Normally, a 14-6 loss would be a disappointing way to start a football season.
However, according to North Battleford Comprehensive High School Junior Vikings assistant coach and offensive coordinator Tanner Craig, the positives outweighed the negatives from Sunday’s contest against the Saskatoon Arns Falcons at Beaver Lions Stadium.
“They played every down like we expected them to from start to finish and they played tough football,” Craig said.
“There were a few unfortunate turnovers, and it could have been a totally different ball game if it wasn’t for that. The Falcons are one of the top teams in the Saskatoon Kinsmen Bantam Football League and we stood toe to toe with them for the entire game. Our guys will bounce back and I’m really excited to see what lies ahead.”
One of the impressed onlookers during the game was Falcons head coach Stephen Baumann.
“They are a big team,” Baumann said. “They run hard up the middle and they blitz hard on defence.
“It was a good thing for us to have that early in the season and it gave our guys the chance to learn some things. It wasn’t the best game that we played and we had some mental errors at times, but you expect that to happen in the first game of a season.”
The Junior Vikings offence was driven by running backs Corey Koliniak, Zane Florence and Mason McDonald, as they were able to move the ball down the field.
“We were just clicking with our running backs and our quarterback (Colton MacNaughton) was making some good decisions out there,” Craig said.
“I was also very happy with how the offensive line played today. They did a great job of protecting Colton for the entire game.”
Although his main focus is on the offensive side of the game, Craig also liked what he saw from his team’s defence.
“They are a very physical group and they can fly around the field,” Craig said.
“There were key points in the game where they were able to contain the pitch play from their backfield, which helped out a lot. There were times that (the Falcons) were able to get some big gains on offence, but they adapted well.”
The Junior Vikings will be back at Beaver Lions Stadium Sunday for a 3 p.m. contest with the Saskatoon Schoenhals Titans.
They will make their first trip to the Saskatoon Minor Football field on Sept. 25 for a meeting with the Tinkler Raiders.
