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Raterink to return to QB for Wheelers

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By Craig DeVrieze | Wednesday, October 10, 2007 1:02 AM CDT | () comments

J.J. Raterink is ready to rewrite a bad ending.

“I know a lot of us remember that bad taste in our mouth,” said Raterink, who, pending league approval, will return next spring to quarterback the Quad-City Steamwheelers.

He hopes to be joined by a number of last year’s teammates, all intent on erasing the memory of a 39-34 last-minute, arenafootball2 home playoff loss to the Green Bay Blizzard.

“Going up 21-0 against Green Bay in that playoff game and then having it end the way it did was awfully tough on us,” said the third-year af2 quarterback. “But it happened, and we have to learn from that. Hopefully, some guys get a chance to move up (to the Arena Football League), but if they don’t, hopefully they will come back and try to finish what we started.”

Raterink completed 68.6 percent of his passes last season for 3,956 yards and 82 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

New head coach Troy Biladeau, who also expects to be assigned fullback Nic Kerr and linebacker Kevin Talley in the coming days, said the second-year quarterback is a key building block on the coming season.

“It means a lot, especially with expansion teams coming on board,” he said. “We have a veteran quarterback and a guy all our players respect. He is a leader and he is good in the community. It is a good first piece of the puzzle.”

Biladeau said he will begin recruiting new players at the first opportunity Nov. 1, but said a second quarterback will come with the understanding “the job is J.J.’s to lose. He is the starter.”

Two key members of Raterink’s 2007 receiving corps, Kris Peters and Jack Walker Jr., attended a fan gathering Tuesday night in Moline along with Raterink and the Q-C coachng staff. Both could return, Biladeau said, but are seeking AFL opportunities at the moment.

Both had over 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons. Naturally, Raterink would be happy to have them back as targets. He hopes they are just part of a large returning nucleus.

“In this league, there is a lot of movement,” he said. “To work with the same guys a second year will be a big advantage to me as a quarterback and for a lot of guys coming back.”

Also Tuesday, Biladeau introduced his coaching staff, which includes offensive coordinator Shon King.

As a player, King helped the 2000 Steamwheelers to the inaugural ArenaCup championship in 2000. Last year, he coached Q-C receivers and stepped up as offensive coordinator after then head coach Sean Ponder was suspended by the league at midseason.

Biladeau, who served as interim head coach during that three-game Ponder suspension, said he and King basically were a package deal.

“It wasn’t much of a secret he is somebody I wanted back,” said the coach. “I thought he did a good job with the opportunity he had last year. He is a good coach and I wanted him.”

Hired to coach lineman and fullbacks and linebackers was Montra Edwards, a former af2 player who most recently was head coach of the Murrah High School junior varsity team in Jackson, Miss., and previously coach defensive linemen at Jackson State University.

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