SHS fall, peewee prevails

Times Reporter   

 

The Strathmore High School (SHS) Spartans football team traveled to Drumheller on Sept. 6, while the peewee Spartans faced off against Innisfail at McMahon Stadium the following day. It was the first game of the season for both teams; SHS were shut out 68-0, but the peewees gave the Innisfail Cyclones a similar punishment of 41-0.

“The scoreboard wasn’t very nice,” said Carl Seafoot, head coach of SHS. “We’ve been struggling for players since we started up so we’re just finally getting enough players to be able to do even one side scrimmaging.”

Seafoot would ideally want 35 players for his team; 20 competed in Drumheller.

“Some of them had only been around for a week,” Seafoot said. “We were nowhere prepared as much as Drumheller, and I know they started up earlier this year. They’ve been working for a while.”

Experience is lacking for SHS; roughly half of the team are in their rookie year.

“We just gotta get some execution going,” Seafoot said. “We went to Drum, we took a kick in there, but overall as the game progressed, you saw people catching on to what they were supposed to be doing.”

Seafoot said that it’s not only offense that was lacking, but the team’s defense as well.

“Both sides were hurting, offence wasn’t executing, we weren’t gaining any yards,” he said. “We had a few good plays that worked, but we were hit and miss; defense was much the same.” 

At the end of the game, his team was looking forward and still in good spirits despite the very one-sided loss.

“With practices this week, we’ll be able to fine tune some things and be able to put a better effort on the field,” Seafoot said; the SHS Spartans face Medicine Hat High School (MHHS) at home this Saturday, Sept. 14.

Chuck Holloway’s peewees had a much stronger start to the year.

“The game went really good,” he said. “They passed well, and the line blocked well. They prevented the rush from getting to my quarterback.”

Holloway noted that Zach Palardy had a very successful game at centre, and he hopes for him to continue that streak against Lacombe at home on Sept. 14.

“Overall, I think the series is tied, but last year Lacombe beat us twice,” Holloway said. “Last year at this time we didn’t have a strong line. So hopefully our line, the way it is, is better.”

Last season, the Lacombe Explosion won the Tier 3 Provincial Championship against the Red Deer Stealers.

“They’re looking pretty strong this year as well,” Holloway said.