Reading Express

Reading Express
Established 2006
Folded 2012
Played in Sovereign Center
in Reading, Pennsylvania
ExpressIndoorFootball.com
Logo
League/conference affiliations

American Indoor Football League/Association (2006–2010)

  • Northern Conference (2006)
    • Northern Division (2007)
  • Eastern Conference (2008)
    • North Division (2008–2010)

Indoor Football League (2011–2012)

  • United Conference (2011–2012)
    • Atlantic Division (2011)
Team colors Blue, Silver, White
              
Mascot Caboose
Personnel
Owner(s) Ted Lavender
Lisa Lavender
Head coach Mark Steinmeyer
Team history
Championships
League championships (1)
2009
Conference championships (1)
2006
Division championships (4)
2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
Playoff appearances (5)
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
Home arena(s)

The Reading Express were a professional indoor football team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. They were most recently a member of the United Conference of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Express began play in 2006, as an expansion team of the American Indoor Football League. The team was originally going to be named the Reading RiverRats, but passed on that name in favor of the "Reading Express." The RiverRats name and logo was moved to an AIFA team in Pittsburgh in 2007.[1] The owners of the Express were Ted & Lisa Lavender. They played their home games at the Sovereign Center.

Franchise history

2006

On September 14, 2005, the Express were announced as an expansion team of the American Indoor Football League (AIFL).[2] On November 6, 2005, the Express named Ollie Guidry the teams first ever head coach.[3]

On Sunday, March 26, 2006, the Express won the AIFL's very first overtime game 41-38 against the Johnstown Riverhawks on the road, as kicker Erik Rockhold booted the game-winning 45-yard field goal.[4]

On Friday, May 12, 2006, the Express managed to knock the Erie Freeze out of the #1 spot in the conference by getting revenge 59-48.[5]

At the end of their inaugural year, the Express held the highest record in the AIFL's Northern Conference, at 12-2. This, however, was padded by two games against amateur outdoor franchises—the Cumberland Cardinals and a team known as the Philadelphia Scorpions, both of which were blowouts.

In the opening round of the 2006 AIFL Playoffs, the Express managed to knock out the fourth-seeded Huntington Heroes with a 56-23 victory.[6] In the Northern Conference championship game, they faced the second-seeded Canton Legends for the Northern Conference title and a chance to participate in the American Bowl. Unfortunately, the Express got derailed as they got shut out in the second half and fell 44-24. Even though they fell one game shy of the league championship, it wasn't a total loss, as wide receiver Carmelo Ocasio was named the 2006 Northern Conference Offensive MVP.[7]

2007

In the 2007 season, now part of the AIFL's reorganized form (the American Indoor Football Association), the Express built on their success in the previous season, finishing a league-best 14-2 in the regular season, defeating the Pittsburgh RiverRats 42-24 in the first round, and defeating the Canton Legends 66-51 to claim the Northern Conference Championship and earn a trip to AIFA Championship Bowl I at the Florence Civic Center. Unfortunately, the Express got derailed yet again, losing to the Lakeland Thunderbolts 54-49.

Season Schedule

Date Opponent Home/Away Result
February 18 Pittsburgh RiverRats Away Won 35-28
February 25 Erie Freeze Home Won 46-38
March 3 Tallahassee Titans Away Lost 37-47
March 10 Baltimore Blackbirds Home Won 78-6
March 16 Erie Freeze Away Won 50-35
March 23 Canton Legends Away Won 50-19
March 31 Huntington Heroes Home Won 48-18
April 7 Johnstown Riverhawks Away Won 55-33
April 14 Canton Legends Home Won 63-56
April 21 Danville Demolition Away Won 56-42
April 28 Montgomery Bears Home Won 73-57
May 6 Pittsburgh RiverRats Home Won 57-40
May 12 Johnstown Riverhawks Home Won 76-16
May 19 Huntington Heroes Away Lost 29-42
May 21 Baltimore Blackbirds Away Won 58-32
June 2 Danville Demolition Home Won 83-41
June 9 Pittsburgh RiverRats (Playoffs) Home Won 42-24
June 16 Canton Legends (Playoffs) Home Won 66-51
June 23 Lakeland Thunderbolts (Championship Bowl I) Neutral (Florence) Lost 49-54

2008

Season Schedule

Date Opponent Home/Away Result
March 8 Baltimore Mariners Home Won 36-27
March 15 Carolina Speed Away Lost 17-49
March 22 Arizona Adrenaline (Exhibition) Home Won 47-43
March 29 Erie RiverRats Away Won 44-34
April 5 Huntington Heroes Home Won 57-38
April 12 Columbus Lions Away Loss 50-25
April 19 Florence Phantoms Home Won 66-30
April 25 Canton Legends Home Won 36-7
May 10 Canton Legends Away Won 50-48
May 17 Fayetteville Guard Home Won 51-24
May 24 Baltimore Mariners Home Won 49-27
May 31 Huntington Heroes Away Loss 50-41
June 7 Erie RiverRats Away Loss 51-32
June 14 Erie RiverRats Home Won 66-26
June 23 Baltimore Mariners Away Won 47-38
July 3 Erie RiverRats(Playoffs) Home Won 67-57

2009

In the 2009 season, the Express had another fantastic season, finishing the regular season 11-3, defeating the Baltimore Mariners 50-20 in the first round, and defeating the Columbus Lions 60-51 in the conference championship game to earn another berth in the AIFA Championship Bowl III in Casper, Wyoming. This time in the title game, the Express were overpowering and they defeated the Wyoming Cavalry 65-42 to win their first AIFA championship.

