Badgers play league medals

By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter

The Strathmore Community Football Association (SCFA) bantam Badgers passed their last ball this season – the local team lost out in the Central Football League bronze medal game 22-8 on Nov. 3 against the Rocky Mountain House Rebels.
“The boys played really well. The kids went out there and they gave it their all, they played really hard,” said head coach Greg Zaugg. “It was a tough team that we played against and at the end of the day we couldn’t quite come up hard enough against their defence.”
The defensive touchdown the Badgers scored was one made of recognition and quick footwork. After the Rebels dropped the ball during a backward pass, with a little help from a local Badger, the Badgers were quick to pick the ball up and run it back for their only touchdown of the game.
With the end of the season upon the team, they are looking forward to next year and the challenge of training new and existing players. They will be losing approximately 75 per cent of their players to the senior team with the majority graduating Grade 9 this year.
The large change could come as a hit after the team was able to place fourth overall in the league this year, a major switch from having not won a single game in the season prior.
“Last year they didn’t win any games. This year they placed fourth in the league,” said Zaugg. “I really hope that every kid that’s on this team is holding their head up high and proud of what they’ve accomplished because they have worked their butts off for it. They earned it this year, they worked so hard.”

Silver for seniors
The SCFA senior Badgers couldn’t steal the league championship title away from the now five-in-a-row league champions, the Innisfail Cyclones, this past weekend at the finals on Nov. 3 in Innisfail.
The Cyclones have swept the Badgers in every game this season, and although the Badgers thought they had their moves figured out, the Cyclones swept them one last time, 44-12.
“It definitely didn’t go how we wanted it, we didn’t come out with the big W, but it was a good game in the second and third quarter,” said head coach Sean Seafoot. “We played Innisfail a few times throughout the season so we had the chance to beat them. You go in wanting to win but it comes out not the way you hoped sometimes and that’s all right, but it sucks to end the season that way.”
The defence played strong all season long and the team looks forward to carrying that strength into next year and building up their offensive line. But first, they need to recruit some new players to replace the ones they will be losing.
“It’s hard for us because we are always competing with Strathmore High School (for players.) The league had a really hard time this year … it may be a nice little recruiting war again next year,” said Seafoot.