Swift Current uses solid defence to defeat Raiders in Kinsmen Minor Football U14 championship game
Steelers take 14-0 lead into halftime, go on to 21-7 victory in title contest
With the way things had played out in the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football U14 division, it had become very apparent that whoever got hot at the right time was going to emerge as the league champion.
As it turns out, that team would be the Swift Current Steelers.
The Steelers were among three teams WKDW ¿QLVKHG ZLWK LGHQWLFDO UHFRUGV through the regular season, and they faced one of those crews, the Moose Jaw RaidHUV LQ WKH OHDJXH FKDPSLRQVKLS ¿QDO RQ Saturday night at Elk’s Field.
Swift Current would put up 14 points LQ WKH ¿UVW KDOI DGG DQRWKHU PDMRU LQ WKH WKLUG TXDUWHU DQG JR RQ WR D YLFWRU\ in cool and drizzling conditions under the lights.
“It was a really good game, our defence came out and did what they always do and shut the other team down and our offence found the way to drive the ball when they had the chance,” said Steelers coach Zac Nickel. “They’re a tough team to play, but our guys found a way to claw their way to the win.”
Both teams found several drives stalled by penalties in the second half, which made for a lower scoring game
than one would expect from a pair of solid offensive teams. In the end, though, the Steelers used the early momentum from WKHLU ¿UVW KDOI VXFFHVV WR KROG RQ IRU WKH victory.
“Getting up early, that gives us the momentum quick and that plays such an important part in the game,” Nickel said. “That’s what really drove us, getting off to that hot start… the defence dug in and our offence did what they had to do to get us that lead.”
The Raiders scored their lone touchGRZQ ZLWK ¿YH PLQXWHV OHIW FDSSLQJ D long drive with a pass up the middle that found a wide open receiver.
The Steelers held fast from there, though, ensuring there would be no comeEDFN OLNH WKH 8 WLWOH JDPH ZLWK D KDQGful of solid defensive stops to close out the proceedings.
The championship bodes well for the future of high school football in the Swift Current area -- it’s no coincidence that once a minor football program starts to get on a roll, their high school teams soon follow.
“It’s been a lot of years we’ve been working on this program,” Nickel said. ³,Q ZH VWDUWHG SOD\LQJ LQ WKH 0RRVH Jaw league and we’ve noticed a big difference with kids moving on to the Colts and the competitiveness they have there. $QG QRW MXVW IRU 6ZLIW &XUUHQW ZH KDYH kids from Gull Lake and Maple Creek and stuff like that, so all the programs are being helped quite a bit.”