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Quad City Steamwheelers game notes

May 19, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Quad City Steamwheelers (3-3)
At Green Bay Blizzard (5-1)
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2005
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Site: The Resch Center (7,995)
National Anthem: NA
Coin Toss: NA
Officials: Pat Mills (Referee), Fred Bryan (Umpire), Rick Kruger (Head Linesman), Matt Kukar (Line Judge), Tom Wohlleber (Back Judge)
Radio: WFXN 1230 AM (Jim Albracht and John Furlong)
Webcast: www.steamwheelers.com
TV: Mediacom Channel 22
Satellite Coordinates: AMC-9 at 85 degrees West, Transponder 3 on KU Band
Series Record: 4-0 Quad City
Last Meeting: Quad City 62, GREEN BAY 53 on 6/18/04
Streaks: The Steamwheelers have won all four of their meetings with the Blizzard.
Coaches: Rick Frazier (11-11; 0-0 playoffs, Second Season)*
Bob Landsee (5-1; 0-0 playoffs, First Season)*
*Signifies career marks in af2 only.

THE STAKES: The Steamwheelers are attempting to get back in the win column and snap their two-game losing streak. They are also looking to win their fifth straight against the Blizzard, a feat that they have achieved against only one other team, the Arkansas Twisters.

THE SERIES: This is the fifth all-time meeting between Quad City and Green Bay. The two teams have met twice a season for each of the past two years and will do so again this season. The ‘Wheelers have won all four career meetings with the Blizzard, with two of those coming by double figure margins.

THE IFs:
If Quad City defeats Green Bay, it would ...
· Give it a 4-3 record on the season.
· Give the Steamwheelers their first win of the season against the American Conference.
· Give Rick Frazier a 12-11 record as an af2 head coach.
· Hand the Blizzard their first home defeat of the year.
· Allow the Steamwheelers to avoid the third three-game losing streak in franchise history.

Quad City Steamwheelers (3-3, L2)
(All Times Central)

Date Opponent Time Score Res. Record
4/10 @ WB/Scranton 3:00 64-28 L 0-1
4/16 BOSSIER CITY 7:30 36-29 W 1-1
4/23 @ Oklahoma City 7:30 61-43 W 2-1
4/30 MEMPHIS 7:30 45-42 W 3-1
5/7 @ Amarillo 7:00 58-48 L 3-2
5/14 WB/Scranton 7:30 63-55 L 3-3
5/21 @ Green Bay 7:00
5/28 OKLAHOMA CITY 7:30
6/4 LOUISVILLE 7:30
6/11 @ Memphis 7:00
6/18 ALBANY 7:30
6/24 @ Manchester 6:30
7/9 GREEN BAY 7:30
7/16 AMARILLO 7:30
7/23 @ Bossier City 7:00
7/30 @ Louisville 6:30

Quad City Steamwheelers Injury Report

Out- Andre Banks- (R-Ankle) - Long Term I.R.
Out- Brandon Graves- (R- Shoulder) - Long Term I.R.
Out- Alfonso Pugh Jr. – (R- Ankle) – Short-Term I.R.
Out- Antonio Watson- (R- Hamstring) – Short Term I.R.
Out- Brandon Williams- (R- Knee) - Long Term I.R.

Steamwheelers vs. Green Bay All-Time Results

5/16/2003 Quad City 64 vs. Green Bay 55 (5,725) W
7/05/2003 Quad City 75 at Green Bay 29 (2,649) W
5/01/2004 Quad City 47 vs. Green Bay 26 (5,853) W
6/18/2004 Quad City 62 at Green Bay 53 (3,027) W

LAST GAME vs. GREEN BAY
Quad City Steamwheelers at Green Bay Blizzard
June 18, 2004
The Resch Center
Steamwheelers 62, Blizzard 53

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Quad City Steamwheelers finally kicked their losing ways and avoided a franchise worse fourth straight loss with a 62-53 come from behind victory over the Green Bay Blizzard in front of 3,027 fans at the Resch Center on Friday night. Steamwheelers quarterback Ronnie Gordon had an all but perfect night once again, as he completed 22-of-29 passes for 323 yards and six touchdowns. Gordon also rushed for two scores, giving him 18 for the season, a new Steamwheelers single season and career record. Gordon was named Baby Ruth Real Deal Player of the Game. Things did not start out well for the Steamwheelers.

