Post by Monika on Aug 13, 2022 19:41:01 GMT -8
Wranglers 47, Steamwheelers 45
8/13/22 --
HENDERSON, NV - Schedule the parade for Prescott Valley.
Behind solid offensive play and a signature defensive performance, the Northern Arizona Wranglers held off the Quad City Steamwheelers to claim their first Indoor Football League National Championship by a 47-45 decision. The game capped the 2022 IFL season, culminating in the title heading to the community of Prescott Valley, Arizona. Both teams represented the two smallest markets in the IFL this season.
Wranglers head coach Les Moss, in his first year with the team, commented on the championship team following the win. "That was the plan the whole time. Coach (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Rob) Keefe and I have been able to put some success lately. That was our plan and we were able to do it. We just felt like we worked really hard during the offseason. We were able to get a good group of guys in and we were able to coach them up. They caught magic; they're a family, they're a great team, they came together and worked their tails off and we're the champions."
Northern Arizona defensive lineman JaQuan Artis was named Most Valuable player for his five tackles and two crucial sacks in the second half. Artis initiated pressure on the Quad City offense all night long and intensified that pressure down the stretch.
There was some unfamiliarity heading into the game for both teams as they had never met before this title game. Both are in their second seasons in the IFL The Wranglers entered the league in 2021 as an expansion team. After a 1-13 start to that inaugural season, the team brought in veteran arena/indoor head coach Les Moss. He nearly totally revamped the team (the only returner was kicker Brandon Fischer) and put together what turned out to be a championship contender. The Steamwheelers moved over to the IFL from Champions Indoor Football following their 2018 season in that league. Quad City barely missed the IFL playoffs in 2019. The Steamwheelers played one game in 2020 before the IFL cancelled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also took 2021 off because of pandemic restrictions in their home state of Illinois.
Neither team finished as the top seed in their respective conferences, nor did either finish the season with one of the top two records the league. The latter fact is a first in the history of the current IFL. The Wranglers are the only team in the league this year not to lose at home (8-0 and 9-0 including the playoffs leading up to the Championship Game). They were considered the home team in this game due to final records. They finished 12-4 in the regular season and 15-4 including the playoffs. The Steamwheelers, who made the playoffs on the last week of the regular season, finished the regular season 9-7 and 11-8 for the entirety of 2022.
Northern Arizona earned its trip to the Championship Game with a 49-30 home win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls in the first round, and then a thrilling, come-from-behind 52-51 win over the Arizona Rattlers in the Western Conference Championship Game at Phoenix two weeks ago. Quad City defeated the Massachusetts Pirates in overtime, 39-38 in the opening round of the Playoffs in central Massachusetts. They rallied to take down the Frisco Fighters, 48-41, in the Eastern Conference Championship in North Texas on July 29.
During the game three IFL icons were inducted into the league's Hall of Fame. They were defensive lineman Nate Fluit (Sioux Falls Storm), wide receiver Carl Sims (multiple teams) and former Nebraska Danger owner Charlie Bosselman. To learn more about this year's inductees, visit our 2022 Hall of Fame Class page.
Northern Arizona won the toss and deferred. They attempted an onside kick which was recovered by Quad City at the 13-yard line. The Steamwheelers took advantage when E.J. Hilliard rushed around the right guard and powered his way into the end zone. The Wranglers answered on Kaleb Barker's 12-yard touchdown pass down the middle to Glen Gibbons, Jr. to knot the score. The Wranglers' defense forced a turnover on downs to take over at the 19 yard line. The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Wranglers went up 14-7 on Barker's 10-yard run up the middle. The Steamwheelers countered with a 52-yard field goal from Kimo Naehu with 8:29 left in the second quarter. Ulice Gillard rushed 10 yards around the left side to put the Wranglers up 21-10. The Steamwheelers responded with a 21-yard touchdown strike from Hilliard to Mike Carrigan with 1:38 left in the half. After playing some ball control the Wranglers closed out the second half with a 27-yard field foal from Craig Peterson. Northern Arizona took a 24-17 lead into the intermission.
Northern Arizona came right out in the second half and added to its lead with a 13-yard run around the right side from Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman. Quad City responded immediately when Hilliard found Keyvan Rudd for a 42-yard touchdown bomb down the left sideline. The Wranglers went back up by 13 when Barker hit Israel Tucker around the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. The Steamwheelers were unable to respond as Naehu's 31-yard field goal try was no good. The Steamwheelers got the ball back with when Naquez Pringle recovered Barker's fumble deep in NAZ territory. The Wranglers led 37-24 heading into the final quarter of the season.
