Quad City Steamwheelers game notes
May 3, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
LAST GAME-
-Saturday, April 30
Quad City Steamwheelers 45
Memphis Xplorers 42
at OS Field at The MARK of the Quad Cities
Second to None: With his 45-yard field goal as time expired on Saturday night against Memphis, Quad City kicker Nick Gatto became just the second player in Steamwheeler history to hit a game-winning field goal in the final seconds of regulation. While this kick, which was the third longest in franchise history, handed the Xplorers their first loss, Ryan Geisler's 17-yard field goal at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H. on April 10, 2004 denied the Manchester Wolves their first ever win.
Kickin' It When It Counts: He has hit only two field goals as a member of the Steamwheelers, but Gatto surely has a flair for the dramatic. In addition to Saturday's game-winner, Gatto's only other field goal came on April 16 against Bossier-Shreveport in the fourth quarter of an eventual 36-29 Steamwheeler win. With 6:19 left in that game, Gatto split the uprights from 39-yards out to give the 'Wheelers a seven point lead and squelch the Battle Wings' momentum.
Just Win Baby: Through Week Five of the af2 season, it has become quite easy to differentiate between the haves and the have nots. Ten teams are over .500 and just one of those is a game above. The other nine teams are all either undefeated or saddled with one loss. Of those ten teams, only the Steamwheelers have a negative point differential, scoring 170 points in four games while surrendering 178. The next closest team to the Steamwheelers in point difference is the Green Bay Blizzard who have scored eight more points than they have allowed.
The Memphis Xplorers, despite their loss to Quad City last weekend, have the biggest point margin in the league at the moment, scoring 285 points while surrendering 147, for a 138 point difference.
Calling in the Closers: One of the mantra's that Head Coach Rick Frazier drives into his team on a daily basis is that in order to be a successful football team, you must be strong enough to win in the fourth quarter. His Steamwheelers have proven to be just that, outscoring teams 38-18 during the final quarter of this three-game winning streak.
Those numbers are just part of an overall second half dominance that the 'Wheelers have shown as of late. Over the final 30 minutes of the last three Steamwheelers games, they are outscoring opponents 74-44.
Nice to Meet You 2005 Version 2.0: The Dusters will be the 31st different af2 team that the Steamwheelers have played against in franchise history. In the previous 30 games, Quad City has a record of 30-0 with all but four of those wins coming by 10 points or more. Two weeks ago, the 'Wheelers took on the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz for the first time in team history, and emerged with a convincing 61-43 win at the Ford Center.
NEXT GAME-
-Saturday, May 7, 2005
-Steamwheelers (3-1, T-2nd in the Midwest Division) at Amarillo Dusters
(3-1, T-2nd in the Midwest Division), 7:30 p.m. (CDT) at Amarillo Civic
Center.
Radio: WFXN 1230 AM, KWPC 860 AM and steamwheelers.com with Jim Albracht and John Furlong
STEAMWHEELERS INJURY REPORT (updated 05-02-05):
OUT-Andre Banks (R- Ankle) Long-Term Injured Reserve
OUT- Brandon Graves (R- Shoulder) Long-Term Injured Reserve
OUT- Alfonso Pugh, Jr. (R- Ankle) Short-Term Injured Reserve*
OUT- Scott Power (R- Hip Flexor) Short-Term Injured Reserve*
OUT- Brandon Williams (R- Knee) Long-Term Injured Reserve
* Denotes that player must be removed from Short-Term Injured Reserve by Friday.
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