Post by DiamondThief on May 11, 2019 19:39:19 GMT -8
FINAL - Barnstormers 59, Steamwheelers 53
5/11/19 --
DES MOINES, IA - It was only fitting that it come down to the last play.
Down by three with seven seconds remaining, Iowa Barnstormers' quarterback Daquan Neal rushed around the right side and dove into the end zone as time expired. There was no immediate signal from any of the striped shirts, but eventually the play was called a touchdown. Quad City Steamwheelers' head coach Cory Ross challenged the play, knowing that even if the call was overturned, the Barnstormers would have one more untimed play due to an illegal defense penalty. The question: Did Neal fumble the ball prior to crossing the goal line.
The answer: Yes. However, the ball hit the side wall and Neal recovered. Touchdown Barnstormers. Game over.
Neal's touchdown gave the Barnstormers a hard-fought, come-from-behind 59-56 victory over the Quad City Steamwheelers tonight at Wells Fargo Arena.
Iowa moved to 9-1 on the season with the win and remain in second place in the Indoor Football League standings; just a half game back of the 9-0 Arizona Rattlers. Arizona had a bye in week 12. The Steamwheelers fell to 3-7 and remain on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. This was the second meeting between the teams this season. The Barnstormers defeated the Steamwheelers 53-39 on March 3 (week 2) in Moline, Illinois. Iowa and Quad City previously met over a decade ago while competing in af2, though the current Steamwheelers are not affiliated with the team which previously sported that moniker.
The Steamwheelers owned the majority of the first half. They scored first on Carlos Wiggins' 27-yard catch from E.J. Hilliard three minutes into the game. Neal's 17-yard touchdown run -- the first of his five tonight -- pulled the Barnstormers to within a point at 7-6. Quad City scored on a six-yard run from Zavier Steward, and on a 23-yard run from Hilliard, and led 21-6 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Barnstormers began to keep pace in the second quarter. A three-yard run from Neal on the first play of the quarter trimmed the deficit to eight points, but Quad City came right back with a 20-yard pass from Hilliard to Quinton Pedroza put the Steamwheelers up 28-13 with 10:42 left in the quarter. Neal rushed in from nine yards out to cut the Quad City lead to 28-19, but Keyvan Rudd scored on a five-yard run to make the score 34-19 with just under three minutes to go. Neal's one-yard pass to Ryan Balentine with 55 second remaining made the score 34-25 in favor of the Steamwheelers at the break.
Neal hit Balentine for five yards to pull Iowa to within two points, but Hilliard found Pedroza for 20 yards and the Steamwheelers lead was back to nine at 41-32 at the 9:47 mark of the third. The Barnstormers then scored twice to close out the quarter Neal hit Balentine for 28 yards, then found Connor Hollenbeck for eight yards to give the Barnstormers their first lead, 46-41, which they took into the final quarter.
Hilliard scored early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run, then rushed for the two-point conversion to lift Quad City to a three-point lead. Neal came back with a 22-yard scamper and the Barnstormers were up by four midway through the quarter. Hilliard and Steward hooked up on a three-yard pass with 55 seconds left to once again put the Steamwheelers up by a field goal.
As even the casual indoor football fan is aware, 55 seconds at the end of the game is an eternity. In this game, the Barnstormers were able to use that to their advantage, setting up Neal's final play heroics.
Even in the loss, the Steamwheelers put up a massive 373 yards of total offense to 286 for the Barnstormers. That included a 285 to 199 yard edge in the passing game. The Steamwheelers were penalized nine times for 71 yards while the Barnstormers were flagged three times for 24 yards. Quad City held the ball for 36:25 of the game and the Barnstormers for 23:35. Neither team recorded a sack in the contest.
Neal was spectacular in this one, completing 14 of 17 passes for 199 yards with four touchdowns. He rushed 11 times for 74 yards and five scores. Hollenbeck finished with five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown while Balentine scored a touchdown on each of his three receptions. Jazeric Peterson added five grabs for 63 yards. Trayvon Williams recorded 11 tackles for the Iowa defense, including a pair of tackles for loss.
Hilliard, the IFL's top passer, completed 21 of 26 throws for 285 yards with four touchdowns, and rushed 11 times for 50 yards and a pair of scores. Steward, who scored on the ground and through the air, had 33 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards off four catches. Pedroza's five touchdowns for 98 yards led all receivers with two of those receptions going for touchdowns. Keyvan Rudd, who rushed for a score, caught four passes for 86 yards, while Wiggins finished with four grabs for 48 yards and a touchdown. Three Steamwheelers players tallied four tackles in the contest, and Thailand Pierce broke up two passes.
The Steamwheelers will be hack at home on May 17 to face the Cedar Rapids River Kings with kickoff set for 5:05 p.m.. The Barnstormers will visit the Green Bay Blizzard on May 19. Kickoff in that one is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. All times listed are pacific standard time.