The Steamwheelers slowly chipped away at the Blizzard lead, first with Gordon finding Hewitt for a 32-yard score to cut the lead to 21-7. The Steamwheelers defense then held the Blizzard to a field goal, which kicker Greg Krauss drilled from 36 yards out to push the lead back to 24-7. Gordon found Hewitt on the next ‘Wheelers drive, this time a 22-yard score to pull the Steam-team within 10. The reception by Hewitt put him over the 1,000 receiving yards plateau for the season. He joins Dodge as the second Steamwheelers player to reach that mark for the season and the duo are the first set of teammates in the af2 to hit the mark this season.

Momentum was in favor of the ‘Wheelers and they used it coming out in the second half, with Gordon finding Dodge for a 34-yard score, cutting the lead to 38-35. The Blizzard tried to respond by going for it on fourth-and-one from the Steamwheelers 10-yard line, but Greisen's pass to Finley fell incomplete.

Then, with 7:53 remaining in the third quarter, the Steamwheelers led for the first time, when Gordon rushed for his 17th touchdown of the season. Kicker Ryan Geisler added the extra point to put the ‘Wheelers up 42-38. Things then turned worse for the Blizzard with Greisen getting picked off by Steamwheelers defensive specialist Matt Forbes, who returned the pick 44 yards for a touchdown to put the ‘Wheelers up 49-38. Along with the interception, Forbes had 5.5 tackles, four pass deflections and a tackle for loss to earn ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors.

With 1:11 to go in the game the Blizzard cut the lead to three. Krauss then attempted an onside kick, but that was recovered by Steamwheelers wide receiver/linebacker Carmelo Ocasio at the 11-yard line the ‘Wheelers added one more touchdown and secured the game by a score of 62-53. Dodge finished the night with a game-high 10 receptions for 143 yards and a score to go along with five tackles to earn U.S. Army Ironman of the Game honors. It was the first time this season that Dodge had not scored exactly two receiving touchdowns.
Hewitt was just behind Dodge with nine receptions for 141 yards and five scores.

Team 1 2 3 4 Score
Quad City Steamwheelers 7 21 21 13 - 62 Record: (7-4)
Green Bay Blizzard 21 17 7 8 - 53 Record: (4-7)

LAST GAME RESET
Quad City Steamwheelers vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
May 14, 2005
OS Field at The MARK of the Quad Cities
Pioneers 65, Steamwheelers 55

MOLINE, Ill. — The Quad City Steamwheelers suffered their second straight loss and fell to 3-3 on the season with a 63-55 defeat at the hands of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in front of 6,322 fans at OS Field at The MARK of the Quad Cities. Tim Dodge had 128 yards receiving on eight catches, including two of quarterback Sam Clemons' seven touchdown passes, but it was not enough to overcome the Pioneers who picked up their second win of the year over Quad City and their fourth straight overall.

The ‘Wheelers had a chance to send the game into overtime with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but Clemons was sacked at the Wilkes-Barre eight-yard line by David Barnard and Chris Ekwueme on the game's final play to send the Pioneers home from The MARK victorious for the second straight season.

In addition to Dodge's two scores, Jack Walker, Jr. also had a pair of scores while Travis Burns, Jeff Hewitt and Torey Morris all added single touchdown grabs from Clemons. The Quad City quarterback, who completed 26-of-35 passes for 310 yards, also added a rushing score to round out the ‘Wheelers scoring.

The turning point of the game came midway through the third quarter when, following a Pioneer score to go ahead 41-34, Burns fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the football near midfield. On the very next play, Kyle Rowley hooked up with JR Thomas on a 33-yard strike to give their squad a two score lead, an advantage that it would never relinquish. That was the fifth of Rowley's six touchdown passes on the evening, and the first of two to Thomas.

