Bantam Badgers cruise, senior Badgers losing out on games

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

An extra week of practice did wonders for the Strathmore Community Football Association (SCFA) bantam Badgers.
The Badgers season opener two weeks ago against the Springbank Phoenix got cancelled, so they kicked off their Central Football League season this past weekend with a sound 52-0 victory on Sept. 15 in Drumheller against the Titans.
“We couldn’t have played any better. The kids executed everything to perfection and I think a lot of that was due to the extra week of practice,” said Badgers Head Coach Greg Zaugg.
The one-sided affair began early, when Austin McInnis fielded the first punt of the game and ran it 55 yards to the house.
“Austin’s punt return really set the tone for the game,” said Zaugg. “The kids were fired up to get going after the week off and they just started rolling after Austin put us up early.”
Closing out the opening quarter was Matthew Oslanski, who hauled in a 10-yard catch for their second score.
Brady Johansen was up next and dialed up a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second quarter; one for three yards and the other from 40 yards out.
Ty Stone, Bret Wright and Jack Warrack also got in on the touchdown party in the second half.
The Badgers will look to roll into this weekend with the same amount of energy for the Olds Bulldogs when they arrive at Crowther Memorial Junior High School field. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
This year, during all Badger home games, the SCFA will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Christmas Hamper Society. There will be a bin located near the entrance of the field for collection of the items, and then the players will deliver the food later this winter.
Unfortunately, the bantam program was the only team in action last weekend.
For the second-straight week, the senior Badgers had a team cancel on them.
This week, the Sundre Bisons called in and notified the Badgers they did not have enough players to field a team. With the forfeit, the Badgers got credit for their first win of the Mountain View Football Conference (MVFC) season.
“The kids were pretty bummed that they haven’t gotten to play yet,” said Badgers Head Coach Sean Seafoot. “We will just keep practicing and hopefully get some games in soon.”
Later in the weekend, it was announced the Didsbury Dragons have folded due to a lack of players, which put this weekend’s game in jeopardy.
“It’s definitely not a good sign,” said Seafoot. “Hopefully we get something figured out.”
The MVFC is now down to four teams: the Badgers, the Innisfail Cyclones, the Carstairs Tigers and hopefully the Bisons.
Seafoot said he will sit down with the league this week and hash out a new schedule for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, the Central Peewee Football League is in much better shape and the Badgers were only out of action because it was their scheduled bye week. They will return to the gridiron this weekend when they take on the Lacombe Explosion Sept. 22 in Lacombe.