Quad City Steamwheelers (CIF)

Last updated
Quad City Steamwheelers
AmericanFootball current event.svg Current season
Established 2017
Play in TaxSlayer Center
in Moline, Illinois
steamwheelersfootball.com
Quad City Steamwheelers helmet Quad City Steamwheelers Helmet 2018.png
Quad City Steamwheelers helmet
Quad City Steamwheelers logo QuadCitySteamwheelers.png
Quad City Steamwheelers logo
Helmet Logo
League/conference affiliations

Champions Indoor Football (2018)

  • North Conference (2018)
Indoor Football League (2019-present)
Team colors Navy blue, gold and scarlet red
            
Personnel
Owner(s) Doug Bland
Head coach Cory Ross
Team history
  • Quad City Steamwheelers (2018–present)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (1)
Home arena(s)

The Quad City Steamwheelers are an indoor American football team that began play in 2018 and is a member of Indoor Football League. Based in Moline, Illinois, the Steamwheelers play their home games at the TaxSlayer Center.

Indoor American football sport

Indoor American football is a variation of American football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller arena. It is a distinct discipline and not be confused with traditional American football played in large domed stadiums, as is done by some teams at the college and professional levels.

Indoor Football League indoor American football league founded in 2008

The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. The league is the second highest tier in indoor/arena football behind the Arena Football League (AFL), and has operated continuously under the same name and corporate structure longer than any other current indoor football league, considering that the AFL's 2009 season was cancelled and the original league filed for bankruptcy that year. IFL players earn a minimum of US$200 per game played. The season is typically about 14 games long, plus playoffs of two or more rounds.

Moline, Illinois Place in Illinois, United States

Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 43,977 in 2010, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities have an estimated population of 381,342. The city is the ninth-most populated city in Illinois outside the Chicago Metropolitan Area. The corporate headquarters of Deere & Company is located in Moline, as was Montgomery Elevator, which was founded and headquartered in Moline until 1997, when it was acquired by Kone Elevator, which has its U.S. Division headquartered in Moline. Quad City International Airport, Niabi Zoo, Black Hawk College, and the Quad Cities campus of Western Illinois University-Quad Cities. Moline is a retail hub for the Illinois Quad Cities, as South Park Mall and numerous big-box shopping plazas are located in the city.

Contents

The Steamwheelers are named after the Quad Cities' previous team of the same name, which played in all ten of the af2's seasons (2000 until 2009) and won the first two ArenaCups.

Quad City Steamwheelers Arena football team

The Quad City Steamwheelers were a professional arena football team. They were a charter member of the AF2 and played their home games at iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois.

The ArenaCup was the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. On August 25, 2007, ArenaCup 8 returned to Bossier City, LA. ArenaCup 9 was played at the arena of the higher seeded team, the Spokane Shock. ArenaCup 10 was held at the Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

History

Ever since the original Steamwheelers folded along with the af2, TaxSlayer Center director Scott Mullen had been in talks with various investors seeking to bring back the Steamwheelers, but none were financially secure enough to meet his standards. During 2017, a splash page emerged allegedly belonging to a revived Steamwheelers team in the CIF, however, neither Mullen nor the CIF would comment on the page. [1]

However, on August 15, 2017, the Center confirmed that a deal had been reached which would see the Wheelers return as members of the CIF for 2018, with a press conference taking place the following day. [2] At the press conference, the Wheelers introduced their owner/general manager Doug Bland (previously part-owner of fellow CIF team the Dallas Marshals) and head coach Cory Ross (most recently head coach for the Omaha Beef). [3]

Doug Bland

Doug Bland is an American Entrepreneur and former athlete. After college Bland moved to Southern California where he lived in Newport Beach. Bland began his career in event Marketing with Ritz Entertainment, producers of Music Festivals and sporting events.

Dallas Marshals

The Dallas Marshals were a member of Champions Indoor Football and based in Dallas, Texas. The Marshals were scheduled to play their home games at the Fair Park Coliseum, but all remaining Marshals games were listed as postponed as of April 21, 2018. The team announced it had ceased operations on April 27.

