The John Paul II Crusaders football team is preparing for a must-win game against Delisle on Sept. 24 after last week’s loss to Humboldt.
The Crusaders kept the game within reach early, but numerous dropped passes that could have resulted in touchdowns came back to bite them in a 65-15 loss to Humboldt.
“The first quarter was very back and forth. Our offence saw a lot of success, and our defence had a lot of really great plays. But we just couldn’t catch a break,” Crusaders head coach Kevin Pinno said.
“We had a few drops that were tough, then had a fumble that made it tough and gave up a couple of big plays on defence. Things were going well until they didn’t, which is exactly what happens in sports.”
While the score may not have reflected exactly how the game unfolded, Pinno said it was frustrating that a few key plays made the difference, but encouraging that the Crusaders could compete with a top team like Humboldt had those plays gone the other way.
“You want to play the what-if game. What if this happened? What if that happened? But at the end of the day, it didn’t. We saw a lot of really positive plays, specifically out of position groups. Our defensive line played very well, and that just means that we’re getting better in the areas we want to get better.”
Pinno said the team has been trying a different defensive scheme, which he said has improved game by game.
“I felt in our game against Kindersley it was bad. In our game against Meadow, it was OK. Then, against Humboldt, I felt like it was the best I’ve seen yet. The way we cover players has been improving, along with the block shedding.”
Hosting Delisle on Sept. 24, the Crusaders need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
“I’m hoping that, as coaches and players, we all respond in the way of, ‘There are only three games left if we don’t win.’ I think everybody knows that we’re reaching the end of the season. We’re already past halfway, so no play is taken for granted.”
Pinno said Thursday’s game will feature a pink theme, and he hopes to see plenty of support for the team.
“We’re going to be wearing pink socks, pink tape, pink eye black or, I guess, eye pink,” he joked.
“Hopefully it’s something that we can do and keep building up every single year.”
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Thursday when the Crusaders host Delisle.
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