American Football BAFA Southern Conference Division Two West
By Twm Owen
South Wales Warriors 48, Worcestershire Black Knights 0
The Worcestershire Black Knights watched video footage of their heavy home defeat to the South Wales Warriors and then acted out a repeat performance in Llanharan.
The Warriors returned from Worcester with a 0-48 victory a fortnight ago and achieved the exact same score in this return fixture, running in six touchdowns to maintain their perfect start to the season.
Black Knights defensive coordinator Alex Grimsley, in charge due to head coach Rich Smith being unwell, felt his team had been better prepared for the division leaders who, in June, steamrolled their way through the visitors.
He said: “I think we came in a bit more prepared, we looked at the footage, and prepared for what was coming at us, but that was not enough and we didn’t execute. We had lower numbers than we normally do and had players filling in, with offense playing defense and defense on offense, it was a bit of iron man football.”
The Warriors started to form, forcing the Black Knights to punt after running just three plays, and on offense moving the ball downfield through running back Joshua Hughes.
Quarterback Dean Jackson then unleashed his right arm throwing a 25-yard pass down the left sideline which receiver Michael Hiles had to out jump the cornerback to claim and turn into the end zone to score from the Warriors first possession. Hughes ran in the two-point conversion.
A Christopher Bartlett-Legge interception allowed running backs Hughes and Liam Thomas to carry the Warriors downfield and Hughes went over the for the second touchdown from five yards out. Mick Duncan swooped to grab Jackson’s pass and add the two points.
Not content with a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter the Warriors surprised the Black Knights with an onside kick to deny them the chance to immediately respond. Owen Griffiths recovered the kickoff at Worcestershire’s 30-yard line to set up what would be a crucial second period.
Thomas collected a pitch pass to sprint most of the 30-yards to the Black Knights line and on the first play of the second quarter ran in the remaining three yards for the score, before doing the same for the two-points.
Both sides appeared to have little tolerance of each other with pushes and shoves leading to the officials’ yellow flags flying. Things took a comical turn when Black Knights’ defender Toby Rhodes flopped backwards, World Cup style, after a late – but soft – two hands to the chest from Warriors offensive lineman Daniel Emberson.
After play re-started the Warriors found themselves one yard short of a first down at the Black Knights 20-yard line and the defense held firm. But the Worcestershire offense couldn’t capitalise and instead gifted a score to their hosts.
Quarterback Matt Cole had never looked comfortable in the Black Knights short, quick passing game and a hurried throw wide right was swallowed up by Warriors linebacker Nate Webb who had a free passage to the end zone from 25-yards out. Patrick Burchell ran in the two-point conversion for a 32-0 lead.
Inside the final minutes of the half the Black Knights made progress, driving from their own 29-yard line to the Warriors 2-yard line. Penalties and negative yardage pushed them further back but Cole overshot Chris Jones on second and goal. On third down the receiver, who had been his side’s most dangerous attacker, dropped a pass in the end zone and Cole again overthrew his target on fourth down.
The third quarter was a scrappy affair with the highlight an interception by Black Knights defensive back Lewis Horton who was alert enough to collect the ricochet after Jackson’s pass was batted back towards the line of scrimmage by teammate Oli Bourne who had picked off the Warriors QB earlier in the half.
With nine minutes remaining in the game a four-yard pass from Jackson to Joshua Hurford gave the Warriors their fifth touchdown and invoked the mercy rule to keep the game clock running as the points difference passed 34. The pair repeated the play, from a yard closer, to add the two points.
Hungry for more points the Warriors again collected the onside kick and had to race against the clock to add their sixth and final touchdown. Jackson and Lawrence Tuckett combined for an impressive pass and catch along the left sideline and Jackson threw his third touchdown pass of the afternoon to Bevan Murphy from nine-yards out. Hughes ran in the two points.
Dean Carless intercepted Ian Hughes, who showed some promise after coming in as relief for Cole, but the Warriors offense failed to take advantage. Receiver Isaac Taylor raced down the middle of the field but his 30-yard catch and run was brought to an end with a tap tackle inside the Black Knights 10-yard line. A pass through the outstretched finger tips of Duncan was the nearest the Warriors came to adding a seventh score before the full-time whistle.
Warriors line backers coach Huw Bebb said: “We were still our own worst enemy and halted our own momentum with penalties. It was similar to the last game, it had a lot of penalties and a bit of niggle, but we had some good series on both sides of the ball.”