Post by Gene on Jun 17, 2007 0:04:18 GMT -5
Express rolls closer to title
Reading uses a six-minute, fourth-quarter drive, capped by Shawn Foxworth’s 16-yard TD catch, to seal the semifinal victory over Canton and advance to Saturday’s AIFA championship game.
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
Shawn Foxworth and the Reading Express’ drive to a conference championship will be forever linked.
With the Express clinging to a one-point lead against defending league champion Canton in the fourth quarter, Reading turned to Foxworth to put the game away.
On a drive that took six minutes — almost an eternity in indoor football — Foxworth caught four passes, including a 16-yard touchdown reception that helped the Express pull away for a 66-51 win Saturday night in the Sovereign Center.
The victory, which avenged last year’s Northern Conference championship loss to the Legends, will send the Express driving to Florence, S.C., for the American Indoor Football Association championship Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Express will play the winner of Monday’s game between Mississippi and Lakeland.
“When you get an opportunity to make plays, make plays,” said Foxworth, who had 12 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. “We needed to put together a methodical drive so we could keep the defense off the field, give them a little rest and also maintain momentum.”
Armar Watson and the defense helped the Express (16-2) gain control of a seesaw battle with the Legends (11-5).
Reading, which trailed 21-6 early in the second quarter, regained the lead for good when Ian Cooper hauled in his second touchdown reception from Tom Stetzer from 36 yards out. The fourth lead change of a 44-point third quarter gave Reading a 42-37 lead.
The Legends, who were led by backup quarterback Scott McMullen because of injury to starter Kevin Mason, moved to the Express 10 in an attempt to retake the lead.
But Watson made a diving interception in the back of the end zone, got up and ran 57 yards for a touchdown that gave Reading a two-score lead.
“We just had to make a play,” Watson said. “I made a play on the ball and then I realized he didn’t touch me. I just got up and ran to the end zone.”
The crowd noise, that often disrupted the Canton offense, was so deafening it was difficult to hear if the play had been whistled dead. When everything was sorted out, Erik Rockhold tacked on the extra point to give the Express a 49-37 lead with 1:24 left in the third quarter.
But the Legends weren’t done. Randall Lane caught his fourth and fifth touchdown passes of the game around a Rockhold field goal to cut Reading’s lead to 52-51 with 10:55 left.
That’s when Stetzer, who threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns, and Foxworth went to work. Starting from its own six, Reading drove 44 yards in eight plays.
Now they will drive more than 500 miles in an attempt to win Reading’s first outright professional sports championship in 12 years.
“That was a huge momentum builder at the end,” Stetzer said. “It’s going to feel good heading down to South Carolina.”
Marcus Sargeant intercepted two passes in the final minute, one that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Grier with 20 seconds left that sealed the victory.
The chance to avenge last year’s loss to the Legends looked bleak at the start when Stetzer connected on just three of his first nine passes and the Express fell into an early 15-point hole.
But Reading rallied for two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half, the first on a 1-yard sneak by Stetzer, the second on a 28-yard pass from Stetzer to Foxworth with nine seconds left to give the Express a 25-24 lead.
“Fox is an awesome player,” Express coach Kelly Logan said. “He’ll catch any ball we ask him to catch.”
•Contact Brian Rippey at 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Reading uses a six-minute, fourth-quarter drive, capped by Shawn Foxworth’s 16-yard TD catch, to seal the semifinal victory over Canton and advance to Saturday’s AIFA championship game.
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
Shawn Foxworth and the Reading Express’ drive to a conference championship will be forever linked.
With the Express clinging to a one-point lead against defending league champion Canton in the fourth quarter, Reading turned to Foxworth to put the game away.
On a drive that took six minutes — almost an eternity in indoor football — Foxworth caught four passes, including a 16-yard touchdown reception that helped the Express pull away for a 66-51 win Saturday night in the Sovereign Center.
The victory, which avenged last year’s Northern Conference championship loss to the Legends, will send the Express driving to Florence, S.C., for the American Indoor Football Association championship Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Express will play the winner of Monday’s game between Mississippi and Lakeland.
“When you get an opportunity to make plays, make plays,” said Foxworth, who had 12 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. “We needed to put together a methodical drive so we could keep the defense off the field, give them a little rest and also maintain momentum.”
Armar Watson and the defense helped the Express (16-2) gain control of a seesaw battle with the Legends (11-5).
Reading, which trailed 21-6 early in the second quarter, regained the lead for good when Ian Cooper hauled in his second touchdown reception from Tom Stetzer from 36 yards out. The fourth lead change of a 44-point third quarter gave Reading a 42-37 lead.
The Legends, who were led by backup quarterback Scott McMullen because of injury to starter Kevin Mason, moved to the Express 10 in an attempt to retake the lead.
But Watson made a diving interception in the back of the end zone, got up and ran 57 yards for a touchdown that gave Reading a two-score lead.
“We just had to make a play,” Watson said. “I made a play on the ball and then I realized he didn’t touch me. I just got up and ran to the end zone.”
The crowd noise, that often disrupted the Canton offense, was so deafening it was difficult to hear if the play had been whistled dead. When everything was sorted out, Erik Rockhold tacked on the extra point to give the Express a 49-37 lead with 1:24 left in the third quarter.
But the Legends weren’t done. Randall Lane caught his fourth and fifth touchdown passes of the game around a Rockhold field goal to cut Reading’s lead to 52-51 with 10:55 left.
That’s when Stetzer, who threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns, and Foxworth went to work. Starting from its own six, Reading drove 44 yards in eight plays.
Now they will drive more than 500 miles in an attempt to win Reading’s first outright professional sports championship in 12 years.
“That was a huge momentum builder at the end,” Stetzer said. “It’s going to feel good heading down to South Carolina.”
Marcus Sargeant intercepted two passes in the final minute, one that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Grier with 20 seconds left that sealed the victory.
The chance to avenge last year’s loss to the Legends looked bleak at the start when Stetzer connected on just three of his first nine passes and the Express fell into an early 15-point hole.
But Reading rallied for two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half, the first on a 1-yard sneak by Stetzer, the second on a 28-yard pass from Stetzer to Foxworth with nine seconds left to give the Express a 25-24 lead.
“Fox is an awesome player,” Express coach Kelly Logan said. “He’ll catch any ball we ask him to catch.”
•Contact Brian Rippey at 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
