Thunder is outlasted by Quad City, 60-54

By CHRIS ETHERIDGE

MOLINE, Ill. — Despite a late-game loss to the Quad City Steamwheelers, the Mahoning Valley Thunder may have found their new quarterback.

The Thunder fell to the Steamwheelers on Friday 60-54 at the i wireless Center.

The offensive showing was the Thunder’s strongest since a 59-33 win over Albany on opening night. Still Mahoning Valley (2-8) coach Mike Hold said there’s no silver lining to the loss.

“We put ourselves in a hole early on and — obviously we’ve been playing better — but there’s no consolation for playing well,” he said. “We have to win.”

In his second game with the team, quarterback Devon Vinson finished 25-for-39 passing with 285 yards and seven touchdowns. But Vinson’s only major blemish was a big one — a fumble on a sack deep in Thunder territory with 49 seconds left in the game.

“We put up 54 points but still lost,” said wide receiver Clenton Rafe. “We didn’t do enough. A loss like this — it hurts, because he had the game in the bag, I felt.

“But that’s the nature of this game, we have to continue to make plays and we didn’t.”

On a first and 10 at Mahoning Valley’s 17-yard line and the score tied at 54, Vinson rolled out to his right under pressure only to find himself face-to-face with Quad City’s Andrew Jilles. As Vinson was tackled, the ball popped from his hands and rolled into the Quad City end zone. Defensive lineman Adam Vogel landed on it to give Quad City their first lead since five minutes into the second quarter.

“I was trying to make a play,” said Vinson. “Instead of throwing the ball away, I was trying to make a play and ended up with a fumble.”

After four different players have appeared under center in the Thunder’s first nine games, the focus Friday at the i wireless Center was on the newcomer Vinson, who carried the Thunder to a 44-31 win over Albany last week.

The second-year quarterback spread the offense out over six different receivers by the middle of the second quarter, but settled into a rhythm with Rafe.

“I’m feeling comfortable with the quarterback,” Rafe said. “It’s our first week practicing together, but I feel we have some pretty good chemistry going on.”

With 164 yards and five touchdowns on 10 receptions, Rafe nearly quadrupled his offensive output from his first two games including a 45-yard reception from Vinson to cap Mahoning Valley’s 27-point second quarter.

With the thunder down 6-0 after the first, Vinson found the end zone with Rafe, Tim Murphy and Henry Tolbert on consecutive possessions to go ahead by 14.

Before Friday’s game, the Thunder were outscored 148-82 this season in the second quarter, their worst period for point differential. But they turned that around with a 27-14 advantage in the second in Moline to end the half with a 27-20 lead.

“I see a lot of potential,” said Vinson. “I see us going on and winning a lot of games. I don’t know what the standings are, but I think we can make the playoffs.”

But the Steamwheelers (5-5) stayed in the game, coming back to tie it 27-27 in the third and the two teams traded three touchdowns to bring the score to 48-48 with 5:45 left in the game.

The Thunder took the lead with 3:40 left on a keeper by Vinson from three yards out. The kick from Eric Schnatz went wide left.

But Quad City’s Kris Peters returned the pursuing kick 47 yards to set up an 11-yard pass from Brian Zbydniewski to Jesse Schmidt with 49 seconds left to bring the contest back to a stalemate and give the Thunder one more chance at a win.