Season Schedule

Date Opponent Home/Away Result
March 13 D.C. Armor Home Won 51-28
March 22 Baltimore Mariners Away Loss 59-49
March 28 South Carolina Force Home Won 47-27
April 4 D.C. Armor Away Won 39-19
April 11 Erie RiverRats Home Won 47-13
April 18 Baltimore Mariners Home Loss 40-36
April 26 Erie RiverRats Away Won 66-48
May 2 Florence Phantoms Away Won 66-55
May 9 Fayetteville Guard Home Won 63-53
May 17 Harrisburg Stampede Home Won 44-6
May 23 D.C. Armor Away Won 51-35
May 30 Fayetteville Guard Away Loss 57-53
June 13 Erie RiverRats Home Won 45-27
June 27 Harrisburg Stampede Away Won 41-19
July 2 Baltimore Mariners (Playoffs) Home Won 50-20
July 13 Columbus Lions (Playoffs) Away Won 60-51
July 26 Wyoming Cavalry (AIFA Championship Bowl III) Away Won 65-42

2011

On July 21, 2010, the Express announced that they would be promoting interim head coach/offensive coordinator, Chris Thompson, to head coach for the 2011 season.[8] On August 18, 2010, the Express announced that will be leaving the AIFA and joining the Indoor Football League (IFL).[9]

2012

Final roster

Reading Express roster
Quarterbacks
  •  9 Tim Bailey
  • 18 Kevin Clancy

Running Backs

  •  6 Donald Babers
  •  5 Elliott White

Wide Receivers

 Offensive Linemen
  • 59 Nick Dean
  • 71 Corey Dowless
  • 64 Ty Gieser
  • 68 Frank Toarmina

Defensive Linemen

  • 11 Mike Dell
  •  8 Anthony Kelly
  • 77 Michael London
  • 92 Brandon Perry
  • 90 Bryan Wick
Linebackers
  • 48 Kevin Bolinsky
  • 51 Michael Thompson

Defensive Backs

  • 23 Ivory Bradshaw
  •  2 Sam Bryant
  • 14 Geoffrey Howard
  • 17 George Ortiz
  •  1 Marcus Sargeant
  • 15 Trey Womack

Kickers

  • 25 Eric Rockhold
Injured Reserve
  • Currently vacant

Exempt List

  • Currently vacant

Practice Squad

  • Currently vacant

Rookies in italics
Roster updated June 8, 2012
25 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS

→ More rosters

Head coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2012 Indoor Football League season.

Name Term Regular Season Playoffs Awards
W L T Win% W L
Ollie Guidry 2006 12 2 0 .857 1 1
Kelly Logan 2007 14 2 0 .875 2 1
Bernie Nowotarski 2008-2010 26 12 0 .684 4 1
Chris Thompson 2010-2011 11 7 0 .611 1 1
Mark Steinmeyer 2012 2 12 0 .143 0 0

Season-By-Season

Season W L T Finish Playoff results
Reading Express (AIFL)
2006 12 2 0 1st Northern Won Round 1 (Huntington)
Lost NC Championship (Canton)
Reading Express (AIFA)
2007 14 2 0 1st Northern Won Round 1 (Pittsburgh)
Won NC Championship (Canton)
Lost AIFA Championship Bowl I (Lakeland)
2008 10 4 0 1st EC Northern Won ECN Round 1 (Erie)
Lost EC Championship (Florence)
2009 11 3 0 1st Northern Won Divisional (Baltimore)
Won Semifinal (Columbus)
Won AIFA Championship Bowl III (Wyoming)
2010 8 6 0 4th Eastern --
Reading Express (IFL)
2011 8 6 0 1st Atlantic Won Round 1 (Chicago)
Lost Conference Semi-Final (Green Bay)
2012 2 12 0 8th United --
Totals 73 39 0 (including playoffs)

References

  1. ↑ Shawn Liotta (August 18, 2010). "Reading Express Moving to IFL". www.shawnliotta.com. The Twenty Eleven Theme. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Freeze start off season with win". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. February 27, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2015.}
  3. ↑ "Guidry Named Express Head Coach". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Express Wins AIFL's First OT Game". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 26, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Bob Jarzomski (May 13, 2006). "Express force out Freeze". www.goerie.com. CyberInk LP and the Erie Times-News. Retrieved March 27, 2015.}
  6. ↑ "Stetzer, Ocasio and Rockhold -- As Always -- Key Express In 56-23 Rout of Heroes". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. June 15, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ Archived October 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "Chris Thompson Named Express Head Coach". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. July 21, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  9. ↑ Brian Rippley (August 18, 2010). "Switch: Express to join new league". www.readingeagle.com. Reading Eagle. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
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