Pirates Able To Sail Past Wichita Stealth`s Radar To Gain 45-18 Victory
Steve Robinson
Saturday May 4, 2002
Friday’s Peoria win, 45-18 over the Wichita Stealth (1-4) proved that the same philosophy applies to teams with just a single win, as well.
Peoria fans, numbering 6,122, were stunned when Wichita scored first on an 8 play, 44 yard drive, capped by a 1-yard run by fullback Rod Pickett with 4:03 left in the first quarter. A successful point after gave Wichita a 7-0 lead.
But that lead lasted just until the very next kickoff. Peoria wide receiver Brandon Campbell weaved past Stealth defenders to score a 49-yard kickoff return touchdown. The point after by Pirates kicker Todd Kurz tied the game at 7-all.
A 20-yard pass from Pirates quarterback Walter Church to wide receiver Jermaine Sheffield with 13:59 left in the second quarter added to Peoria’s night, giving them a 14-7 lead after Kurz’s extra point.
Wichita would only manage a field goal after that in the second quarter, but Peoria would score once more and add a field goal to take a 24-10 halftime lead.
Peoria would rattle off 14 unanswered points in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 38-10, as the crowd cheered.
When Wichita did score again, it was not until 7:29 of the fourth quarter when, with Peoria backed up to their own 5 yard line, Church was flagged by officials for intentional grounding and a safety because he was already trying to pass from his own end zone. The call enraged the fans at Carver Arena, but cut Peoria’s lead to 38-12.
It was a hard football game,” Cowdrey said. “We didn’t do a great job of protecting our quarterback. That (will have to change) when we play a good Quad City team (next week).”
Cowdrey said the problem with pass protection Friday was that at least one member of the offensive front line, at a time, would fail to remember their role during a play, allowing defenders through.
He said it would not always be the same player doing this, that different linemen would slip up. Cowdrey said that problem needs to be corrected before the Quad City game.
Church was 15-for-31 passing for 181 yards and four touchdowns for the Pirates. Sheffield led a six-man receiving corps with five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns. His longest catch was a 25 yard score from a Church pass.
Wichita quarterback Matt Hicks was 20-for-42 for 237 yards and one touchdown and one interception. Stealth wide receiver Pascal Volz led all Stealth receivers with 9 catches for 104 yards. Wide receiver Corey McCoy had 4 catches for 62 yards and one touchdown.
Peoria defensive back Lincoln Dupree picked off two Wichita passes for 40 yards.
The Pirates’ first battle with their closest rival, the Quad City Steamwheelers in Carver Arena is Friday night at 7p.m.
Steve Robinson, a freelance writer since 1984, has written about the Peoria Pirates since the Pirates were members of Indoor Football League, beginning in 1999. He covers the Pirates currently for the Bloomington IL Pantagraph.
