Post by DiamondThief on Apr 20, 2019 19:51:36 GMT -8
FINAL - Steamwheelers 72, Sugar Skulls 54
4/20/19 --
MOLINE, IL - The Quad City Steamwheelers' three-game skid has been snapped.
The Steamwheelers outscored the Tucson Sugar Skulls 41-30 in the second half to secure a 72-54 win tonight at Taxslayer Center. Quad City had been winless since week 4 when they turned back the Cedar Rapids Titans. With the win, they improve to 3-4 on the season as they attempt to make a push for the playoffs in the second half of the season. The Sugar Skulls dropped their last three and four of their last five. They stand at 3-4.
The teams play once more this season, in the final week in Tucson. The Sugar Skulls are an expansion franchise and the Steamwheelers moved over to the IFL from Champions Indoor Football. This was their first-ever meeting. The Steamwheelers' 72 points were an offensive season high.
Jake Medlock's 21-yard touchdown to Shaquon Curenton put Tucson on the board first. Quad City answered with a six-yard run from Zavier Steward. The teams traded field goals; a 34-yarder for the Sugar Skulls by newly signed Josh Gable and a 23-yarder for the Steamwheelers by Jacob Stytz. The game was knotted at 10-10 at the end of the opening quarter.
Malique Belfort, who signed with the Sugar Skulls on April 18, hauled in a nine-yard touchdown from Matt Behrendt, but Steward struck right back for the Steamwheelers, scoring on a five-yard run with just under 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. Quad City quarterback E.J. Hilliard hit Quinton Pedroza on a 45-yard bomb to put the Steamwheelers back up by a touchdown. Tucson had an answer when Mike Jones rushed in from eight yards out. Carlos Wiggins' one-yard pass from Hilliard with 16 seconds remaining in the first half put the Steamwheelers up 31-24; a score which would stand into intermission.
Quad City went up by two touchdowns early in the third quarter on Keyvan Rudd's eight yard run. Dee Maggitt, Jr. cut into that for he Sugar Skulls when he returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards for a touchdown. Hilliard then hit Rudd for 25 yards and the Steamwheelers were up 45-31 midway through the third. Behrendt's eight-yard run pulled Tucson to within a single score with 4:56 left in the quarter, but Hilliard rushed in from a yard out to give the Steamwheelers a 51-38 lead by the end of the quarter.
The Steamwheelers extended the lead to 58-38 on a 28-yard pass from Hilliard to Pedroza. Jones' four-yard run, along with Behrendt's two-point conversion run made the score 58-46 with just over five minutes to go. Hilliard responded two minutes later with a one yard scamper. Medlock hit Belfort for an eight-yard touchdown, and his pass to linebacker Zach Allen for another two-point conversion made the score 65-54 at the one-minute warning. Quad City put the icing on the cake when Hilliard found Pedroza for 20 yards with 55 seconds left to provide the final margin of 72-54.
Quad City amassed 334 yards of total offense to 278 for Tucson. That included a 247 yards to 140 edge in the passing game. The Sugar Skulls rushed for 138 yards to 87 for the Steamwheelers. Tucson was penalized nine times for 76 yards and Quad City was flagged six times for 49 yards.
Hilliard turned in a strong performance following his team's bye week. He completed 14 of 18 passes for 247 yards with five touchdowns, while rushing for two more scores. Juwan Lewis had 34 yards off two carries, while Steward finished with seven rushes for 23 yards and two scores. Pedroza had a monster night receiving, catching nine passes for an IFL season-high 171 yards with three touchdowns. Rudd added a pair of receptions for 45 yards with a touchdown to his rushing score. La'Kel Bass recorded 13 tackles to pace the Steamwheelers' defense. Thailand Pierce had an interception and Jeffery Bradley recorded a sack.
Medlock went 11 of 20 for 125 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed 10 times for 54 yards. Behrendt threw for a touchdown and rushed for another. Mike Jones was a workhorse all game long, finishing with 12 rushes for 70 yards and a pair of scores. He also led the team with six receptions for 56 yards. Belfort looked good in his IFL debut, with 23 yards off three catches and two touchdowns. Micah Eugene, Jr. and Cam Gaddis each had seven tackles for the Sugar Skulls defense. Daelin Young blocked an extra point attempt.
Next up for the Sugar Skulls is a home date with the defending champion Iowa Barnstormers on April 27 at 6 p.m. pacific (8 p.m. central). It will be the first-ever meeting between the teams. The Steamwheelers will visit the Bismarck Bucks on April 28 with kickoff slated for 12:05 p.m. pacific (2:05 p.m. central). It will be the first meeting between the teams this season.
