Steamwheelers Weekly Report

March 29, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release


Recap: The Steamwheelers are fresh out of training camp and will begin preparation for this weekend's season and home opener against the Manchester (N.H.) Wolves starting Monday. The Steamwheelers are coming off a 2003 season in which they claimed their third National Conference Championship. Despite a first round bye, the ‘Wheelers lost in the ArenaCup quarterfinals to the Arkansas Twisters 63-61 on the last play of the game. This season the Steamwheelers are looking to "take care of unfinished business."

Next Up: The ‘Wheelers will take on the Manchester (N.H.) Wolves. The Wolves recently moved from Mohegan to Manchester for the 2004 season. The Wolves finished the 2003 season with a 10-6 record and the Steamwheelers finished the regular season with an af2 best 14-2 record. The game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. (CDT) at The MARK of the Quad Cities.

Last Time: This is the first time that these two teams will hook up in the five-year history of the af2. Even though this is the first time, it will be only seven short days until the two teams will meet again, as the Steamwheelers will travel to Manchester on April 10 for a return matchup.

Training Camp Over: After 10 straight days of training camp, head coach Rich Ingold finally has his roster set. The 21-man, mandated league roster must be set by 2 p.m. Monday. Ingold told both the Quad City Times and Rock Island Argus/Dispatch who he planned on keeping after this past Saturday's practice, however, just as he stated in the article, his mind could change by the time that he sends in the roster. The roster will be released to the media and general public later Monday afternoon.

Gordon's the Guy: The quarterback position has all but been set. Ingold has said, on the record, barring a major mistake, af2 vet Ronnie Gordon will be the starting quarterback for the season opener. Gordon, who backed up 2003 af2 Offensive Player of the Year Tony Zimmerman, had a league best passer rating of 133.3 as he completed 8 of 12 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns. Gordon has been competing against former Peoria Pirates teammate Matt Pike and rookie Brian Eyerman in camp.

Upcoming Steamwheelers Appearances: This week the Steamwheelers will have the week off from appearances in preparation for this weekend's game against Manchester. The next appearance date will be April 8.

Practice Times: Now that training camp is over, it is time for Ingold and his players to begin preparation for the Manchester Wolves. Everyday this week, the Steamwheelers will be practicing from 5-7 p.m. at MAXSports Complex (formerly Marycrest Events Complex). The best time to reach players is prior to the start of practice and immediately following. Players begin to arrive at MAXSports around 4 p.m.

Travel Plans: The team will have a short trip across the Mississippi River this week to The MARK of the Quad Cities, home to the Steamwheelers. They are hosting the Manchester Wolves at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

On the Air: This Saturday's game, as well as every other Steamwheelers game, can be heard on WFXN 1230 AM with Jim Albracht making the call and John Furlong on color. You can also listen in to Q106.5's Dwyer and Michaels every morning as they discuss the ‘Wheelers periodically on the "Mornings with Dwyer and Michaels" show that runs from 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Also, the "Voice of the Steam" Jim Albracht also hosts "Albracht in the AM" from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on WOC 1420 AM. Throughout the show he discusses a variety of topics as well as the Steamwheelers. Also, every Sunday night on the NBC affiliate KWQC-TV6 following the 10 p.m. news, sports director Thom Cornelis hosts "Wheeler Watch" which features highlights of the previous weekends game and a discussion with head coach Rich Ingold.



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