Post by rkozak201 on Mar 23, 2008 2:50:59 GMT -5
Reading Eagle: Lauren A. Little
Reading's Rob Flowers (5) breaks free from Arizona during Saturday's game.
It was quite a day for Central Catholic and Kutztown University grad Matt Sola, who scores his first touchdown and makes a game-saving tackle for Reading.
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
Matt Sola’s first touchdown was certainly cause for celebration.
But his bone-crushing tackle on the final play of the game was the play that set off the Reading Express’ victory party Saturday afternoon at the Sovereign Center.
Sola stopped Arizona running back Ty Evans less than 2 yards short of the goal line as the Express escaped with a 47-43 American Indoor Football Association win over the visiting Adrenaline.
“The game was on the line,” said Sola, who earlier returned a fumble 3 yards for a touchdown. “When it comes down to it, sometimes there’s going to be a guy that comes out and knocks me back. But not today.”
Reading (2-1) held an 18-point halftime lead but was in danger of losing to Arizona in its inaugural game.
The Adrenaline trailed 47-43 when it got the ball at its own 10-yard line with 3:51 left after a missed field goal by Erik Rockhold.
Quarterback Chad DeGrenier, who threw for 264 yards and six touchdowns, led Arizona to the Reading 10 as time ran down.
Evans picked up 8 yards to the 2 as the clock continued to run. With Arizona out of the timeouts and just 10 seconds left, Evans took a handoff from DeGrenier and appeared to have a lane to the end zone.
Sola quickly closed the hole and stopped Evans with a vicious collision near the 1 that knocked Evans backward.
“I look at the linebacker as the running back on defense,” Sola said. “The running back on offense is supposed to fill that hole, so is the linebacker. We both saw the same hole. I just came a little bit more. He wasn’t pushing me forward, that’s for sure.”
Thanks to the first touchdown throughout Sola’s career at Central Catholic, Kutztown University and three seasons with the Express, Reading built a 23-6 lead in the first quarter.
Wide receiver Shawn Foxworth made a diving reception inside the 5 and rolled into the end zone to complete a 33-yard touchdown pass from John Port to start the scoring.
Arizona answered with a 20-yard TD pass from DeGrenier to Maurice Bryant, who caught 10 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns.
But the Express scored 17 points in two minutes late in the first quarter to break away. It started when Sola came on a blitz, took the ball away from DeGrenier and walked into the end zone.
“I was able to get in there quick, he was bobbling it around and I ripped it right out of his hands,” Sola said.
Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Express linebacker Trent Jones buried DeGrenier in the end zone for a safety.
The first play after the Adrenaline kicked off, Port hit Tavis Laws with a 30-yard touchdown pass and Rockhold finished the flurry with a rouge.
Port gave way to Rob Flowers in the second quarter after completing 5-of-9 for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Arizona slowed the Express and pulled to within 12 points on a 19-yard TD reception by Bryant with 49 seconds left in the first half.
But Flowers answered with a 28-yard scramble for a touchdown with 21 seconds left to give the Express a 36-18 halftime cushion.
“It felt good to be out there,” said Flowers, a Muhlenberg High and Kutztown University product. “We made a lot of plays today, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Flowers, who completed 9-of-21 for 74 yards, and the Express offense struggled in the second half.
That allowed the Adrenaline to pump for Arizona and the 3,116 Express fans until Sola saved the game.
•Contact Brian Rippey at 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