The two teams continued to trade scores for the rest of the second half, putting the ‘Wheelers in a position to win the game or at least send it to overtime. Clemons tallied a one-yard rushing score with 54 seconds left, but Ameer Riley returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown, stretching the Pioneer lead back to eight points where it would stay, though without some controversy. AJ Novak blocked the ensuing extra point and following a lengthy scramble, Antonio Watson picked up the loose ball and returned it for a score. However, the referee's conferred and ruled that the ball, after being blocked, caromed off of the side boards, making it a dead ball and keeping the score at 63-55.

Team 1 2 3 4 Score
WB/Scranton Pioneers 14 13 21 15 - 63 Record: (4-2)
Quad Steamwheelers 7 14 20 14 - 55 Record: (3-3)

Next Game
Quad City Steamwheelers vs. Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
Saturday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. (CDT), OS Field at The MARK of the Quad Cities
Steamwheelers vs. Yard Dawgz
All-Time Record: 1-0 Home: 0-0 Road: 1-0
Last Meeting: Quad City 61, Oklahoma City 43 (4/23/05)
Ford Center (8.433)

MISCALLANEOUS TEAM NOTES

Northern Exposure: Steamwheeler fans across Iowa and Western Illinois will be able to catch their favorite af2 team in action live from The Resch Center in Green Bay this Saturday at 7 p.m. when the ‘Wheelers travel north to take on the Blizzard. The game will be shown locally on Meidacom Channel 22, and on the local Mediacom channel in the other markets, stretching from Des Moines in central Iowa, all the way across the Mississippi River to Western Illinois. Veteran announcer Rob Brooks, who has called Big Ten football games and other events for ESPN and espn2, will have the play-by-play alongside color commentator Jim Foster.

Twenty To Change: For the first time this season, Quad City coach Rick Frazier will not have his top 20 players available to him. Defensive Specialist Antonio Watson was placed on Short-Term Injured Reserve on Thursday with a hamstring injury, and OL/DL Nate Bell's status is unknown following his recent aggravation of a knee injury, however he will not be placed on Injured Reserve.

Joining Watson on the I.R. is Alfonso Pugh Jr., with DeOnte' Taylor and Mikey Novak becoming available for Saturday after completing their respective two-week stints on Short-Term I.R.

Walker Works His Magic Again: For the fourth straight game, WR/LB Jack Walker, Jr. showed a propensity for getting into the end zone on multiple occasions. After not finding the end zone in the season opening loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the af2's record holder for touchdown receptions in a single season, opened his Steamwheeler touchdown account in the home opening victory over Bossier-Shreveport with a grab midway through the second quarter. He would add a second score to give the ‘Wheelers the lead for good in the fourth, marking the first of four occasions this season that he has collected multiple touchdown receptions.

On the season, Walker has 35 catches, including a team-best nine for touchdowns, and 350 yards receiving in six games. The 35 receptions and 350 yards are each good for third on the team.

The Power of Five: The Steamwheelers are the only team in af2 this season to have the same five receivers catch at least on pass in every one of their team's game. Travis Burns, Tim Dodge, Jeff Hewitt, Torey Morris and Walker have combined to collect 144 catches for 1,548 yards and 31 touchdowns through six games this season. All five have caught at least one pass in all six games. However, only Walker has caught multiple passes in all six contests.

A New Natural Rival: For the first time this season, the Steamwheelers will have to travel less than 10 hours for a road game as they make the 332 mile journey to Green Bay. With local rivals Peoria and Iowa no longer competing in af2, the ‘Wheelers find themselves in the unusual position of having to travel extensively for each game. The five-and-a-half hour trek to Green Bay will be the shortest of the year for Quad City, something that only two other teams know. Only Rio Grande Valley, Florida and Louisville have to travel further for each game than Quad City. The Fire's closest opponent is the Birmingham Steeldogs 365 miles away in Alabama. The Firecats closest opponent is the South Georgia Wildcats 453 miles away while the Dorados, located near the southern tip of Texas, must travel at least 723 miles each way to play anybody.

