Too Close For Comfort
Eric Starling
Monday May 14, 2007
Those were the words used by Coach Ron Selesky to describe his teams 53-51 win over the Quad City Steamwheelers on Saturday evening. His Alabama Steeldogs held strong in the final minutes as a season best crowd of 6,981 looked on.
Alabama had tangled with the Steamwheelers only three times before with the latest being in 2004. The contest between them has never been described as close as the Quad City team had outscored the Steeldogs 205-80 and held a 3-0 advantage. On this night, however, the Steeldogs were determined to gain their first win over the Steamwheelers and more importantly, to stay undefeated at home this year.
Early on, it looked as though this game would be lop-sided as well, but with the Steeldogs running away with it. Alabama had built a 26-12 lead at the half. Their first possession and score came when Quad City deferred to the second half, and the Steeldogs drove the field and scored on a Deon Deboise 1-yard run to take a lead they would never relinquish. Deboise finished with 19 rushing yards and 2 scores.
The Steamwheelers answered when QB J.J. Raterink connected with WR Tom Anthony for 14 yards and the score. With their regular kicker, Kimo Naehu, back home in the hospital, the Steamwheelers called upon an AF2 veteran to handle kicking duties. Wade Tydlacka filled a roster gap, but wasn’t able to put the ball through the uprights on three different occasions. His three failed PAT’s and the two failed 2-point conversions would have been enough to turn this game, but the Steeldogs were determined not to give it away.
As the second half got underway, the two teams alternated scores until the eleven minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Steeldogs only stalled drive of the night, led to a turnover on downs and the Steamwheelers quickly capitalized on the opportunity and pulled to within 2 points at 40-38.
This is where Steeldogs Offensive Coordinator Billy Dicken began to have chest pains. His recently promoted QB Mitch Tanney was having a great game and in his first start of the year, OL Jaden Volchoff was providing the protection that Tanney needed to survey the field and find his receivers. However, now we were in an old fashioned arena football shootout ‘til the end.
Tanney showed the poise of a seasoned veteran when on his first play from scrimmage after the Quad City score, he found WR Bradley Chavez streaking down the right side of the field and with a leaping grab, the two combined for 36-yards and 6 points. Chavez finished the night with 7 catches for 98 yards. Tanney was 25 of 40 for 270 yards and 5 touchdowns.
On the night, Tanney was able to spread the ball around to several receivers with Jon Olinger leading all receivers with 11 catches for 102 yards and 3 touchdowns.
After Alabama’s defense forced a change of possession with 1:31 left in the game, it looked as though the Steeldogs would finally get some breathing room. With time running down, the Steamwheelers forced a Deboise fumble and created a little more drama in a night that was already full.
Quad City quickly scored and made it 53-51, but would fail to execute an onside kick for the second time in the game and time would run down with the Steeldogs in possession of the ball and a 4-2 record.
The Steeldogs will now take that momentum on the road and work to become Selesky’s “Road Warriors” as they have three games before returning to the happy confines of the BJCC. Next week they travel to Louisville to face the Fire.
