Wheelers Fire up: Q-C turns it on in fourth quarter

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By Craig DeVrieze | Saturday, May 26, 2007 4:07 AM CDT | () comments

The Flames might win a few at The Mark of the Quad-Cities this year, but the Fire likely won’t.

The Quad-City Steamwheelers rallied from nine points behind in the fourth quarter, and rode a redemptive Jeff Macrea fumble recovery to the go-ahead score with 22 seconds remaining. They held on to douse the Louisville Fire 57-51.

It was the kind of thrill-filled, out-of-the-fire victory the soon-to-light Triple-A Quad-City Flames hockey club surely would be proud to match come winter.

“The way we won tonight was amazing,” said Tom Anthony, the Q-C-bred receiver whose three-touchdown effort kept the Wheelers within range of a game they trailed for the bulk of the second half. “The way we fought was amazing.’’

In a battle for the lead of the arenafootball2’s Midwest Division, the Steamwheelers’ pilot light appeared to be out when they failed to snag an onsides kick while trailing 51-49 with 3:35 left in the game.

But Kika Kaulalauu forced a fumble on a Louisville run with about 1:30 on the clock. Then Macrea — the fullback-linebacker who had missed a block that led to a second-quarter Louisville safety and then coughed up a third-quarter fumble — bulled to the bottom of a pile and came up with the football.

“As soon as I lost that (fumble) I told myself I had to find a way to get the ball back for the team,” said the second-year Steamwheeler. “Thank goodness. I don’t know how I would have slept tonight.”

The Steamwheelers (5-3) slept with the division lead after entering the game tied at the top with the Fire (4-4) and idle Green Bay (4-3).

That is because, after taking possession at their own 13 after the fumble, they drove down the field in seven plays, the biggest of those on a screen pass with half a minute left that Macrea carried 14 yards to the 1-inch line.

“That screen, no one in the arena saw that coming,” said quarterback J.J. Raterink, who finished the drive a play later with a 1-yard sneak.

The Steamwheelers defense then held the Fire out of the end zone, with defensive backs Kevin Adams and Sidney Lewis, each who had an earlier interception, coming up with huge deflections inside the final half-minute.

Raterink completed 23 of 39 passes for 299 yards and six touchdowns with one interception, while Jack Walker Jr. (9 catches for 114 yards) and Anthony (7 for 107) each reeled in three TD passes. Adams had two pass breakups and an interception.

“I think you can ride it as far as it goes,” Wheelers coach Sean Ponder said of the exciting win that ran the Steamwheelers home record to 3-0 with five of their final eight games left at The Mark. “We’re in a perfect scenario with all the games we have here. We play hard-nosed football and never think we’re out of a game.’’

Up 29-16 at intermission after outscoring the Fire 22-0 in the second frame, the Steamwheelers trailed 51-42 with 7:43 to play in the game when Louisville’s Tiger Jones (11 catches for 169 yards) reeled in third TD catch of the night.

But Macrea started his run for redemption with a 2-yard run to close the gap to a deuce at 3:35, and then the Steamwheelers rolled the dice on an onsides kick recovery that didn’t come. And, so, it looked like the two points the Wheelers surrendered on that second quarter safety — “I heard the wrong protection and went the wrong way,” said Macrea — ultimately were going to be the difference.

Then Macrea found himself pulling the ball out of a scrum.

“When that ball went out you could feel it in this arena,’’ said Raterink, who said he never doubted Macrea could find a way to make a difference.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else lined up behind me,’’ quarterback said of fullback. “I know Jeff. I knew the whole team would pick it up, but most of all Jeff.”

Craig DeVrieze can be contacted at (563) 333-2610 or cdevrieze@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com