Stealth Fall at the Goalline

May 11, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Wichita Stealth News Release


Wichita, Kan. - The cardiac kids were at it once again this week, but this time came up on the short end. The Stealth had two chances to score from the one-yard line, but were stopped by the Quad City defense about an inch away from tying the game and the extra point attempt would have given them the win. The Steamwheelers hand the Stealth their first loss of the season at home, 62-56, in front of 5,447 fans at the Kansas Coliseum. The Stealth fall to 4-2 on the season and Quad City extends their winning streak to four games and improves to 4-2 on the season.

The Stealth jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, led by Stealth offensive specialist Michael Dritlein. The first on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Buich and the other from 31-yards out. Quad City followed with a 23-yard touchdown by wide receiver/linebacker Jeff Hewitt from quarterback Tony Zimmerman making the score 14-6. On the ensuing kickoff, Dritlein returned it 57-yards for a touchdown putting the Stealth up 21-6. The Steamwheelers would later add another touchdown making the score 21-12 at the end of the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, the Stealth had the ball on the Quad City one-yard line but fumbled on the first play of the quarter and Quad City recovered. Quad City would only need two plays, as Zimmerman found offensive specialist Ira Gooch for a 47-yard touchdown pulling the Steamwheelers within three points, 21-18. After the kickoff, the Stealth would answer right back on their first play from scrimmage. Stealth wide receiver/defensive back Dan Dawson ran the ball 45-yards for a touchdown putting the Stealth back out to a ten point lead, 28-18. Dawson's run sets a new Stealth team record for longest touchdown run. Dawson would finish the night with three carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns. He also added one catch for 22 yards. Both teams continued to slug it out in the second quarter, putting up a combined 41 points. Quad City took a 39-35 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Stealth would not allow Quad City to hold their halftime lead very long. On the first possession of the second half and first Quad City play, Stealth wide receiver/defensive back Ty Ardoin picked off a Zimmerman pass at the Wichita 22-yard line and returned it 27 yards to the Quad City one-yard line. This set up a one-yard plunge by fullback/linebacker Brian Goolsby to give the Stealth a 42-39 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Gooch would once again become a thorn in the side of the Stealth. He returned the kickoff 57-yards for a touchdown giving Quad City back the lead, 46-42. The Stealth would counter with another Buich to Dritlein touchdown pass, this time from 14 yards out to recapture the lead for the Stealth, 49-46. After another Gooch touchdown reception, the Stealth would add another Dan Dawson run to take a 56-53 lead going into the fourth quarter. Going into this game, the Stealth were 2-0 when leading after three quarters.

After a high scoring first three quarters in which both teams averaged 36 points per quarter, the defenses of both teams really tightened up in the fourth quarter. After a Quad City kicker Rich Ehmke 40-yard field goal at the 13:07 mark, the Stealth offense had an eight play 24 yard drive which consumed five minutes and 20 seconds of clock, but ended deep in Quad City territory when Steamwheelers' wide receiver/defensive back Tim Dodge intercepted an Anthony Buich pass in the Quad City end-zone for a touchback, ending the Stealth drive. The Steamwheelers would then take their own lengthy possession; consuming five minutes and 21 seconds on a seven play 45-yard drive. The same player who started the drive, Tim Dodge also ended it for the Steamwheelers. Zimmerman found Dodge for an 11-yard touchdown pass and with the Ehmke missed extra-point, Quad City lead 62-56.

The Stealth would have one more chance to capture victory late in the game. The Stealth received the kickoff with 52 seconds left on the clock. After three incomplete passes, the Stealth were faced with a fourth and ten from their own 13-yard line. Buich would find wide receiver/linebacker Shomari Buchanan on a 13-yard pass play that gave the Stealth a first down at the Quad City 24-yard line. The Stealth would then move the ball on two consecutive receptions to the Quad City 11-yard line. After another Buich to Buchanan pass play that put the Stealth at the Quad City one-yard line, the Stealth attempted two consecutive Goolsby runs and were met head on by the Quad City defense, ending another exciting finish, but the Stealth ended up on the losing end this time around.

Dritlein finished the game with 6 catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns receiving for the Stealth. He also returned six kickoffs for 117 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Anthony Buich rebounded from his 101-yard passing night last week and was 14-of-30 for 187 yards and three touchdowns.

Tony Zimmerman was named Game MVP for his performance. He completed 24-of-35 passes for 325 yards and seven touchdowns. Ira Gooch also contributed heavily for the Steamwheelers. Gooch finished the night with 11 catches for 189 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned eight kickoffs for 208 yards and one touchdown. Gooch ended the night with 397 all-purpose yards, the second highest ever in a single game. (Marty Graham of San Diego had 400 versus Bakersfield on April 6, 2002).

The Stealth will now begin a two-game road swing. First, they will travel to Hawaii to take on the Hawaiian Islanders on May 16th and then they will travel to Peoria, Illinois on May 24th to face the defending champion Peoria Pirates (2-4). The Stealth will return home on May 31st to take on the Green Bay Blizzard (0-5), who the Stealth beat 41-26 in Green Bay on April 19th.

STEALTH GAME NOTES

· The Stealth lose their first home game of the season

· The Stealth lose their first game of the year when leading after three quarters

· Diane Gibson was the winner of the fourth car of the year



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