Weather Fails To Dampen Raiders Romp
1st November 1992
Worthing Guardians 0 Bournemouth Raiders 14
Despite not playing for over a year and a half, and the team now being one year overage, Mark Elliott received a call in the Autumn of 1992 from the Worthing Guardians headcoach requesting a friendly match. Worthing were planning to enter a side into the National League for the 1993 season and were looking for meaningful fixtures for their inexperienced side.
Mark tried to bring the old Raiders side back together but was hampered by the fact that respected players such as Arnold, Hobson, Haughton, Reeks, Rich Smith and Steve Shergold had all gone to University. Other members of the Raiders successful 1991 campaign that were unable to play for one reason or another included: Bradley Smith, Simon Osborn, Ian Loveless, Kevin Mason and Matt White.
The Raiders were able to call on the experience of Mark Elliott, Alex Moland, Matt Heasman, Stuart Winship, Rich Cleveland, James Savage and Kevin Shergold. Also a coup for the team was the pre-match signing of ex-Bearcats QB Luke Sanders (who by now was starting for the local men's team). Richard Wilson, who played for Bournemouth School against the Bearcats back in 1988/89, made his first appearance for the Raiders, and the squad was completed by Robert Winkley & Bene Lewis.
In monsoon conditions, the Raiders at first were unsure whether the game would actually go ahead.
Worthing opened up with a running game, but struggled for yards, as did the Raiders on their opening drives, and it became clear that it would be difficult to score many points in these conditions. Elliott rushed four times in the opening couple of drives for little gain, and Cleveland caught an 8 yard pass over the middle, before Sanders secured the Raiders first 1st down of the game following good blocking of the offensive line with a QB sneak. Sanders then threw his only interception of the game which ended the promising drive.
On the next drive, Raiders took the lead. After Stu Winship stopped a Guardians reverse for a 15 yard loss, Moland and Sanders sacked the Guardians QB for a safety to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead.
The Guardians then kicked off and Savage returned the ball 5yards. The Raiders followed this with a great drive. Sanders ran another QB sneak, with again excellent blocking and gained 8 yards, which was followed by a 6 yard run by Elliott for a first down. A two yard gain by Elliott on a draw play was then followed by some improvisation by Sanders. As he dropped back to pass, it appeared that he was sacked but the referee did not give it. He spun away and threw the ball underarm to Elliott who ran 18 yards down the touchline for another first down. Unfortunately the drive then stalled and the Raiders were forced to punt.
The Raiders D, as they so often do, were toughening up and again forced Worthing to punt after three straight incomplete passes. The teams then traded punts until half-time.
The weather began to brighten up, and Worthing opened up the second half with Moland sacking their QB on the first play. Ben Kidd was then toast as Worthing completed their first big gain of the day with a 15 yard pass play. Worthing faced a fourth down though and were forced to punt. A muffed snap forced their punter into running and he was tackled after a gain of only 1 yard and the ball was turned over to the Raiders on downs.
Elliott ran the ball again and registered a first down, but the drive was brought to a halt after two fumbled snaps in a row in the slippery conditions. As the heavens opened again, Rich Cleveland put the game beyond Worthing's reach as he intercepted a Worthing pass and ran it back 5 yards for a TD.
On the Guardians next drive the Raiders turned the ball over on downs again, and on the Raiders next play from scrimmage they scored again. Sanders stayed in the pocket and hit Kevin Shergold for a 23 yard pass and he walzed into the endzone to put the Raiders 14-0 up. The 2 PAT was muffed.
Worthing on their final possession put together their only meaningful drive of the day as they connected on passes of 12 and 25 yards to drive into the Raiders red-zone. Successive sacks by Savage and then Sanders stopped their drive in it's tracks, and Kevin Shergold's interception on Worthing's last play earned the Raiders D a deserved shut out.
TEAM
Back row (left to right) - Alex Moland, Richard Wilson, Luke Sanders, Mark Elliott,
Kevin Shergold, Robert Winkley, Bene Lewis
Front row (left to right) - Matt Heasman, Richard Cleveland, Stuart Winship, James Savage
STATS
PASSING
SANDERS 7-13-1-65-1
WINSHIP 0-1-0-0-0
RUSHING
ELLIOTT 14-17
SANDERS 2-10
WINKLEY 1- (-2)
RECEIVING
K.SHERGOLD 3-34-1
ELLIOTT 2-23
CLEVELAND 2-8
SACKS
MOLAND 1.5
SANDERS 1.5
CLEVELAND 1.0
SAVAGE 1.0
INTERCEPTIONS
CLEVELAND 1-5-1
K.SHERGOLD 1-0
PUNT RETURNS
ELLIOTT 1-2
KICK RETURNS
ELLIOTT 1-12
SAVAGE 1-5
| 1st quarter | 2nd quarter | 3rd quarter | 4th quarter | Full-time | |
| Worthing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Raiders | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 |