In their season opener on Sunday, the Estevan Sherritt Coal Miners showed some chops defensively but found out they have some work to do on the offensive side of the ball.
The atom football club kicked off their season with a 36-0 loss to the Regina Bombers at Leibel Field in the provincial capital.
The Bombers scored one touchdown in the first quarter and three more in the second. But the Miners buckled down and shut the door for most of the second half, surrendering one more major in the last minute of the game.
Among the highlights defensively for the Miners, they stopped Regina three times in the red zone, including one series where the Bombers had first and goal on the three-yard line.
"The defence was on the field for three quarters of the game and they just got plum tuckered out. The offence knows we'll be better," said first-year head coach Wanda Harron.
It was a tough day for the team's offence, and Harron said that "the whole game situation was maybe a little overwhelming," particularly for the first-year players suiting up for their first game ever.
"I know we've heard the cliche before, but that score is not indicative of how we played. On the offence, I honestly think it was just a lack of polish. In practice against our defence, which I consider to be a really good defence, our offence was gaining yards left, right and centre."
Estevan fumbled the ball three times, and Harron said she believes nerves played a factor.
"I would say most of our wide receivers which we were relying on to run plays were brand new," she added.
The Miners' coaching staff, which includes Steve McLellan as offensive co-ordinator and Kevin Mortenson as defensive co-ordinator, will work in a few new plays in practice this week, as the team prepares for its home opener on Saturday against the Regina Cougars. The game starts at noon.
Harron said that on the Bombers' first touchdown drive, the Miners were "in place to make tackles," but weren't wrapping up the ball carrier.
"As soon as they were told very early in the game that you guys have to get in there and wrap, the tackling was darn near perfect for an atom team," she said.
The Miners' defence did have some trouble with the sweep in a variation of an ongoing issue last season.
"Our kids would be there, but as soon as Regina would change direction and go inside quick right away, the kids had a little bit of trouble with the change in direction," Harron said, noting that the team will work on tackling angles in practice this week.
Harron added she was impressed with the team's conditioning and the leadership shown by some players at a young age.
