River Riders lose inaugural game, but learn valuable lessons
Pee wee squad loses 44-0 to defending league champions
KRISTINA JARVIS
Herald Staff

It was to be expected.

Heading into their inaugural game in the Saskatchewan Kinsmen pee wee football league, the Prince Albert River Riders had few designs on beating last year's provincial champions, the Arns Falcons.

And on Sunday afternoon in Prime Minister's Park, things unfolded pretty much how the Riders anticipated as they dropped their first game of the season 44-0 to the defending champs.

Head coach Wendell Whitter said that regardless of the score, his team learned from the game.

"I'm extremely proud of how they played today even though we lost," he said. "The kids went out and had fun today, there are things we have to work on but we're heading in the right direction."

Whitter, who is also the offensive co-ordinator with the Carlton Comprehensive High School Crusaders, says what his team needs to work on now is their intensity.

"You know, kids are still a little tentative because they're not running hard enough," he said. "They realize now they've got to step it up a little bit but, you know, they're going to get there at their own rate, we're not going to push them real hard."

Riders' defensive end Braden Tournier enjoyed the game, but spotted a couple things he feels his team needs to work on.

"We've got to get lower and keep them contained," he said.

His teammate, secondary corner Andrew Byrne, also believes the team needs to work on containing the other team. However, Byrne felt the Riders did some positive things in their first game, such as when his team's offence gained a couple of yards.

Whitter recruited most of his team from training sessions conducted last winter, and practised with them for two weeks prior to Sunday's game.

And while only one person on the squad has played football before, Whitter was impressed with his team's efforts. In fact, one of the things that impressed him most was the hard work of both his players and his coaching staff.

"I've got a lot of really good kids who come to practice and they work hard and that's all a coach can ask for," he said. "They work hard and they want to play football."

In other Saskatchewan Kinsmen football league action at Prime Minister's park on Sunday, the bantam Riders dropped a close 22-15 decision to the three-time provincial champion Arns Falcons.

"It's just as good as a victory in my books," said the Riders' second-year head coach Ryan Hughes.

"The last time we played them last year they beat us 54-0. So I think everything went pretty well today."

So well, in fact, the Riders led 12-7 heading into half time.

It was the first lead the team has had since entering the league last season.

Both the pee wee and bantam Riders will be in Saskatoon on Wednesday for their second games of the young season.