Reading 0 - 32 Cornish Sharks

Reading Renegades suffered their first defeat of the 2008 season, going down 0-32 against the visiting Cornish Sharks on Saturday.

The Renegades started strongly, forcing the Sharks to go three-and-out on the opening drive. Starting deep in their own half following the punt, Reading moved the ball well, but the drive stalled at their own 36-yard line, and they punted the ball back to the Sharks. Cornish then moved into the Reading redzone on the back of strong running by back Reggie Jackson, scoring when quarterback Nathan Beaman found receiver David Kriehn in the endzone from two yards out. Andrew Dixon’s point-after kick was good, and the Sharks had the lead, 0-7.

Both teams went three-and-out on their following drives, before the Sharks extended their lead just after the start of the second quarter, Jackson crossing the line from two yards out. Dixon’s point-after kick was blocked by Renegades defensive lineman Richard Hedges, and the scoreboard read 0-13.

Reading failed to move the ball on their next drive, but the defense recorded the first turnover of the day, defensive back Ian Hiscock picking off a Beaman pass at the Reading 9-yard line. The Renegade offense couldn’t capitalise though, but the defense held strong, with defensive back Nick Church making several stops on the ensuing Sharks drive, and defensive linemen Ben Armstrong and Tim Hay combining for a sack of Beaman to hold off the Cornish attack until half-time.

Neither team troubled the scoreboard in the third quarter, despite both putting together threatening drives. The teams traded turnovers, first with the Sharks intercepting Reading quarterback Paul Waddington, then with Armstrong pouncing on a Cornish fumble just inside the fourth quarter to halt the attack at the Reading 10-yard line, before Reading back Nick Coventry bobbled a pitch which the Sharks recovered. Cornish were unable to capitalise directly from this, but a couple of series later, Jackson cut through the Renegades’ defense to go in from 36 yards out. Dixon’s point-after was just wide left, but the lead had stretched to 0-19.

Reading were still struggling to move the ball, and following a punt to the Sharks, Jackson turned on the speed to go 66 yards before being dragged down at the Reading 1-yard line by defensive backs Duncan Scott and Steven Fox. Jackson wouldn’t be denied his third score of the day though, and crossed the line on the very next play. Dixon’s kick was good this time, and the scoreline was now 0-26.

Things just weren’t going right for the Renegades, who fumbled away the ensuing kick off, and Jackson went in for touchdown number four from the 20-yard line. The point-after attempt was no good, but the final score had been set at 0-32, as the clock ran out.


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