CFCs Calgary Midget Game of the Week: Classic yet fantastic rivalry

“It is a fantastic rivalry and since some of our players go to high school together it always ups the ante for bragging rights.”

Those are the comments of Calgary Mavericks Head Coach Scott Rideout as the team anticipates a tough match against rivals Calgary Cowboys in this week’s Calgary Area Midget Football Association (CAMFA) Game of the Week.

“Every year they give us headaches and in the seven years I have coached midget we seem to trade victories every few years, so it makes for exciting football,” expressed Rideout of the rivalry.  “I can only remember one game that wasn’t decided by more than a touchdown, and the Cowboys beat us by about 21.”

Equally, the Mavericks are looking forward to the game on Thursday night.

“The Mavericks game is always an exciting one between our clubs as many of our players also play together in the fall,” commented Mavericks Head Coach Brad Parkinson.

In preparation for the game, the Mavericks have to decide who to field for the game.  What will be taken into account is finding a way to contain the Cowboys potent offense.

“We are battling some injuries so our game plan has been modified as we haven’t confirmed our starting line up yet,” added Rideout.  “The Cowboys have an excellent front seven and are always such a well-coached team we will have to earn every yard and every point.”

“Their offense is coming off an explosive performance so we will do our best to contain their many talented players.”

After the Mavericks 38-21 victory over the Northern Raiders, Rideout said that players on the offensive side of the ball will be counted upon the lead the team based on solid performances in week 1.

“Nathan Rowe and Kaeden Armstrong played really well in week one, and we expect the same from them this week,” assessed the Mavericks Head Coach.  “Jon Girma saw a lot of attention against the Raiders and hopefully with Rowe’s breakout performance he will get less attention.”
“Avery McCuaig was a monster at practice last night and I can’t remember the last time I saw a player this hungry for a game.  Against Airdrie, Taishi Hamilton anchored our offensive line which has been a pleasant surprise for the 2014 Mavs and we hope those five players can step up against an aggressive front.”

Equally, the defensive unit will be expected to improve upon their performance from the previous week.

“Defensively, we had a great team effort in week 1 as Steven Finot had a dominant game with the help of our entire front seven,” commented RIdeout.  “Our linebackers played well as a unit and we are hoping rookie cornerback Deane Leonard can duplicate the game he had with three huge knockdowns in his first midget game last week.”

“Starting Safety Jessie Peterson could surprise this week against the Cowboys passing attack as he converted from running back/wide receiver just this year and has been improving daily.  Jacob Izquierdo had a huge game with three touchdowns and two on special teams, Aaron Sayer, our Special Team’s and Defensive Backs Coach, will have his hands full with him.  Their running game looked sharp, scoring a long run on their opening play. We are looking forward to a year where the Cowboys don’t have one of the best defenses in the league, but for now our team can get excited to see how we fair against one of the best.  With only one game of film, we do know their front seven will apply pressure and be in our face all game.”

As for the Cowboys, the team will approach this game with a business as usual mentality.

“We approach this game as we do every other in our league,” said Parkinson.  “Every team is competitive, the Mavericks included, and failing to not prepare properly will usually lead to a loss and affect our goal.”

“The Mavericks are talented at every position and our job is to compete every play and look to win our 1 on 1 battles each play. Players like Colton Hunchak, Kaedon Armstrong, Nathan Rowe and Avery McQuiag are threats to score every play, while defensively Patrick Apuzzo, and Steven Finot play hard and aggressive and we will need to account for them.”

While this is only week two of the CAMFA season, a classic rivalry such as this one could have an impact further down the road when it comes close to playoff time.

“In a six game season every game is huge for our program and as Todd MacKay our Running Backs Coach always says “the next game is the most important game”,” explained Rideout.  “We know this game will be a battle. “

“Win or lose I don’t think the outcome of a week 2 game necessarily tells the tale of how the chips may fall in the playoffs.  Having said that, a win against a strong division rival would certainly put us in a much better position to achieve our goal of making the playoffs.“

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