The Olds High School Spartans split a pair of games last week, beating the James Fowler High School Falcons of Calgary 38-6 on Oct. 16 at Normie Kwong Park and losing 29-21 to St. Mary's High School of Calgary on Oct.14 in Calgary.
The Spartans' season record was 5-2 as they head into a scheduled football contest on Oct. 22 with Red Deer's Notre Dame High School Cougars.
The Spartans led the game against the Falcons 21-0 after one quarter. In the second quarter, the Falcons picked up a touchdown before Olds kicker Quade Smith punted a ball into the end zone and a Falcons receiver was unable to get it out, netting the Spartans a point. Another Spartans touchdown before the quarter was out made the score 28-6 for the home side after three quarters. In the fourth, Quade's brother Tylen got his second touchdown of the game, running 40 yards into the end zone. Quade finished off the scoring for the Spartans with a short 10-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.
Defensive lineman Connor Howard picked up a sack late in the game when he prevented the Falcons' quarterback from getting rid of the ball in Falcons territory.
George Grant, the Spartans' head coach, said despite a good first quarter in which the Spartans were quick to capitalize on good offensive play, the second half of the game was not as good. A few penalties that cost the team field position were mistakes that need to be corrected as the team continues its season.
“In the second half we had a few mental errors that we need to correct,” he said, noting that since the game was still well in hand, everyone was able to get some game action and stay sharp for later in the season.
“We got a ton of playing time for a lot of guys which is important going into our stretch here to ensure that we've got enough bodies who understand what we're doing on offence, defence and on our special teams,” he said.
Against St. Mary's, the Spartans held a 14-1 advantage with two minutes left in the second quarter, before the home side came from behind and took a 15-14 edge by the time the clock expired after the second quarter. Lapses in defensive coverage cost the Spartans against the Tier I school.
“We just couldn't sustain a drive. It wasn't until late in the game that they definitely pulled ahead and we scored one back to cut the lead down but time ran out on us,” Grant said, noting that the previous week's practices leading up to that game weren't quite up to the Spartans' standards.
He said the game against St. Mary's and the upcoming match against Notre Dame will be beneficial because both of those schools play in Tier I and Tier II high school football respectively, with Tier I schools having 1,250-plus student populations and Tier II schools having between 750 and 1,249 students. OHS plays in Tier III (schools with populations between 450 and 749 students). The game against Notre Dame will be crucial for the Spartans as they head into playoffs on Nov. 2, when the Spartans will clash with the top team in Tier III, the Cochrane High School Cobras.
“Anything we can do to prepare ourselves to go up against the Cochranes of the world, we'll definitely take that opportunity to work on some things,” Grant said.
"We got a ton of playing time for a lot of guys which is important going into our stretch here to ensure that we've got enough bodies who understand what we're doing on offence, defence and on our special teams."George Grant, head coach, OHS Spartans football team
