Capping off a groundbreaking season, the Ponoka Bantam Broncs took silver in the 9-A-Side Tier II provincials against the Taber Rebls this past weekend in Ponoka.
"It was a fantastic football game between two talented, hard-working, and focused teams," said head coach Todd Lewis.
"The Broncs started with the ball and drove much of the field before failing to convert on a third down. The Broncs' defence, as defensive coordinator Michael Davidse would say, 'bent but didn't break' on the following series. Taber converted a few first downs, but inevitably had to punt the ball back to Broncs," added Lewis.
He said much of the first half carried on this way - some offensive success for both teams, but a failing to find the end zone.
Taber would draw first blood, however, but the Broncs would quickly tie the game at 6-6.
"Broncs' offence struggled afterwards to reach first downs; as a result, Taber had a favourable field position they used to convert two more touchdowns, pulling ahead to 22-6 at halftime."
After making some adjustments on offence and defence, the Broncs launched into the second half well.
"It was still tough for offence, but they found more success moving the ball thanks to QB James Scott's excellent passing game. The Broncs were stingy on defence, forcing Taber to earn every inch," said Lewis.
"Taber wouldn't score again for the remainder of the game, but neither would the Broncs; 22-6 was the final score."
Lewis said despite the score not going in Ponoka's favour, it was still very much a successful game.
"We measure our success based on effort, growth, and brotherhood. If we can achieve those during a game, we are successful, win or lose. These Broncs played hard, with ceaseless effort and endless heart, even in the last few seconds when a comeback was impossible," he explained.
"That determination and strength of character - that's true success. It's not always about the trophy, medal, or title. It's about the struggle and refusing to quit and playing for your teammates. There's beauty in the fight, and our broncs played beautifully on Saturday."
Lewis said ultimately, mental toughness is something the youth work hard on all season.
"For our Nov. 2 championship against Olds, we cultivated a loose-yet-focused mentality so we wouldn't play stiff and hesitant like we saw in the semi-finals against Drumheller. 'It's just another day of football' was our theme because, ultimately, that's what it is.
"Yes, it was the biggest game any of us ever played in, and yes there's lots of pressure to win and become the best nine-a-side team in Alberta. But in the grand scheme of things, Saturday was another chance to play ball with our brothers. In fact, the entire provincials week was a gift - no Broncs teams have ever had their season extend to the second week of November before since this was our first provincials game ever.
"Our 2024 team had the privilege of staying together for an extra week - a gift most teams don't get to enjoy. So, we continued with our 'it's just another day of football' mentality, but also recognized the extra time we had to practice and play together was a blessing most don't receive. We said that on Saturday, we weren't playing for provincials, rings, or trophies: we were playing for each other."
"To see these kids exemplify what it means to be a football player, a true teammate, a strong citizen, and a good person, it is a deep source of pride for a coach. It's not only pride though; it's admiration," said Lewis.
"To put forth strong physical effort, that's easy. Most people can do that. To put forth mental effort, that's tougher, but, again, most people can do that. But to build routines, to completely buy in to 'team culture,' to consistently treat all teammates with respect and love, to hold oneself accountable rather than blame others, to constantly challenge oneself and strive for growth: that is not easy and not something many people can do," he said.
"I have complete admiration for these young men and women and I'm so excited to see them apply these traits in other facets of their lives and in their football futures, of course. One of our program's credos is 'to set yourself up for success' - these kids have done just that, and a coach could never ask for more."
Lewis said that there were mixed emotions post-game for sure.
"While winning isn't how we define success, I'll admit that I wanted to win and so did our team. However, our coaching staff, our players, our families, and our fans know we were still absolutely successful in all the ways that actually matter both in provincials and in 2024 as a whole. One of the biggest emotions came from the fact our 2024 season had finally concluded.
"This exact group of kids in these exact circumstances had come to a close, and that's a tough pill to swallow - win or lose. The bonds and connections forged through hard work and adversity are strong ones," said Lewis.
"These young broncs have so much football ahead of them, so many lessons to learn, so much adversity to struggle through, and so many meaningful experiences to have in their futures. While the 2024 season is over, that doesn't mean our success has concluded; rather, we're just getting started."
A key component to the program's success stems from the community's support, too.
"These kids work tremendously hard - their dedication deserves to be seen, recognized, and celebrated. While it's true that a player's focus should be on the field regardless of how full the stands are, the amount of people spectating does matter. Hearing the crowd get loud and excited is a strong motivating factor for any athlete.
"I'm so thankful to our community because our home games were absolutely packed all season.
"This year, I have seen many young kids watching from the sidelines, many of whom proudly say, 'I'm going to be a bronc football player!' As a coach, this is absolutely thrilling to see. Not only because it means our future rosters will be full of kids, but because it means more Ponoka area kids will have the chance to learn from football and grow as people," he said.
"Football gives us all something to be proud of and to engage in and, as a result, it can be something that unifies us.
"Seeing tons of people contribute to broncs football as fans, volunteers, spectators, sponsors, and supporters, is proof football brings people together," he said.
Reflecting further on Saturday, Lewis said it all started as always with the grand entry.
"This time, however, we wanted the game to be as neutral as possible since it was provincials," ha said, adding originally it set to kickoff in Red Deer.
"The Taber Rebels agreed to move the game to Ponoka because they knew it was a big deal for us, even though that could have been a disadvantage for them. Further, when Football Alberta told us they might have to move the game back to Red Deer due to a shortage of officials, it was Taber that advocated for us, reminding Football Alberta that Ponoka had put a ton of work into organizing a special day for all players," said Lewis.
"Taber is pure class and I have complete respect for coach Jamie O'Connor and their whole organization.
"Even cooler, we had two horse-riders lead each team through the grand entry (Tryp Pugh and Oakley Tonneson). All players had full hearts going into the game, which was awesome."
There was also a Remembrance Day ceremony before kick-off.
Looking ahead, the program is holding its annual Peewee plus Coaches vs. Bantams scrimmage on Saturday.
"We booked The Dome in Red Deer for the game. This scrimmage is always a highlight, and a great way to wrap up the season until our awards banquet, that is!"
Lincoln Hall has also organized a fundraiser for PAMFA.
"On Nov.17, there is a Grey Cup Party at Lincoln Hall, starting at 3:30 p.m. In addition to the Grey Cup, there will be a potluck, raffles, 50/50, and broncs everywhere if anyone would like to congratulate them on a successful 2024 season."
Lewis said they will also be having winter dryland practices throughout the off-season which are free and open to any local youth who is interested in trying football.
"These are no-contact, no-equipment practices that aim to teach the basics of football while developing fitness and love for the sport."
