Skip to content

Gators take a bite out of Buccaneers perfect season

The Buccaneers found their first loss of the season in the third week
web1_170628-ECK-M-Buccaneers-June-10
SCRUM - The Central Alberta Buccaneers were looking for a win to keep a perfect season during the June 10 game against the Calgary Gators. Unfortunately, the Gators took an intimdating lead early in the game and won 28-7. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TODD LEWIS

The Central Alberta Buccaneers faced their first lost of the season on June 10 after a perilous fight with the Calgary Gators.

With a 28-7 loss, the Bucs lost their perfect season, finishing week three with a 2-1 record.

It was a rough first half of football for the Buccaneers, with the first quarter looking like it could be anyone’s games.

Both the Gators and the Bucs found any gained yardage was soon punted away in the third down.

According to Buccaneers slotback Corbin Knip, a weakness for the pirate crew was their execution.

“We need to take care of the ball and we need to make catches.”

It was early in the second quarter when the Gators gained an advantage over the Buccaneers. It was a deep pass from the Gators after, what Todd Lewis, the community representative with the Bucs, called a “coverage-misstep” on the Buccaneers part.

The gators played an opportunistic game in the first half. With a few injuries slowing the Bucs, the Gators sped along.

At the end of the first half, the Buccaneers were watching the tail of the Gators as they sped by in a 28-0 lead.

“They tried to trash talk and get under our skin, but I feel we kept our composure,” said Knip.

It was a full-out defensive game for the Bucaneers.

The team’s only touchdown of the night came from defensive safety Mark Fay.

After a Gator fumble, Fay was able to “scoop up a Gator fumble and sneak into the end zone” to finally put the Bucs on the score clock.

“The entire defense was a huge strength for us. For how much they were on the field, they played lights out,” praised Knip.

Defensive strength is right. After a half-time break the Bucaneers came back on the field ready to fight.

Despite offensive struggles, and overturns throughout the game, the Bucs’ defence was strong.

The Buccaneer defence did not give up one touchdown in the second half of the game.

It wasn’t pretty in the end, but the final score of 28-7 for the Gators was hard fought.

“If we fix our mental errors, we can absolutely beat them. Without a doubt,” said Knip.

The Buccaneers had a fourth week bye, to prepare themselves for the juggernaut team of the Fort McMurray Monarchs.