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Erie Defeats Reading for First Time 51-32

June 10, 2008 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Erie Explosion News Release


(Erie, PA) - The Erie RiverRats of the AIFA defeated the Reading Express at the Tullio Arena for the first time in its franchise history by the final score of 51-32. Erie took advantage of four pass interceptions, including three in the fourth quarter, and got big contributions from QB Rod Rutherford and WR Eugene Baker, in his indoor football debut.

With the victory, the 'Rats improved their record to 10-3, and pushed their North Division lead to a game-and-a-half over the 8-4 Express. The two teams will complete their home-and-home series in Reading on June 14. An Erie victory will clinch the division championship and homefield advantage for the first round of the playoffs for the 'Rats. If Erie loses, it would need Reading to lose their last game at Baltimore in order to win the division, as the Express would own the tiebreaker.

Rutherford accounted for six touchdowns, four passing and two rushing, completing 14 of 25 passes for 173 yards. His favorite target was Baker, who had nine catches in his Erie debut for 107 yards and a touchdown. For the second consecutive week, DB Chris Blackshear came up with two interceptions for the 'Rats, and DB Sam Reynolds was responsible for the other two interceptions of Reading QB Rob Flowers, returning one 39 yards for a late touchdown which put the game away. Despite frequent double-teams, DL Phil Tillman recorded two of the four Erie sacks of Flowers.

The game did not start particularly well for either quarterback. Erie got the ball to start the game, and on its first offensive play, Rutherford was intercepted by Reading DB Michael Baldwin. However, on the very next play, the 'Rats returned the favor as Flowers was picked off by Reynolds who returned the interception 28 yards deep into Reading territory. Erie capitalized in the red zone with the weapon they frequently use, a Rutherford 2-yard quarterback keeper, to take the game's first lead at 6-0 after a missed PAT.

The Express took the lead back on an 11-play 40-yard drive, helped by three Erie penalties, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by QB Flowers. The 'Rats wasted little time with an answer as Rutherford connected with Baker on first down for 18 yards, and then with WR Darmel Whitfield in the end zone for 17 yards. Both teams traded touchdowns on their next possession, a Flowers short pass to WR Shawn Foxworth for Reading and Rutherford's second touchdown run for Erie, and the 'Rats had a 20-13 lead with under nine minutes to go in the second quarter.

On their next possession, Reading's offense stalled at Erie's 18-yard line. After three incomplete passes, Express Coach Bernie Nowotarski elected not to attempt a field goal, and on fourth down, a completion to WR Carmelo Ocasio was stopped one yard short of the first down marker, and Erie took possession holding on to its seven-point lead. Both defenses held the offenses in check the rest of the half, and each team had to settle for a field goal, J.R. Cipra from 39 yards for the 'Rats and Eric Rockhold from 37 yards for the Express. Despite three consecutive timeouts by Erie Coach Shawn Liotta to ice him, Rockhold was successful on his attempt, which made the score 23-16 Erie at intermission.

On their first possession to begin the second half, the Express offense stalled again near midfield. For the second time, the Express elected not to attempt the field goal on fourth down, and once again, the 'Rats defense denied Reading the first down, forcing a turnover on downs. This time, Erie's offense took full advantage as Rutherford connected with Whitfield for another touchdown, this one for 27 yards. The extra point and an "uno" by Cipra, increased the Erie lead to 31-16.

The Reading offense continued to struggle, throwing three incomplete passes and was forced into a 62-yard field goal attempt, which was missed. Rutherford connected with Baker three times on the next drive, including the last reception for a 9-yard touchdown which gave the 'Rats their biggest lead at 38-16 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Just before the end of the third quarter, Reading pulled within 15 on a 1-yard pass completion from Flowers to Ocasio setup by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Erie's Glenroy Watkins, and a 17-yard run by Flowers. At the start of the fourth quarter, the teams traded touchdowns as Rutherford connected with WR David Dinkins from 10 yards out for Erie, and Flowers threw a 23-yard TD pass to WR Yardon Brantley for Reading, and the 'Rats led 44-30 with eleven minutes to go.

At that point, the Erie defense took over the game.

After Erie turned the ball over on downs, a long completion from Flowers to Brantley gave Reading a first down at Erie's 3-yard line. The 'Rats defense stopped the Express on three straight plays, and on fourth down, Erie DB Chris Blackshear made a huge defensive play, intercepting Flowers at the goal line to save a Reading touchdown and giving Erie the ball, still up 14 with six minutes remaining.

Neither offense was productive near the end of the game. Blackshear picked off Flowers a second time, and Rutherford was sacked in the end zone by DL Brett Kolk for a Reading safety with under two minutes to go to pull the Express within 12 points with under two minutes left. However, Sam Reynolds put the game away for the 'Rats with his interception return for a touchdown which made the final score 51-32 Erie.



American Indoor Football Association Stories from June 10, 2008


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