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Bucs lose hard fought game

LACOMBE — It would have been easy for Central Alberta Buccaneers head coach Duane Brown to feel down after another loss as they finished their Alberta Football League regular season.
Jordan Hare with the Red Deer Buccaneers tries to break away with the football while Grande Prairie Drillers Ruben Aldred hangs on during an Alberta Football League game held
Photo by CYNTHIA RADFORD/Advocate Staff

LACOMBE — It would have been easy for Central Alberta Buccaneers head coach Duane Brown to feel down after another loss as they finished their Alberta Football League regular season.

But he was anything but dejected following a 19-0 loss to the Grande Prairie Drillers at the newly developed MEGlobal Athletic Park Saturday.

“It was a hard-fought game,” he said.

“It was 3-0 at half time and we showed we can play with one of the best teams in the league. It was the first time all year we’ve stayed with one of those competitive teams and gave them a fight.”

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Drillers pulled away, scoring their final 10 points against a Buccaneers squad that was wore down.

In fact Brown was forced to play on the defence thanks to a string of injuries.

“We lost three guys in the first half with injuries and that’s hard to take for a team that’s already shorthanded,” said Brown. “That’s why you saw an out-for-shape coach out there for the first time in 20 years.”

Brown certainly didn’t look out of place, in fact the Bucs defence held the fort late in the game when the Drillers looked as if they’d tack on yet another touchdown. The Buccaneers twice held them inside the 10 yard line, forcing the Drillers to settle for a field goal.

What hurt the Bucs was the inability to consistently move the ball on offence.

“We struggled a bit, but we’ll get those pieces together,” said Brown, who used Andrew Stannix and Greg Thompson at quarterback as Byron Stearns is still missing because of work commitments in Bonnyville.

“Byron’s loss is huge,” said Brown. “He was rookie of the year last year for a reason. He knows what he’s doing in there and is a hard guy to replace. But I thought Andrew did a good job today and Greg stepped up at the end and made some good passes and good decisions. It’s something to build on. We have a couple weeks before the playoffs and so we have time to get the pieces together. Possibly we can get Byron back by then.”

Tyler Fulmek kicked a pair of field goals for the Drillers and converted one of the two touchdowns by receiver Will Quintal. Both came on passes from quarterback Nathan Aldred.

“There was one bad play by us and a mix up in our coverage on the other,” said Brown. “But good teams take advantage of those things. Other than that we were toe-to-toe with them.”

There’s a good chance the Bucs, 1-5, will meet the Drillers, 4-1, in the league quarter-finals in two weeks in Grande Prairie.

“It’s possibly the same as last year,” said Brown.

“We lost to them in the regular season and then gave them a scare in the playoffs. We already gave them a scare, so who knows what may happen in a couple of weeks.”

Saturday’s contest was the first, and only time this season, the Bucs got to play on the new artificial turf.

“It’s great and will get better. All the guys loved it,” said Brown.