AUGUST 15TH, 2022 MOLINE, IL –
As the confetti fell following the end of the 2022 IFL National Championship game, the Quad City Steamwheelers took in the moment.
It wasn't the moment they had hoped for.
It wasn't the moment they flew to Vegas for.
And it wasn't the moment they worked hard all season for.
But it was—a moment—and one that the team will never forget.
It was as if two very different emotions were being experienced on the field simultaneously.
For the Northern Arizona Wranglers, it was jubilation—the culmination of a 19-game season ending with Indoor Football's ultimate prize.
For the Quad City Steamwheelers, it was pain—the end result of a 19-game journey that fell 3 points short of their ultimate goal.
Although the 2022 season officially came to a close Saturday night, the Steamwheelers' grind didn't end after the clock hit 0:00.
Their story is not over, it's simply divided into chapters.
It would be impossible to overstate just how much the organization put into this season.
The endless hours, days and months spent game-planning, breaking down film, early AM calls and texts, sitting through meetings, working through practices, traveling, the battles, the wins, the losses and everything in between.
From top to bottom, the team sacrificed everything they had to to compete at the highest level.
There's a lot to be proud of.
The 2022 Eastern Conference Championship, earned after taking the road to defeat the defending IFL Champion Massachusetts Pirates in overtime.
Earned after taking the road to defeat the No. 1 seeded Frisco Fighters with a Hail Mary touchdown pass followed by a Hail Mary defensive stop in the game's closing seconds.
Representing the Eastern Conference in the 2022 IFL National Championship game, battling injuries and fighting back from a 13-point deficit to outscore the Wranglers 21-10 in the 4th quarter.
Yes, they finished 3 points short of their ultimate goal, but they also showed the indoor football world that the Quad City Steamwheelers—to quote the late, great Walter Payton—"never die easy."
After two years without Steamwheelers football, the players, coaches, front office and fans came together to create "Squad City."
The team owes a debt of gratitude to everyone who helped support them from start to finish: their fans, families, friends and sponsors.
Every staff member who helped with equipment, meals, transportation, travel, graphic design, gameday ops, media and more…
Every coach who ran drills, studied film, game-planned and taught the nuances of the indoor game…
Every player who caught a pass, returned a kick, drilled a kick, made a block, made a tackle, forced a turnover and scored a point…
Quite literally, the Steamwheelers would not be Eastern Conference Champions if it weren't for them.
Quite literally, the Steamwheelers would not have had the opportunity to represent Quad City in Las Vegas if it weren't for them.
Squad City has never been short on motivation, but this experience will only serve to strengthen the foundation of what they're building together—as a football family.
On to 2023.
