Berkshire Renegades began their 2009 campaign with a hard-fought 13-12 win over the visiting Gloucester Banshees.
Gloucester stunned the home team on the opening kickoff, when Nicholas Jones returned the ball 76 yards for the opening touchdown. Jones’s point-after kick was no good, following a bobbled hold, but the Banshees had the lead 0-6.
The Renegades struck back immediately. On their first play from scrimmage, running back Nick Church broke to the outside and sprinted 69 yards to the endzone. Neal Kent’s point-after kick was good, and the Renegades had taken the lead, 7-6.
Both teams struggled to move the ball on their subsequent drives, with both teams playing solid containing defense.
Gloucester took back the lead early in the second quarter, Jones scoring his second touchdown as he broke numerous tackles on a 58 yard run through the heart of the Berkshire defense. Again the point-after kick was no good, as a Renegades hand got to the ball to bat it off course.
Both teams were finding their rhythm now, putting together lengthy drives.
Berkshire moved the ball well on the ground, Church’s speed combining well with fullback Alex Tong’s bruising up-the-middle blasts. The drive ran out of steam just inside the Gloucester half, and a good punt from Simon Pearce saw the Banshees starting from their own 18-yard line. They in turn drove the ball well, with a balance of passes and rushes. The Renegades’ defense struck at a key moment though, with Shaun Blake and Tony Barron sacking Gloucester quarterback Derek Yenerall on third down, forcing a punt.
Berkshire came close to scoring at the end of the first half, going 82 yards in 14 plays, but time ran out for them just short of the endzone. At the break, the scoreboard read 7-12.
The start of the second half saw defense in control again, as both teams battled to move the ball. The Banshees came closest to scoring in the third quarter, but their 36-yard field goal attempt was no good, the ball just sailing wide right.
As the game went into the fourth quarter, and with the contest so tightly matched, it seemed a case of whoever scored next would come away with the win. Berkshire seemed to be getting stronger with every moment that passed, and again put together another long, controlled drive, going 67 yards in 11 plays before punting the ball into the Banshees endzone for a touchback. Gloucester went three-and-out on their drive. Again the Renegades ploughed into the Banshees half, on the back of Tong and Drew Cameron’s strong running. On first and goal from the six yard line, quarterback Paul Waddington found Simon Pearce in the flat, and Pearce had the strength and presence of mind to reach the ball over the plane for the score.
Neal Kent’s point-after kick was no good, but Berkshire had taken the lead back, 13-12.
The Renegades defense helped hold on to that advantage, as Martin McGuire forced a fumble on Gloucester’s first play after the touchdown, and the Renegades came up with the ball. More strong running from Cameron helped Berkshire to run time off the clock, although Gloucester got the ball back following a failed fourth down conversion with two minutes left on the clock. The Banshees had to pass, and despite a couple of great catches their drive ran out of steam at midfield, allowing the Renegades to take knees to round out the game.
Final score, Berkshire 13 – Gloucester 12.
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