Post by alecs on Jul 6, 2024 20:20:58 GMT -8
Steamwheelers 45, Storm 44 (OT)
7/6/24 --
MOLINE, IL - This is July, folks! In the Indoor Football League this time of year, you have to do whatever it takes in order to win ballgames. The Quad City Steamwheelers fully exemplified this mindset in their game at Vibrant Arena at the MARK on Saturday night, facing off against their biggest rival, the Sioux Falls Storm. The visitors forced the game into overtime, but a do-or-die decision went the way of Quad City, who were able to snatch the narrow 45-44 win.
The Storm took the opening possession into Steamwheeler territory, but a third down stop led to a 24-yard field goal attempt, which Dean Sarris nailed through to get the scoring underway. Quad City struck right back, though, requiring only two plays to score their first points of the game, which came on a four-yard rush by Eddie Vander. Another fine effort by Quad City's defense brought out Sarris for his second field goal attempt of the evening, which he converted to cut the lead down to one point. He would supplement that with a deuce to put Sioux Falls ahead by one point. The two teams would trade missed field goals to wrap up the quarter, with Kyle Kaplan missing from 34 yards and Dean Sarris missing from 53 keeping the score at an eight to seven Storm lead.
Quad City regained their advantage minutes into the second quarter, as Judd Erickson rumbled a keeper in for a four-yard rushing score. This time, Sioux Falls would orchestrate the rapid response, with Jiya Wright tossing a perfect 33-yard dart to Kentrez Bell for a go-ahead touchdown. The Steamwheelers would regain the advantage on their following possession, but by a 23-yard field goal by Kaplan sending them ahead by just two. Quad City would find a big play defensively just moments later, with Trey Smith intercepting a goal-line pass by Wright. But the takeaway would go for naught, as the Steamwheelers would yield no points after a missed 24-yard field goal by Kaplan. That gave the Storm one more chance at points, and as the timer expired, Sarris booted a 23-yard field goal - his third of the half - which gave the Storm an 18-17 halftime advantage.
Erickson led the Steamwheelers out to start the second half, but turned the ball over on downs inside the Storm ten yard line. A five-minute long scoring drive by the Storm, one capped off by a five-yard rush from KeShawn Williams, extended the lead to eight points for Sioux Falls. For the next possession, Quad City coach Cory Ross decided to pull Erickson in favor of backup Mike Irwin, who strung together a touchdown drive ending with a two-yard run by Vander. The try for two was no good, which would have tied the game. The next Storm drive would take up the rest of the third quarter, with the score 25-23 Sioux Falls.
Some clutch defense by the Steamwheelers kept the Storm out of the endzone once more, resulting in Sarris being called upon once more, rewarding his side with an 18-yard field goal to build the lead to five. Quad City would take its first lead of the second half as Eddie Vander took in a three-yard rush with about ten minutes to go. On another lengthy drive, the Storm seized control of the lead on a 16-yard pass from Wright to Hudson, leaving five minutes left on the clock. Irwin and his Steamwheelers would possess the ball into the one-minute warning, when a 12-yard rush from the backup signal-caller plus a two-point conversion by Eddie Vander giving Quad City a 38-35 lead. In the dying seconds, Sioux Falls attempted to score the game-winning touchdown, but ended up calling upon Sarris again for a potential game-tying attempt. His kick hugged inside the left upright from 20 yards out, knotting the game at 38 and forcing the extra frame.
Quad City was given the first possession of the overtime, and found a big play on third and long with a 17-yard pass from Irwin to Jarrod Harrington. Kaplan would add the point-after, forcing the Storm to either match or exceed seven points with their overtime possession. It took all of one play to get six of those points, with Wright tossing a screen to Hudson, who broke a tackle and provided the remaining yards-after-catch for a 20-yard touchdown. Having already been eliminated from playoff contention, the Storm gambled with a "nothing-to-lose" move, opting for the two-point conversion try to seal the win. The Steamwheelers were up to the task, though, hounding the intended receiver Bell on the try, resulting in an incomplete pass on the final play of the ballgame. Through outstanding resolve and grit, Quad City earns an important win in their playoff push, 45-44.
