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Monarchs down Bucs in AFL title game

The Fort McMurray Monarchs pose with the championship trophy after defeating the Central Alberta Buccaneers 32-23 in Saturday's championship game in Lacombe. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network

The Fort McMurray Monarchs pose with the championship trophy after defeating the Central Alberta Buccaneers 32-23 in Saturday’s championship game in Lacombe. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network

Robert Murray – Sunday, August 28, 2016 – Fort McMurray Today

The Fort McMurray Monarchs had to wait over two months, but they finally found a way to exact some revenge against the Central Alberta Buccaneers.

Down 11 points at the half, the Monarchs’ offence roared to life in the second half of the Alberta Football League championship game while their defence found its rhythm, handing the Bucs a 32-23 decision on their home turf.

“I’m just so happy for the guys and the city of Fort McMurray,” said Monarchs head coach Dave Spence. “The way we battled back, it shows how we all come together, just like the community did when there was the fire. This is just a true test of character for our guys and I’m really proud of how they played.”

While the Monarchs’ offence couldn’t gain any significant field position in the first quarter, they managed to take the first lead of the game, with the special teams forcing the Bucs to concede a rouge and a safety, giving the Monarchs the all-important 3-0 lead after the first quarter.

As the rain continued to beat down on the field in the second quarter, so to did the Monarchs start to feel the effects. Easy running plays up the gut became slips while completions were a rarity with a soaked ball.

The Bucs took advantage of that situation, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the quarter to take a 14-4 lead into the half.

Whatever the Monarchs went through in the dressing room between halves seemed to work as the away side came out firing in the third quarter as the rain tapered off. A pair of rushing touchdowns helped tie the game at 17 points apiece.

Early in the fourth, the Bucs reclaimed the lead, but missed the ensuing kick for a single point. That would be one of the many turning points in the quarter as minutes later, Carl Bisallion hauled in a touchdown reception and converted their point after to claim a one-point lead.

Both teams pressed for the final lead until the final two minutes, when Brandon Leyh, who had been solid all game, was picked off by Pascal Tshilambo, who took it into the end zone. That took the wind out of the Bucs’ sails as they couldn’t muster anything in the final minute except giving the Monarchs another point for the third rouge conceded of the game.

Captain and linebacker Jesse Maddox said his team dug deep when they needed to in the performance, especially in the second half.

“You can’t really put it into words; you’ve just got to bite down and figure out who you are as a man,” said Maddox. “At the end of the day, we know we played really well the first quarter, we played terrible the second quarter and we knew in the second half we had to make magic.”

With the win, the Monarchs will now host the national championship game of the Canadian Major Football League Sept. 10 against the Greater Toronto Area All-Stars.