Remember Us?: While this will be the first of two regular season meetings between the ‘Wheelers and Blizzard this year, it is not the first time that these two have faced off in 2005. On March 28 at The MARK, Green Bay got a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Marcus Green on the game's final play to complete a come-from-behind win over Quad City in the inaugural Happy Joe's Pizza Bowl.

However, the final scoreline is hardly a barometer of the actual way that the game was played. Quad City led by as many as 13 in the third quarter when Head Coach Rick Frazier went to his third string unit, a group from which there is nobody still on the current Steamwheeler roster. That gave Blizzard quarterback Johnny Turman, their current starter, a chance to pick apart the ‘Wheeler defense and lead his team to the game-tying and eventual game-winning scores.

TALE OF THE TAPE: The Steamwheelers slipped to 10th in the latest Weekly Coaches poll with 60 points while the Blizzard find themselves, ranked 3rd with 193 points and one first place vote. Here is a complete look at the statistical breakdown of the two teams. (All stats as of 5/19/05)

STATISTICAL STEAMWHEELERS BLIZZARD
CATEGORY RANK STAT RANK STAT
Scoring Offense 14th 45.5 11th 46.5
Scoring Defense T-13th 49.8 5th 40.3
Total Offense 7th 271.8 17th 236
Total Defense 15th 277.3 14th 275.7
Pass Offense 8th 256.8 17th 217.3
Pass Defense 17th 261.8 15th 258.7
Rushing Offense 13th 15 10th 18.7
Rushing Defense 6th 15.5 8th 17
Pass Rating 4th 121.1 13th 104.5
Pass Def. Rating 16th 118.1 3rd 96
Kickoff Returns 6th 20 13th 17.7
MFG Returns T-7th 19 3rd 26.3
Turnover Margin T-12th -1 2nd +9
Field Goals T-14th .167 T-12th .182
PAT Kicking 9th .795 6th .825
Sacks By T-7th 9 T-3rd 11
Sacks Against T-12th 11 T-2nd 3
First Downs 3rd 123 19th 89
Opp. First Downs T-11th 109 19th 129
Penalty Yards 2nd 237 19th 480
Opp. Penalty Yards 5th 374 4th 385

Quad City Steamwheelers Recent Transactions
4/08/2005 Assigned WR/DB Tim Dodge
4/08/2005 Assigned K Nick Gatto
4/08/2005 Moved OL/DL Brandon Williams from Short-Term Injured Reserve to Long-Term Injured Reserve and placed WR/DB Danny Thomas on Short-Term Injured Reserve
4/13/2005 Traded OL/DL Antonio Dingle to the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz for OL/DL Will Goodloe and Future Considerations. Goodloe was then placed on the Refused to Report list.
4/15/2005 Activated WR/LB Alfonso Pugh Jr. from Short-Term Injured Reserve and placed OL/DL Ryan Bell on Waivers.
4/22/2005 Activated WR/DB DeOnte' Taylor and WR/DB Danny Thomas from Short-Term Injured Reserve. Placed FB/LB Scott Power and WR/LB Alfonso Pugh, Jr. on Short-Term Injured Reserve.
4/28/2005 Activated OL/DL Mikey Novak from Long-Term Injured Reserve. Placed WR/DB DeOnte' Taylor on Recallable-Reassignment.
4/29/2005 Recalled WR/DB DeOnte' Taylor and placed WR/DB Danny Thomas on Team Suspension.
5/06/2005 Activated FB/LB Scott Power and WR/LB Alfonso Pugh, Jr. from Short-Term Injured Reserve. Placed WR/DB DeOnte' Taylor and OL/DL Mikey Novak on Short-Term Injured Reserve.
5/10/2005 Activated WR/DB Danny Thomas from Team Suspension and placed him on recallable reassignment.
5/19/2005 Activated OL/DL Mikey Novak and WR/DB DeOnte' Taylor from Short-Term Injured Reserve. Placed WR/DB Alfonso Pugh Jr. and DS Antonio Watson on Short-Term Injured Reserve.

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