Judd Erickson started at quarterback for Quad City, completing nine of 16 passes for 120 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions , and adding three rushes for 14 yards and a touchdown. Mike Irwin took over duties in the second half, completing all seven of his pass attempts for 72 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding 37 yards and another score on nine carries. Eddie Vander had another workhorse outing, rushing eight times for 31 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in six passes for 62 yards. Warren Newman (3/44) and Keyvan Rudd (4/41) each eclipsed 40 receiving yards in the win. Dreko Statham led the Steamwheelers with nine tackles, Melik Owens and Jaylin Swan each recorded a sack, and Trey Smith had the lone interception out of the secondary.
Jiya Wright flashed brilliant playmaking ability despite the loss, with eight of 19 passes complete for 116 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Wright was lethal on the ground, leading the Storm in rushing with 20 carries and 120 yards. Draysean Hudson caught four passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns, and Kentrez Bell caught two for 40 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Reed led the Storm with nine tackles, while Dajon Emory and Marquis Banks split half a sack apiece. Dean Sarris had an honorable effort tonight, accounting for 20 of the Storm's 44 points on the evening (5/6 FGs, 3/3 XPs, one deuce).
Quad City outgained Sioux Falls tonight, 282-252, and had a plus-one turnover margin while not turning the ball over at any point. The officials made their impact on the game rather minimal, calling just six penalties in total. Four went against the Storm for 32 yards, and two against the Steamwheelers for 24 yards.
Entering the all-time series tied at five apiece, the Steamwheelers get the decisive win to hop out to a six games to five lead. This was also the third and final game of the 2024 season series, serving as a clean sweep for Quad City. Notably, the other meeting in Moline this year, a 38-32 decision on March 22, also required an overtime period to settle. The 56-49 win in South Dakota on May 10 was the other result in the 2024 series.
Both teams are back in action next week with their respective games coming on Saturday July 13 with 5:05 p.m. kickoffs. The Storm (3-11) will visit the Iowa Barnstormers (4-10), and the Steamwheelers (7-7) will travel to play the Tulsa Oilers (5-9) in a win-and-in game for Quad City. Times listed are pacific daylight time.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL 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. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
7/6/24 --
MOLINE, IL - This is July, folks! In the Indoor Football League this time of year, you have to do whatever it takes in order to win ballgames. The Quad City Steamwheelers fully exemplified this mindset in their game at Vibrant Arena at the MARK on Saturday night, facing off against their biggest rival, the Sioux Falls Storm. The visitors forced the game into overtime, but a do-or-die decision went the way of Quad City, who were able to snatch the narrow 45-44 win.
The Storm took the opening possession into Steamwheeler territory, but a third down stop led to a 24-yard field goal attempt, which Dean Sarris nailed through to get the scoring underway. Quad City struck right back, though, requiring only two plays to score their first points of the game, which came on a four-yard rush by Eddie Vander. Another fine effort by Quad City's defense brought out Sarris for his second field goal attempt of the evening, which he converted to cut the lead down to one point. He would supplement that with a deuce to put Sioux Falls ahead by one point. The two teams would trade missed field goals to wrap up the quarter, with Kyle Kaplan missing from 34 yards and Dean Sarris missing from 53 keeping the score at an eight to seven Storm lead.
Quad City regained their advantage minutes into the second quarter, as Judd Erickson rumbled a keeper in for a four-yard rushing score. This time, Sioux Falls would orchestrate the rapid response, with Jiya Wright tossing a perfect 33-yard dart to Kentrez Bell for a go-ahead touchdown. The Steamwheelers would regain the advantage on their following possession, but by a 23-yard field goal by Kaplan sending them ahead by just two. Quad City would find a big play defensively just moments later, with Trey Smith intercepting a goal-line pass by Wright. But the takeaway would go for naught, as the Steamwheelers would yield no points after a missed 24-yard field goal by Kaplan. That gave the Storm one more chance at points, and as the timer expired, Sarris booted a 23-yard field goal - his third of the half - which gave the Storm an 18-17 halftime advantage.
