Three Steamwheelers Earn All-af2 Honors
August 17, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa â The arenafootball2 league office announced it's annual all-af2 first and second teams on Tuesday and three Quad City Steamwheelers were named to the list. It is the fourth out of five seasons that at least three players have been named to the list.
Steamwheelers wide receiver/defensive back Tim Dodge was named to the all-af2 National Conference First Team, defensive specialist Matt Forbes was named to the Second Team and offensive specialist Jeff Hewitt was named Second Team special teams.
In his second season with the Steamwheelers, Dodge hauled in a team best 108 passes for 1,596 yards and 24 touchdowns to go along with 89 kick return yards. He ranked second in the league in receiving yards and fifth in receptions.
He was just as effective on defense as he was second on the team in tackles with 48.0. He also had five interceptions returned for 64 yards and 20 pass breakups. Dodge was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game for the final seven weeks of the regular season.
He was also named Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game against Tennessee Valley on April 17. Dodge is a top candidate to receive the league 's Ironman of the Year award. It is the second straight season that Dodge has been named to the all-af2 First Team.
Forbes, who is also in his second season, had a break out year as he led the team in tackles with 84.0 (fourth in the af2), interceptions with nine (third in the af2), pass breakups with 31 (second in the af2), and fumbles forced with three (sixth best in af2).
Hewitt, who is in his third season with the Steamwheelers, had another outstanding year, this season as the offensive specialist. In his three seasons with the Steamwheelers, he has played all three receiver positions â offensive specialist, wide receiver/defensive back and wide receiver/linebacker.
After spending the past two seasons behind former âWheelers offensive specialist Ira Gooch, who is preparing for his second season in the AFL, Hewitt has his most productive season yet.
Hewitt was second on the team in receiving with 96 receptions for 1,445 yards (eighth in the league) and a team high 27 touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores on the year.
Although his receiving stats were strong, Hewitt's special teams work is what earned him the all-af2 honor. Hewitt returned 52 kickoffs for 1,163 yards, including four being returned for touchdowns. He also returned eight missed field goals for 146 yards to bring his all-purpose yards total to 2,770.
In the Steamwheelers second to last home game on July 17, against the Birmingham Steeldogs, he had to replace starting kicker Ryan Geisler.
Geisler injured his hamstring earlier in the game on an extra point attempt.
Hewitt's only attempted one extra point, but it split the uprights perfectly. He attempted two field goals, but just missed on both tries. His 198 total points ranked ninth in the league this season.
The three 2004 players named to the list mark the 15th, 16th and 17th time that a Steamwheelers player was honored by the league. Dodge joins former Steamwheelers wide receiver/linebacker Xavier Patterson and offensive lineman/defensive lineman Jamarr Ward as the only Steamwheelers to be named to the list twice. In all, 14 different Steamwheelers have been named to the list in the five years of the league.
Each season, the coaches from around the league vote on the league awards.
Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players. The league will be releasing individual award winners in the next few days.
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