The Olds High School Spartans blanked a short-handed Matthew Halton High School Mustangs team 48-0 in Alberta high school football play on Sept. 14 at Normie Kwong Park.
The Mustangs had only a handful of substitutions they were able to call upon during the game, while the Spartans boasted a full roster of 41 players able to play either offence or defence.
As a result, the Spartans had a fairly easy time of it against the Pincher Creek school, getting off to a 16-0 lead after the first quarter. The lead would have been more, but a field goal kick by the Spartans as time wound down bounced off the left upright and stayed out.
In the second quarter, the Spartans added 14 more points, giving the team a 30-0 lead at the half.
In the second half, receiver Dwayne Neustaeter had what appeared to be about a 40-yard run from the line of scrimmage into the end zone called back when a teammate was collared on a penalty flag, negating the touchdown and bringing the ball all the way back to the line of scrimmage. Neustaeter made up for the error in the final minute of the game, however, taking a short run into the end zone to cap off the match.
Defensively, the Spartans were able to bottle up the Mustangs, who couldn't seem to muster much offensive power.
George Grant, the Spartans' head coach, said following the game that lopsided matches such as on Sept. 14 are sometimes difficult on the defence, which didn't have to work very hard. He said teams focus much better on fundamentals when games are closer on the scoreboard.
“That's the big question is to try and keep the defence all focused on their individual jobs and trying to be crisper than they were the day before. Unfortunately when you get scores that start to separate, it's difficult to keep guys all focused, so that's an ongoing process in every football program at every level,” he said.
Connor Jorgensen, the Spartans' quarterback, played well, Grant said, even though as a Grade 10 player, he's still learning. Jorgensen is surrounded by some good players on the offensive line that are giving him the time he needs to make decisions, Grant said.
“He's got a good supporting crew around him. It's a case where he's got some leadership and some protection around him, and our offensive line, they should be able to provide him time for him to make his reads,” Grant said.
The Spartans' first game was on Sept. 10 in Chestermere, where they blanked the opposition for the first time this season, defeating the Cowboys 41-0.
“Our defence through two games has pitched two shutouts, which is fantastic, but like I said, we still have to work on a number of things both offensively and defensively and a little bit on special teams to ensure that we're better prepared later down the season,” Grant said.
The Spartans will next be playing George McDougall High School in Airdrie on Sept. 28, although Grant said he was still trying to secure a game prior to that date to keep the Spartans sharp.
