Game Five: Predators vs. Storm

The final weekend of the 2007 midget football regular season, and the Outlaws are at a very windy Clarke Park with their undefeated streak on the line. Their opposition, the 3-and-1 St. Albert Storm, have a lot of talent and pride and they'd like nothing better than to spoil the Outlaws party. If the Storm can do that it could cause a log jam in league standings, where all four of the Tier 1 teams entering the playoffs might have identical four-and-one records. Sitting here in the big easy chair the day after the game, it almost seems that it was destiny - Parkland completes their sweep of the CDMFA regular season in midget Tier I. But yesterday afternoon, sitting in the bleachers at Clarke, it was a very different feeling through most of the game. St. Albert had team toughness, and they also had a lot of weapons - they didn't look the least bit intimidated by the undefeated Outlaws. For most of the game, the Outlaws defense had trouble getting to the St. Albert quarterback, and the Storm had several players on offense who could run the ball effectively. They also weren't afraid to go to the air when they had the opportunity. Meanwhile, the Outlaws offense and special teams had their work cut out for them too. St. Albert forced a couple of turnovers early in the game, and helped themselves to a quick 3 - 0 lead before some of the fans had even settled in their seats. The Outlaws soon settled down though. While both teams were able to engineer long drives on offense, the Outlaws may have had the edge in combining raw power with speed and finesse. Neil came in several times as a fullback with some of the other husky fellows when we needed to "move the pile" in short yardage situations. Pierce and Kevin reeled off some sick gains as tailbacks. Garrett was able to distribute the ball around to all his receivers, finding Colton, Vance, Brayden and Dylan for a few yards when we really needed them, or for the home run shot when it was available. Back on the Outlaws defense, we got a great team performance (as usual) with everybody chipping in and Joey and Josh dishing out a couple of the more memorable hits. This was a game that had everything - two evenly matched teams, tricky weather (boy I'm glad we don't play in a domed stadium!), big plays, goal line stands, and for the Outlaws - a happy ending. Final score: Outlaws 23 - Storm 17.