The Calgary Colts are only scheduled to play the Saskatoon Hilltops once this season. Try telling that to the Calgary Colts.
βWeβre going to see βem againβ come playoff time, vowed Colts quarterback Clayton Masikewich (3rd year, Calgary, John G. Diefenbaker HS).
βAnd weβve got some work to do between now and then,β added linebacker Stephen Dereniwski (2nd year, Medicine Hat, Alta., Medicine Hat HS).
Sunday afternoon at McMahon Stadium, during a highly anticipated, first-place Prairie Football Conference showdown, the Hilltops shaded the Colts 22-15. Quarterback Chase Bradshawβs 49-yard ramble up the middle for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter was the telling blow for the βTops, who improve to 5-0 while sending the Colts (4-1) to their first loss of this junior gridiron campaign.
The Colts knew they needed to play virtual error-free football against the defending Canadian Junior Football League champions to win, and βwe sure didnβt get that,β offered veteran head coach Keith Kendal, pointing to Calgaryβs three fumbles and one interception.
The hosts made a couple of critical errors in the final eight minutes that sealed their fate. With eight minutes left, after the Colts forced a fumble by Saskatoonβs Brendon Gryba and drove 40 yards to the Saskatoon 10, running back Cuong Thai Lieu (3rd year, Nanaimo, B.C., John Barsby HS) fumbled the ball and the Hilltops recovered, keeping the score 22-12. And with 1:18 left and the Colts down by a major, Doug Long (4th year, Calgary, Bowness HS) fumbled a punt return at the Calgary 45, all but erasing any Colts chances at a comeback.
The usually rock-steady Andrew Fabian (2nd year, Tilley, Alta., Brooks Composite HS), meanwhile, only connected on one of four field-goal attempts for the Colts, missing tries of 37, 40, and 41 yards.
All was not doom and gloom for Kendalβs posse, though. Masikewich and the offence were able to move the ball fairly consistently in the second half, opening the third quarter with an 84-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown strike to Mac Sarro (2nd year, Calgary, Notre Dame HS).
βThe little things. Thatβs what this game really came down to,β said Masikewich. βWe do the little things right, weβll be successful. (The Hilltops) do the little things very well, and they always have. Thatβs what we need to take from this game.
βWe showed today that we can play with these guys β if we play.β
The Colts are now alone in second place in PFC standings β two points up on the Winnipeg Rifles (3-2), who fell behind 31-9 in Regina Sunday and lost 31-29 to the host Thunder.
The Colts and Rifles will play each other twice in the final three weeks of the regular season, with the first clash coming Sunday, Sept. 25 at Winnipegβs Canad Inns Stadium.
The Hilltops really made hay during Sundayβs second quarter, while the Coltsβ offence sputtered to six straight two-and-outs.
Running back Regan Schuler, the PFCβs leading rusher, crashed over from one yard out 1:20 into the second stanza to make it 7-4 Saskatoon. And 11 minutes later, after Calgary safety Pat MacDonald (3rd year, Calgary, St. Maryβs HS) nearly intercepted Bradshaw in the end zone, and a Calgary unnecessary roughness penalty kept the drive alive, rather than forcing Saskatoon to settle for three, Bradshaw found Chad Braun for an 11-yard strike and a 15-4 advantage.
The Coltsβ defence threw a blanket over the βTops through the third quarter, in particular, holding Saskatoon to that lone Bradshaw major over the final 30 minutes.
βWe felt the game coming into our hands in the second half, but a couple of big plays completely turned the game around,β said Dereniwski. βBut like the coaches said, theyβre the defending national champs and they beat us by seven points.
βWeβre going to absorb this loss, but Tuesday weβll be back at work with our eyes on the prize again.β
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