Post by Gene on Jul 12, 2008 23:32:18 GMT -5
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
7/13/2008
Reading, PA - A few plays could haunt the Reading Express for a long time.
After having their American Indoor Football Association championship dreams derailed in a 52-37 loss to the Florence Phantoms Saturday night in the Sovereign Center, Express coaches and players could only ponder the what ifs.
Perhaps the outcome of the Eastern Conference championship game would have been different had the Express not started slowly and fallen into a 20-point hole midway through the second quarter.
Maybe the Express could have rolled into the second half with momentum had it not surrendered a touchdown with less than two seconds left in the first half after having pulled within five points.
Or what if the Express could have punched the ball in late in the third quarter after getting a first down at the Florence 1 when trailing by 11 points?
"We had an opportunity to get some momentum in the third quarter when we didn't score on the goal line," Express quarterback Rob Flowers said. "Had we done that, it might have been a different outcome."
But it was a playoff outcome that has been all too familiar for the Express (11-5), which has been close to winning a title in each of its three seasons only to come up short each time.
The Phantoms (12-4), who got five touchdown passes from Omar Jacobs, handed Reading its first home loss since the 2006 Eastern Conference championship game against Canton - a string of 19 home wins. Last season, Reading lost 54-49 in the AIFA title game to Lakeland in Florence, S.C.
"We just came up short once again," Express wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio said. "We've had the teams, we've had the talent."
Adding to Ocasio's pain in defeat was a back injury he suffered in the third quarter that sidelined him for nearly 15 minutes.
Backup quarterback Dan Kelly filled in at receiver and helped rally the Express.
Kelly caught a 14-yard pass that set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Flowers that closed Florence's lead to 42-31 with 9:15 left in the third quarter.
After the Express defense made a stop, Flowers threw 13 yards to Shawn Foxworth and 14 yards to Kelly to give Reading a first down the Phantoms 1.
But Flowers, who rushed for two touchdowns and passed for three, was stopped short of the goal line on three straight runs. On fourth down, a high snap sailed over Flowers' head and ended in a 21-yard loss.
"Those you've got to put in the end zone," Express coach Bernie Nowotarski said. "You end up 3 inches away and don't put it in. Maybe we should have passed, I don't know. We just did not execute when we needed to."
Florence, which will host the AIFA championship game in two weeks, padded its lead to 14 points on a Derek Scott 31-yard field goal with 13:34 left.
Reading pulled within one score when Yardon Brantley made his second TD reception, a 4-yarder with 6:53 left that made it 45-37.
But Florence answered with a touchdown drive that took more than four minutes and the air out of the Sovereign Center crowd.
Although many players, coaches and fans will wonder what if, Express linebacker Matt Sola said he won't be playing that game.
"I'm not big on that," Sola said. "I just say we've got to play better to win the game. You can't say what if, what if. If you do that you're going to beat yourself up for the next year. Basically, you let it go. We lost."
www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=98835
•Contact Brian Rippey at 610-371- 5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Reading Eagle
7/13/2008
Reading, PA - A few plays could haunt the Reading Express for a long time.
After having their American Indoor Football Association championship dreams derailed in a 52-37 loss to the Florence Phantoms Saturday night in the Sovereign Center, Express coaches and players could only ponder the what ifs.
Perhaps the outcome of the Eastern Conference championship game would have been different had the Express not started slowly and fallen into a 20-point hole midway through the second quarter.
Maybe the Express could have rolled into the second half with momentum had it not surrendered a touchdown with less than two seconds left in the first half after having pulled within five points.
Or what if the Express could have punched the ball in late in the third quarter after getting a first down at the Florence 1 when trailing by 11 points?
"We had an opportunity to get some momentum in the third quarter when we didn't score on the goal line," Express quarterback Rob Flowers said. "Had we done that, it might have been a different outcome."
But it was a playoff outcome that has been all too familiar for the Express (11-5), which has been close to winning a title in each of its three seasons only to come up short each time.
The Phantoms (12-4), who got five touchdown passes from Omar Jacobs, handed Reading its first home loss since the 2006 Eastern Conference championship game against Canton - a string of 19 home wins. Last season, Reading lost 54-49 in the AIFA title game to Lakeland in Florence, S.C.
"We just came up short once again," Express wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio said. "We've had the teams, we've had the talent."
Adding to Ocasio's pain in defeat was a back injury he suffered in the third quarter that sidelined him for nearly 15 minutes.
Backup quarterback Dan Kelly filled in at receiver and helped rally the Express.
Kelly caught a 14-yard pass that set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Flowers that closed Florence's lead to 42-31 with 9:15 left in the third quarter.
After the Express defense made a stop, Flowers threw 13 yards to Shawn Foxworth and 14 yards to Kelly to give Reading a first down the Phantoms 1.
But Flowers, who rushed for two touchdowns and passed for three, was stopped short of the goal line on three straight runs. On fourth down, a high snap sailed over Flowers' head and ended in a 21-yard loss.
"Those you've got to put in the end zone," Express coach Bernie Nowotarski said. "You end up 3 inches away and don't put it in. Maybe we should have passed, I don't know. We just did not execute when we needed to."
Florence, which will host the AIFA championship game in two weeks, padded its lead to 14 points on a Derek Scott 31-yard field goal with 13:34 left.
Reading pulled within one score when Yardon Brantley made his second TD reception, a 4-yarder with 6:53 left that made it 45-37.
But Florence answered with a touchdown drive that took more than four minutes and the air out of the Sovereign Center crowd.
Although many players, coaches and fans will wonder what if, Express linebacker Matt Sola said he won't be playing that game.
"I'm not big on that," Sola said. "I just say we've got to play better to win the game. You can't say what if, what if. If you do that you're going to beat yourself up for the next year. Basically, you let it go. We lost."
www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=98835
•Contact Brian Rippey at 610-371- 5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
