Steamwheeler defense keys dominating win over Tennessee Valley
July 8, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
(Moline, IL) - The Quad City Steamwheelers defensive effort out-paced the af2's most potent air attack to lead the 5-7 Steamwheelers to their second straight victory over the Tennessee Valley Vipers in front of 3,918 fans on Orthopaedic Specialists' Field at The MARK of the Quad Cities. The resurging Quad City team won the game 59-21 to go to 6-7 for the season and to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.
A Steamwheelers team that had relied on the arm of Quarterback Tim Hicks for nearly the whole season put forward a defensive effort that included two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. The âWheeler defense had managed only five interceptions and seven fumble recoveries for the season up to tonight's game.
The defense made their presence known early in the first quarter, registering a stop on the Viper's first series and then holding their opponent scoreless well into the second quarter. The strong defensive showing gave Hicks the space he needed to launch an air attack on the Viper secondary.
In the first fifteen minutes of play, Hicks spread the ball between his receiving corps of OS Kris Peters, WR/DB Tim Dodge and WR/LB Jack Walker, Jr. Walker's second catch gave the lanky receiver over 1,000 yards for the season and made the trio of Peters, Dodge and Walker just the third trio in af2 history to rack up over 1,000 yards each.
The Viper's QB Chris Gunn wasn't about to concede early in the contest, though, and brought the Tennessee Valley offense to the Steamwheeler six-yard line near the end of the first quarter. As time expired - and with the âWheelers holding just a ten point lead - the Vipers looked ready to put points on the board at the beginning of the second quarter.
The Quad City defense stepped up again, however, when Kika Kaululaau blocked Tennessee Valley's attempted field goal giving the Steamwheelers the ball deep in the TV territory. A quick touchdown from Hicks to Walker put the Quad City squad further out in front, 17-0.
The Viper's first points on the board came with nearly seven minutes remaining in the half, Tennessee Valley's Kicker, Steven Lee, made the extra point and closed the Quad City lead to just ten points. The Steamwheelers quickly responded with a pass from Hicks to Dodge.
With just under five minutes to play in the half, Viper's QB Chris Gunn connected with OS Torrey Day who made an acrobatic catch into the boards at the TV 17. On the next play, however, Gunn went deep, throwing the ball 30+ yards. At the last minute, Steamwheeler's DS Ty Ardoin stepped in front of the receiver and snagged the sure touchdown. The interception was returned just four yards to the Steamwheeler six.
Hicks and company took the field, looking at 44 yards to the end zone and only 49 seconds left on the clock. Clock management and an overpowering offense had been hallmarks of the Quad City offense this year, however, and Hicks showed why, working the ball into the Viper end zone with just six seconds left to go in the half. Kimo Naehu closed out the first half with a perfect performance, tagging the extra point again and making the score 31-7 at halftime in favor of the Steamwheelers.
The second half started with a Viper kickoff that careened off the right crossbar below the net and bounced straight back into the arms of the approaching TV coverage unit. The result was a Viper recovery of the kickoff on the Steamwheeler three yard line. An almost sure score would keep the Vipers in the game - but in what would turn out to be a string of unfortunate events, Tennessee Valley's FB/LB Shaheed Richardson fumbled the handoff from Gunn, turning the ball over to the Quad City on the one-yard line.
The fumble recovery marked the second turnover recovery by Ty Ardoin on the night. That fact, along with his nine solo tackles helped make Ardoin the ADT Player of the Game.
With the ball back in their possession, Quad City started a four-minute drive that resulted in a seventeen-yard pass completion from Hicks to Dodge for another touchdown. Naehu's kicking was right on the mark again, bringing the score to 38-7 in favor of the Steamwheelers.
Tennessee Valley's Gunn wasn't deterred by the momentum of the game, however, responding with a two-play scoring drive and two-point conversion that kept the Vipers in the game.
Quad City managed to slow the pace of the game down in the third quarter, though, exchanging stops with Tennessee Valley and then eventually pushing into the end zone with a ten-yard completion to Jack Walker, Jr. that left only 21 seconds on the clock.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Steamwheelers had built up a thirty point lead and showed no signs of letting up. Even though Coach Rick Frazier took Hicks out of the game, the âWheelers offense remained potent behind the leadership of back-up QB, Matt Pike. Pike, a five-year af2 veteran, calmed down after his first series under center and eventually connected with Tim Dodge to put the Steamwheelers up 52-21.
Just two plays after the following kickoff, the Steamwheelers recovered another TV fumble - this time Gunn, mishandling a snap, lost the ball to âWheelers DL Willie Lobendahn just one yard from the end zone. Pike handed the ball to WR/DB Matt Manuma who leaped into the end zone for another touchdown. Naehu's extra point capped the Quad City offensive performance at 59, three points higher than their season average.
Most notable, however, was a defensive performance that held Tennessee Valley to just 21 points. For a team averaging a league-worst 59.6 points per game, tonight's effort was significant.
Clearly the Tennessee Valley Vipers didn't appreciate the significance of the Steamwheeler's performance, though. A fight erupted at the end of the game that resulted in the officials ending the game early (by twelve seconds) before things got out of hand.
Following the game, the Steamwheelers put their "star-spangled" jerseys on the auction block for the Trinity Health Foundation. The auction raised $5,175 for the foundation which provides financial resources for individuals in need of health care who can not afford it.
The Steamwheelers take to the road next week and travel to Louisville to take on the Fire, who at 8-5 are locked in a battle with Green Bay and Wilkes-Barre Scranton for a share of the conference lead. The âWheelers defeated the Fire when they met earlier this season at The MARK.
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