
Evangel Southern Illinois
Grand Valley State SW Missouri State
Illinois Tenn. – Chattanooga
Indiana (PA) –2 Vanderbilt
Indianapolis Western Illinois
Iowa – 3 William Penn
Iowa State Wis. – Stevens Point
Louisville

QC Home Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 Manchester Jeff Hewitt
3 Tenn. Valley Tim Dodge
5
7
11
13


QC Home GAME U.S. Army IRONMAN AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 Manchester Harvie Herrington
3 Tenn. Valley Bear Brown
5
7
11
13

QC Home GAME ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER AWARD
Week Opp. Player
1 Manchester Danny Thomas
3 Tenn. Valley Matt Forbes
5
7
11
13
Steamwheelers "When" Stats
2-0 at The MARK of the Quad Cities
1-0 on the road

0-0 vs. National Conference
3-0 vs. American Conference

2-0 vs. American Northeast
0-0 vs. American South
1-0 vs. American Mid-South
0-0 vs. National Southwest
0-0 vs. National Midwest
0-0 vs. National West

0-0 on Fridays
3-0 on Saturdays

3-0 in April
0-0 in May
0-0 in June
0-0 in July

3-0 when leading after the first quarter
0-0 when trailing after the first quarter
0-0 when tied after the first quarter

3-0 when leading at halftime
0-0 when trailing at halftime
0-0 when tied at halftime

3-0 when leading after the third quarter
0-0 when trailing after the third quarter
0-0 when tied after the third quarter

2-0 in games decided by 10+ points
0-0 in games decided by 4-9 points
1-0 in games decided by 3 points or less

0-0 when opponent scores more than 50 points
3-0 when opponent scores less than 50 points

1-0 when the ‘Wheelers scores more than 50 points
2-0 when the ‘Wheelers scores less than 50 points


2-0 when the ‘Wheelers scores first
1-0 when the opponent scores first



arenafootball2 Stories from April 22, 2004


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