Steamwheelers Prepare For Midwest Division Battle
Gary Stibolt
Thursday June 3, 2004
This game carries a lot of weight. It is more than a must win game, it is a must win ‘big’ game! With the Steamwheelers and the Fire competing in the same division, this game could have tiebreaker implications on it when the post season comes around at the end of July. That is also when the Fire and the Steamwheelers will meet up again.
Winning on the road is tough. The Steamwheelers enter this game with a road record of 2-2 and after their bye-week preparations, they are looking forward to picking up their third road victory and seventh overall win on the season. Those preparations have brought some new faces to the team and have seen some go.
Quarterback Brian Eyerman was released on re-assignment to the league office earlier in the week to make roster room for two additional linemen and another fullback/linebacker. Brian Berg hits the long term IR list, which makes it possible. New to the Steamwheelers are OL/DL Rasche Hill, OL/DL Flint Fleming, and FB/LB Elly Salamo.
Rasche Hill played for Peoria the past couple of years and was thinking about taking a year off. “I wanted to take some time and get healthy so I thought I would sit out this season,” stated Hill. “I am very happy to be here. I like him a lot (pointing to Coach Ingold). It feels good to be here with some of my old buddies.” Hill was on the 2002 Peoria Pirate championship team and is reunited with Bear Brown, Matt Pike, Jon Verdegan, and Ronnie Gordon. Joining Rasche on the line is 13-year veteran Flint Fleming.
Fleming was an assistant coach for the AFL Indiana Firebirds this season and says he still has some playing left in him. He use to play with Steamwheelers assistant coach, Jon Roehlk and was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.
Replacing Brian Berg at FB/LB is Elly Salamo. Salamo spent two years with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers prior to this season. He was a force for them and feels he fits in nicely with Coach Ingold’s system.
These new additions have forced some roster moves. Moves that have been dictated by injury and a desire to improve the defensive pass rush and offensive pass protection. When the Steamwheelers take to the road to battle the Fire this weekend at Freedom Hall, Coach Ingold feels he has the pieces in place to come out with a big win.
“I have to go with the best 19 guys we have right now,” stated Ingold. “These are the kind of games you look forward to. You’ve got to win your division because if you lose, you get left behind.” Ingold was referring to the post-season picture. Knowing that the Steamwheelers will face Louisville again this season, Coach Ingold understands full well the implications that are riding on this game.
Turning his focus to Louisville, Coach Ingold knows what he is up against. “They are an excellent football team. They’ve always had talent but now they have a good quarterback. This is the best Louisville team I’ve ever seen.” As the Steamwheelers prepare for the Fire, they are placing FB/LB, Jesse Beckom on short term IR as well as OL/DL, Brandon Graves. “I like the guys we have in here now and I’m impressed with the way we’ve been practicing,” stated a complimentary Rich Ingold. “We’re ready!”
The Steamwheelers will depart Friday morning for Louisville and return home immediately after the game.
Steamwheelers Roster Notes:
FB/LB Fred Barr will play this weekend.
OL/DL Bear Brown will return next week.
WR/DB Billy Cook will play this weekend.
OL/DL Jerry Montgomery and Rasche Hill will be on Taxi this weekend.
Gary Stibolt has covered the Quad City Steamwheelers since their 2000 inaugural season. He also owns, operates and is the Chief Editor/Publisher of SteamwheelerFans.com, a website dedicated to the Steamwheelers and their fans. He coresponds for other media outlets covering arenafootball2. In addition to leading the Steamwheelers Fan Club, Gary serves as Coordinator of the National af2 Fan Club. He is married with two sons and works as an Infrastructure Analyst for Deere & Company in their Corporate Computer Center in Moline, Illinois.