Todd Lewis – Central Alberta Buccaneers chairperson – Monday, June 20, 2016

The Central Alberta Buccaneers hopped on the bus for their first long road trip of the 2016 season. They were matched up against the 2-0 Lloydminster Vandals – both teams hoped to remain undefeated at the final whistle.

The Buccaneer offence wasted little time getting rolling; after the initial kickoff, the pirate O needed only two plays before they found that Vandals’ end zone. It wouldn’t be the last.

“I thought we made a lot of big plays on the offensive side of the ball,” said Buccaneer quarterback, Brandon Leyh.”We have a ton of playmakers; it seems like only a matter of time until one of them would break one loose.”

While the Buc offence was firing on all cylinders, their defence was slow to start. The Vandal offence was able to run the ball deep into Buc territory several times in the first quarter.

“Lloyd came out really hard. I think we were taken back by it to be honest. They hit hard throughout the game,” said Leyh.

However, the Vandals early momentum was slowed each time and they were limited to a single field goal. The Buccaneer defense rallied for the remainder of the game and played with more consistency.

After the final whistle, the Bucs were victorious with a convincing 65-3 win. They are tied for first in the AFL with a 4-0 record (Calgary Gators are 4-0 as well).

Looking forward, the Bucs have a long road ahead of them before they compete for the AFL championship. While they have had success in the first half of the season, they cannot rest on their laurels.

“We need to clean up the little things. Penalties are killing us; we have to be the more disciplined team going forward. We have the pieces but we have a long way to go.”

The Bucs enter a bye week where they can practice, rest, and heal any injuries. Their next game is set on July 9 in Calgary against the Wolfpack.

During the Bucs’ bye week, the team is holding a fundraiser for their national championship aspirations. Big Bend Market in Red Deer is donating a portion of all sales on June 25 to the pirate squad. Not only will customers enjoy Big Bend’s gourmet meat, they will be helping the Bucs immensely.

For more details on the Bucs, visit the team’s Facebook page, follow their Instagram/Twitter @CABucs, and visit www.cabucs.com.

Fort McMurray Monarchs running back Melvin Abankwah dives into the end zone to score a touchdown against the Grande Prairie Drillers during Alberta Football League action at Shell Place in Fort McMurray Alta. on Saturday June 18, 2016. The Monarchs defeated the Drillers 79-3 Saturday night in their first game back in Fort McMurray since being displaced due to May’s wildfires. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network

Robert Murray – Fort McMurray Today – Sunday, June 19, 2016

In their return to town and season debut to Shell Place, the Fort McMurray Monarchs made a strong statement.

The team followed up a tribute to first responders in the region by beating the Grande Prairie Drillers over every inch of the field Saturday, coming out on the favourable side of a 79-3 shellacking.

“Regardless off the score, we came out here to get some work done today,” said Monarchs head coach Dave Spence. “We needed to do some things offensively, the run game, we ran the ball extremely well today and we wanted to establish that.”

With the Monarchs’ desire to have the Calgary Gators for their main course next weekend on the road, the Drillers were served up as the appetizer, with points piling up for the Monarchs.

Melvin Abankwah kickstarted the Monarchs’ offence, as he’s done since his arrival in Fort McMurray. A big leap into the endzone for the team’s first touchdown came before the game was even three minutes old. Touchdowns 45 seconds apart in the middle of the first quarter were followed by three more scores in the final 5:07 of the quarter to give the Monarchs a healthy 41-0 lead after just the first of what would be four very long quarters for the Drillers.

With the rules dictating running time can’t begin until the second half, the onslaught continued in the second with four more scores. The one ounce of offence from the Drillers came on a late field goal after a touchdown pass was called back due to a penalty; a small glimmer of hope stolen away from a shortened Drillers squad who likely knew what they were walking into before they stepped on the field.

Quarterback Will Arndt, on the field with the Monarchs for the first time, utilized the team’s running game while becoming comfortable with his receivers.

“We have a good cast of receivers around me so they all do things that compliment what we do on our offence,” said Arndt. “I’m excited to work with them.”

The night included a few overthrown balls, but the Western Connecticut State University product didn’t show any glaring concerns for the team going forward.

“I tried my best to just focus on what the guys were doing around me and get acclimated with the game more,” added Arndt. “As the game went on, I felt comfortable and I’m excited for a big game next week against Calgary.”

Improving to 3-1, the Monarchs will now play in Calgary, Lloydminster and in Edmonton before returning home Aug. 7 to host the St. Albert Stars.

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.

Fort McMurray Monarchs quarterback Will Arndt prepares to receive a snapped ball during a drill at practice at Shell Place in Fort McMurray Alta. on Wednesday June 15, 2016. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network

Robert Murray – Fort McMurray Today – Thursday, June 16, 2016

As nice as the Calgary Stampeders’ donation of equipment to the Fort McMurray Monarchs was, the donation of a starting quarterback was appreciated a bit more.