The Steamwheelers took advantage of the turnover with a a one-yard run up the middle from Hilliard a minute into the fourth quarter. Quad City's defense forced the Wranglers to settle for a 23-yard field goal with 9:09 remaining. Hilliard found a wide-open Rudd for an 18-yard score, but Naehu missed the point after try, leaving the Wranglers with a 40-37 lead with just under five minutes left. The Steamwheelers attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered by Gibbons of the Wranglers. Barker's two-yard lob pass to Tucker put the Wranglers up by 10 with a minute remaining. The Steamwheelers scored on a 30-yard pass from Hilliard to Carrigan, and Rudd leapt over the goal line for the two-point conversion. Naehu attempted the deuce to tie the game with 44 seconds left, but the attempt hit off the scoreboard and the Wranglers were able to run out the clock and secure the championship.
Barker finished nine of 14 passing for 97 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 54 yards and another score. Tucker had 30 rushing yards, but made his impact in the passing game, hauling in four passes for 41 yards and two scores. Gibbons, who caught the game winner for the Wranglers in the Western Conference Championship game, caught a pair of passes for 20 yards and a score. Receivers Chiaokhiao-Bowman and Gillard each caught a touchdown pass. In addition to Artis, Tevin Homer had five tackles and Darin Hungerford recorded a sack.
Hilliard, the IFL's Offensive Player of the Year, went seven of 11 for 123 yards, for four touchdowns. He also rushed for 70 yards and a pair of scores. Rudd had three catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns, and Carrigan scored his touchdowns on his two grabs for 51 yards. Darreon Jackson led the Steamwheelers' defense with eight tackles, while Jaylin Swan added seven of his own.
The Wranglers recorded 215 yards of total offense, while the Steamwheelers had 181. Northern Arizona held a 118-to-83 yard advantage in the rushing game, and the Steamwheelers threw for 123 yards to the Wranglers' 97. The Wranglers led in time of possession, 33:10 to 26:50. They committed four penalties for 22 yeards, while the Steamwheelers were flagged three times for 16 yards.
This is the first of at least three seasons the IFL National Championship Games will be held at the Dollar Loan Center. It is a new arena which officially opened on March 8 of this year and is home to the IFL's Vegas Night Hawks. The arena is located in Henderson, Nevada, just southeast of Las Vegas. It seats 5,567 for football and hockey. It is owned by the City of Henderson and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League. The Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and the NBA G-League Ignite also utilize the arena for their home games.
SCtoC followed the game with live score updates and quarter summaries. For a review of the game, click on the 2022 IFL Championship Game thread. Click for our SCtoC Indoor Football League schedule.
8/13/22 --
HENDERSON, NV - Schedule the parade for Prescott Valley.
Behind solid offensive play and a signature defensive performance, the Northern Arizona Wranglers held off the Quad City Steamwheelers to claim their first Indoor Football League National Championship by a 47-45 decision. The game capped the 2022 IFL season, culminating in the title heading to the community of Prescott Valley, Arizona. Both teams represented the two smallest markets in the IFL this season.
Wranglers head coach Les Moss, in his first year with the team, commented on the championship team following the win. "That was the plan the whole time. Coach (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Rob) Keefe and I have been able to put some success lately. That was our plan and we were able to do it. We just felt like we worked really hard during the offseason. We were able to get a good group of guys in and we were able to coach them up. They caught magic; they're a family, they're a great team, they came together and worked their tails off and we're the champions."
Northern Arizona defensive lineman JaQuan Artis was named Most Valuable player for his five tackles and two crucial sacks in the second half. Artis initiated pressure on the Quad City offense all night long and intensified that pressure down the stretch.
There was some unfamiliarity heading into the game for both teams as they had never met before this title game. Both are in their second seasons in the IFL The Wranglers entered the league in 2021 as an expansion team. After a 1-13 start to that inaugural season, the team brought in veteran arena/indoor head coach Les Moss. He nearly totally revamped the team (the only returner was kicker Brandon Fischer) and put together what turned out to be a championship contender. The Steamwheelers moved over to the IFL from Champions Indoor Football following their 2018 season in that league. Quad City barely missed the IFL playoffs in 2019. The Steamwheelers played one game in 2020 before the IFL cancelled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also took 2021 off because of pandemic restrictions in their home state of Illinois.
Neither team finished as the top seed in their respective conferences, nor did either finish the season with one of the top two records the league. The latter fact is a first in the history of the current IFL. The Wranglers are the only team in the league this year not to lose at home (8-0 and 9-0 including the playoffs leading up to the Championship Game). They were considered the home team in this game due to final records. They finished 12-4 in the regular season and 15-4 including the playoffs. The Steamwheelers, who made the playoffs on the last week of the regular season, finished the regular season 9-7 and 11-8 for the entirety of 2022.
Northern Arizona earned its trip to the Championship Game with a 49-30 home win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls in the first round, and then a thrilling, come-from-behind 52-51 win over the Arizona Rattlers in the Western Conference Championship Game at Phoenix two weeks ago. Quad City defeated the Massachusetts Pirates in overtime, 39-38 in the opening round of the Playoffs in central Massachusetts. They rallied to take down the Frisco Fighters, 48-41, in the Eastern Conference Championship in North Texas on July 29.
