Jones scores twice to rally the Express

[rkozak201]

From the Reading Eagle news services

Trent Jones scored two defensive touchdowns in the second half Monday night to rally the visiting Reading Express to a 44-34 win over the Erie RiverRats in the American Indoor Football Association.

Rob Flowers threw three second-half touchdown passes, two to Shawn Foxworth, to help the Express (2-1) prevail in the seesaw battle with the RiverRats (3-1) in Tullio Arena.

With Reading trailing 17-11 at halftime, Jones returned a fumble recovery 15 yards for a touchdown to put the Express on Top.

After several lead changes, Flowers and Foxworth put the Express ahead to stay with a 23-yard hookup with 6:54 left.

Erie was inside the Reading 10, threatening to regain the lead, but Jones intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown with 2:10 left to make it 44-34.

Flowers completed 11 of 22 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran 11 times for 33 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown run.

[rkozak201]

Erie RiverRat (top) Jovon Johnson tackles Reading Express Shawn Foxworth during the first period of the game at Tullio Arena on March 31. (Janet B. Campbell / Erie Times-News)

Mistakes doom 'Rats' streak
Reading uses late turnovers to hand Erie first AIFA loss

By Bob Jarzomski
[e-mail]

"Ahh, Rats!" is the printable version of what quarterback Jarrod Highberger probably had to say after the pivotal play Monday night.

It's likely what his Erie River-Rats teammates had to say, too.

In a mistake-filled second half, the RiverRats helped the defending AIFA Eastern Conference champion Reading Express come from behind and take a 44-34 victory at the Tullio Arena.

A crowd of about 1,500 fans in the indoor version of Monday night football saw the 'Rats lose their first game of the season after a 3-0 start. The Express, which has never lost to the RiverRats, including two wins when the franchise was in Pittsburgh last season, improved to 2-1.

After Express quarterback Rob Flowers threw his second touchdown pass to veteran receiver Shawn Foxworth for a 38-34 Reading lead midway through the fourth quarter, the RiverRats drove to the Reading 6 when disaster struck.
Highberger, a left-hander, scrambled all over the field, even eluding a Reading defender's helmet, then threw the ball in the end zone. Defensive back Trent Jones picked it off and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown, his second score of the game, giving the Express a 10-point lead.

"That's a mistake you can't make, especially in that situation," said Highberger, who was 15-of-32 for 196 yards and three touchdown passes.

"I should have just thrown it away."

Highberger made his second start in place of David Dinkins, who played wide receiver.

Highberger was picked off by Jones again, but the defensive back fumbled on the return, giving the RiverRats another chance to cut into the lead and perhaps recover an onside kick in the game's final minute. But on the 6-inch line, Highberger fumbled on the sneak -- "He was definitely in the end zone," irate RiverRats coach Shawn Liotta said -- and the Express recovered to seal the win.
The RiverRats, keyed by the strong kicking of J.R. Cipra -- three field goals, a rouge and an extra point -- led 17-11 at the half. But Jones recovered Darmel Whitfield's fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown and an 18-17 lead. Whitfield also dropped a first-down reception preceding Flowers' first touchdown pass to Foxworth. The slippery wideout, who had six TD receptions against the Erie Freeze last season, beat defensive back D.A. Smith, who was replacing injured veteran Sam Reynolds.

"We're right where we're supposed to be. This is Express football," Foxworth screamed to his teammates after the game.

"Mistakes will kill you, and we shot ourselves in the foot on both sides of the ball," Liotta said. "That's not the way we play football. We did some uncharacteristic mistakes. Jarrod knows he made some mistakes, but we all lost the game. We didn't make plays. There's no excuses. We just didn't execute to win."

Dinkins, the 2005 league MVP with the Freeze, caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in the first half for his only reception.

"I'd rather be playing quarterback, but it is what it is," Dinkins said. "I just want to win."
BOB JARZOMSKI can be reached at 870-1678 or by e-mail.

[Gene]

2 HUGE factors in this game:
1. Trent Jones (GREAT job Trent)
2. Rob Flowers, 2nd half performance.

Its amazing how much better our team plays when the QB position is producing. On paper we have the talent and now i believe we are starting to turn the corner and get back to "Express Football". Overall, our defense was great too. Getting good pressure on the qb helped in these other big plays/turnovers. Keep it up guys....

[rkozak201]

We needed to get better with Huntington coming up next. This will be a true test to see what they can do against another top caliber undefeated team.