Primed for the big stage, the Junior Raiders of Lloydminster answered the bell in resounding fashion Saturday as they won their Football Alberta bantam championship at Clarke Field in Edmonton.
Read more: Junior Raiders bound for provincial final
The Raiders blanked the Calgary Mavericks 35-0 in the provincial Tier 3 final for 12-aside teams.
The golden finish came just one week after the Lloyd contingent captured the Capital district league Tier 2 championship, shutting out West Edmonton 52-0 in the process.
“Our guys were prepared for this type of big game,” Raiders coach Keegan Kozak said after the provincial-championship victory. “They worked their tails off all week, both on the field during practice and off the field studying film and play breakdowns.
“The work ethic and buy-in from this group has been outstanding. From the start of the year, we as a group set the standard and worked every day to raise it to another level.”
Now, those Raiders have reached the pinnacle of provincial football for under-16-aged players and students from grades 8 and 9. The community-based team is comprised of athletes from Lloydminster-and-area schools — primarily Holy Rosary High School — and the communities of Dewberry and Paradise Valley.
After snow was cleared off the turf for Saturday afternoon’s provincial final, the Raiders went to work in calm weather conditions, and they opened a 12-0 lead in the first half.
“Throughout the playoffs, I thought we played our best football all year, and it really showed in our performance on Saturday,” Kozak said. “To score in all three phases of the game — offence, defence and special teams — is a rare accomplishment.
“That opening-score, punt-return touchdown gave us the spark we needed, and from there our momentum never slowed.
“Our defence set the tone from the very first play, driving them back for a 10-yard loss and sending a clear message. From that moment on, (the Raiders) never let their foot off the gas. The guys flew around, communicated and completely shut down everything the Mavericks threw at us.”
Daniel Nikiforuk’s punt-return TD opened the scoring, and Colten Hill’s one-yard TD run made it a 12-0 game heading into halftime.
In the second half, Kaylun Campbell broke free for a 20-yard TD run, Nash McLaren caught a fake PAT and Cobi Payne added a pick-six to extend the Raiders’ advantage to 26-0.
They scored nine more points as Nikiforuk struck again with a long TD run and McLaren caught his second fake PAT.
Defensively, the Raiders made five interceptions — two from Payne and one each from McLaren, Nikiforuk and Holden Paylor — while Felix Guenther added a fumble recovery.
The entire 45-player roster made the Raiders’ coaching staff proud, Kozak reported.
“Every single player contributed to this run in their own way, and it was truly a full team effort from start to finish,” he said.
“We’re already excited to get back to work and build on this success next season. What makes this group special is how much they’ve grown together over the season.
“They’ve learned to handle adversity, stay composed under pressure, and play for the guy next to them. That kind of teamwork and selflessness is rare at this age. It’s what championship programs are built on.”
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