After facing off against both Lloydminster teams to start off the 2011 football season, the St. Paul Lions football team will go into its first home game this Friday with a 1-1 record.
Most recently, the St. Paul team travelled to Lloydminster on Friday for the second week in a row, this time to face the Holy Rosary Raiders.
“The Lions played very well and pushed Rosary to the edge in plus 30 degree heat, but late in the game the Raiders scored a touchdown to win 28-22,” says Coach Todd Tanasichuk, via email, to the St. Paul Journal.
The game would be a close one, as the lead would change a few times during the first half. The Raiders would open up the scoring, but St. Paul would respond quickly to tie up the game. Then, the Raiders would kick a single to steal the lead, but not for long, as quarterback Brendan McKay connected with receiver Mark Proskiw to again grab the lead with a score of 13-8.
In the second half, the Raiders would take that lead back and go up to 15-13. The Lions would fight back again and Proskiw would hit a 20-yard field goal and the score would be 16-15 for the Lions going into the fourth quarter.
The Raiders would take the lead with a 75-yard pass and run for a touchdown, making the score 21-16, explains the coach. But, yet again, the Lions would come back with their own touchdown and with 2:30 left on the clock, St. Paul would take the lead 22-21, missing the two-point convert attempt.
With just 40 seconds left, “Holy Rosary punched it in to take the last lead change of the game,” says Tanasichuk.
“Despite the loss, the Lions’ coaches were very pleased with the effort,” says Tanasichuk. “The Lions improved greatly over their previous game.” One of the “quirks” of the 2011 schedule is that the first two games were considered exhibition games, adds the coach, which means that the “real games” start at home this Friday as the Lions host the team’s biggest rival, the Cold Lake Royals. Game time is 5 p.m.
Lions versus Barons
On Sept. 2, the St. Paul Lions started the 2011 football season off with a bang as the team travelled to Lloydminster and took on the three-time defending league champions, the Lloydminster Barons.
It was a positive start to the season, as the Lions managed to defeat the Barons for only the fourth time in the past 28 years, says Tanasichuk. The final score would be 25-17, in favour of the Lions.
The Lions put points on the board early, scoring on the team’s first offensive possession, says Tanasichuk. “Mark Proskiw made a big catch to set up the scoring play, a nine-yard run by Jason Jubinville.”
Jubinville would have a total of 163 yards rushing on 14 carries in this game, while Proskiw would catch four passes for 101 yards, according to the coach.
But, it wasn’t all glory, as the Lions would have to fight for the win and the Barons would lead 9-7 at halftime.
“The Lions came out strong in the second half, again scoring on their first possession as quarterback Brenden McKay scored on a seven-yard run,” says Tanasichuk.
Going into the last quarter of the game, the score would be 14-9 for the Lions. A Baron safety, followed by a 23-yard field goal by Proskiw would give the Lions even more of a lead, bringing the score to 19-9.
A “dazzling” 46-yard run by Jason Jubinville would seal the deal for the Lions, according to the coach. The Barons would add a second touchdown to the scoreboard, but the Lions would take the game 25-17.
“The defence was led by a strong performance from middle linebacker Dominic Dion, who had 10 tackles, and by halfback Cody White, who made a timely interception,” says Tanasichuk.
