The last game for the St. Albert Storm in the midget spring league football season is Saturday’s consolation playoff against the winless Leduc Cats.
Game time is 8 p.m. at Riel Recreation Park.
The Storm are 1-2 in Tier 2 action and 1-4 overall after Saturday’s 34-9 loss to the West Edmonton Raiders in the Tier 2 semifinal at Clarke Park.
The Raiders (5-0 overall) opened the game by recovering their own short kick off. Three plays later they ran the ball nine yards for a touchdown and the convert was good.
On the Storm’s second possession Nick Cowan attempted a 26-yard field goal but was wide left and the Raiders ran the ball out of the endzone.
In the second quarter Cowan recovered a fumble at the Raiders’ 53 but the Storm would turn the ball over on downs. Cowan also led the Storm in tackles in the loss.
The scrambling ability of quarterback Morgan Sherban put the Storm in scoring range, but an incomplete pass on a fake field goal attempt gave the Raiders the ball at their 20.
On third down the Raiders punted and Sherban returned the ball for good yardage to the four. But on first down the Storm coughed up the pigskin at the one.
In the third quarter, on second and 10, the Raiders broke loose for a 49-yard TD run after the Storm were penalized 15 yards for a hit out of bounds following an opportunistic catch by the Raiders for a first down.
On the kick off the Raiders recovered their short attempt and a few plays later scored from the Storm 13. The two-point conversion made it 19-0.
Before the end of the quarter the Raiders punted, the Storm fumbled and the ball was returned into the endzone. The convert made it 28-0.
Early in the fourth quarter, after quarterback Trace Stuht gained a first down on third and seven and the Raiders were flagged for unnecessary roughness on the tackle, a five-yard TD run was called back because of holding. On the next play, Stuht hooked up with Kyle LePan for a TD strike and Cowan kicked the convert.
Injuries throughout the contest left a skeleton Storm lineup with few bodies on the sideline as the game wound down.
The Storm’s only win this season was 45-6 against Leduc in the Tier 2 schedule.
Ian Mitchell of Calahoo was named to the Alberta Cup all-star team on defence in voting conducted by Western Hockey League scouts and Team Alberta staff at last weekend’s tournament in Strathmore.
The Spruce Grove PAC Saints’ defenceman skated for the Northwest Sharks at the eight-team competition for second-year bantams. He scored twice on the power play and added one assist in five games.
Defencemen Matt Kasowski and Marcus Walter and forwards Ryan Cooper, Jack Langenhahn and Aidan Steinke of the St. Albert Sabres also played for the Sharks, 1-1-1 in pool B and 2-2-1 overall as winners of the D final by a 5-2 score against the South zone.
The Alberta Cup was the last major event for WHL teams to scout prospects for Thursday’s bantam draft.
The St. Albert Men’s Soccer League kicks off its 34th season Sunday with two fewer teams in the fold.
SAMSL will field six teams after the Rummies and Blues FC moved to the Edmonton District Soccer Association.
As well, Arsenal, a longtime SAMSL fixture, has been rebranded as the S.V. Spurs.
Returning teams include Chester City, SA United, Magnitude FC, SA City and GSE (Green Street Elite), winners of the last two playoff cups by scores of 1-0 and 5-1 against the Rummies. GSE is entering its fourth SAMSL campaign.
Sunday’s league opener at Eldorado Park features Chester City against the Spurs at 1 p.m. and GSE plays SA United at 3 p.m.
Monday at 8:30 p.m. Magnitude FC and SA City clash at Riel Recreation Park.
