The forecast for tonight’s home opener for the St. Albert Storm is a victory against the Battle River Shock in midget spring league football.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Riel Recreation Park and admission is $5.
Both division one teams are 0-2.
“We’ll be ready,” predicted Matt Flatla, a Grade 11 lineman. “Everybody will want to try hard in front of all of our fans and friends and family.”
The Storm were blown away by the Lloydminster Red Dogs 33-6 on March 26 in Spruce Grove and the Millwoods Grizzlies 27-7 on April 1 at Millwoods field.
“We played a couple of bad ones for sure. We probably could’ve played better,” said Flatla, who lines up at offensive tackle and on defence is deployed at tackle or end. “We have good players, we just have to work on what we run and then perfect our play book.”
The will to win was lacking against the Grizzlies.
“The spirit of the team wasn’t there that night. It was tough. It was pretty quiet. I don’t know what happened,” said co-captain Frederik Jolicoeur, who suffered a twisted neck in the loss. “The weather wasn’t that good so that didn’t really help. We weren’t that prepared either and I guess Millwoods was way more prepared so that’s why maybe they won.”
Flatla, 17, agreed the Storm were more pumped to play the Red Dogs (2-0) than the Grizzlies (1-1).
“We had a lot of go get them and more pride. We had more enthusiasm for sure to win,” said the Bellerose Bulldog. “We were a little down against Millwoods but I still think we played a solid game. Millwoods is a good team.
“If we keep working at it we can do a lot better for sure.”
The Storm were offensively challenged in both losses. They recorded only four first downs against the Red Dogs and in the fourth quarter Jace Mix returned a kick-off 92 yards for a touchdown. Keaton Zaychkowsky also ran back a missed field goal by the Grizzlies 112 yards to pay dirt and Roberto Parrota kicked the convert late in the game.
“Obviously, we had some trouble with the offence and I guess we can work on that,” said Jolicoeur, who caught a pass against the Red Dogs. “We still played pretty well that game. It was a big team and they’ve been undefeated for two years and I think the score was not that bad.
“Defensively, I think we did a better job against Lloydminster. They had more opportunities (to score). The defensive backs played well. They let a couple of passing plays (be completed) but it happens sometimes. The running plays we covered really well. They didn’t have much yardage on the ground so that was good.”
The midget spring league is run by the Capital District Minor Football Association and teams are comprised of players in Grade 9 who have completed their bantam eligibility and Grade 10 and 11 players.
This year, 41 players signed up to play for the Storm and the overwhelming majority of the high school players on the roster are from Bellerose or the Paul Kane Blues.
Depending on the weather, outdoor practices are very few if none at all after workout sessions in a gym or fieldhouse before the season starts in late March or early April.
The Storm are among six division one teams and the playoffs kick off the first weekend in May.
Last year, the Storm huddled up in division two and finished 2-4 overall. Both victories were against the winless Leduc Cats, including the 42-0 consolation final.
Two years ago, the Storm struggled to win a game in the Tier 1/2 division after going 2-4 as the Tier 2 playoff winners in 2012.
“It’s more football. That’s why I like it. Everybody likes to play more football,” said Flatla.
The bantam product of the St. Albert Fury played for the Storm in Grade 9 but not last year when school and work commitments took its toll on the husky Bulldog.
“My first year I played it got me going for high school and got me prepared and this year it’s just good to touch up on some little things that will make me better for my high school season,” said Flatla, a two-way lineman for the senior Bulldogs last year.
Jolicoeur, 15, never played a down of football until he hooked up with the Storm last year. He would go on to start for the junior Blues in Grade 10.
“It was my first year of football. I really didn’t have the opportunity to play before and I thought maybe I should try it and it got me ready for Grade 10. It really helped a lot seeing the ball on both sides of the game. It was great,” said the receiver, linebacker and safety on the Storm.
Jolicoeur is using this year’s stint with the Storm in preparation to crack the lineup of the two-time Miles division two champion Blues.
“I want to make the senior team. I will try as much as I can and I will go hard because Paul Kane is going into division one,” said last year’s safety and receiver on the junior Blues.
The Storm’s next home game is Friday versus the Parkland Predators (2-0) at 6:30 p.m.
