Berwick Miners captain and running back Shahid Malimar attempts to burst through a sea of Southern Seahawks in the teams’ clash at Springfield Reserve on Sunday. Picture courtesy Josh Button.By Marc McGowan
THE Berwick Miners put their horrid start to the Gridiron Victoria season behind them on Sunday by posting an emphatic 64-0 annihilation of the hapless Southern Seahawks at Springfield Reserve.
Following the previous weekend’s 22-6 success over the Bay City Buccaneers, the most recent result has the Miners on a level win-loss ledger after four rounds.
The match was also head coach Dale Warren’s 200th as a player and he enjoyed a sensational milestone game.
Warren, who famously caught the winning touchdown in Berwick’s 1994 grand final win with a second left on the clock, got on the end of three touchdown passes from 19-year-old quarterback Sam Walker on Sunday to have a day he will never forget.
Two of those came in the first half as the Miners romped out to a 30-0 advantage to have the game sewn up at half-time for the second week running.
Jamie Stafford, who has relished switching to wide receiver this year, claimed a pair of touchdowns, while running back Shahid Malimar scrambled for two of his own.
Walker’s monster six-touchdown passing performance also managed to get Steve Bell into the end zone for the rookie’s first ever catch and score.
Dante Newton completed the rout by intercepting a pass at the 40-yard line before evading several tacklers to record his first touchdown of the year.
The lopsided result was expected with the Seahawks lacking players for a variety of reasons and requiring several fill-ins from rival side the Nunawading Warriors just to field a team.
Berwick’s defensive captain Mark Petana, Michael Tupai and Brian Afoa delivered some huge hits and offensive linemen Warren Short, Dale Anderson, Daryl Cutler and Justin McPharlane gave great protection.
All in all, Warren was delighted to come away with the huge triumph.
“It was a great game and the morale of the team is great,” he said.
“We knew we were going to win because they were struggling with numbers, so it just depended on how good we ran and passed the ball.”
The Miners’ focus now turns to their match-up with the first-placed Western Crusaders after the bye on Saturday, 16 June at 2pm at Frank Street Reserve, Frankston.
“We have to take it to them,” Warren said. “They’re a physical team, but we are getting to become a physical team too.
“Our defence has to step up, but at the same time our offence needs to step up to allow us to be in a position to score.”