4/20/19 --
MOLINE, IL - The Quad City Steamwheelers' three-game skid has been snapped.
The Steamwheelers outscored the Tucson Sugar Skulls 41-30 in the second half to secure a 72-54 win tonight at Taxslayer Center. Quad City had been winless since week 4 when they turned back the Cedar Rapids Titans. With the win, they improve to 3-4 on the season as they attempt to make a push for the playoffs in the second half of the season. The Sugar Skulls dropped their last three and four of their last five. They stand at 3-4.
The teams play once more this season, in the final week in Tucson. The Sugar Skulls are an expansion franchise and the Steamwheelers moved over to the IFL from Champions Indoor Football. This was their first-ever meeting. The Steamwheelers' 72 points were an offensive season high.
Jake Medlock's 21-yard touchdown to Shaquon Curenton put Tucson on the board first. Quad City answered with a six-yard run from Zavier Steward. The teams traded field goals; a 34-yarder for the Sugar Skulls by newly signed Josh Gable and a 23-yarder for the Steamwheelers by Jacob Stytz. The game was knotted at 10-10 at the end of the opening quarter.
Malique Belfort, who signed with the Sugar Skulls on April 18, hauled in a nine-yard touchdown from Matt Behrendt, but Steward struck right back for the Steamwheelers, scoring on a five-yard run with just under 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. Quad City quarterback E.J. Hilliard hit Quinton Pedroza on a 45-yard bomb to put the Steamwheelers back up by a touchdown. Tucson had an answer when Mike Jones rushed in from eight yards out. Carlos Wiggins' one-yard pass from Hilliard with 16 seconds remaining in the first half put the Steamwheelers up 31-24; a score which would stand into intermission.
Quad City went up by two touchdowns early in the third quarter on Keyvan Rudd's eight yard run. Dee Maggitt, Jr. cut into that for he Sugar Skulls when he returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards for a touchdown. Hilliard then hit Rudd for 25 yards and the Steamwheelers were up 45-31 midway through the third. Behrendt's eight-yard run pulled Tucson to within a single score with 4:56 left in the quarter, but Hilliard rushed in from a yard out to give the Steamwheelers a 51-38 lead by the end of the quarter.
The Steamwheelers extended the lead to 58-38 on a 28-yard pass from Hilliard to Pedroza. Jones' four-yard run, along with Behrendt's two-point conversion run made the score 58-46 with just over five minutes to go. Hilliard responded two minutes later with a one yard scamper. Medlock hit Belfort for an eight-yard touchdown, and his pass to linebacker Zach Allen for another two-point conversion made the score 65-54 at the one-minute warning. Quad City put the icing on the cake when Hilliard found Pedroza for 20 yards with 55 seconds left to provide the final margin of 72-54.
Quad City amassed 334 yards of total offense to 278 for Tucson. That included a 247 yards to 140 edge in the passing game. The Sugar Skulls rushed for 138 yards to 87 for the Steamwheelers. Tucson was penalized nine times for 76 yards and Quad City was flagged six times for 49 yards.
Hilliard turned in a strong performance following his team's bye week. He completed 14 of 18 passes for 247 yards with five touchdowns, while rushing for two more scores. Juwan Lewis had 34 yards off two carries, while Steward finished with seven rushes for 23 yards and two scores. Pedroza had a monster night receiving, catching nine passes for an IFL season-high 171 yards with three touchdowns. Rudd added a pair of receptions for 45 yards with a touchdown to his rushing score. La'Kel Bass recorded 13 tackles to pace the Steamwheelers' defense. Thailand Pierce had an interception and Jeffery Bradley recorded a sack.
Medlock went 11 of 20 for 125 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed 10 times for 54 yards. Behrendt threw for a touchdown and rushed for another. Mike Jones was a workhorse all game long, finishing with 12 rushes for 70 yards and a pair of scores. He also led the team with six receptions for 56 yards. Belfort looked good in his IFL debut, with 23 yards off three catches and two touchdowns. Micah Eugene, Jr. and Cam Gaddis each had seven tackles for the Sugar Skulls defense. Daelin Young blocked an extra point attempt.
Next up for the Sugar Skulls is a home date with the defending champion Iowa Barnstormers on April 27 at 6 p.m. pacific (8 p.m. central). It will be the first-ever meeting between the teams. The Steamwheelers will visit the Bismarck Bucks on April 28 with kickoff slated for 12:05 p.m. pacific (2:05 p.m. central). It will be the first meeting between the teams this season.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL's Official YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game.
- ANM
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