Wheelers dominate Fishers from start to finish
In the first matchup between the Quad City Steamwheelers and the Fishers Freight in Moline, Illinois, this game did not disappoint. The Wheelers sent the Freight packing with a 45-28 win at home, in a game that showed why the matchup could be the beginning of a potential new rivalry in the Indoor Football League, with two Wheelers being ejected and 17 flags being thrown throughout the game, 11 on Quad City and six on Fishers.
Before either team snapped the ball, Wheelers' kicker Kyle Kaplan nailed a deuce on the opening kickoff, which gave the Steamwheelers the lead right away. In the last matchup between these two teams, the Wheelers gave up 166 rushing yards, but this game, the Quad City defense would stand firm and lock down on the run. After Foshers went for it on fourth down, defensive lineman KeShaun Moore found Fishers' quarterback Carlos Davis in the backfield and sacked him at the four-yard line, a turnover on downs. Despite the good field position, Quad City only managed a Kaplan field goal, which extended their lead to 5-0.
Fishers finally got onto the board with a field goal, and a deuce from their kicker tied the game at five. Not to be outdone, the sQUAD drove down the field, and the drive was capped off by a Jarrod Ware Jr rushing touchdown. After Kaplan kicked another deuce, which gave the Wheelers a 14-5 lead in the second quarter, Fishers' drive looked promising, but a fumbled handoff led to a Malik Duncan scoop-and-score for a touchdown, which extended their lead to 20-5.
The Wheelers' defense came up huge again when Davis' pass was mishandled and intercepted by defensive lineman Chima Dunga, his first of the season. A few plays later, Ware Jr ran it in for a touchdown, which again extended their lead to 28-5 after another Kaplan deuce. On the final possession before halftime, the Freight drove down the field and scored on a Davis pass, but the sQUAD led 28-12 at halftime.
Right out of halftime, the Wheelers' offense wasted no time scoring, when Daquan Neal found Jordan Vesey streaking down the field for a touchdown which made it 35-12. The Freight answered right back when Shane Simpson ran into the end zone from eight yards out and eventually for a two point conversion which made it 35-20. The ensuing drive, the Neal to Vesey connection was renewed when Neal found the receiver open down the field, who stretched into the end zone and extended it to 42-20.
Fishers would score a touchdown the next drive from a Carlos Davis quarterback keeper, which ultimately would be their last score of the game. After the next Quad City drive ended with a missed field goal, the Fishers' drive was cut short when Camron Harrell jumped Davis' pass in the end zone for an interception. Quad City scored their final points of the game on a Kaplan field goal that extended the lead to 45-28. After a Fishers turnover on downs and both teams fumbling, the time ran out which sealed a Steamwheelers win.
Daquan Neal went 11/17 for 172 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and also adding 35 yards on the ground. Jarrod Ware Jr extended his touchdown streak to three games after taking 10 carries for 39 yards and two touchdowns while catching three passes for 21 yards. Hometown kid Jordan Vesey caught four passes for 89 yards and two scores, one of his best games of the season so far, while Tamorrion Terry caught two passes for 34 yards and Keyvan Rudd caught two passes for 28 yards.
Defensively, Bubba Arslanian led the Quad City defense with 10 tackles and also recording one tackle for loss and and a 0.5 sack. Captain KeShaun Moore totaled seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, while Qaadir Sheppard recorded 4.5 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Both David Cagle and Malik Duncan recovered fumbles, with Duncan returning his for a touchdown. Defensive lineman Chima Dunga snagged his first interception of the season, running it back nine yards, while tallying a 0.5 tackle.
With the win, the sQUAD retain their hold on the Eastern Conference and move to 9-2 on the season, while Fishers' struggles continue on their nine-game losing streak. Next week, the Steamwheelers will travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to take on the Sharks for the second of their two matchups this season. That game is on Saturday, June 21, and starts at 6:05 P.M at the VyStars Veterans Memorial Arena.