Will Arndt, who attended the Stampeders’ mini-camp in mid-April, was under center Wednesday night at practice, replacing Charles Drinkard, who left the team due to undisclosed reasons.

Assuming Arndt lives up to his credentials, the loss of Drinkard won’t be a huge one, though in Saturday’s important game — the Monarchs’ first under a tenancy agreement at Shell Place after May’s wildfires — the team will be feeling things out as they host the 0-2 Grande Prairie Drillers.

“It’s never easy, but with the guy we have coming in, I feel very capable in his knowledge and experience,” said team president Jesse Maddox. “With Coach Spence leading the helm on the offence, it should be a match made in heaven.”

Dismantled by the Central Alberta Buccaneers in their season-opener by a 50-16 score, the Drillers fell into their 0-2 hole last weekend due to a 14-13 loss against the Edmonton Raiders.

The Monarchs rebounded from their own loss to the Bucs by smoking the Airdrie Irish by a 44-0 final last weekend. After that close loss in Week Two, Monarchs head coach Dave Spence wasn’t about to take things lightly.

“I treat them as if they’re 2-0,” said Spence. “There’s somethings that they do extremely well and there’s somethings that they don’t, so we’re going to try to capitalize on that.”

As much as Saturday’s game will be about moving to 3-1 on the year, the game will also mark the first major sporting event held in the region since May’s forced evacuation. As such, Maddox said the team have a ceremony planned to honour first responders. With free tickets offered at the Shell Place box office, Maddox added the experience would be one the team’s newer players would remember as well.

“We’re playing for Fort McMurray,” said Maddox. “It’s also going to outline a lot of things that a lot of these players haven’t seen yet being new to the city and part of the team.”

With the focus on the offensive addition of Arndt, two of the Monarchs’ new players — linemen Asante Mizan and Denzel Philip — will help on the defensive side of the ball.

Mizan, a graduate of the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, and Philip, a Canadian product of Eastern New Mexico Unveristy, had both been linked to the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes, but were in Fort McMurray Wednesday, ready to ply their trade in the Alberta Football League.

“They gave me an opportunity so I came out here,” said Philip. “I’m confident in [my ability] to compete.”

The Monarchs and Drillers kick-off Saturday’s game at 7 p.m. at Shell Place.

The Airdrie Irish finally get to play at home June 11 when it welcomes the Fort McMurray Monarchs to Ed Eggerer Athletic Park.
File Photo/Rocky View Publishing

Andrew Halipchuk – Airdrie City View – Thursday, June 16, 2016

It wasn’t exactly the homecoming the Airdrie Irish hoped for when it welcomed the Fort McMurray Monarchs to Ed Eggerer Athletic Park June 11.

After dropping its first two games of the 2016 season on the road, the Irish was looking for its first win of the season. But the high-powered offence of the Monarchs was too much to contain, leading to a 44-0 loss.

Despite the loss, head coach Sean Stewart said he was pleased with the effort.

“It wasn’t a bad game. I’m pretty proud of the guys,” he said. “They came in as a big underdog, but the guys shut all that out and played hard.

“Obviously, it’s not the score we wanted, but it’s a good stepping stone for us.”

The Irish gave up a kick return touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff, an interception for a touchdown and a single point from a missed field goal in the opening half.

Down 14-0 at halftime, Stewart said he felt like his team had played the best half of football against one of the toughest teams in the Alberta Football League (AFL).

“You could tell Fort McMurray was getting frustrated because it wasn’t the way the game was supposed to go in everybody’s mind,” he said.

Another special teams return touchdown and a fumble within the Irish’s own 15-yard line resulted in a pair of touchdowns early in the third and put the score well out of reach.

“Some big mistakes cost us quite a few points that they were able to capitalize on,” Stewart said. “If you take away those mistakes, it probably would have been a 21-0 game.”

Stewart said his team’s defence had a strong showing against the Monarchs’ offence, allowing just three touchdowns with none in the game’s opening half.

The Irish needs its offence to start rolling if it hopes to start winning games as the midway point of the season nears.

“We definitely need our offence to start putting some points up and we’re getting there,” Stewart said. “Every game you can tell it is getting better and a little more comfortable.

“It’s a lot easier for a defence to gel quickly than it is for an offence.”

The Irish continue its season with a game against the 0-3 Calgary Wolfpack at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park June 19. Kickoff goes at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $5 each.

In conjunction with Father’s Day, the Irish will have a giveaway draw for fathers in attendance. Each dad at the game will be entered into a draw for a signed Henry Burris print, which will be drawn for during the game.

