By Todd Lewis
Bantam Broncs head coach
The Bantam and Peewee Broncs had an early morning this past Saturday.
The teams were up at the crack of dawn to kick off at 9 a.m. (Bantams) and 11 a.m. (Peewees) in Olds. The Bantam Broncs’ offense was explosive and commanded the field well.
Cade Prediger (No. 65) led the charge, blocking tenaciously each play.
Hudson Bruns (No. 69) also had another standout game, going second level often and disrupting linebackers. Carson Frank (No. 11) was poised in the pocket, finding numerous receivers for receptions.
Truce Beaverbones (No. 4) was a savage, ferociously blocking anyone in his path. Kaiden Jeffrey (No. 6) made some huge plays, getting outside of the Bulldogs’ defence often.
The Bantam defence struggled against Olds’ passing offence.
While there were glimpses of the D’s potential, stronger line play is necessary against a talented team like Olds.
Good news: the game was an exhibition and does not count toward playoffs positioning. Better news: the exhibition revealed a ton of fixable mistakes.
The Bantams will focus on these areas and will be stronger when they host the Stettler Cougars on Sept. 30, at 10 a.m.
The Peewee Broncs continued their strong play, putting up 14 points almost immediately after kickoff.
They did, however, take their foot off the gas and allowed Olds to climb back to 16-14.
After some necessary adjustments, the Peewees caught back to a 33-16 victory, improving their record to 3-0 on the season.
Ty Quast (No. 34) continues his dominant season, blocking, running, catching, and scoring.
James Scott (No. 18) looks like a Bantam QB, finding open receivers and making great reads. Morgan Jeffrey (No. 89) was a beast on both offence and defence, showing great technical skill and high football IQ.
Connor Wirch (No. 15) was a terror in the Olds backfield, recording numerous tackles for losses. The Peewees kick off on Oct. 7 when they host the also undefeated Rocky Rebels.
Looking back to earlier this month, the Peewee Broncs had a back-to-back matchup against the Drumheller Titans. They first hosted the Titans on Sept. 2, where they earned a hard-fought victory (winning their inaugural game).
Ty Quast (No. 34) led the charge, scoring all of the peewees’ touchdowns (five in total).
While the peewee defence struggled to contain the Titans’ outside runs, they adjusted and managed to contain their runners. Final score: 31-19, Broncs.
Looking back to earlier this month, the Peewee Broncs were in Drumheller on Sept. 10. Some defensive adjustments and strong practices put the Broncs in a much stronger position to succeed. The defence was stingy, aggressive, and tenacious.
As a result, the Peewee Bronc’s offence was on the field much more often, allowing the team to score more by committee.
Ty Quast had a few scores of his own, but No. 89 Morgan Jeffrey, No. 12 Ryder Malterer, No. 3 Parker Millar, No. 18 James Scott, and No. 90 Rhys Davis all scored as well.
James Scott was excellent as the team’s QB.
Passing is rare in the peewee league, let alone completed receptions.
Not only did Scott find his recs, he found them often and in the end zone — 42-18, Broncs. The future is bright for Ponoka football with players like these!
As mentioned, the next home game to spectate is on Sept. 30, (10 a.m.) when the Bantam Broncs face the Stettler Cougars.
Meanwhile, the Bantam Broncs had a tough first week on Sept. 10.
They headed off to Drumheller to kick off against the Titans. While the Bantams have a talented squad, talent and ability don’t substitute hard work.
The Titans started the game with more intensity and aggression, allowing them to control much of the game. 49-6, Titans.
Despite a tough first week, the Bantam Broncs showed true character.
Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they recognized their shortcomings and worked like dogs to improve. Focus was placed on “downhill play,” and attacking opposition territory.
Their motto for the week was, “Be the hammer, not the nail.”
The Bantams’ hard work paid off; at the game against the Rocky Jr. Rebels, the Broncs fired downhill every snap.
Their aggression, ceaseless effort, and intensity put them in a pairing to succeed.
- No. 11 Carson Frank was a rock as the Broncs QB1, finding numerous receivers downfield.
- No. 8 Rookie Brandt Cabay scored his first TD hauling in a Frank TD as did #7 Tyzia Bull.
- No. 4 Truce Beaverbones showed why he was the team’s 2022 MVP: he was ferocious blocking, tackling, and running the ball.
- No. 69 Hudson Bruns set key blocks in offense and set the tone for the game - the kid played smash-mouth football.
- No. 85 Tyler Hawkings led the charge on defense, recording multiple tackles.
-No. 5 Reid Pinksen made his first interception of the season.
- No. 14 Parker Baines was sideline to sideline, flowing like a true linebacker.
- No. 20 Mac Cordel had great carries on offense, tallying a TD of his own while also making key tackles on defense.
Because of their relentless effort, teamwork, and massive improvement, our Bantam Broncs were successful. A synopsis of that success: 59-6, Broncs.