Wheelers advance to Eastern Conference Championship
In their first home playoff game in 18 years, the Quad City Steamwheelers defeated the Jacksonville Sharks in round one of the Indoor Football League (IFL) playoffs, 57-41. The two Eastern Conference opponents battled throughout the game, with the Wheelers taking the early lead, but Jacksonville fought back and tied the game in the fourth quarter. Despite the Sharks' surge, Quad City continued to play their brand of ball, pushed late and got crucial stops, which helped them take home the win.
Right out of the gates, Jacksonville kicker Dylan Barnas nailed a deuce on the opening kickoff, which gave the Sharks an early 2-0 lead. Unphased by the early uphill fight, quarterback Daquan Neal and running back Jarrod Ware Jr. helped drive the Wheelers down the field, a drive that was capped off by Neal finding Deion McShane in the end zone for a touchdown. After the Sharks turned the ball over on downs, a crucial stop by the Quad City defense, the sQUAD drove down the field and scored on a one-yard Jordan Vesey run. After a PAT and deuce from kicker Kyle Kaplan, the Wheelers led 15-2.
However, on their next drive, Jacksonville drove back down, and quarterback Tyler Huff found Jaedon Stoshak in the end zone for a touchdown, which made it 15-11 following the PAT and deuce. On the next Quad City drive, after a Ware Jr. catch and run for a first down, Neal connected with Vesey two more times and for a touchdown on the second throw, and gave the sQUAD a 22-11 lead.
Jacksonville, destined to score again, shot themselves in the foot with a holding penalty and an illegal hands to the face penalty, and were forced to kick it away to Camron Harrell, who returned it to the Jacksonville 15. Neal once again drove the team down the field with a pair of runs, and eventually zipped a pass to Ware Jr. in the end zone for a Steamwheeler touchdown that made it 29-11. Right before halftime, Barnas hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired, and at halftime, the Wheelers led 29-14.
Out of halftime and on the second play of the drive, Sharks' running back Larry McCammon found a huge hole and ran for a 30-yard touchdown which cut the Wheelers' lead to 29-21. After a touchback and a penalty on Jacksonville, Quad City had good field position and took advantage of it on the first play when Neal found Vesey wide open in the end zone for a touchdown, which extended the lead back to 35-21. However, Jacksonville responded when Huff found receiver Marcus Rodgers open downfield for a touchdown in just three plays.
The Neal to Vesey connection was once again renewed the following drive on a ten-yard pass which went for a touchdown that made it 41-28. The potent Sharks' offense kept on coming and drove down the field and scored on a Huff quarterback keeper which cut the Wheelers' lead to just six. Quad City drove down inside the five-yard line, but Neal threw a costly interception in the end zone, his only turnover of the game. Jacksonville capitalized on the turnover and drove down the field for a touchdown from Rodgers, but a crucial blocked PAT by Malik Duncan ensured the game remained tied at 41.
With only 10:03 left in the game, Quad City drove down the field with the help of Jarrod Ware Jr. in the run and passing game, and also a personal foul on Jacksonville. With 6:28 left, Neal called his own number and ran in for a touchdown, which gave the Wheelers a 48-41 lead. With time starting to run down, the gritty Steamwheelers' defense held firm, and on fourth-and-seven, Huff attempted to scramble but was brought down short by JaQuan Artis for a turnover on downs and possibly the biggest stop of the season to that point.
Trying to run the time down, the Wheelers faced a third-and-six with 2:30 and running left, and Neal used his legs to extend the play and eventually found an open Jarrod Ware Jr. for a touchdown. After the PAT and another Kaplan deuce, the Wheelers led 57-41 with only 1:25 left in the game. Jacksonville tried to mount a comeback drive but failed to convert on a fourth and goal with 23 seconds left, and the game was over after a Neal quarterback kneel.
The strong offensive performance was led by the captain, quarterback Daquan Neal, who went 15/17 and threw for a season-high 195 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for 46 yards and another score. Jarrod Ware Jr. took ten carries for 40 yards and also caught five passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns, thereby extending his touchdown streak to nine games. Jordan Vesey was the leading receiver for the Wheelers, snagging six passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns while taking one handoff for a yard and a touchdown. Tamorrion Terry got involved with three receptions for 25 yards and Deion McShane caught one pass for 12 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the football, Bubba Arslanian, in his first game back from injury, tallied nine total tackles and one tackle for loss. JaQuan Artis had 2.5 tackles and one tackle for loss, while Camron Harrell recorded three tackles and three pass breakups as well. Kicker Kyle Kaplan, despite not having a field goal attempt this week, totalled nine points with two deuces and five PATs.
With the win, the sQUAD advances to the Eastern Conference Final of the IFL playoffs for the second time since joining the league for the 2019 season. Next week, on Saturday, August 9, the Wheelers will host their rivals up north, the two-seed Green Bay Blizzard, for the third time this season, for a chance at a trip to Tucson for the IFL National Championship.