This past weekend proved a big triumph for both the Ponoka Peewee and Bantam Broncs teams.
"For the Peewees and the Bantam Broncs, it was the fifth game of our season," said Todd Lewis, head coach.
"Both teams went into these games four to zero - which is kind of crazy. The peewee team is still very young - it's only their second year. So everything with a new team is kind of historic."
That kind of momentum put a bit of pressure on the kids, but Lewis emphasized that even though winning and building a competitive spirit are goals, it's secondary to the teams' success.
"Our success is us learning to work hard, even when you are tired, even when you are uncomfortable - for the benefit of the team. We also define our success by striving for constant growth and improvement. We are trying to get better every single second of every single day.
"Lastly, and most importantly, it's about never failing to lift your brothers. Every year, we are successful in that regard, but this year might be the most successful with that yet. The kids have really bought into it - they are such a tight unit, and it's fun watching them really run their own teams.
He pointed to the bantams' match-up against the Stettler Cougars as an example of this.
Diving in, some mistakes were made. But during half-time, Lewis said he overheard the kids discussing what they could do to bolster their own performances.
"They didn't sound like kids - they sounded like grown adults. They were having this passionate and intelligent conversation covering all of the points that my coaches and I had wanted to talk about. It was unbelievable."
"Regardless of win, lose or draw, that is success."
And then with the peewees, Lewis noticed they were running their own warm-ups.
"These kids are 10 to 12-years-old," he said, adding they were essentially covering all the bases through these routines as well.
"They organized themselves and ran through the routines on their own. A couple of Senior Broncs were helping them out, but still, these are peewees (basically) running themselves.
"Those are two real examples of success. When these guys are 30 and 40, they won't remember the touchdowns, the wins. But these skills they are gaining, and the fun they are having with each other - that is what they will remember, and it's what they will carry with them forever.
"That is really the goal of this program - to help these kids find ways to be independent and successful on their own. They have to learn to carry themselves, and holy smokes, are they ever."
Meanwhile, the Bantam Broncs kicked things off in the morning on Oct. 5 against the Stettler Cougars.
"We opened up the game and started out strong."
But the broncs were then making a few miscues and seemed a little flat, he said, adding the Cougars presented one of the tougher defences they've yet faced.
"At half-time, we made some adjustments which largely came from the players themselves." It paid off with a landmark win of 44-0.
Right after that, the peewees kicked off at 1 p.m. against the Stettler Panthers. Lewis said again, the broncs were up against a solid team. But the broncs were quick to land a touchdown.
"It was the third game in a row that the peewees opened up the game with a score. That is huge momentum for us. It puts you in such a favourable position to keep going. And that is exactly what we did - we got ahead early in the first half."
But Stettler fought back. "They stopped us when we were on the offence - got the ball back, and they scored."
It was 6-6. "We then kicked off, and they got the ball and scored again."
Now it's 12-6. Lewis said the team had been doing so well in the prior weeks, the tough adversity was a bit of a surprise.
"We called a time-out, brought the kids in, and we said we had to make a choice. We could have the victim mindset where can feel bad about ourselves, blaming the refs, blaming the weather, and everything else. Or, we can have a champion mindset. We can step up, find the things within our control, and make the play. So the kids decided we were going to have a champion mindset. And that is exactly what they did."
The promptly scored, and the momentum jumped back on their side.
"From there, we kind of exploded," said Lewis. "I'm extremely proud of the peewees' resilience and ability to stick their feet in the ground."
Then, the game's second half saw the panthers nab the ball back and start scoring.
"It was down to the wire, but we managed to get control of the ball and finish 44-31. Our peewees showed a lot of resilience and toughness - especially from a few key players including Brycen Johnson, who was named MVP.
"He scored four or five touchdowns, and just ran and ran. He was unstoppable."
Following both games, both teams headed to Edmonton to see the Elks take on the Roughriders.
"It was awesome. We actually took a crowd of 100 people with us. It was day utterly full of football - we played our games and then went to watch the pros"
Lewis said one game remains for both teams in the regular season coming up on Oct. 12.
"The peewees will play at 4 p.m. in Red Deer against the Red Deer Scotia Bucks. And then at 10 a.m. in Innisfail, the bantams will play against the Innisfail Cyclones."
