Bengals clash with Bandits; Lions continue A side playoff run

Photo Credit: Tiffany Smith

Lakeland Rivalry Weekend

St. Paul football fans had quite the weekend of action to cheer for. Both St. Paul teams played against Lakeland opponents this weekend. The Senior Lions were in Cold Lake for the beginning of Wheatland Football League playoffs. The winner would continue on in the ‘A’ side playoffs. The Bengals played a big game against the Bonnyville Bandits, both teams were undefeated entering play Saturday.

Bengals play in great game

The St. Paul Bengals, and Bonnyville Bandits did a great job of hyping up this game. With both teams being undefeated, there was a lot on the line. The game was back, and forth the entire way. There were five lead changes, and a couple important turnovers that saved points for both teams. The game was as close as it could possibly get in bantam football. The game came down to the final two minutes. The Bengals were at the Bandits 25 yard line. St. Paul came up short on a third and fourth, and didn’t get the ball back. The final score was 19-14 Bengals.

“They ran the ball really well. I thought it was a really sportsman game. Intense game, but kids on both sides were really good. Mickey is a good coach. Just got to say, hey, congratulations. We still feel confident. We were right there.” Head Coach Todd Tanasichuk says.

Lions win over rival Royals

The St. Paul Lions vs Cold Lake Royals history has always been defined by tough battles late in the football year. The Lions opened the scoring in the match up at Soholt Field on Saturday. A Royals pass gone awry in their own end zone led to the touchdown. The score was 7-0 into Half-Time. Turnovers were costly for both teams in the second quarter. Things picked up in the third quarter, as the battle depend. The Royals scored a touchdown, but failed to convert a two point convert.

The Lions ran in a big touchdown, and went up 13-6. The Lions intercepted a pass deep in Cold Lake territory. The resulting touchdown put the Lions up 19-6. The Lions held onto the 19-6 lead for as long as possible in football. The Lions allowed a touchdown as time expired, and Cold Lake converted a two point convert as the Lions relaxed the defense to prevent injuries. Final score was 19-14

“We didn’t know where we stood in the league. [We] were in tier 2 this year. We watched a lot of game film, and were motivated by what some of the Cold Lake players were saying before hand. You know they rallied for it, our defense scored two touchdowns. Turnovers win games, and that’s what happened today.” Head Coach Mark Tichkowsky said post-game.

Upcoming games

The Lions continue their ‘A’ division playoff run with a game to be decided. The Bengals will play in two weeks time against an opponent to be decided.