The Solent Thrashers American football team started their 2014 season in the best possible way – with a 48-0 win over Bristol Apache.

After falling one game short of making the Britbowl Championship game last season, the Thrashers’ new look team wasted no time in making ammends at Bristol.

New Quarterback Ted Baynham, marched down the field and punched the ball in on a Gavin Hart run to take an early lead 6-0. Bristol looked to get their pass game going, but the versatile Brad Sawyers quickly read a receiver screen and jumped the route, intercepting the pass and running it in for the second score of the game to go up 13-0.

Late in the half Baynham hit receiver Josh Gomarsall for a 82 yard strike that put Solent up 19-0 going into the break.

In the third quarter Chris Richards caught a 28-yard touchdown pass for Solent to go up 26-0 and soon after Josh Amis ran in a 77-yard punt return to open his account for the season.

Amis added a second soon after, going over after George Griffiths had been halted just a yard from the goalline.

The final score came when Baynham marched 40 yards before pitching off to Jake Harvey, who took the ball in to make it 48-0. Solent have no time to rest as they now face the Gloucester Centurions away, a team that fell just short of the play-offs last season.