Edwin Parr Composite’s Athabasca Pacers football team got into the winning column with a convincing victory over the Vegreville Vortex last Friday.
The Pacers and Vortex were both looking for their first win of the season, but it was Athabasca that came out on top by a score of 33-8.
The outcome was never in doubt, as the Pacers outclassed the visitors right from the start and cruised to a 30-0 lead at the half. After that, they “pulled back on the throttle”, according to head coach Pete Burden.
“We wanted to keep the score close and respectable,” said the coach.
The Pacers knew ahead of time that the Vortex weren’t on the same level as Westlock or Vermilion, but that doesn’t mean they were taking their visitors lightly.
“We prepared quite well for them. The team was ready to go,” said Burden. “I think our effort has been good in all three games, (but) we were a little more technically sound this game than we were in the first two.”
The home team benefited from some strong individual performances. Quarterback Gaetano Minto got the passing game going with 10 completions on 16 attempts for 145 yards and three touchdowns. On the running side, Mitchell Snow had another big game with 11 carries for 141 yards.
The big lead allowed the Pacers to rest some of their regulars later in the game and spread the playing time around.
The game wasn’t without its challenges for the home team, however. Burden himself was forced into service as a referee on very short notice. As a result, defensive coach Terry Smith stepped up to lead the team and young quarterback coach Kevin Gray was handed the responsibility of calling the plays. And the players themselves had to adjust to the changes, and quickly.
Though Burden couldn’t communicate with his team while serving as a referee, he was very impressed with how they handled his absence.
“The players themselves took on a leadership role, and took it upon themselves to give a good effort. And the coaching staff did a great job handling the team,” he said.
The Pacers will play an exhibition game in Cold Lake on Tuesday, then regroup for a home date with Westlock on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
It will be the team’s last home game of the season, unless they secure a playoff home date.
The graduating seniors will be honoured after the game.
