Dual loss

OFC:  Bears kick off their first season in the OFC

Senior Varsity

The Senior Varsity started their season with a valiant effort but unfortunately came up short against Burlington in week one. Having moved from the OVFL to the OFC this season has been a big adjustment for the organization and they are still working out the kinks. Sticking to their game plan however, the Bears were able to take away some great lessons from week one.

Losing only 25-18, the Bears fought hard and had many chances to claim a victory. Sticking to the initial game plan was crucial and they look to improve on that against Forest City in week 2. The Bears walked away from the game down by 7, knowing that they have a chance for victory if they were matched against Burlington again.

Starting their inaugural season in the OFC against one of the top teams sets the bar high for the Senior Bears. Head coach Jeremy Macleod is happy with his team’s performance and took away plenty of positives that they will work hard on to perfect as the season progresses. The Bears lead the game until the 4^th quarter with only five minutes left. A flat second half was the dagger in their game. They now know they need to play a full 4 quarters to walk away victorious.

Offensively they are strong and have no issue moving the ball. With a big offensive line, a smart quarterback, big targets and receiver and versatile backs, the Bears are a dangerous team. The team is looking to play a more disciplined game next week and try hard to get fewer penalties. A few more catches and fewer penalties and the Bears may have walked away victorious.

Defensively they were a very strong team too. They came away with two fumble recoveries and had an extremely strong secondary. Burlington fought hard from the opening whistle and walked away with the win. With a very strong offensive line and two very talented backs, they were hard to stop.

Watch for the Bears to fix their mistakes and come back a better and stronger team in week two against Forest City.

Junior Bears

The Junior team did not fare as well as their older counterparts unfortunately. They played against a very talented Burlington squad. The score of 73-0 did not indicate how well they really played however. The Burlington team had 3 turnovers in the Bear end all resulting in touchdowns and a kickoff return for a touchdown. Burlington put 28 points on the board early that the Bears had the chance to stop.

The game quickly got out of hand and they had to adjust their game plan in an attempt to make a comeback. Stay away from the run game, the Junior Bears started throwing the ball consistently trying to move the chains.

With a few miscues on the defense, there came some more struggles. This game was a great learning experience for the team. They now know where to they need to improve and can only go up from here. They look to bring their A game against Sarnia next week looking for redemption.

The Bears will be looking to fix a few mistakes in order to keep the games close in the future. Coach Chas Douglas has all the faith in his team and knows how the season opener is not a good judge of the teams true potential. Moving into three down football against teams they have never played before is a difficult task to prepare for.

A few key players in this game included receiver Keith Bray, quarterback Walker Breen, David Livingstone and Keotae King. Keith had some big catches to help the Bears drive the field. Walker Breen stood tall in the backfield taking some big hits but never giving up. David lead the team in tackles while Keontae had two big pass deflections.

Look for the Bears to stick to their game play next week in Sarnia, playing smarter and more disciplined football. The season is still young and the Bears are ready to prove themselves in the OFC.