Cory Ross is a former American football, Canadian football and indoor football running back. He is now the head coach of the Quad City Steamwheelers of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He most recently played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Nebraska.

Roster

Quad City Steamwheelers roster
Quarterbacks
  • 12E. J. Hilliard
  • -- Andrew Locke

Running backs

  •  5Zach Minch
  •  2 Tyler Williams

Wide receivers

  •  3 Daron Clark
  •  8Darius Hicks
  • 16Tyler Jones
  • 19Quinton Pedroza
  • 13 Keyvan Rudd

Daron Clark is an American football wide receiver for the Quad City Steamwheelers of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). He played college football at Stillman College. Clark has played for the Spokane Shock. He was released by the Green Bay Blizzard on April 17, 2014. Clark signed on May 1, 2014 with the Richmond Raiders of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). On October 20, 2015, Clark signed with the Bloomington Edge. Clark signed with the High Country Grizzlies for the 2017 season. On October 9, 2017, Clark signed with the Quad City Steamwheelers.

Offensive linemen
  • 57Ryan Brophy
  • 77 Ryan Bubuka
  • 52 Trevione Goins
  • 33Anthony Pruitt

Defensive linemen

  •  7 Kewan Alfred
  • 58 Herbert Gonzales III
  • 99 Maurice Harris
  •  9 Demetrius Hill
Linebackers
  • 22Terry Johnson
  • 10 Shannon Winesbury

Defensive backs

  • -- Anthony Hughes
  •  4Tre' Hunter
  • 37 Dominique McDuffie
  • 21 Joe Powell
  • 24Denzel Thompson

Special teams

  •  6Jacob Stytz
Reserve lists
  • --D'Vonn Brown DL (Did Not Report)
  • --Darius Jones DB (Did Not Report)
  • -- Kyle Patterson DL (Did Not Report)
  • --Matt Shepherd WR (IR) Injury icon 2.svg

Rookies in italics
Roster updated May 3, 2018
25 Active, 5 Inactive

More rosters

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsPlayoff berthLeague leader
Season League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2018 CIF North3rd840Lost Conference Semifinal (Sioux City) 46–54
Totals840All-time regular season record (2018)
01All-time postseason record (2018)
850All-time regular season and postseason record (2018)

Related Research Articles

Quad Cities Metropolitan area in the United States

The Quad Cities is a region of five cities in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettenwink in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are the center of the Quad Cities metropolitan area, which as of 2013 had a population estimate of 383,781 and a CSA population of 474,937, making it the 90th largest CSA in the nation.

James "Jim" Foster is the founder and first commissioner of the Arena Football League (AFL). He is also a former National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL) executive and was later the principal owner of both the Iowa Barnstormers and the AF2's Quad City Steamwheelers.

TaxSlayer Center Quad Cities civic center in Moline, Illinois

The TaxSlayer Center is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moline, Illinois. The arena has garnered numerous architectural industry awards since its construction. The facility opened in May 1993, under the name The MARK of the Quad Cities with the singer Neil Diamond as the opening act. The facility was renamed as the TaxSlayer Center on October 1, 2017.

Green Bay Blizzard American indoor football team

The Green Bay Blizzard is a professional indoor football team based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, founded in 2003. The Blizzard began play in the Indoor Football League in 2010, after having played the previous seven seasons in af2, the now-defunct minor league of the Arena Football League. They play their home games at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The team's logo represents Bruiser, the team mascot.

Richard Ingold was an Arena Football League (AFL) quarterback who played with the Washington Commandos and the Detroit Drive. He holds the all-time record for most career head coaching wins in af2 history, coaching the Quad City Steamwheelers and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, whom he led to Arena Cup VIII in 2007. His head coaching career also included a partial season coaching the Dallas Vigilantes of the AFL in 2010.

Bloomington Edge

The Bloomington Edge are a professional indoor football team based in Bloomington, Illinois currently on hiatus. Originally named the Bloomington Extreme, the team was a member of United Indoor Football (UIF), and joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 during the UIF and Intense Football League merger. They left the IFL for the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013, and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to create Champions Indoor Football (CIF), where Bloomington did not follow and joined X-League Indoor Football (X-League). Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF. The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season, but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019, however, they were not included in that season's schedule. The Edge play their home games at the Grossinger Motors Arena.

