Peoria Pirates Vacation to Hawaii
Steve Robinson
Saturday June 8, 2002
But, Pirates head coach Bruce Cowdrey explained this week, while the players may be looking forward to a quick weekend of sand and surf, his coaching staff is focused on their true mission at the Neil Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu Saturday night. A win would extend their winning streak to six games.
“Coaches look at this as going to a ball game we have to win,” Cowdrey said. “Players see this as, ‘Gee, we’re going to Hawaii.’” The second season af2 head coach said that while his team will play in a vacation paradise, “it doesn’t override the fact that we are going to go there to win a ball game.”
The Islanders (1-8) won their very first game of their af2 expansion lives April 30, beating another expansion club, the Fresno Frenzy. But since then, the have been winless and had to contend with a sudden coaching change.
Guy Benjamin, originally hired to lead the Islanders on the field, resigned May 8, after Hawaii’s first four games, citing health problems. Islanders general manager Chad Carlson, who also serves as offensive coordinator, stepped in immediately to replace Benjamin.
But the change has not helped, as the Islanders continue to be winless in Carlson’s first four games as head coach.
On the field, the Islanders are led by quarterback Darnell Arceneaux, the former University of Utah standout quarterback. In Hawaii’s 44-34 loss to San Diego last week, Arceneaux was 15-for-31 for 126 yards and rushed for two short yardage touchdowns.
Earning Weekly Honors
The af2 league office announced this week that Pirates defensive specialist Lincoln Dupree and wide receiver/linebacker combo Jermaine Sheffield have been selected as the Week 10 Defensive Player of the Week and Ironman of the Week respectively.
Dupree won MVP honors following last Saturday’s game. Dupree broke a league single-game record with four interceptions, returning one of them 52 yards for a touchdown. He accumulated 105 yards in interception returns overall. Dupree also ran two kickoffs back for touchdowns, totaling 136 yards in return yardage.
Sheffield led Peoria in receiving with 103 yards on nine catches, retrieving a pair of touchdown passes. He also intercepted a pass and forced a Quad City fumble.
River Rulers
Last season, Quad City Steamwheelers owner Jim Foster commissioned a Des Moines trophy company to create trophy which could be claimed by the winner of each Peoria-Quad City matchup.
The award, christened the “Ruler Of The River” trophy, which is an encased representation of a paddle boat and a pirate ship, will stay in Peoria. The Pirates laid claim to it following their 81-56 win at Carver Arena last month.
Last season, Quad City laid claim to the memento all season, having outscored the Pirates, 86-7, in the two games the teams played.
Following last Saturday’s game, the trophy was publicly presented to Pirates general manager Greg Griffith, much to the displeasure of Steamwheelers fans and delight of Pirates’ fans still in attendance.
“I’m not sure (the Steamwheelers) ever expected the trophy to leave the Quad Cities, but it will be in Peoria until our next scheduled game,” Griffith said.
“We owe thanks to Bruce Cowdrey and his coaching staff and this team,” Griffith said about where the credit for retaining the trophy goes. “Thanks to them, this is a heck of a better feeling.”
Last Saturday’s Steamwheelers loss was the first ever suffered at home in Moline, Griffith quickly explained. “It’s a huge credit to our players and coaches.
“(Quad City has) lost, what, five games total since their creation?,” Griffith quizzed, quickly adding, “And Peoria has inflicted two of those losses. Bruce has brought together an awesome team. This win is a credit to this team and to Bruce.”
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.
