Steamwheelers One Game Away from Perfection
Michael Vergane
Monday August 7, 2000
Quad City came into this game with the league`s highest scoring offense. Norfolk boasted the league`s #1 total defense. To penetrate that top defense, the Steamwheelers scored five touchdowns through the air and three on the ground. They also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns on consecutive drives, and returned a fumble to finish out the scoring. With this win, the Steamwheelers raise their record to 18-0 and will now host the Arena Cup championship game at `The Mark` on Thursday evening. Their opponents will be the Tennessee Valley Vipers.
Steamwheeler Head Coach Frank Haege was obviously happy with the win, but found plenty that needed to be worked on before Thursday. "Offensively we weren`t that crisp, and at times we were kind of sloppy. Of course we are pleased with the outcome, but with the execution, it wasn`t that great of a game. That`s going to keep us level headed knowing we have to improve on that to win this next game."
Coach Haege may not have been pleased with the execution of the offense, but he had to be impressed with the defense and special teams. With the score 44-10 at halftime, the Steamwheelers’ Xavier Patterson returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown. After Norfolk answered with a score of their own, Shon King returned the next kickoff for another touchdown. On the ensuing drive, Norfolk`s backup quarterback fumbled and LB Jeremy Wilkinson returned that for a score. Norfolk then settled down and drove it in to make the score 54-24.
The Steamwheeler `offense` finally touched the ball with :22 to play in the third quarter and ran one play. But somehow, the team scored 20 points.
Looking ahead to the Arena Cup Championship Thursday evening, this will be the third meeting between these two teams. In their first contest on June 24th, the Steamwheelers scored two touchdowns midway through the 4th quarter to defeat the Vipers 51-37. Two weeks later in their rematch in Huntsville, it was not nearly as close, as Quad City jumped out to an early 21-3 lead and coasted to a 62-36 win. Coach Frank Haege realizes that the past is the past and the Vipers have confidence coming into this game. He also realizes that their quarterback Bryan Snyder is as good as there is in the af2.
"He`s a tough kid. He has a good arm and makes good decisions. He`ll throw to the open guy and do the right things that an Arena quarterback should do. He`ll keep their offense in the game."
Looking at some of the numbers for the evening, Quad City quarterback Billy Dicken was 13-25 for 173 yards and 4 touchdowns. Norfolk`s starting quarterback, Sal Cardella, played the first half and was 8-2 for 85 yards.
Michael Vergane was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2000 to 2002.