Irish’ defensive back James McNeill returns a punt as the Airdrie Irish lose 44-0 to the Fort McMurray Monarchs (in Edmonton Eskimos jerseys) in Alberta Football League action at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park on Saturday, Jun 11, 2016 in Airdrie, Alta. Britton Ledingham/Airdrie Echo/Postmedia Network

Britton Ledingham – Airdrie Echo – Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The Airdrie Irish football team is looking to pick up their first win of the Alberta Football League season.

The club has a 0-3 record so far following a 44-0 loss to the Fort McMurray Monarchs in the home-opener at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park, June 11.

“They have a really strong offence,” said Irish president Matt Squires.

The Monarchs, dressed in borrowed Edmonton Eskimos jerseys following the fires that evacuated residents from Fort McMurray over a month ago, came out charging with Jourdain Alexis scoring a touchdown on the opening kick-off return.

“He’s phenomenal,” said Squires.

The Irish defence kicked into gear holding the Monarchs to 14-0 at halftime.

“I’m really proud of the guys to hold them to the score that they did as long as they did,” said the president of the second-year team that lost to the Monarchs 100-0 on the road last season.

“I think our defence did remarkably well.”

Squires said a couple mental errors and some bad luck let the Monarchs widen the gap.

The Irish were short defensive back Gavin McNutt for the second half with an early third-quarter injury.

The Irish fumbled a kick return, which the Monarchs recovered on the 10-yard line and capitalized with a touchdown.

Irish quarterback Jordan Groves managed the helm in the home-opener.

The team’s two other losses this season were 15-1 to the Lloydminster Vandals, May 28, and 30-17 to the Edmonton Raiders, June 4.

Squires is optimistic and said the Irish had a chance to win the first two if the offence could gel.

The Irish host the Calgary Wolfpack at 3 p.m., June 19.

“Being at home again I think that’s a good opportunity [to win],” said Squires, who is among several veterans of the Wolfpack now on the Irish.

“It will be a fun game.”

George McDougall High School alumnus Doug Robertshaw is on the Wolfpack roster.

The Irish host the St. Albert Stars at 3 p.m., June 25 and the Calgary Gators at 3 p.m., July 9.

Ty Clett, left, of the Grande Prairie Drillers, tries to fend off an Edmonton Raiders opponent, in Alberta Football League action on Saturday June 11, 2016 at Legion Field in Grande Prairie, Alta. Logan Clow/Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune/Postmedia Network

Logan Clow – Daily Herald Tribune – Sunday, June 12, 2016

Slick field conditions coupled with mental mistakes was the difference for the Grande Prairie Drillers Saturday at Legion Field.

The Drillers dropped to 0-2 this season with a 13-11 loss in their Alberta Football League home opener against the Edmonton Raiders, despite holding a 10-0 advantage at half-time.

“That was our game to win but mental mistakes just cost us,” said Jay White, president of the Drillers and line coach, noting wet and muddy field conditions presented a challenge for both teams.

“(In the first-half) I think we just pounded the ball. We drove the ball down their throat and we ran the ball good and we capitalized on a nice passing play to Jesse Deering, who took advantage of a little bit of a change-up in the offensive strategy and that paid dividends.”

White said mental mistakes ultimately cost the Drillers a victory in the second-half.

“It was just missed opportunities. It really came down to mental mistakes and not being able to capitalize on a few drives. Full credit to (the Raiders). They came out in the fourth quarter and it was mostly on us; we just had too many mental mistakes,” said White.

The Drillers look for their first win of the season when they travel to play the Fort McMurray Monarchs June 18.

It’s the first home game of the season for the Monarchs at Shell Place. As residents have began to recently make their way back home after fleeing the city during the wildfires, Saturday’s game in Fort McMurray will be free to the public and the team will be showcasing their appreciation the area service workers.

The Monarchs are off to a 2-1 start to their season following a 44-0 victory over the Airdrie Irish on Saturday.

“We have to (win). It’s not going to be easy,” said White, of their trip up north.

“We don’t want to start (the season) 0-3. It’s going to be a tough game in Fort McMurray. We’re going to have to put in a lot of work in this week to prep for that and hope to pull (out a win) because they’re a great team. We just have to keep battling. I have full confidence in the guys. We just have to eliminate the mental mistakes.”

The Drillers’ next home game is June 25 against the Lloydminster Vandals at 6 p.m. at Legion Field.

[email protected]

Twitter: @DHTLogan

The Airdrie Irish finally get to play at home June 11 when it welcomes the Fort McMurray Monarchs to Ed Eggerer Athletic Park. File Photo/Rocky View Publishing

Andrew Halipchuk – Airdrie City View – Thursday, June 9, 2016

For the second time in as many weeks, the Airdrie Irish was back on the road June 4 and failed to bring home a victory against the Alberta Football League (AFL)’s newest team, the Edmonton Raiders. The Irish fell 30-17.

