Steamwheelers Defeat Storm in Overtime Thriller
July 13, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
MOLINE, Ill. - Getting started in the first quarter, the Storm put the first points on the board with a field goal early to give them a 3-0 lead. Jarrod Harrington got things going for the Steamwheelers with a 33-yard kick return that set up the offense for Judd Erickson to float a pass to Keyvan Rudd for a first down in the red zone.
That first down led to Erickson pitching the ball over to Edward Vander, who ran the ball in for a touchdown. Kyle Kaplan adds the cherry on top with a good PAT, giving the Steamwheelers the lead, 7-3.
Vander ended the night with three huge touchdowns that kept Quad City in the game, along with 31 yards on eight carries.
The Steamwheelers' defense came to play tonight, forcing the Storm into field goal attempts in the first quarter and making huge plays and stops throughout this battle. Jayln Swan stepped up to bag a sack, and Melik Owens came up and made a huge stop on the next play as well.
The Storm relied on the kicking to make up for their offense in the first quarter, netting two field goals and a deuce to make it an 8-7 game with the Storm on top going into the second quarter.
Both teams went back and forth with the lead throughout the matchup, making it an all-out indoor war and resembling the first bout from March when these teams first met this season.
Erickson started the second quarter, finding the returning Jordan Vesey for a first down that led to Erickson taking it in himself for a touchdown. Another good Kaplan PAT made it 14-8 until the Storm fired back and scored a touchdown of their own to take the lead.
After their good extra point made it 15-14, the Steamwheelers fought downfield to score, relying on Kaplan to save the drive. His field goal attempt was good, and Quad City took back the lead, 17-15.
Sioux Falls got the ball moving quickly and thought things were going smoothly until their quarterback threw an interception. Trey Smith swooped in for an interception to set the Steamwheelers' offense up for success.
The second half saw the Storm cash into the bank first, scoring a touchdown and extending their lead to 29-17 after another good extra-point attempt.
Midway through the third quarter, Mike Iwrin tagged in for Judd Erickson, and Irwin got the Steamwheelers downfield. A quick dot to Warren Newman III gained a first down, leading to Vander swapping positions with Irwin to rush in and secure another touchdown. This quarter also saw both teams in a defensive battle to see who could stop who the most, 25-23 was the score, with the Storm winning going into the fourth quarter.
Sioux Falls started the period with a field goal to extend their lead to five, 28-23. The Storm defense picked up a facemask penalty that gave Quad City a first down, setting up Vander to score his third touchdown of the night. Kaplan added an extra point, and the Steamwheelers took the lead, 30-28.
The Steamwheelers held the lead shortly until the Storm came back to take it away again, putting themselves up 35-30 until about a minute left in regulation time.
The Steamwheelers worked the ball into the red zone, and Mike Iwrin broke into the endzone for a clutch touchdown to take the lead with less than a minute left on the clock. The Steamwheelers failed their two-point conversion originally, but a penalty on the Storm led to the Wheelers getting a retry on their conversion.
They did not waste the opportunity, with Irwin pitching the ball to Vander, who powered through the defense for two, securing a 38-35 lead in crunch time.
With the Wheeler defense clutching up and becoming an unstoppable force, the Storm was left with no choice but to go for a field goal. With two seconds left, they were able to tie the game at 38 apiece and send this game into overtime.
In overtime, Irwin quickly found Harrington for a touchdown and extra point to take the lead 45-38. All they needed to do now was hold Sioux Falls and make a stop to secure the win. The Storm had other plans, instantly passing for a touchdown and making it a one-point game.
Sioux Falls then lined up for a two-point conversion to take the lead, and they threw an incomplete pass. The Steamheelers then won on a failed conversion. What a dramatic ending to the last home game of the season for the Steamwheelers.
This brings Quad City to an even .500 once again, a 7-7 record overall and a 6-2 record at home. Tune into the official IFL YouTube channel on July 13 for their next matchup against the Tulsa Oilers.
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