Rams 36 Raiders 18
It’s only two games into the Central Alberta High School Football League season, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better team than the Lacombe Rams.
The Rams are deep and talented on both sides of the line, something they showed Friday in a 36-18 victory over the Lindsay Thurber Raiders before 470 fans at Great Chief Park.
The Rams showed their dominance in the opening half, limiting the Raiders to just 21 yards of offence while taking a 22-1 lead.
“They are a big, fast, polished football team,” said Raiders head coach Dave Smith. “They’re as good as any team in the league and I thought we did a pretty good job against them in the second half.”
The Raiders did look more comfortable in the second half as they were able to create more on offence.
“We loosened up a bit and give our Grade 10 quarterback (Wilson Lougheed) a lot of credit, he got beat up, but stood in there and didn’t back down. I believe he grew up a lot tonight.”
Lougheed, who made the start in place of injured Kyle O’Meara, showed signs that he’ll be a solid quarterback down the road. He connected on four of 15 passes for 69 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown strike to Kyle Pickett in the fourth quarter. But he also showed that he’s still learning as he made a pass back across the field that was picked off by Hugh Nutbrown, who went 50 yards for a touchdown.
“The Raiders did a good job of making some adjustments at the half,” said Rams head coach Brian Ross, who had a lot of his bench players in by the middle of the third quarter.
Tanner Green, Brandt Kolybaba and Dalen Kolybaba scored touchdowns on the ground for the Rams while quarterback Cole Stewart connected with Nathan Goode on a 21-yard pass play for a major. Stewart hit Goode and Darion Hippe for two-point converts and Cale Jacobs kicked two converts.
Mark Fay scored the other LTCHS touchdown on a spectacular 105-yard kickoff return late in the fourth quarter. Brody Slagman kicked a convert and a single on a wide field goal attempt and Greg Fowler added a two-point convert.
The Rams finished with 197 yards rushing and 173 passing while the Raiders had 27 yards on the ground to go with their 69 in the air.
A negative for the Rams was 18 penalties for 180 yards.
“We need to be a bit more disciplined,” added Ross, who believes his team can go a long way this season.
“I’m optimistic we can do some things this year,” he said.
Stewart connected on 10 of 18 passes while Dalen Kolybaba had 65 yards rushing on six carries, Skylar Sargent 55 on eight and Green 39 on five. Brady Olsen, who won the league rushing title last year, saw his first action of the season after returning from a shoulder injury and carried four times for 28 yards.
• In other league action the homestanding Sylvan Lake Lakers downed the Wetaskiwin Sabres 21-2
Brad Huhnold led the Lakers with 101 yards rushing on 12 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Justin McCartney had 88 yards on 19 carries and scored once. Sean Wood kicked three converts.
Mark Kaiser, on missed field goal, and Andrew Majek, on a punt, had singles for the Sabres.
The Lakers, 1-1, had 214 yards on the ground and 130 in the air while the Sabres, 1-1, had 172 and 19 respectively.
Justin Jorstad led the Sabres with 121 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Bud Kreikle connected on seven of nine pass attempts for the Lakers, hitting Ian Graham three times for 23 yards and McCartney twice for 65 yards.
• In action Thursday the Hunting Hills Lightning ran their record to 2-0 with a 35-14 victory over the homestanding Stettler Wildcats.
Running back Stas McPhail led the Lightning with 177 yards rushing on 19 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Josh Meyer led the ‘Cats with 73 yards on the ground on 14 carries while Landon Potter had 66 on five tries.
The Lightning rushed for 273 yards and passed for 30 while the Wildcats had 166 on the ground and six in the air.
Jon Boutin added the other major for the Lightning while Tyler Lewis kicked five converts. Meyer scored both Stettler touchdowns, one a kick return and the other on a run. Potter added a two-point convert.
• Play resumes Monday with Rocky at Camrose, Hunting Hills at Wetaskiwin, Notre Dame at Sylvan Lake and Stettler at LTCHS.
drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com