Baltimore @ Reading Score

[aifloffice]

Any updates from that game?

[Gene]

aifloffice said:

Any updates from that game?

none. I tried making some calls but no luck..........

[Gene]

checked the Baltimore message board and they have a thread over there with score updates.

Baltimore 0
Reading 64 4th

[westreading]

admin said:

checked the Baltimore message board and they have a thread over there with score updates.

Baltimore 0
Reading 64 4th

Boy, I hope we didn't kick their arse that badly. I missed the game due to another committment.

[Gene]

westreading said:

admin said:

checked the Baltimore message board and they have a thread over there with score updates.

Baltimore 0
Reading 64 4th

Boy, I hope we didn't kick their arse that badly. I missed the game due to another committment.

It was 78-6.

[Tatonka]

Ouch.

[Canton Cougar Fan]

I'm so glad the Blackbirds met the high standards needed to enter the league.

Maybe Danville will get a win after all.

[cantonfan]

That's what you call one team

We should give them benefit of the doubt, that they'll improve I mean they can't do any worse?.........Can they?


GO LEGENDS!!!!!!!

[Canton Cougar Fan]

We might put 125 on them. If we want to.

[Gene]

In their first visit to the Sovereign Center, the Baltimore Blackbirds are easy prey for Reading.

By Jerry Reimenschneider
Reading Eagle

Reading, PA - This wasn’t a romp.

It was a war crime.

Custer fared better at Little Bighorn than the expansion Baltimore Blackbirds did before 3,400 at the Sovereign Center Saturday night, when the Reading Express welcomed their guests to the American Indoor Football Association with a 78-6 wipeout.

It was Baltimore’s inaugural game, and it was an awfully bad one.

But that, clearly, was not the Express’ concern.

“We don’t care if they were an expansion team,” said Central Catholic and Kutztown University grad Matt Sola, an Express linebacker. “We were an expansion team last year. The mindset is the same as any other football game: Come out here and don’t let up.”

That mindset was made firmer by Reading’s loss last week at Tallahassee, where the Express (3-1) fell on the road for the first time in the franchise’s brief history. Coach Kelly Logan’s team responded by setting a team record for points during a game that was long over by halftime, when Reading led 48-0.

“I’m gonna be honest with you,” Logan said. “After we lost to Tallahassee we knew we had to come out strong. We didn’t care who we were playing. We teach and train our players to play every game like it’s a championship game.”

Sola finished with two tackles, a blocked field goal and a fumble recovery to spearhead an inspired defense whose upset bid was busted by a Baltimore touchdown 1 minutes before the final buzzer.

Adam Vogel’s sack for a safety with 2 minutes to play in the first quarter made it 19-0 Express, and was already the second defensive score of the night. Marcus Sargeant set the tone with his 14-yard interception return for a TD a minute after kickoff, staking Reading to a quick 8-0 lead. It was one of two Reading picks on the night.

“We wanted to get back here and get back on track,” Sola said. “We wanted to start another winning streak.”

Placekicker Eric Rockhold, receiver Mores Manoyrine and running back Nick Chrisantho provided the points.

Rockhold, who’d struggled in recent weeks, was a rock. He accounted for 13 points, going 6-for-6 on PATs, 4-for-5 on rouges (kickoffs that go through the uprights for a point) and adding a 42-yard field goal.

Rouges pin opponents at their 5-yard line by indoor-football rule, so Rockhold’s performance was pivotal.

“He’s back,” Logan said of Rockhold, “and having their offense at the 5-yard line so early in the game makes scoring very easy. He had four rouges, and we scored off of them every time.”

Manoyrine caught three TD passes from Tom Stetzer, who played just a half and went 8-for-14 for 115 yards and four touchdowns. Chrisantho ran for scores of 1 and 4 yards and caught a 17-yard strike from backup QB E.J. Nemeth.

Reading High grad Carmelo Ocasio, a star Express receiver, missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. He remains iffy for Friday’s game at Erie. Fellow receiver Shawn Foxworth (ribs) also was out for a second straight week, but is expected back against the Freeze.

Reading’s receiver shortage, however, was obviously of little help to the baffled Blackbirds (0-1).

“Coming out after a loss last week, we had a bad taste in our mouths,” said Stetzer. “We wanted to show everybody we were back to playing Express football.”

•Contact Jerry Reimenschneider at 610-371-5079 or [e-mail].

[xmradiodave]

That game was about five different flavors of ugly. WHO'S NEXT?!?!? Well, at least the Express were kind enough to let my boys have 6 points. I had a good time though. The Reading fans were great except for the lady with the friggin cowbell. Nice, but she was annoying.

[expresszac]

We were also nice enough to take out almost our whole starting lineup on offense in the second half too. Hell it might have even been worse if we would have had either one of our top receivers. Baltimore showed their hearts though by not giving up. Welcome to the league and keep number 10 in at QB the starter has nooooo heart.

[Sykotyk]

I think it's safe to say that it's been proven in indoor football that if you have a horrible mismatch, and the one team keeps their starters in, it's not unexpected to reach 100. Katy Copperheads hold the new record at 132. It's become so numerous, it's really became a lost statistic. You can't count them on one hand, just the same as shutouts.

Sykotyk

[Coach Bernie]

we did pull out as many starters as possible and we had players playing positions they don'y even play....baltimore will be ok..they played hard, their org. was on hand and was great to work with....dont forget we also waived the 20 man roster and allowed balt. to bring all 30 of their players....but again you gotta start somewhere...

[Tatonka]

You can just arbitrarily "waive" the roster limit?