Post by Gene on Jul 14, 2009 1:13:03 GMT -5
Flowers leads Express past Lions, into AIFA title game
7/14/09
By Chris White
Reading Eagle correspondent
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Lions were perfect in their own building until they met someone who made himself at home there.
Reading Express quarterback Rob Flowers rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown and passed for 170 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Express past Columbus and into the AIFA championship game with a 60-51 victory.
Of course, he had a little help settling in from his sister, Janelle, and his nephew Tyrae, 5, and niece, Gabby, 1, who live in Columbus.
"It was a lot of fun to play in front of them," Flowers said. "I hadn't seen them in about seven months, so it was special."
The major recipients of Flowers' passing, Jeff Willis and Yardon Brantley, made their chances count. Each scored three touchdowns, and Willis had more than 100 yards receiving.
Columbus (11-4) had the league's best defense and AIFA interception leader Damian Daniels, but Flowers completed 16-of-31 passes without a pick, and the Reading offense held on without a fumble.
"We just played relaxed," Brantley said. "We knew Columbus did some different things on defense, confusing things, so we just played relaxed and took what they gave us.
"They did some things we hadn't seen, but Rob was big for us."
Flowers connected with Brantley for a 14-yard score and ran in from 12 yards out in the first quarter, but two failed point-after attempts by kicker Erik Rockhold allowed Columbus to come within 12-11 after the first period on a 20-yard Gerald Gales touchdown pass from Todd Spitzer and a 48-yard Carlos Martinez field goal.
Flowers ran for another score, this one from 8 yards out, and found Brantley and Willis for touchdowns. Rockhold made a 32-yard field goal to keep the Express ahead 36-28 at halftime.
Columbus fullback Richard Fitzhugh opened the second half with a 2-yard scoring run, and Martinez, who gave the Lions a 1-0 lead with a game-opening uno, made the point-after and another uno to tie it 36-36.
It was the closest the Lions would get. Flowers hit Willis with a 30-yard pass four plays later and the two connected again on the Express' next drive for a 9-yard score.
Gales scored on a 13-yard pass from Spitzer on Columbus' next possession and Martinez hit another uno before Reading posted its final score, a 19-yard Flowers touchdown pass to Brantley, to take a 58-44 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lions scored again with 1:27 remaining on a 25-yard pass from Spitzer to Anthony Merritt.
An onside kick recovery by Daniels set Columbus up at its 7 for a potentially game-tying drive.
But Spitzer fumbled a snap in the end zone and the Express took advantage for a safety before recovering the next onside kick attempt and finishing out the final seconds with a short run.
The Express will play at the Wyoming Cavalry July 26 in the AIFA championship game, but the team's toughest challenge was behind it, according to Brantley.
"This was the big hurdle," he said. "This team was 11-3, they had a tough 'D' and we knew they were good. The big challenge is getting to the championship game, and we believe that was the hardest part for us."
Source: www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=148026
7/14/09
By Chris White
Reading Eagle correspondent
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Lions were perfect in their own building until they met someone who made himself at home there.
Reading Express quarterback Rob Flowers rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown and passed for 170 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Express past Columbus and into the AIFA championship game with a 60-51 victory.
Of course, he had a little help settling in from his sister, Janelle, and his nephew Tyrae, 5, and niece, Gabby, 1, who live in Columbus.
"It was a lot of fun to play in front of them," Flowers said. "I hadn't seen them in about seven months, so it was special."
The major recipients of Flowers' passing, Jeff Willis and Yardon Brantley, made their chances count. Each scored three touchdowns, and Willis had more than 100 yards receiving.
Columbus (11-4) had the league's best defense and AIFA interception leader Damian Daniels, but Flowers completed 16-of-31 passes without a pick, and the Reading offense held on without a fumble.
"We just played relaxed," Brantley said. "We knew Columbus did some different things on defense, confusing things, so we just played relaxed and took what they gave us.
"They did some things we hadn't seen, but Rob was big for us."
Flowers connected with Brantley for a 14-yard score and ran in from 12 yards out in the first quarter, but two failed point-after attempts by kicker Erik Rockhold allowed Columbus to come within 12-11 after the first period on a 20-yard Gerald Gales touchdown pass from Todd Spitzer and a 48-yard Carlos Martinez field goal.
Flowers ran for another score, this one from 8 yards out, and found Brantley and Willis for touchdowns. Rockhold made a 32-yard field goal to keep the Express ahead 36-28 at halftime.
Columbus fullback Richard Fitzhugh opened the second half with a 2-yard scoring run, and Martinez, who gave the Lions a 1-0 lead with a game-opening uno, made the point-after and another uno to tie it 36-36.
It was the closest the Lions would get. Flowers hit Willis with a 30-yard pass four plays later and the two connected again on the Express' next drive for a 9-yard score.
Gales scored on a 13-yard pass from Spitzer on Columbus' next possession and Martinez hit another uno before Reading posted its final score, a 19-yard Flowers touchdown pass to Brantley, to take a 58-44 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lions scored again with 1:27 remaining on a 25-yard pass from Spitzer to Anthony Merritt.
An onside kick recovery by Daniels set Columbus up at its 7 for a potentially game-tying drive.
But Spitzer fumbled a snap in the end zone and the Express took advantage for a safety before recovering the next onside kick attempt and finishing out the final seconds with a short run.
The Express will play at the Wyoming Cavalry July 26 in the AIFA championship game, but the team's toughest challenge was behind it, according to Brantley.
"This was the big hurdle," he said. "This team was 11-3, they had a tough 'D' and we knew they were good. The big challenge is getting to the championship game, and we believe that was the hardest part for us."
Source: www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=148026