Erickson led the Steamwheelers out to start the second half, but turned the ball over on downs inside the Storm ten yard line. A five-minute long scoring drive by the Storm, one capped off by a five-yard rush from KeShawn Williams, extended the lead to eight points for Sioux Falls. For the next possession, Quad City coach Cory Ross decided to pull Erickson in favor of backup Mike Irwin, who strung together a touchdown drive ending with a two-yard run by Vander. The try for two was no good, which would have tied the game. The next Storm drive would take up the rest of the third quarter, with the score 25-23 Sioux Falls.
Some clutch defense by the Steamwheelers kept the Storm out of the endzone once more, resulting in Sarris being called upon once more, rewarding his side with an 18-yard field goal to build the lead to five. Quad City would take its first lead of the second half as Eddie Vander took in a three-yard rush with about ten minutes to go. On another lengthy drive, the Storm seized control of the lead on a 16-yard pass from Wright to Hudson, leaving five minutes left on the clock. Irwin and his Steamwheelers would possess the ball into the one-minute warning, when a 12-yard rush from the backup signal-caller plus a two-point conversion by Eddie Vander giving Quad City a 38-35 lead. In the dying seconds, Sioux Falls attempted to score the game-winning touchdown, but ended up calling upon Sarris again for a potential game-tying attempt. His kick hugged inside the left upright from 20 yards out, knotting the game at 38 and forcing the extra frame.
Quad City was given the first possession of the overtime, and found a big play on third and long with a 17-yard pass from Irwin to Jarrod Harrington. Kaplan would add the point-after, forcing the Storm to either match or exceed seven points with their overtime possession. It took all of one play to get six of those points, with Wright tossing a screen to Hudson, who broke a tackle and provided the remaining yards-after-catch for a 20-yard touchdown. Having already been eliminated from playoff contention, the Storm gambled with a "nothing-to-lose" move, opting for the two-point conversion try to seal the win. The Steamwheelers were up to the task, though, hounding the intended receiver Bell on the try, resulting in an incomplete pass on the final play of the ballgame. Through outstanding resolve and grit, Quad City earns an important win in their playoff push, 45-44.
Judd Erickson started at quarterback for Quad City, completing nine of 16 passes for 120 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions , and adding three rushes for 14 yards and a touchdown. Mike Irwin took over duties in the second half, completing all seven of his pass attempts for 72 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding 37 yards and another score on nine carries. Eddie Vander had another workhorse outing, rushing eight times for 31 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in six passes for 62 yards. Warren Newman (3/44) and Keyvan Rudd (4/41) each eclipsed 40 receiving yards in the win. Dreko Statham led the Steamwheelers with nine tackles, Melik Owens and Jaylin Swan each recorded a sack, and Trey Smith had the lone interception out of the secondary.
Jiya Wright flashed brilliant playmaking ability despite the loss, with eight of 19 passes complete for 116 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Wright was lethal on the ground, leading the Storm in rushing with 20 carries and 120 yards. Draysean Hudson caught four passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns, and Kentrez Bell caught two for 40 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Reed led the Storm with nine tackles, while Dajon Emory and Marquis Banks split half a sack apiece. Dean Sarris had an honorable effort tonight, accounting for 20 of the Storm's 44 points on the evening (5/6 FGs, 3/3 XPs, one deuce).
Quad City outgained Sioux Falls tonight, 282-252, and had a plus-one turnover margin while not turning the ball over at any point. The officials made their impact on the game rather minimal, calling just six penalties in total. Four went against the Storm for 32 yards, and two against the Steamwheelers for 24 yards.
Entering the all-time series tied at five apiece, the Steamwheelers get the decisive win to hop out to a six games to five lead. This was also the third and final game of the 2024 season series, serving as a clean sweep for Quad City. Notably, the other meeting in Moline this year, a 38-32 decision on March 22, also required an overtime period to settle. The 56-49 win in South Dakota on May 10 was the other result in the 2024 series.
Both teams are back in action next week with their respective games coming on Saturday July 13 with 5:05 p.m. kickoffs. The Storm (3-11) will visit the Iowa Barnstormers (4-10), and the Steamwheelers (7-7) will travel to play the Tulsa Oilers (5-9) in a win-and-in game for Quad City. Times listed are pacific daylight time.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL 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. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
-AS