Reading Express

Reading Express
Founded 2006
League Indoor Football League
Team history Reading Express (AIFL) (2006)
Reading Express (AIFA) (2007-2010)
Reading Express (IFL) (2011-future)
Arena Sovereign Center
Based in Reading, Pennsylvania
Team colors

Blue, Silver, White

              
Owner

Ted Lavender

Lisa Lavender
Head coach Chris Thompson
Manager Tim Glase
Championships 1 (2009)
Division titles 5 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Dancers Smokin' Hot Steam Team
Mascot Caboose

The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006. They play their home games at the Sovereign Center.

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] 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.

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.

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. 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. WR Carmelo Ocasio was named the 2006 Northern Conference Offensive MVP.[2]

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.

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.

For 2011, the Express have left the AIFA and are moving to the Indoor Football League.

Contents

Season-By-Season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

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)
Totals 71 27 0 (including playoffs)

2011 Season Schedule

Regular Season

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results
Final Score Team Record
1 February 26 (Sat) 7:00pm Lehigh Valley Steelhawks W 33-26 1-0
2 March 5 (Sat) 7:05pm
(8:05 Eastern)
@Chicago Slaughter L 55-59 1-1
3 March 11 (Fri) 7:30pm Bloomington Extreme L 14-44 1-2
4 March 20 (Sun) 4:00pm Arizona Adrenaline W 31-14 2-2
5 Bye
6 April 1 (Fri) 7:30pm Lehigh Valley Steelhawks W 63-58 3-2
7 April 9 (Sat) 7:00pm @Richmond Revolution W 25-14 4-2
8 April 15 (Fri) 7:30pm
(8:30 Eastern)
@Green Bay Blizzard L 19-62 4-3
9 April 23 (Sat) 7:05pm @Lehigh Valley Steelhawks W 40-37 5-3
10 April 30 (Sat) 7:00pm Richmond Revolution W 49-28 6-3
11 May 8 (Sun) 4:00pm @Lehigh Valley Steelhawks W 51-14 7-3
12 May 15 (Sun) 4:30pm Fairbanks Grizzlies L 45-60 7-4
13 May 21 (Sat) 7:30pm
(8:30 Eastern)
@Green Bay Blizzard L 40-72 7-5
14 Bye
15 June 4 (Sat) 8:00pm Richmond Revolution W 46-7 8-5
16 June 11 (Sat) 7:05pm @Richmond Revolution L 14-21 8-6
Playoffs
1 June 18 (Sat) 7:00pm Chicago Slaughter W 76-33 ---
2 June 25 (Sat) 7:30pm
(8:30 Eastern)
@Green Bay Blizzard L 51-68 ---

Division Standings

2011 Atlantic Division
W L T PCT PF PA DIV GB STK
y Reading Express 8 6 0 0.571 525 516 7-1 --- L1
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 4 10 0 0.286 432 595 3-5 4.0 L2
Richmond Revolution 3 11 0 0.214 441 593 2-6 5.0 W1

Roster

Quarterbacks
  • Currently vacant

Running Backs

  • -- Rashad Cummings

Wide Receivers

  • -- Nathan Barnett
  • -- Sherrod Evers
  • -- Paul Shaughnessy
  • -- Leonard Stevenson
Offensive Linemen
  • -- Jason Lato

Defensive Linemen

  • -- Michael London

Linebackers

  • -- Michael Thompson
Defensive Backs
  • -- Kendall Haley
  • -- Levin Neal

Kickers

  • Currently vacant

Multiple Positions

  • Currently vacant
Injured Reserve
  • Currently vacant

Exempt List

  • Currently vacant

Practice Squad

  • Currently vacant

Rookies in italics
Roster updated September 22, 2011
9 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS

More rosters

Past Seasons

2007 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 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

References

External links