During the game three IFL icons were inducted into the league's Hall of Fame. They were defensive lineman Nate Fluit (Sioux Falls Storm), wide receiver Carl Sims (multiple teams) and former Nebraska Danger owner Charlie Bosselman. To learn more about this year's inductees, visit our 2022 Hall of Fame Class page.
Northern Arizona won the toss and deferred. They attempted an onside kick which was recovered by Quad City at the 13-yard line. The Steamwheelers took advantage when E.J. Hilliard rushed around the right guard and powered his way into the end zone. The Wranglers answered on Kaleb Barker's 12-yard touchdown pass down the middle to Glen Gibbons, Jr. to knot the score. The Wranglers' defense forced a turnover on downs to take over at the 19 yard line. The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the opening quarter.
The Wranglers went up 14-7 on Barker's 10-yard run up the middle. The Steamwheelers countered with a 52-yard field goal from Kimo Naehu with 8:29 left in the second quarter. Ulice Gillard rushed 10 yards around the left side to put the Wranglers up 21-10. The Steamwheelers responded with a 21-yard touchdown strike from Hilliard to Mike Carrigan with 1:38 left in the half. After playing some ball control the Wranglers closed out the second half with a 27-yard field foal from Craig Peterson. Northern Arizona took a 24-17 lead into the intermission.
Northern Arizona came right out in the second half and added to its lead with a 13-yard run around the right side from Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman. Quad City responded immediately when Hilliard found Keyvan Rudd for a 42-yard touchdown bomb down the left sideline. The Wranglers went back up by 13 when Barker hit Israel Tucker around the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. The Steamwheelers were unable to respond as Naehu's 31-yard field goal try was no good. The Steamwheelers got the ball back with when Naquez Pringle recovered Barker's fumble deep in NAZ territory. The Wranglers led 37-24 heading into the final quarter of the season.
The Steamwheelers took advantage of the turnover with a a one-yard run up the middle from Hilliard a minute into the fourth quarter. Quad City's defense forced the Wranglers to settle for a 23-yard field goal with 9:09 remaining. Hilliard found a wide-open Rudd for an 18-yard score, but Naehu missed the point after try, leaving the Wranglers with a 40-37 lead with just under five minutes left. The Steamwheelers attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered by Gibbons of the Wranglers. Barker's two-yard lob pass to Tucker put the Wranglers up by 10 with a minute remaining. The Steamwheelers scored on a 30-yard pass from Hilliard to Carrigan, and Rudd leapt over the goal line for the two-point conversion. Naehu attempted the deuce to tie the game with 44 seconds left, but the attempt hit off the scoreboard and the Wranglers were able to run out the clock and secure the championship.
Barker finished nine of 14 passing for 97 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 54 yards and another score. Tucker had 30 rushing yards, but made his impact in the passing game, hauling in four passes for 41 yards and two scores. Gibbons, who caught the game winner for the Wranglers in the Western Conference Championship game, caught a pair of passes for 20 yards and a score. Receivers Chiaokhiao-Bowman and Gillard each caught a touchdown pass. In addition to Artis, Tevin Homer had five tackles and Darin Hungerford recorded a sack.
Hilliard, the IFL's Offensive Player of the Year, went seven of 11 for 123 yards, for four touchdowns. He also rushed for 70 yards and a pair of scores. Rudd had three catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns, and Carrigan scored his touchdowns on his two grabs for 51 yards. Darreon Jackson led the Steamwheelers' defense with eight tackles, while Jaylin Swan added seven of his own.
The Wranglers recorded 215 yards of total offense, while the Steamwheelers had 181. Northern Arizona held a 118-to-83 yard advantage in the rushing game, and the Steamwheelers threw for 123 yards to the Wranglers' 97. The Wranglers led in time of possession, 33:10 to 26:50. They committed four penalties for 22 yeards, while the Steamwheelers were flagged three times for 16 yards.
This is the first of at least three seasons the IFL National Championship Games will be held at the Dollar Loan Center. It is a new arena which officially opened on March 8 of this year and is home to the IFL's Vegas Night Hawks. The arena is located in Henderson, Nevada, just southeast of Las Vegas. It seats 5,567 for football and hockey. It is owned by the City of Henderson and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League. The Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and the NBA G-League Ignite also utilize the arena for their home games.
SCtoC followed the game with live score updates and quarter summaries. For a review of the game, click on the 2022 IFL Championship Game thread. Click for our SCtoC Indoor Football League schedule.
- MMM
To share this post on social media, please go to the right side of the page (the top of the page on the mobile site) to the social media icons and choose which social media site(s) to share the thread. To comment on this thread and others on this forum, please login or register.
