Wheelers drop first game of the season on the road

In an afternoon showdown and rematch of the 2025 opening night, the Quad City Steamwheelers faced off against their rivals up north, the Green Bay Blizzard, in the Resch Center for the only matchup for these two teams in Wisconsin. A slow first half for the sQUAD proved to be too costly as the Wheelers lost their first game of the season to fall to 6-1.

On the opening kickoff, Kyle Kaplan started the scoring by nailing a deuce to give Quad City the 2-0 lead, but it would be the only lead for them the entire game. Green Bay drove right down with ease, and backup quarterback TJ Davis made a spectacular catch into the stands for the touchdown. Following a missed PAT and a deuce, the Blizzard led 8-2. 

The Wheelers' first drive, with quarterback Demry Croft getting his first start of the season, ended with a Croft pass sailing high. The turnover on downs would give the Blizzard good field position. This opening drive would foreshadow problems that would hamper their offense the entire game. Despite the good field position, the Blizzard were held to a field goal and extended their lead to 11-2.

After a good kickoff return from newcomer Dequan Dudley, the Wheelers had the ball at the nine-yard line, but two false starts stalled the drive, which ended in a botched hold and a missed field goal. Once again, the Steamwheeler defense then held the Blizzard to a field goal to make it 14-2, but Croft threw his first interception on the following drive to hand the ball back. The Wheelers' defense held firm again and got another stop, which set up a Jordan Vesey handoff for a touchdown to cut the Green Bay lead to 14-11 after another Kaplan deuce.

The Blizzard scored one more touchdown before halftime, and both teams traded the ball to end the half with the Blizzard holding the 20-11 lead.  Right out of halftime, another Croft interception gave the Blizzard prime field position, and Green Bay quarterback Max Meylor ran it in for the touchdown to extend their lead. The Steamwheeler offense could not find its bearings at half, and after a missed Kaplan field goal, the Blizzard converted on the following drive for another score, making it 34-11.

Quarterback Daquan Neal entered the game for the Steamwheelers, and two plays in, found Jordan Vesey in the endzone for the touchdown, and after a Kaplan deuce, cut the lead to 34-19. At this point, the Blizzard offense continued to roll and ran it in for a touchdown to extend their lead again. After another turnover on downs, Blizzard running back Kimo Clarke capped off his day with a touchdown to extend their lead all the way to 47-19. 

With Croft back in the game for the Steamwheelers, the Quad City offense drove down the field, and capped off the drive with Croft scoring on a quarterback scramble. Following a missed Green Bay field goal, the Wheelers were left with no time, and the clock eventually ran out, sealing the 47-25 loss.

Croft would throw for only 40 yards and added eight yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Neal threw for 25 yards and a touchdown. Running back Jarrod Ware Jr. had 24 yards through the passing game, and Vesey had a touchdown to extend his touchdown streak to three games. On the defensive side, Bubba Arslanian racked up ten tackles, while KeShaun Moore added seven of his own for the game.

Despite the loss, the sQUAD remains in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-1 record. Next week, the team will venture back home to take on the Tulsa Oilers in Moline in an Eastern Conference battle that could have playoff implications down the line. The theme for the game is Halfway to Halloween, so the Wheelers will look to strike fear in the Oilers as they come into town.