The St. Albert Riders surpassed expectations this year as Football Alberta champions
Last year’s finalists not only defended their Capital District Minor Football Association peewee (11-12) Tier 2 title but won Saturday’s big game in style. The Riders roared back from a 12-6 halftime disadvantage to defeat the hometown Calgary Colts 42-12 for provincial honours.
“Personally, and some of the other coaches too, we never thought we would make it this far with this group of kids. With this many rookies we were like, well maybe this is a rebuilding year type thing, but they really gelled,” said Mike King, head coach of the 5-4-1 Riders. “The guys just put it together. It was a total team effort. It was quite something to see.”
A sprinkling of veterans from last year’s 6-4 Riders that lost the Tier 2 provincial final 20-6 to the Okotoks Eagles in the snow at Johnny Bright Park led by example.
“That core group of eight kids really helped. They were really good leaders and they brought those kids along,” King said. “Last year we had some stud athletes that moved up and this year we had a bunch of small rookies that all worked together really well. Again, it was a total team effort.”
The final was a tale of two halfs as the Riders overcame an error-plagued start against the aggressive Colts to clinch the fourth provincial championship in St. Albert Minor Football Association history and the first since 2006 by the peewee Tier 1 Riders.
“In the first half we didn’t think we would win at all,” said King, who pumped up the Riders with an inspirational halftime speech. “One of the key factors (in the second half) was we came out and definitely started putting things together.
“Also, their big number 99, we knocked him out of the game. He got a concussion and from then on we just ran rampant on them. They just couldn’t stop the offence anymore so he was obviously one of their key players.”
The Riders struggled shaking off the bus legs when the final kicked off under warm weather conditions at Hellard Field and King credited the defence for keeping the score as close as it was in the first half.
“Their running back was a massive guy, that 99 that was knocked out, he was about six-one and he could just run. Our defence ended up stopping him but we couldn’t do anything on offence. It was just penalties and we couldn’t put it together.”
Early in the second half, backup quarterback Caylen Bassingthwaite handed the ball off to running back Aidan Purdon for the game-tying touchdown.
“He scampered for about 70 or 80 yards. He just lit it up and went through,” King said. “That was kind of the turning point there. Once we tied the game then we went ahead on the convert by two and it just seemed like everyone’s energy picked up and it took off.”
The Riders stepped up the pace offensively to assist the defence, a tough-as-nails unit that pulled off a pressure-packed goal-line stand at the one-yard line on the last play in the CDMFA final the previous weekend to preserve a 30-26 decision against the Edmonton Black Raiders (4-5).
Jacob King, the starting quarterback, rattled off TD runs in the third and fourth quarters. He also threaded the needle to tight-end Matt Kociuba, who snuck out into the backfield and caught the pass between two defenders and ran into the endzone from 30 yards out in the last quarter.
“We never thought he would be able to catch it but he did and he took off and that just really ignited everybody because it was a really good play,” King said.
Bassingthwaite, a first-year quarterback, was a large part of the offensive charge and on defence, first-year players Ethan Maki and Connor Boyd racked up the tackles.
The Riders raised their level of play when it counted the most to win their fourth game in a row and third consecutive elimination game.
“Their skill levels really came around,” King said. “With the system that we ran, the skills they picked up over the season they started to perfect. All season they worked on them and at the end it was just fine tweaking as they started peaking.”
Nineteen Riders are eligible to return next year.
