Round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs kicked off in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the #1 seed Green Bay Blizzard hosted the #4 seed Quad City Steamwheelers. 

The game began with the Steamwheelers in possession. They drove the ball into the red zone but faced a fourth-and-short situation. Opting to go for it on fourth down, Quad City was denied by a crucial pass breakup from defensive back Nijul Canada. Green Bay then took possession for their first drive of the game but came up empty-handed after kicker Andrew Mevis missed a field goal attempt. The first quarter saw a sluggish start from both teams, as Quad City also tried for a field goal on their next drive, only for kicker Kyle Kaplan to miss his attempt, leaving the score at 0-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Green Bay started the second quarter with the ball and secured the first points of the game when kicker Andrew Mevis connected on his second attempt, making it 3-0. Quad City aimed to respond on their ensuing drive, but defensive back Shawn Steele II had other plans, intercepting quarterback Judd Erikson and shifting the momentum in Green Bay's favor. The Blizzard would take advantage of the turnover and turn it into points with an E.J Burgess rushing touchdown, putting the score at 10-0. Quad City would finally get on the board with a field goal from Kaplan, narrowing the gap to 10-3. Mevis responded for Green Bay, successfully kicking another field goal to make it 13-3. Then, as the half drew to a close, Kaplan had another opportunity to score but missed, leaving the score at 13-3 at halftime.

The Blizzard received the kickoff to start the second half, aiming to extend their lead. However, they failed to add to their score as Mevis missed another field goal. Quad City, eager to change the game's momentum, scored their first touchdown with an Edward Vander rush, narrowing the deficit to 13-10. Green Bay responded promptly with another rushing touchdown from E.J. Burgess, restoring their 10-point lead and making it 20-10. 

Quad City entered the fourth quarter with the football in hand, making it a back-and-forth game with another touchdown, this time a rushing score from quarterback Mike Irwin, narrowing the gap to 20-17. However, Green Bay continued the scoring trend as wide receiver Demetrius Moore found the end zone on the receiving end of a Max Meylor touchdown pass, extending the lead to 27-17. The game's turning point came when defensive back Ravarius Rivers, a standout candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, made a crucial interception. This pivotal play set up the Blizzard for another scoring opportunity, with a Lowell Patron Jr. touchdown catch, effectively sealing the victory. Quad City would score once more as time expired, but it was too late to impact the outcome. The Blizzard emerged victorious with a final score of 34-23 which reflected their dominant performance and proved why they are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. 

This win marked the first playoff victory for the Green Bay Blizzard since 2012. This will also be the first time the IFL Eastern Conference Championship will be played in Green Bay. 

Next week, Green Bay will host either the Frisco Fighters or the Massachusetts Pirates. This game will take place on August 2nd at 7:05 CST. The winner of this game will advance to the IFL championship game in Las Vegas. 

Written By: Casey Hibbard