Shock play up-and-down Steamwheelers

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Quad City Steamwheelers.

They roll into town today with a 7-7 record, currently the eighth seed in the arenafootball2 league’s American Conference playoff picture, owning the point differential advantage in head-to-head games with Louisville, also 7-7.

But different numbers tell another story, Spokane Shock coach Adam Shackleford said.

“I think they are a team that in the past has played to the level of their competition,” he said. “They’ve beaten some teams with good records and been beaten in a few games they should have won. They have a dangerous lineup, though, and we’re prepared for it.”

The Steamwheelers’ strength is on offense.

Quarterback J.J. Raterink is ranked third in the league in total offense (277.1 total offensive yards a game) and TDs (83 – 80 passing and three rushing), and seventh in average yards per play (7.6). He tops the league in total yards (3,880).

The Steamwheelers also have a solid receiving core. Their top three receivers have eclipsed 1,000 yards this season, led by Jesse Schmidt’s 1,632 yards and 35 touchdown catches. Kris Peters is second with 1,190 receiving yards and Deontrae Johnson has 1,027 yards.

“With them you can’t just say, ‘Let’s shut down one guy,’ ” Shackleford said. “We need to cover all their receivers and our pass rush needs to get pressure on J.J. Raterink. We’ve seen in films when there is a lot of pressure on him he tends to pay more attention to the rush and teams have had success against that.”

A win today and the top-ranked Shock will assure themselves home-field advantage throughout the af2 playoffs. Should Spokane pick up its second loss of the season, there is a chance the Shock, the only one-loss team in the league, and the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Pioneers (12-2) out of the American Conference could be tied at the end of the regular season (assuming the Pioneers win their two remaining games).

If that happens, then records against common opponents would be the determining factor.

Since Quad City is the only common opponent between the Shock and Pioneers, who went 1-1 against the Steamwheelers this season, the Shock would lose the right to host the league title game.

“Our guys know what’s on the line here,” Shackleford said. “They recognize teams that are good on film and I think they’ve prepared well for this team and what they can do to hurt you.”

Extra points

Shock wide receiver Raul Vijil, who is third in the league in scoring, will be a game-time decision. Vijil was injured three weeks ago against Central Valley and practiced this week but was still dealing with a sore back, Shackleford said. … Quad City coach Troy Biladeau was Spokane’s defensive coordinator during the Shock’s 2006 run to the ArenaCup championship. … This is the third meeting in franchise history between Quad City and Spokane. The series is tied 1-1. Quad City plays its home games in Moline, Ill.