Post by Gene on Jul 28, 2009 7:54:59 GMT -5
Plenty of cheers in Berks and out for victorious Express
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
A cheer rang out shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday when the Express nailed down Reading's first outright professional championship in 14 years.
Nearly 100 people who attended a party at the Inn at Reading to listen to the Express' 65-42 victory over the Wyoming Cavalry let out a big cheer as the Express captured the American Indoor Football Association title.
But the celebrations for the accomplishments of quarterback Rob Flowers, wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio and their teammates spread much farther. People throughout Reading and Berks County who couldn't make the trip to Casper, Wyo., fired up their computers to listen to Express announcer Bob McCool call the historic event.
Small cheers no doubt also could be heard from other parts of the country for a team that has been on the verge of winning a championship since its inaugural season in 2006.
In Wisconsin, Tom Stetzer certainly had to feel happy for his former teammates and members of the coaching staff. Stetzer was the starting quarterback for the Express for its first two seasons, taking Reading to the AIFA championship game in 2007, before moving back home to resume his career as a civil engineer.
In Baltimore, Greg Justice surely had a lump in his throat for his former teammates, especially 39-year-old offensive lineman Mark Stout, who twice put off retirement to take another shot at a championship. Justice started on the line with Stout for the Express' first two seasons, including in the 2007 championship game loss in Florence, S.C.
Justice now is the general manager and assistant coach for the Baltimore Mariners, the team that handed the Express two of its three losses this season. When the Express knocked the Mariners out of the playoffs, Justice told his former teammates and coaches he was rooting for them.
So did Mariners Isiaih Greer, Armar Watson, Anthony Jackson and E.J. Nemeth, all former Express players who helped Reading build a reputation as one of the most consistent teams in the AIFA.
But maybe the biggest swell of pride outside Berks came from the heart of Texas, where former Express coach/general manager Ollie Guidry resides.
Guidry came to Reading late in 2005 to build an expansion franchise from the ground up. He said he would bring a quality, competitive team to Reading and made good on that promise by taking the Express to the Eastern Conference championship game in the team's first season.
Guidry brought in several quality players, including Ocasio, Stout, Stetzer, Justice and Adam Vogel, a defensive lineman who returned to Reading this season after playing for the Express for the first two years.
Other holdovers from Reading's first team include linebacker Matt Sola, nose guard Brett Kolk and kicker Erik Rockhold, all four-year starters, and reserve wide receiver Ian Cooper.
But Guidry's best move may have been to bring in Berks native Bernie Nowotarski as the assistant general manager. Nowotarski became the GM in 2007 and as been head coach/GM the last two seasons.
Because of Nowotarski's local ties, he was able to bring in several former Berks County scholastic stars, including Flowers, Yardon Brantley, Jason Henley, Sam Bryant and James Bryant.
What happened next, as they say, is history.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Source: www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=150011
By Brian Rippey
Reading Eagle
A cheer rang out shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday when the Express nailed down Reading's first outright professional championship in 14 years.
Nearly 100 people who attended a party at the Inn at Reading to listen to the Express' 65-42 victory over the Wyoming Cavalry let out a big cheer as the Express captured the American Indoor Football Association title.
But the celebrations for the accomplishments of quarterback Rob Flowers, wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio and their teammates spread much farther. People throughout Reading and Berks County who couldn't make the trip to Casper, Wyo., fired up their computers to listen to Express announcer Bob McCool call the historic event.
Small cheers no doubt also could be heard from other parts of the country for a team that has been on the verge of winning a championship since its inaugural season in 2006.
In Wisconsin, Tom Stetzer certainly had to feel happy for his former teammates and members of the coaching staff. Stetzer was the starting quarterback for the Express for its first two seasons, taking Reading to the AIFA championship game in 2007, before moving back home to resume his career as a civil engineer.
In Baltimore, Greg Justice surely had a lump in his throat for his former teammates, especially 39-year-old offensive lineman Mark Stout, who twice put off retirement to take another shot at a championship. Justice started on the line with Stout for the Express' first two seasons, including in the 2007 championship game loss in Florence, S.C.
Justice now is the general manager and assistant coach for the Baltimore Mariners, the team that handed the Express two of its three losses this season. When the Express knocked the Mariners out of the playoffs, Justice told his former teammates and coaches he was rooting for them.
So did Mariners Isiaih Greer, Armar Watson, Anthony Jackson and E.J. Nemeth, all former Express players who helped Reading build a reputation as one of the most consistent teams in the AIFA.
But maybe the biggest swell of pride outside Berks came from the heart of Texas, where former Express coach/general manager Ollie Guidry resides.
Guidry came to Reading late in 2005 to build an expansion franchise from the ground up. He said he would bring a quality, competitive team to Reading and made good on that promise by taking the Express to the Eastern Conference championship game in the team's first season.
Guidry brought in several quality players, including Ocasio, Stout, Stetzer, Justice and Adam Vogel, a defensive lineman who returned to Reading this season after playing for the Express for the first two years.
Other holdovers from Reading's first team include linebacker Matt Sola, nose guard Brett Kolk and kicker Erik Rockhold, all four-year starters, and reserve wide receiver Ian Cooper.
But Guidry's best move may have been to bring in Berks native Bernie Nowotarski as the assistant general manager. Nowotarski became the GM in 2007 and as been head coach/GM the last two seasons.
Because of Nowotarski's local ties, he was able to bring in several former Berks County scholastic stars, including Flowers, Yardon Brantley, Jason Henley, Sam Bryant and James Bryant.
What happened next, as they say, is history.
Contact Brian Rippey: 610-371-5070 or brippey@readingeagle.com.
Source: www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=150011