Wheelers Improve to 2-0 on the Road Versus Massachusetts
March 30, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Quad City Steamwheelers News Release
The Quad City Steamwheelers traveled to Lowell, Massachusetts, to take on the Massachusetts Pirates in an Eastern Conference battle. Despite the Pirates' 46-25 week one loss against Jacksonville, they provided a tough challenge for the Steamwheelers. After the final horn sounded, the Wheelers took home the 37-33 win.
On their first drive of the game, the Steamwheelers needed to convert on a fourth down, and their needs were met when quarterback Daquan Neal found running back Jarrod Ware Jr. downfield for the lengthy conversion. However, on second-and-goal from inside the five, a Ware fumble through the back of the endzone gave the Pirates the football. On the second play of the Pirates' next drive, quarterback Kenji Bahar threw a pass which was tipped, intercepted, and ran back 18 yards by linebacker Bubba Arslanian for a Wheelers touchdown.
On the ensuing Massachusetts possession, Bahar converted a key third down on the ground, a theme for the Pirates' offense the whole game. Later in the drive, Bahar ran in from 15 yards out to give the Pirates the 7-6 lead. After a long touchdown was called back for offensive holding, the Steamwheelers kicked the ball down to around the ten-yard line before a penalty moved it forward.
The second quarter started sloppily for both teams as neither side started hot. The Pirates' first drive of the quarter ended in a missed field goal, and the following Quad City drive ended on the first play when the Pirates recovered a fumbled screen pass to receiver Keyvan Rudd. Fortunately for Quad City, Massachusetts did not move the ball much, and after a delay of game on third-and-9, a bad snap on the field goal ended in an unsuccessful attempt. Finally, the Wheelers started to move the ball after Neal found Rudd for a huge gain, and Neal kept it himself for the six-yard touchdown. After the successful two-point conversion, Quad City gained a 14-7 lead.
The Pirates found their bearings on the next drive, converting on a fourth down to go inside the red zone, and later scoring a touchdown but missing the point after, making the score 14-13. With only seven seconds left in the half, Neal found Rudd on a quick pass for a good gain, which led to a Kyle Kaplan 37-yard field goal to extend the Wheelers' lead to 17-13.
Straight out of halftime, the Steamwheelers got a quick defensive stop. Still, on their offensive possession, a fourth-down pop pass to receiver Jordan Vesey was fumbled shortly after gaining the first down and was recovered by the Pirates. Later, on a Pirates' fourth down, the Quad City defense stopped them, but an illegal defense penalty gave Massachusetts another shot. With new life, they converted and scored a touchdown to give the Pirates the 20-17 lead.
Despite giving up the lead, the Steamwheelers were not daunted. On the kick return, receiver Davion Johnson used his speed to set up good field position with a long return. After a Neal run for a yard, he found Vesey in the back of the endzone for the 11-yard touchdown to regain the lead, 23-20. The Pirates' next drive ended on a failed fourth-down conversion when Bahar's pass was broken up by a fantastic play from defensive back Camron Harrell to give the Steamwheelers the ball.
The Wheelers' offense faced a long fourth down to start the fourth quarter. Despite tight coverage, Neal found Vesey in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 30-20. The Pirates responded with another Bahar rushing touchdown to make it 30-27 after the PAT. To try and get the ball back, the Pirates tried a shorter kick but Camron Harrell returned it 31 yards and hurdled a man for a touchdown to extend the Steamwheeler lead to 37-27.
As time wound down, Bahar ran for 49 yards into the endzone with 16 seconds left, but it was too late. After a missed PAT, the Steamwheeelers ran the clock out to hold onto the 37-33 win. This game marked another clean game for Daquan Neal, completing 8/11 passes for 134 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Keyvan Rudd caught three passes for 61 yards, and Vesey caught two passes for 34 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side, Arslanian had nine tackles, one tackle for loss, and an interception returned for a touchdown.
This 2-0 start for the Steamwheelers is the first since they joined the IFL in 2019. They sit atop the Eastern Conference in first place and are also the only team in the Eastern Conference with a 2-0 record. Next week, the Steamwheelers will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the Iowa Barnstormers on Saturday, April 5.
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Indoor Football League Stories from March 30, 2025
- Tucson Sugar Skulls Start Slow in Loss against Arizona Rattlers in Season Opener - Tucson Sugar Skulls
- Wheelers Improve to 2-0 on the Road Versus Massachusetts - Quad City Steamwheelers
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