The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs football team showed promise on both sides of the ball in their first game of the season Thursday at Darold Kot Field in Weyburn, but two key interceptions against proved the difference in their 17-7 loss to the Eagles.
“There was a lot of encouraging things,” said Elecs head coach Mark Schott. “We moved the ball well on offence in the middle of the field. Defensively we held them to one offensive touchdown, so if we do that every game we’re putting ourselves in pretty good shape to come out on top. We just have to capitalize when we have the opportunity to put up points and finish drives. That didn’t happen as much as we need it to.”
The Weyburn Eagles gave the large crowd cheering them on in their first home game of the year something to yell about with the game tied at 13:11 of the first quarter and the Eagles lining up on Estevan’s one-yard line on a first-and-goal. Eagles running back Braydon Johnston took the hand-off and ran it in giving Weyburn the first score of the game and after Garett Hoffart made the convert put them up 7-0.
The Elecs would counter quickly. On first-and-goal with 10:49 left in the second quarter, Estevan quarterback Andrew Kehler passed the ball to Donny Mortenson for the score and a convert by Cameron Rioux tied up the game at sevens.
After an attempted Elecs punt went awry due to a high snap and subsequent turnover on their 20-yard-line, Weyburn would put their offence in gear once again. They advanced to the two-yard line, but could not penetrate the strong Elecs defence who held them to a field goal on the play giving the Eagles a 10-7 lead with 1:40 left in the first half.
The next Elecs possession didn’t gain any points, but provided the first of two momentum swinging moments in the game. After driving the ball down the field, thanks in part to a strong 40-yard return by Rioux, Estevan found themselves at Weyburn’s one-yard line with four seconds left in the half.
An errant pass that was intercepted by Jordan Barsness stopped the drive. Thirteen minutes and 19 seconds into the third quarter Weyburn gained another interception, with this one being a pick-six by defensive back Adair Borys that would put Weyburn up 17-7.
“It was very close,” said Eagles head coach Darren Abel. “That interception for the touchdown changed the complexion of the game. The one interception on the goal line, when they were moving in to take the lead or tie it up, we were lucky to get a few picks to change things.”
Schott said leaving points on the board came back to bite them in the end, but it doesn’t change their focus on being aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. He said they have a lot of talent with their offensive line, backs and receivers and with some fine tuning should be good moving forward.
“It was a good learning experience for the first game of the season and for a team that has a lot of youth and inexperience,” he said. “We came up here and put on a good showing and hopefully we can build off that.”
