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Bucs storm through Edmonton for first win

On a night where the weatherman was front and centre the Red Deer Buccaneers registered their first win of the Alberta Football League season Saturday.

Buccaneers 23 Seahawks 13

EDMONTON — On a night where the weatherman was front and centre the Red Deer Buccaneers registered their first win of the Alberta Football League season Saturday.

The Bucs twice had to come from behind before grabbing a 23-13 lead over the Edmonton Seahawks just before the game was called with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter because of a gigantic wind storm. The wind spread debris over the field while knocking out the lights, blowing soccer nets across the field and bending the goal posts so they came close to snapping.

It was the second time during the game weather caused a delay.

The first — a lightning storm — came at the end of the first quarter with Edmonton ahead 7-0 following a return on the opening kickoff. The game was delayed 30 minutes before resuming.

Red Deer tied the game early in the second quarter on a 37-yard Kenton Poelzer touchdown run and a convert.

The teams went into the half tied 7-7 with the Seahawks taking advantage of an interception of a Andrew Stannix pass early in the second half to grab a 13-7 lead.

The Bucs came back with a 27-yard field goal by Jay Pike and then took the lead when slotback Ryan Otto connected on a pass to Marc Bartolf at the end of the third quarter. The convert gave Red Deer a 17-13 lead and they extended that early in the final quarter when Poelzer darted in from 11 yards out after Mike Matheson recovered a fumble.

Stannix went the distance for the Bucs at quarterback, hitting on 12 of 18 attempts for 125 yards and three interceptions. Poelzer carried the ball 15 times for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Otto had four catches for 33 yards.

Linebacker Curtis Dreger had three solo tackles and three assisted tackles and defensive lineman Matt Vandale had four solo and one assisted tackle.

The win left the Buccaneers in seventh place with a 1-5 record ahead of the Seahawks, 0-6.

In other league play the Calgary Wolfpack edged the Lloydminster Vandals 21-20, the Edmonton Stallions dropped the Parkland Panthers 9-6 and the Grande Prairie Drillers downed the Calgary Gators 22-16.

The Buccaneers return to action Saturday when they host Parkland at 6 p.m. at Great Chief Park.