ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Bengals may have had a challenging start at the beginning of the football season, but the back-to-back provincial champions proved they are still a threat – claiming first place in the league as the regular season wrapped up.
On Oct. 19, the Bengals won 41-18 against the Bonnyville Bandits in St. Paul. Last season, the Bengals clinched a 14-13 victory against the Bandits to claim the Wheatland Bantam Football League (WBFL) championship title.
Bengals’ player William Potratz said the team played amazing on Saturday, especially against a team like Bonnyville.
“I think we played a great game.”
He said the Bengals are now looking forward to earning their place at provincials again. But, he recognizes the path is still challenging.
Beginning this week, WBFL playoffs are set to begin, and the Bengals will be playing against the Cold Lake Ravens. If they win, they will be heading to the WBFL finals.
Bengals’ coach Derek Zapisocki said Cold Lake has a strong team, but the Bengals are confident.
“We matched up well against them the first time we played,” he said, adding, “The job is not finished.”
The coach thanks everyone who continues to support the team.
“We always had good support over the last few years, and it’s good to see so many fans in the seats,” he said. “It’s a little harder to come and watch football,” he said, acknowledging how cold it can be sometimes.
Blake Adams, head coach for the Bonnyville Bandits, said Saturday’s game could have been better for the Bandits, but they tried their best.
“We’re a little shorthanded this year. [It’s a] young team,” he said, explaining many senior players have moved to the high school level.
“Obviously, we didn’t win . . . but wins and loses . . . the score isn’t so important to me,” added Adams. “It’s the product we put on the field.”
“If the kids are working as hard as they possibly can, that's all we can ask for . . . That's what I'm happy about,” he said. The loss only means the team has to work harder.
The Bandits finished third overall and will be away to play Wainwright this week to determine who goes to the finals, and the team is confident.
“We will prepare as hard as we can,” he said, adding the final goal is always to win the WBFL finals.
He acknowledged the WBFL is a tough league to play in.
“It’s a competitive league . . . We play good football here, so it’s tough to win in this league.”