Steamwheelers Fall 64-28 to Pioneers in Season Opener
April 10, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
Wilkes-Barre, PA. - The Quad City Steamwheelers sixth season of af2 got off to an acrimonious start this afternoon with a 64-28 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Pioneers in front of 4,532 fans at the Wachovia Arena at Carey Place. The 36-point loss for the Steamwheelers is the biggest defeat in franchise history, supplanting an 81-56 loss to Peoria in 2002 and marks the first time in team history that a new head coach did not win his first game in charge.
Travis Burns had a team-high 97 yards receiving on 10 catches, as well as 97 return yards while Matt Pike threw a pair of scores, but it was not enough as the Pioneers scored 43 unanswered points, including 36 in the second half, to improve to 2-0 on the season. With the loss, the Steamwheelers start the season 0-1 for just the second time in team history.
The first quarter was dominated by the two teams' offenses and was tied 21-21 at the end of the first 15 minutes. Torey Morris scored the Steamwheelers' first touchdown of the season when he caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Pike on the second play from scrimmage, giving Quad City a 7-0 lead. Burns added a pair of scores later in the quarter, a 57-yard kickoff return and a 14-yard reception from Pike, but the Pioneers were able to answer each score with a touchdown of their own, to keep the game level after the first quarter.
Burns, who was making his Steamwheeler debut, added his third score of the game with 6:44 left in the second quarter when he pulled in a seven-yard toss from fellow newcomer Sam Clemons, putting Quad City ahead 28-21.
However, that would be the final time that the Steamwheelers would lead and the last time that they would score.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton quarterback Kyle Rowley threw his fourth touchdown of the game with one second left in the opening half to make the score 28-28 as the teams went into the locker room.
The Pioneers late score set the tone for the second half as Rowley threw two more touchdown passes while also running one in himself to give his team a lead from which they would not look back. Wiles-Barre/Scranton rounded out its second half blitz by with scores from Taso Apostolidis on a short run, Demetrius Austrum on a fumble recovery and a 22-yard field goal by David Davis to give the Pioneers the 64-28 win.
Win the victory, the Pioneers became the first team in af2 history to defeat the Steamwheelers in three consecutive meetings after sweeping the season series in 2004. The Pioneer defense also made history by shutting out the Steamwheelers in the second half, joining the 2000 Arkansas Twisters as the only teams ever to shutout the Steamwheelers over an entire half.
The Steamwheelers will return to action in search of their first win of the season in their 2005 home opener on Saturday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m., when they host the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings. Tickets for this game and all other Steamwheeler home games on sale now. To purchase season tickets or for more information about the Steamwheelers, call the Steamwheelers office at (563) 324-4888 or toll free at 1-866-STEAMTIX. For single game tickets please call or visit The MARK of the Quad Cities box office or any TicketMaster location.
Offensive Player of the Game: Rocco Forgione (W-B/S)
Defensive Player of the Game: Ronnie Kaymore (W-B/S)
Ironman of the Game: Ameer Riley (W-B/S)
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