It was a game marked by a coach being ejected and a very scary incident in the third quarter.
The Estevan Lions Club Steelers got into the end zone twice, but it wasn't nearly enough as they lost 56-15 to the Regina Lakers on Sunday at Dana Quewezance Memorial Field.
Football became an afterthought at one point in the second half when a Steelers player appeared to go into convulsions on the field after a play.
The player received medical attention and, after a few sobering moments, appeared to be OK as he was helped off the field.
The Steelers got on the board two plays later, with Levi Pick running the ball 17 yards into the end zone.
It was unclear what caused the incident, although Steelers head coach Phil Zajac - who had been ejected from the game in the second quarter - felt there should have been a flag.
"That's part of the equation of officiating in football. It's a matter of safety for the players. I know it's hard to see and I know officiating is a tough job and I know that they're volunteers. We are all volunteers," he said. "The fact that we're all trying to do our best doesn't mean we always do it right as coaches or referees. We all make mistakes. But it doesn't change the fact that it's a mistake. The number one concern is player safety. I would rather the mistake occur on the side of player safety."
Zajac had been kicked out in the second quarter for his outburst after a Steelers onside kick which he said traveled 12 yards before being recovered by Estevan.
"We're at a point where we're down three touchdowns already, so it's kind of a crucial point in the game and we recovered it, and the ball was turned over to the other team. No flag was thrown, there was no sign on the field that it was any type of illegal kick or had not traveled the distance (of 10 yards), which would be an automatic flag.
"As far as the team goes, creating momentum, especially in a home game where you haven't won a game yet, it's a huge turning point.
Unfortunately, part of my job as the head coach is to address the play. Part of the consequences is getting kicked out, but it happened."
The Lakers would score three more touchdowns before the end of the quarter to take a staggering 42-0 lead at the half.
Pick's touchdown in the third quarter made it 42-8, and the Steelers scored again late in the fourth quarter on a three-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Howie. The major came not long after the Lakers were buried deep in their own territory after a high snap forced their punter to keep the ball for a big loss.
Two of the Lakers' touchdowns on the day came on punt returns.
Zajac said he was impressed with the play of Pick, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, and first-year quarterback Andrew Kehler.
"Levi gained some yards. He's at 95 per cent now, which is good for us. He keeps getting healthier. That's a big part of our offence. Andrew has got some games under his belt now, so he's starting to settle into his position. My goal is that each week we get better. As long as we get better each week at little things, when we get to our bowl game we should be playing at our peak, and as a team, that's what you want."
Zajac added that he was happy with the Steelers' time of possession and ability to march the ball in the second half.
"For me, that's a huge building block that shows we can still play when we're into the second half and we're tired and we can still score touchdowns. It's big for us."
Estevan is back at home on Saturday, as they host the Regina Sun Devils at noon in their final regular season home game.
