Steamwheelers Weekly Report

Published on April 12, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release


Recap: Week 2 was not as easy for the Quad City Steamwheelers as it was in Week 1. In the season opener, the Steamwheelers steamed past the visiting Manchester Wolves 71-32. The ‘Wheelers then traveled to Manchester, N.H. to finish the home-and-home series, and in the first ever professional football game in the state of New Hampshire the fans were treated to an Arena Football classic. The Steamwheelers jumped out to a 35-9 lead before the Wolves fought back to tie the game at 42 with 28 seconds left in the game. The game came down to the final play when kicker Ryan Geisler drilled a 17-yard field goal as time expired to give the ‘Wheelers their second win of the season.

Next Up: The Steamwheelers are now set to go to battle in the biggest rivalry game in the arenafootball2 league as the Tennessee Valley Vipers come to town. Both teams are undefeated in the early part of this season and were ranked the top two teams in the league in the latest coaches poll. (The new poll comes out Wednesday).

Last Time: The last time these two teams met, the Steamwheelers ruined the Vipers attempt at matching the 2000 Steamwheelers perfect 19-0 season. The Vipers entered last season's game at The MARK of the Quad Cities with a 14-0 mark, which included a 55-52 victory over the Steamwheelers earlier in the season. But the ‘Wheelers quickly put an end to any thoughts of the Vipers going undefeated, as they jumped out to a 29-7 lead and got up by as much as 57-20 before walking away with a 63-34 victory. Steamwheelers quarterback Tony Zimmerman threw his 89th touchdown pass of the season to break the single season record of 88 set by Matt Sauk of Tennessee Valley. Zimmerman went on to finish the season with a total of 93.

WANTED: CENTERS: There is one problem that Steamwheelers coach Rich Ingold will face this week as he prepares for Tennessee Valley. Ingold currently does not have a true center to play this Saturday's game. Starting center Jon Verdegan will be missing the game as he is attending his sisters wedding in Wisconsin, something that Steamwheelers coaches knew about when training camp opened. Then in last Saturday's bout with Manchester, backup center Pete Traynor injured his right foot. He has what appears to be a fractured right foot, more will be determined this week, but Traynor will not play this weekend. Right now, offensive lineman/defensive lineman Bear Brown is the emergency center, but Brown has taken a very limited amount of reps at center.

Banged Up: That is almost an understatement when looking at the list of injured players on the Steamwheelers roster. Starting quarterback Ronnie Gordon was a game time decision last Saturday after he sprained both his knee and ankle in the Steamwheelers first game. Wide receiver/defensive back Tim Dodge battled stomach problems in last Saturday's game. Offensive lineman/defensive lineman Pete Traynor has what appears to be a broken right foot. Offensive linemen/defensive linemen Harvie Herrington and Jon Verdegan both were banged up in the Manchester game. Herrington left the game late in the second half with severe leg cramps and Verdegan fought through a stinger in his shoulder and finished the game. Numerous others are fighting off smaller injuries and three players will be coming off the Short Term Injured Reserve list this week.

Hewitt ‘Returns' At Fast Pace: Offensive specialist Jeff Hewitt has returned for a third season as a Quad City Steamwheeler by returning plenty of kickoffs for touchdowns. In the two games against Manchester, Hewitt returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. The single season record is eight, which is held by three different players. Hewitt has returned a total of nine kickoffs for 280 yards and two missed field goals for 60 yards on the season. Hewitt is averaging 309.5 all-purpose yards per game, as well.

Upcoming Steamwheelers Appearances: This week the Steamwheelers players will be out and about on three separate occasions. The first two will be on Wednesday when the ‘Wheelers will participate in Career Day at Madison Elementary School from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Then that afternoon, players will be at the Shriner's Bowl Luncheon at the Masonic Center from noon-1:30 p.m. And on Friday, wide receiver/defensive back Tim Dodge will speak at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Davenport Central High School from 7-7:40 a.m.

Practice Times: Coach Ingold has given the players Monday off this week, common for the ‘Wheelers when the upcoming game is on Saturday. The team will return to practice at MAXSports (formerly the Marycrest Events Center) on Tuesday and continue through Friday. Practice starts at 5 p.m. with a film session that runs approximately 20-30 minutes and the players take the field around 5:30 p.m. From there, the practice session runs about an hour to an hour and a half, ending around 6:30 or 7 p.m. Players usually begin to arrive at practice at 4:30 p.m. Practice is open to the general public and members of the media.

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 Tennessee Valley Vipers 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 a.m. This Wednesday at 8 a.m. quarterback Ronnie Gordon and wide receiver/defensive back Tim Dodge will join the morning show hosts for non-stop fun and excitement. 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. Every Sunday night on 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.

Media Requests: Any member of the accredited media that wishes to set up an interview with a Steamwheelers player, coach or staff member may contact Steamwheelers Media Relations Manager Ryan Holtmann at 563-324-4888 (office) or 563-570-0930 (cell phone). Most players are available throughout the day, pending their other profession.

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