It wasn’t easy, but the Estevan Century 21 peewee Chargers football team is now 3-0 after barely pulling out a 12-8 win over a strong Moose Jaw Riders club Friday at Dana Quewezance Memorial Field.
The Riders had the Chargers where they wanted them late in the fourth quarter. The hometown boys and girls were under pressure and pinned deep in their zone when Chargers' quarterback Kaleb Bechtold scrambled away from oncoming offensive linesman and delivered a pass to Mason Mack who ran it 47 yards down the field to seal the close win.
Down 8-6 heading into the second half the Chargers went up for good in the third quarter when Curtis Phillipchuk caught a Bechtold pass just inside the end zone on a broken play. Estevan first got on the board in the first quarter on a one-yard dive into the end zone by Bechtold putting them up 6-0, but a reply by Moose Jaw in the second frame had them in the lead 8-6 with the convert.
“The whole game was back and forth,” said Chargers head coach Jason Bresciani. “For us defensively we couldn’t stop their outside run. It took us a while to adjust to that. Offensively through the whole game we were able to attack the inside. We did get a couple passes off and got some major yards on those.”
Bresciani said their defence stepped up big when needed, just as it has throughout this young season, and the kids who protect the Estevan end zone were a major part in the victory over the Riders. He said their run game mixed with a good passing attack has helped give them a strong balance on both sides of the ball, which has led to the great record this season.
“Our defence is very strong and our offence is moving the football,” he said. “The key for us being successful is just working together, being together and executing as one whole team.”
The Chargers biggest test of the season comes this Wednesday when the team travels to Weyburn to take on the 3-0 Eagles, who have yet to concede a point this year. Bresciani said he doesn’t know what to expect when the friendly rivals meet, but it should be a fun game.
“It’s going to be a challenge on both sides, offensively to score against them, but defensively I think we can shut them down,” said Bresciani. “My feeling is (it’ll be) a low-scoring game and who knows who’s going to come out.”