5/11/19 --
DES MOINES, IA - It was only fitting that it come down to the last play.
Down by three with seven seconds remaining, Iowa Barnstormers' quarterback Daquan Neal rushed around the right side and dove into the end zone as time expired. There was no immediate signal from any of the striped shirts, but eventually the play was called a touchdown. Quad City Steamwheelers' head coach Cory Ross challenged the play, knowing that even if the call was overturned, the Barnstormers would have one more untimed play due to an illegal defense penalty. The question: Did Neal fumble the ball prior to crossing the goal line.
The answer: Yes. However, the ball hit the side wall and Neal recovered. Touchdown Barnstormers. Game over.
Neal's touchdown gave the Barnstormers a hard-fought, come-from-behind 59-56 victory over the Quad City Steamwheelers tonight at Wells Fargo Arena.
Iowa moved to 9-1 on the season with the win and remain in second place in the Indoor Football League standings; just a half game back of the 9-0 Arizona Rattlers. Arizona had a bye in week 12. The Steamwheelers fell to 3-7 and remain on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture. This was the second meeting between the teams this season. The Barnstormers defeated the Steamwheelers 53-39 on March 3 (week 2) in Moline, Illinois. Iowa and Quad City previously met over a decade ago while competing in af2, though the current Steamwheelers are not affiliated with the team which previously sported that moniker.
The Steamwheelers owned the majority of the first half. They scored first on Carlos Wiggins' 27-yard catch from E.J. Hilliard three minutes into the game. Neal's 17-yard touchdown run -- the first of his five tonight -- pulled the Barnstormers to within a point at 7-6. Quad City scored on a six-yard run from Zavier Steward, and on a 23-yard run from Hilliard, and led 21-6 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Barnstormers began to keep pace in the second quarter. A three-yard run from Neal on the first play of the quarter trimmed the deficit to eight points, but Quad City came right back with a 20-yard pass from Hilliard to Quinton Pedroza put the Steamwheelers up 28-13 with 10:42 left in the quarter. Neal rushed in from nine yards out to cut the Quad City lead to 28-19, but Keyvan Rudd scored on a five-yard run to make the score 34-19 with just under three minutes to go. Neal's one-yard pass to Ryan Balentine with 55 second remaining made the score 34-25 in favor of the Steamwheelers at the break.
Neal hit Balentine for five yards to pull Iowa to within two points, but Hilliard found Pedroza for 20 yards and the Steamwheelers lead was back to nine at 41-32 at the 9:47 mark of the third. The Barnstormers then scored twice to close out the quarter Neal hit Balentine for 28 yards, then found Connor Hollenbeck for eight yards to give the Barnstormers their first lead, 46-41, which they took into the final quarter.
Hilliard scored early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run, then rushed for the two-point conversion to lift Quad City to a three-point lead. Neal came back with a 22-yard scamper and the Barnstormers were up by four midway through the quarter. Hilliard and Steward hooked up on a three-yard pass with 55 seconds left to once again put the Steamwheelers up by a field goal.
As even the casual indoor football fan is aware, 55 seconds at the end of the game is an eternity. In this game, the Barnstormers were able to use that to their advantage, setting up Neal's final play heroics.
Even in the loss, the Steamwheelers put up a massive 373 yards of total offense to 286 for the Barnstormers. That included a 285 to 199 yard edge in the passing game. The Steamwheelers were penalized nine times for 71 yards while the Barnstormers were flagged three times for 24 yards. Quad City held the ball for 36:25 of the game and the Barnstormers for 23:35. Neither team recorded a sack in the contest.
Neal was spectacular in this one, completing 14 of 17 passes for 199 yards with four touchdowns. He rushed 11 times for 74 yards and five scores. Hollenbeck finished with five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown while Balentine scored a touchdown on each of his three receptions. Jazeric Peterson added five grabs for 63 yards. Trayvon Williams recorded 11 tackles for the Iowa defense, including a pair of tackles for loss.
Hilliard, the IFL's top passer, completed 21 of 26 throws for 285 yards with four touchdowns, and rushed 11 times for 50 yards and a pair of scores. Steward, who scored on the ground and through the air, had 33 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards off four catches. Pedroza's five touchdowns for 98 yards led all receivers with two of those receptions going for touchdowns. Keyvan Rudd, who rushed for a score, caught four passes for 86 yards, while Wiggins finished with four grabs for 48 yards and a touchdown. Three Steamwheelers players tallied four tackles in the contest, and Thailand Pierce broke up two passes.
The Steamwheelers will be hack at home on May 17 to face the Cedar Rapids River Kings with kickoff set for 5:05 p.m.. The Barnstormers will visit the Green Bay Blizzard on May 19. Kickoff in that one is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. All times listed are pacific standard time.
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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