The Jetmaster Heat & Glo Croydon Rangers Hawthorn Hotel Men’s team returned to Ranger Field on Saturday, facing the 1-2 Melbourne University Royals in what had been hyped as “the match of the round” on the Gridiron DownUnder Division 1 Preview Story.
Sean Embery in full effect!
The weather forecast was bordering on apocalyptic with rain, hail, howling wind, low temperatures and “blizzards” all talked about. In the end, aside from the irregular gusts of wind, and the (bearable) low temperature, the weather was actually wonderful for an August football match.
The Rangers received the ball, and following a touchback on the opening kick-off, Jamie Stafford found Trevor Osborne seaming down the middle of the field, catching the pass about 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage before sprint, high stepping and dodging any would be tacklers to take the ball to the house on the opening play from scrimmage. An early 6-0 lead to the Rangers with just a handful of seconds off the clock.
The Corydon Rangers travelled to Geelong in the third week of Gridiron Victoria Division 1 competition, facing the Buccaneers, with both teams sitting on a 1-1 record. The match made even more meaningful with teams playing for the Jon Johnston Memorial Trophy who played with both Clubs between 2010 & 2015 before his passing last year.
The Rangers with the Jon Johnston Memorial Trophy
The Rangers got off to a quick start in windy conditions, with 2015 league MVP Jordan Beck showcasing a strengthened running game behind some good offensive line work that had been bolstered by the return of Tom Kinloch and the introduction of Hawaiian Jordan Gibson. Beck punched in the first touchdown of the day from 1 yard out midway through the first quarter.
The Croydon Rangers knew the opening to their season was going to challenging with matches against last years two VicBowl contenders in first two rounds of the season. Following a disappointing home loss in the season opener, the Rangers turned their attention to the 2016 champion Monash Warriors, trying to avoid dropping to an 0-2 start.
In incredibly windy conditions, both teams looked to the run game to move the ball, with the wind wreaking havoc on the passing game of both teams early. The Warriors started stronger, with Australian RB Luke Jackson pounding the ball along the ground. The Warriors secured a converted touchdown on their opening drive, and signs looked ominous for the Rangers.
The party is still raging at Croydon’s Springfield Reserve after the Croydon Rangers women’s team claimed the VicBowl, the state grand final of gridiron, with a 12-7 win over the Melbourne Uni Chargers on Saturday.
The Rangers entered the decider on the back of a perfect 7-0 regular season and a win over the Geelong Buccaneers in the semi-final.
The Rangers offence started with the ball but, for most of the first quarter, possession seesawed between the sides until Australian running back Tanya Russell charged 30 yards for the first touchdown of the day.
It was to be the only score for the half and the Rangers went to the break with a 6-0 lead.
