TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Mayhem (3-3-0) routed the
Lakeland Renegades (1-6-0) 66 to 4 Saturday afternoon, 13 July, on the fields of Tampa Catholic High School. Unlike the rain-soaked and stormy weather that Tampa and Atlanta had endured the previous Saturday, the conditions were sunny. However, the lack of cloud cover led to a hotter match-up for the Mayhem and Renegades. Saturday’s theme: Mayhem Routs Renegades.
As it turned out, the Mayhem v. Renegades match-up was Saturday’s only action in the USA Rugby League’s (USARL) South Conference.
The Tampa Mayhem started the scoring just five minutes into the game, taking a 4 to 0 lead after an unconverted try. Following the first score, Tampa would make two more tries, and one conversion prior to the 20-minute water break, giving the Mayhem a 14 to 0 lead. After the 20-minute water break, Tampa added more tries to its advantage prior to half time, building a 32 to 0 lead over the Lakeland Renegades.
After halftime, Tampa scored two more tries and a conversion, taking a 42 to 0 lead with 27 minutes left. Then, the Renegade’s T.J. Koontz broke the try line for Lakeland, putting points on the board for Tampa’s eastern native. However, Renegades Coach David Ulch missed the conversion kick, leaving the score at 42 to 4. Following Lakeland’s lone score, the Mayhem scored four more converted tries to claim its 66 to 4 win over the Renegades. Wrapping up again with Saturday’s theme: Mayhem Routs Renegades.
For the Mayhem, Jon St. Jon led Tampa with three total tries. In addition to Jon St. Jon, Justin Branca, Ben Payne, and Scotty Garren each contributed two tries for the Mayhem. Also, Bart Longchamp, Cody Blackwell, and Jordan Algere scored one try a piece for the club. Jay Kissick successfully kicked nine of his twelve conversion kicks, leading Tampa in scoring with 18 points.
Branca Wraps Up Tampa’s Take on the Game
Tampa Mayhem Captain Justin Branca wrapped up his team’s take on the game with the following:
“Over all, this was a good performance from the boys. Now, we are clicking at the right time the second half of the season. And, we are really pleased with how we’re coming together. We look forward to another home game this weekend against the Southwest Florida (SWFL) Copperheads and finish the season on a high note.”
Regarding the other scheduled game from Saturday, the Atlanta Rhinos (2-4-0) and the SWFL Copperheads (3-3-0) did not play as planned. According to Atlanta’s Captain Nickolas Newlin that, with the combination of the distance (almost ten hours) and the lack of manpower to field a 13-man team, his club felt forced to forfeit the game. The matchup was scheduled to have taken place at Lehigh Senior High School, located in Lehigh Acres, FL. The Jacksonville Axemen (6-0-0) held Saturday’s bye.
Regular Season Wrapping Up in the USARL South Conference
There are only two Saturdays left in the 2019 USARL South Conference’s (SC) regularly-scheduled season. As previously mentioned, the Tampa Mayhem plays host to the SWFL Copperheads at Tampa Catholic High School on Saturday, 20 July. Also on Saturday, to Tampa’s northeast, the Jacksonville Axemen will host the Atlanta Rhinos on the University of North Florida soccer fields. The Lakeland Renegades will take Saturday’s next-to-last bye.
Links to more information about the clubs, the USA Rugby League South Conference (USARL SC), and RWU
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To learn more about the Jacksonville Axemen, please visit the team’s website.
For more information about the Atlanta Rhinos, please visit the club’s website.
To learn more about the SWFL Copperheads, please visit the team’s website.
For more information about the Tampa Mayhem, please visit the club’s website.
To learn more about the Lakeland Renegades, the USARL SC’s newest club, please visit the team’s Facebook page.
Finally, for additional details relating to the USA Rugby League (USARL) and the league’s South Conference please visit the website.
