The youthful Lloydminster Comprehensive Barons began their North Saskatchewan Football League regular season on a losing note at home Sept. 19, but they narrowed the learning curve in the process.
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On a fine Sept. 19 evening, the Martensville Royals came to Lloydminster and defeated the Barons 31-6 in senior high school play.
It was the second time in three weeks that Martensville was victorious against Lloyd Comp, including a 31-24 exhibition decision in the Saskatoon bedroom community. That Sept. 5 game wasn’t decided until the last minute.
After two tight losses in pre-season action, the Barons faced a formidable foe in their home-opener last week against the Royals.
“The boys played hard for one another,” said Lloydminster Comprehensive coach Kieran Link. “A lot of young players got their first regular-season action, so it was a learning experience. Their effort was there.”
Barons first-string quarterback Joe Kelly, a Grade 10 student, scored a rushing touchdown and led the team in passing and rushing.
Rylan Anderson, a Grade 11 student, was the Barons’ leader in tackling.
Link said Grade 10 rookie Jaxson Hakansson and 11th grader Raynar Larsson “played hard on the defensive line.”
The Barons went on the road this past weekend as they visited the St. Mary Marauders on Sept. 26 in Prince Albert.
“St. Mary is a run-first team,” Link advised. “They have a running quarterback, so we will have to do our best to be gap sound and tackle well in space. Their team is well-coached, so we will have to do the fundamentals of blocking and tackling well.”
Those lessons have been most applicable this season as Lloyd Comp has fielded a young team trying to punch above its weight at the senior high school level.
In both of their exhibition games, the Barons were in the thick of the action in the late going, despite the defeats.
In their Sept. 12 game at Saskatoon, the Barons showed fight right until the end of a 21-15 loss to the Marion Graham Falcons.
“We were down 15-3 at the half and battled back to tie the game late in the fourth quarter,” Link reported after that matchup.
“On the third down on the last play of the game, they threw a touchdown pass to win the game. The young (Lloyd Comp) team showed resilience in the second half, battling back from a two-score deficit.”
Barons’ QB Kelly scored two rushing touchdowns. Carson Krchov, a senior, had a field goal.
The next home game for the senior Barons is at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, against the North Battleford Comprehensive Vikings.
Read more: Senior Barons perform well in last-minute loss
