Berkshire Renegades romped to an emphatic victory as they beat the visiting Plymouth Admirals 70-22 on Sunday.
After both teams traded punts on their opening drive, Berkshire defensive back Duncan Scott stole the advantage as he intercepted Plymouth quarterback Samuel Newland on the Admirals’ 40-yard line. Two completions from Renegades quarterback Andy Hollands to Simon Pearce, and a short run from Ian Lakin put the ball on the 13-yard line, from where Hollands connected with receiver Jim White for the opening score. James Treherne’s point-after kick was good, and it was 7-0 to the home team.
Plymouth took the lead on the back of a 14 play, 80 yard drive when Newland found Kieran Luscombe for a 26-yard touchdown pass. Newland then teamed up with Thomas Bornet for the 2-point conversion, and it was 7-8.
The lead lasted all of one play. Following a blistering 69 yard zig-zagging kickoff return from Sam Marshall, the Renegades started their drive on the Plymouth 13 yard line, and Lakin wasted no time in crossing the line for a touchdown. Hollands and Pearce combined again for the 2-point conversion, and it was 15-8 to the Renegades at the end of the first quarter.
Berkshire did not let up in the second quarter, firstly with Hollands connecting with Marshall, who made the most of some excellent blocking from his fellow receivers to race 62 yards for a score. The 2-point attempt was unsuccessful, but it was now 21-8. The Renegades defense then stepped in, firstly with defensive end Jamie Foster sacking Newland for a loss of 6 yards, before defensive back Chris Hollands looked to have scored on an interception of Newland, but was brought down just shy of the goalline at the end of a 36 yard return. Chris Whiteoak made the most of the excellent field position, crashing over the line. Treherne’s point-after kick was good, and the lead had stretched to 28-8.
The home team would score twice more before the break, first with Lakin following blocks to go 70 yards for a touchdown (point-after kick no good) and then with Hollands and Marshall combining again for a 10-yards touchdown completion (2-point conversion no good). At the half, it was 40-8 to Berkshire.
If the Renegades were thinking that Plymouth was done for the day, they were mistaken. In the third quarter, Newland connected with Tim Rogers for a 39-yard touchdown completion, with Rogers successfully converting the 2-point attempt, making it 40-16. Then at the start of the fourth quarter, Rogers again broke the plane, this time from 3 yards out. On the ensuing 2-point conversion, the defense struck in style – defensive tackle Sam Thornton intercepted the pass, and streaked away downfield for a 98 yard return, stealing the 2 points from the Admirals and setting the scoreboard at 42-22.
Berkshire had had their wake-up call, and refocused. Lakin scored from 46 yards out, and replacement quarterback Paul Waddington hooked up with Pearce for the 2-point conversion, 50-22. Again the defense struck, with Mike Billinghurst forcing a fumble which was gratefully pounced on by Ben Flanagan. Berkshire made the most of the turnover, Waddington and Pearce combining for a 4 yard touchdown completion. Treherne’s leg was good again, and it was 57-22.
Then the Special Teams chipped into the scoring, as Steve Fox pounced on a Plymouth punt that crashed into the personal protector, recovering the ball in the endzone for the score. Drew Cameron stepped in for the point-after kick, and converted – 64-22. Cameron would round out the scoring late in the fourth, cutting to the outside and outpacing the Plymouth defense for a 26 yard score. His point-after kick clattered off the crossbar, and the final score was set at 70-22. The Renegades defense finished the game in style, Thornton recovering a fumble, and Berkshire took a knee to seal the victory.
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