“(With it) being a new team, it was a game I knew we should have won,” team president Matt Squires said. “We left some points on the table that we should have got.

“It’s definitely a big upset for a lot of guys. We were very frustrated, but we’re keeping our spirits high and really look forward to our next game.”

The Irish took on the Raiders in a hot and sunny near-30 C afternoon June 4.

With the weather taking its toll, mistakes proved costly in the later stages of the game, which ended up leading to the 30-17 loss.

“There were a few mental breakdowns,” Squires said. “It was really hot so some of the exhaustion started showing near the end.”

With the game tied at 17 midway through the third quarter, it appeared the game was going to come down to the wire. But another offensive touchdown and a missed special teams snap resulting in a touchdown put the Raiders on top.

“Our defence came with a strong game. A lot of the key players started to step up,” Squires said. “The guys learned a lot from what happened and are already prepping for (our next game).”

With the loss, the Irish drop to 0-2 on the season and sit alongside the Calgary Wolfpack as the only teams with that record in the AFL.

The Irish now return home for four straight home games. Airdrie’s first home game goes June 11 when it welcomes the Fort McMurray Monarchs to Ed Eggerer Athletic Park.

Going up against last season’s runner-ups isn’t an ideal way to start a home stand, but Squires said he believes the team is focused and prepared for the high-octane offence of the Monarchs.

Tickets are $5 at the gate. For the first home game, any parent with a child wearing an Airdrie Flag Football jersey will get a two-for-one ticket for $5. Kickoff goes at 5 p.m.

Fort McMurray Monarchs running back Melvin Abankwah, middle, attempts to fight his way past defenders from the Central Alberta Buccaneers Saturday night at Fuhr Field in Spruce Grove. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network

Robert Murray – Fort McMurray Today – Sunday, June 5, 2016

No one officiating crew should have all that power. The clock was ticking; 60 minutes of football took three-and-a-half hours.

When the marathon game ended, the Central Alberta Buccaneers prevailed by a close 43-42 margin over the Fort McMurray Monarchs Saturday at Fuhr Sports Park in Spruce Grove, dropping the Monarchs to 1-1 on the season.

Admitting mistakes “killed” his team, Monarchs head coach Dave Spence had some choice words for the men in black and white, who factored into the outcome more than they should have.

“Horrendous,” said Spence summing it up. “You never want to leave the game to the officials, but there was some blatant calls [against us] and missed calls. It’s inexcusable at this level.”

Depsite the Monarchs not looking like themselves and the Buccaneers playing well above the level they were at in last year’s semi-final loss in Fort McMurray, it wasn’t either team’s performance, but rather the officiating crew, that dominated discussion.

What may come off as a few sour grapes for the team on the wrong side of a one-point loss, was close to a rotten vineyard.

The Monarchs took some deserved penalties, but an offensive pass intereference call on a thrown ball neither player was going to get to went against the Monarchs. A tackle of a player with possession of the ball was immediately flagged for unecessary roughness, despite the Buccaneers player entering the red zone with the catch, making him an obvious threat to score. From there, the team’s problems snowballed.

“It’s men’s league football so you just take what’s there,” said Buccaneers head coach Devon Hand. “I think we could’ve done a better job in how we handled that, because I find if the calls go sideways then you’re bench gets reactive and that makes things worse.”

A perfect storm of situations hit the Monarchs all at once Saturday. Buccaneers quarterback Brandon Leyh found ways to bypass the Monarchs’ defence all night, finidng open targets for short, but smart gains.

Those smart gains paid off for the Bucs early on as they got on the board first thanks to a short pass to receiver Major Newman, who evaded the one man covering him and danced into the endzone.

The Monarchs did find their chance to get their hits in on Leyh, and made them count, sending him to the ground with a thud several times. Each time though, Leyh and the Buccaneers would rise back up.

“We were flexible, bend, but didn’t break on defence,” added Hand. “I thought our offence stole the show. Leyh made some incredible plays, coming out of the pocket when he was turned around, shoving guys off and firing the ball down field. He helped us a lot.”

Stopped on their first series, the Monarchs’ offence that had dazzled last week were faced with a stiff challenge in their second week together. Quarterback Charles Drinkard was responsible for a few fumbles over the game, but that wasn’t the straw that broke the Monarchs’ back.

Communication, at points, appeared to be off as receivers wound up short of balls, or the offensive line snapped the ball over Drinkard’s head. In the end, it all added up to the team’s first regular season loss in almost a year.

“Hats off to Red Deer, they played a great game,” added Spence. “Our guys fought to the end, but mental mistakes hurt us when it counted.”

The Monarchs open the road portion of their schedule next weekend against the Airdrie Irish before returning home to Shell Place June 18.

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