Game 14 Preview vs Fishers
By Timothy Wallis
Despite the Quad City Steamwheelers dropping a frustrating home game two weeks ago, the sQUAD will once again stay at home for an important Week 18 matchup against the Fishers Freight. This game will look to be revenge for the home team, as the Wheelers dropped the opening night of the season at Fishers, 45-27.
Kick-off is at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11th, at The Wheelhouse at the Vibrant Arena at The Mark in Moline, IL. To watch, you can go to Overnght online or on iOS, Android, or Apple TV.
About the Steamwheelers
Last week, the Steamwheelers had a bye week, but previously, they fell 45-26 to the Orlando Pirates, dropping to 5-8 and leaving their playoff hopes on the brink. Making his first career start in place of the injured Daquan Neal, Judd Roberts threw for a touchdown, while Ivan Corbin added 68 rushing yards and two fourth-quarter rushing scores after taking over at quarterback. Despite building an early lead behind a Jarrod Ware rushing touchdown and another score from Quian Williams, the Wheelers were repeatedly stopped inside the five-yard line and struggled to sustain drives in the second half. Defensively, Camron Harrell recorded an interception, while Steven Adair led the team with 13 tackles in the loss. While sitting at 5-8 overall and 4-6 in conference play, the Wheelers have a slim chance at the playoffs, but not zero. The team needs to win out, while the Tulsa Oilers and the Freight have to lose out. Offensively, the Wheelers will look to bounce back after a game without their usual starter, Neal, as the passing game struggled last week and, overall this season, they average only the seventh-most passing yards per game at 154.7. Their rushing yards per game have also taken a slight hit, now averaging only 72.8 yards and 3.8 yards per rush.
QC - Players to Watch
Quian Williams / WR - In the week 1 loss, Williams opened his season with a bang, hauling in three touchdowns and 44 yards. While not receiving as many yards as he did in previous seasons, Williams' impact and ability to haul in touchdowns still make him a premier wideout in the league and will put stress on a secondary that has at times struggled.
KeShaun Moore / DL - Going against a Fishers' offensive line that is tied for the second most sacks allowed, the big fella will not only look to continue putting pressure in the run game, but will look to have another great game forcing errant throws against a team that is not the most successful at passing the ball consistently.
About the Freight
Last week, the Freight were defeated by the Green Bay Blizzard 83-50 after struggling with turnovers and failing to get a stop. Running back Josiah King rushed for two touchdowns, while CJ Windham caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Felix Harper, and Jordan Davis, Dominic Roberto, and Isaiah Coulter each added a score. The Freight also received a deuce from kicker Calum Sutherland, but turnovers on downs and a costly fumble in the second quarter allowed Green Bay to pull away. Currently, the Freight sit at 7-7 overall and 5-7 in Eastern Conference play, and because of that, they are one of the teams the Wheelers need to lose to. The Freight are primarily led by their strong offense, which averages the fourth-most points per game at 49.9. Most of those points come from the ground, with them leading the league in rushing scores with 61, 124.7 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per rush. Numbers-wise, their defense is not as good as their offense, but decent nonetheless. However, a weakness in their defense is their ability to defend the passing game, as they allow the most passing yards per game at 172.9.
Fishers - Players to Watch
Felix Harper / QB - If I could, I would put both Harper and running back Josiah King on the list of players to watch, but Harper will be the standout here. In the week one matchup, Harper only threw for 101 yards and two touchdowns and an interception, but ran for 67 yards and a touchdown as well. Racking up a whopping 555 rushing yards, the third most in the league to this point, Harper is a true dual-threat quarterback who puts a lot of pressure on defenses.
Nicholas Lenon / DE - A very serious threat on the defensive edge, the Baltimore product has tallied 12 tackles for loss this season, the fifth-most in the league and the second-most in the conference. While he did not record any stats in the week one game, his impact is one the Steamwheelers' offensive line has to account for if they want to win.
Last Time Around….
The Steamwheelers and Freight last met on 3/14/26, this season's opening night, where the Freight handed the Wheelers a 45-27 road loss after turnovers and missed defensive opportunities proved costly. Neal threw for 111 yards and four touchdowns, including three scoring passes to Quian Williams in his Steamwheelers debut, but also tossed two interceptions. The team briefly took a 27-24 lead early in the third quarter after a touchdown pass to Rudd, but they were held scoreless the rest of the game as Fishers finished on a 21-0 run. Defensively, Kevin Ransom Jr. made an immediate impact with an interception in the end zone, while leading tacklers included Ransom, Camron Harrell, and Alex Herriott.