Despite a 21-7 final score for the Foam Lake Panthers to close out the Sacred Heart 9-Man football season opener at home, the Saints look to be headed in the right direction from last year.
In 2012 the Panthers blew the Saints out on Sacred's home field, this year the Saints shut out the Panthers until late on in the second half, where the Panthers outside running strategy ultimately wore down the Saints on a hot September afternoon. Sacred built a 7-0 lead in the first half off a timely turnover that followed with a touchdown catch by grade nine wideout Nathan Cochrane on the final play of the quarter to set off what was looking like a potential Saints upset.
The improved new look Saints continued to play stingy defense in the third quarter, but Foam Lake kept working the run, using swing blocking schemes on power sweeps for much of the second half before they finally broke through to tie up the game. From there the Saints ran out of gas, but were in the game until the final drive of the game, a result that coach Trent Senger feels points the Sacred football program in the right direction.
"There are many positives from this game especially the play of a handful of grade nine and grade ten athletes who have never played football before who stepped up and showed us that we have a lot of talent to work with this year," mentions Senger who feels that the Panthers will once again be one of the top teams in the East Central 9-Man league.
Next for Sacred is a midweek road game against the MCS Cobras down the Highway 10 in Melville that will be another big test for the young Saints. Senger plans on sticking with the likes of the Cobras and Panthers this year and restoring Sacred's usual status as a league contender in 2013. If they can build on the first three quarters of Week One, they will.
