Post by Gene on Jun 13, 2009 23:50:15 GMT -5
6/14/09
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
His statistics might look good, but Reading Express quarterback Rob Flowers doesn't like to run for touchdowns too often.
Flowers would rather use his arm than his legs to put points on the scoreboard. But Saturday night against the lowly Erie River Rats, Flowers was the first to admit he struggled mightily.
Flowers completed barely more than 50 percent of his passes in the Sovereign Center, but he ran for three touchdowns to help the Express to a tougher-than-expected 45-27 American Indoor Football Association win.
"I don't like to run for the touchdowns," Flowers said. "It's my job to distribute the ball to everybody. When I can get them to score, that makes me feel good."
Flowers knew he was in trouble when he misfired on his first three passes and had his fifth intercepted in the end zone. But he finally got the Express in the end zone late in the first quarter on a 4-yard run after he scrambled 31 yards
"I was not in any kind of rhythm," Flowers said. "We're not going to win a championship like that."
The Express (10-3) moved one win closer to winning its fourth straight North Division title, thanks to a spectacular interception in the fourth quarter by David Smith that finally subdued the River Rats (2-10).
Reading was clinging to a 31-27 lead early in the fourth quarter when Erie drove inside the Express 10 looking for a go-ahead touchdown.
Erie quarterback Stephen Repress lofted a ball toward the back of the end zone. Smith leaped high to catch the ball and disappeared into the front row of the seats. He held onto the ball for the first of his two interceptions in the fourth quarter.
"I didn't know I was so high," Smith said. "I caught the ball hoping to land on my feet and I ended up landing on my back. I landed on somebody's soft lap, so that was good."
Reading went 40 yards for a touchdown with Flowers running in from the 2 to pad Reading's lead to 11 points. After Smith's second interception, Flowers scored on a 1-yard run to clinch it.
Reading, which can wrap up the division title with a win at Harrisburg on Saturday, June 27, struggled for much of the first half when the lead changed hands six times.
Reading took the lead for good late in the first half when Flowers threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Willis with 3:21 left in the first half. Willis went over 1,000 yards for the season and Carmelo Ocasio, who also had a TD catch, surpassed 100 receptions for the season.
The Express appeared ready to pull away in the second half when Matt Sola blocked a field-goal attempt on Erie's first possession and James McDonald recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a 31-20 lead.
But Erie answered with Repress' fourth TD pass, a 7-yarder to Aaron Haynes, with just less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. After stopping the Express, the River Rats were on the move again until Smith saved the day.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Source: www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=143024
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
His statistics might look good, but Reading Express quarterback Rob Flowers doesn't like to run for touchdowns too often.
Flowers would rather use his arm than his legs to put points on the scoreboard. But Saturday night against the lowly Erie River Rats, Flowers was the first to admit he struggled mightily.
Flowers completed barely more than 50 percent of his passes in the Sovereign Center, but he ran for three touchdowns to help the Express to a tougher-than-expected 45-27 American Indoor Football Association win.
"I don't like to run for the touchdowns," Flowers said. "It's my job to distribute the ball to everybody. When I can get them to score, that makes me feel good."
Flowers knew he was in trouble when he misfired on his first three passes and had his fifth intercepted in the end zone. But he finally got the Express in the end zone late in the first quarter on a 4-yard run after he scrambled 31 yards
"I was not in any kind of rhythm," Flowers said. "We're not going to win a championship like that."
The Express (10-3) moved one win closer to winning its fourth straight North Division title, thanks to a spectacular interception in the fourth quarter by David Smith that finally subdued the River Rats (2-10).
Reading was clinging to a 31-27 lead early in the fourth quarter when Erie drove inside the Express 10 looking for a go-ahead touchdown.
Erie quarterback Stephen Repress lofted a ball toward the back of the end zone. Smith leaped high to catch the ball and disappeared into the front row of the seats. He held onto the ball for the first of his two interceptions in the fourth quarter.
"I didn't know I was so high," Smith said. "I caught the ball hoping to land on my feet and I ended up landing on my back. I landed on somebody's soft lap, so that was good."
Reading went 40 yards for a touchdown with Flowers running in from the 2 to pad Reading's lead to 11 points. After Smith's second interception, Flowers scored on a 1-yard run to clinch it.
Reading, which can wrap up the division title with a win at Harrisburg on Saturday, June 27, struggled for much of the first half when the lead changed hands six times.
Reading took the lead for good late in the first half when Flowers threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Willis with 3:21 left in the first half. Willis went over 1,000 yards for the season and Carmelo Ocasio, who also had a TD catch, surpassed 100 receptions for the season.
The Express appeared ready to pull away in the second half when Matt Sola blocked a field-goal attempt on Erie's first possession and James McDonald recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a 31-20 lead.
But Erie answered with Repress' fourth TD pass, a 7-yarder to Aaron Haynes, with just less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. After stopping the Express, the River Rats were on the move again until Smith saved the day.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Source: www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=143024