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Bucs continue winning ways

Josh Blanchard of the Central Alberta Buccaneers tries to evade a tackle by Randy McLean of the St. Albert Stars during AFL action at M.E. Global Field Saturday evening. The Bucs defeated the Stars 41-8, extending their season record to 3-0. Ashli Barrett/Lacombe Globe/Postmedia Network

Josh Blanchard of the Central Alberta Buccaneers tries to evade a tackle by Randy McLean of the St. Albert Stars during AFL action at M.E. Global Field Saturday evening. The Bucs defeated the Stars 41-8, extending their season record to 3-0. Ashli Barrett/Lacombe Globe/Postmedia Network

Ashli Barrett – Lacombe Globe – Friday, June 17, 2016

For the moment, the Central Alberta Buccaneers can enjoy the view from atop the Alberta Football League (AFL) standings.

Following a 41-8 victory over the St. Albert Stars Saturday at ME Global Field on Saturday, the Bucs now sit beside the Calgary Gators for first place.

But while the pirate crew now holds a perfect 3-0 record on the season, they don’t plan on easing up on the opposition anytime soon.

“We can’t rest until we get to the big game, which is, of course, the national championship,” said Head Coach Devon Hand. “We just have to take each win in stride and focus on the next opponent and just keep going.

“We have some guys making some big plays and some explosive playmakers. We just have to come out and compete and they are good to make plays.”

Unlike their past two efforts, the Bucs latest win came with contributions their second and third-string players, including Lacombe native Judah Knipp.

“It was great for Judah because he’s a Lacombe guy,” said Hand. “It’s great to have a local quarterback get in there in his home field in his hometown and get some reps.”

The Bucs were up ahead 38-0 after the third quarter, and It wasn’t until the final few minutes of play that the Stars generated a single touchdown and a two point conversion.

While an even 41-0 score would’ve looked nice, Hand appreciated the opportunity to get some other guys onto the field.

“You always want the shutout, but you have to play your guys. We have a pretty deep roster so you want to make sure your twos and threes get some playing time. It was a good game for that.”

Bucs fans would say it was a good game period, which featured a number of fantastic plays, including a 99-yard touchdown by Jess McPhail, and a few huge tackles that could almost be felt on the sidelines.

Now, the Bucs have a long roadtrip to look forward to, which won’t see them play at home again until July 23 against the Airdrie Irish.

They’ll have a few big tests, starting with the Lloydminster Vandals Saturday, before taking a two-week hiatus. They’ll face the Calgary Wolfpack on July 9 and the Garos on July 16.

“The focus is to maintain composure on the road and then stay as healthy as possible,” Hand said. “You don’t want to look too far ahead and take anyone lightly.”

The game was dedicated to Big Brothers Big Sisters, with a handful of children and their mentors having the opportunity to meet the players after the game.