Pensacola Barracudas (arena football) Arena football team

The Pensacola Barracudas were an arena football team based in Pensacola, Florida. They were an inaugural member of the AF2, the Arena Football League's developmental league. They played for three seasons, from 2000 to 2002, when they folded. They made one playoff appearance in their first year. They played their home games at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Augusta Stallions Arena football team

The Augusta Stallions were a professional Arena football team based in Augusta, Georgia. They were one of the 15 original teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference, before switching to the Southeast Division in 2001, and then the Eastern Division in 2002. In their first year, Augusta went 13-3, made the playoffs, and had the best record in the American Conference. During the playoffs, the Stallions held off a very feisty Carolina Rhinos team that was looking to upset Augusta. During Week 2, however, they lost to the Tennessee Valley Vipers by a touchdown. Had they won, they would have played the Quad City Steamwheelers for the inaugural AF2 championship. In November 2000, Owner Frank Lawrence named Mike Hold the teams new head coach and Darrell Harbin the teams new general manager. Despite going 9-7 in 2001, Augusta failed to make the playoffs. In 2002, Augusta was on fire by winning 11 of its first 12 games, and made the playoffs again. This time, however, they would be stopped in the first round, this time, by the Macon Knights. Being one of the most successful franchises in the AF2, Augusta did the unthinkable, and bowed out of the AF2. Augusta & professional football was thought to be a tough combination to regroup. However, four years after the Stallions final season, the Augusta Spartans were made for the AIFL.

Texas Copperheads Arena football team

The Texas Copperheads were a professional arena football that played in AF2, the minor league for the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2006 as member of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). They played their home games at the Richard E. Berry Educational Support Center in Cypress, Texas. They were coached by Ollie Guidry.

J. J. Raterink Arena Football League player

Jason J. Raterink is an arena football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He went undrafted during the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wyoming.

Champions Indoor Football indoor American football league

Champions Indoor Football (CIF) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team from the Indoor Football League and two expansion teams. Players are paid $75 – $300 per game before taxes. No other benefits are provided.

Terrance Dotsy is a former American football lineman who played four seasons with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. He first enrolled at Ventura College before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley. Dotsy was also a member of the Quad City Steamwheelers of the af2.

Bismarck Bucks

The Bismarck Bucks are an indoor American football team based in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Bucks joined Champions Indoor Football (CIF) as an expansion team in 2016, and began play for the 2017 season. The team moved to the Indoor Football League (IFL) beginning with the 2019 season. The team plays its home games at the Bismarck Event Center in downtown Bismarck.

Kansas City Phantoms

The Kansas City Phantoms were a professional indoor American football team based in Independence, Missouri. The Phantoms competed in Champions Indoor Football (CIF) as a member of the league's North Conference. The team was founded in 2016 by Dr. Ken Vehec and Antonio Hori. The Phantoms joined the CIF as an expansion team in 2017. The Phantoms played their home games at the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena for both seasons.

The 2019 Indoor Football League season will be the eleventh of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The league is playing the season with ten teams, up from six the previous season by adding two expansion teams and two teams from Champions Indoor Football.

The 2018 Champions Indoor Football season was the fourth season of the CIF. The regular season began on March 3, when the Wichita Force traveled to Salina Liberty, losing 17–15. The regular season concluded on June 10. This was the second season in which four teams per conference advanced to the Champions Bowl playoffs, with the top seed in each conference hosting their conference's fourth seed, and second seeds hosting third seeds in the first round.

References

  1. Tappa, Steve (August 1, 2017). "Steamwheelers return talk resurfaces". The Dispatch–Argus . Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  2. Doxsie, Don (August 15, 2017). "Steamwheelers indoor football returning to Q-C". Quad-City Times . Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  3. Doxsie, Don (August 16, 2017). "Dallas-based group bringing Steamwheelers back to life". Quad-City Times . Retrieved August 17, 2017.