The senior Titans took on a top team last weekend as they prepare for the post-season.
The Titans fell to the Winston Churchill Bulldogs last Saturday at home, with a score of 34-28. The Bulldogs remained ranked at third place at the Tier 3 level.
For the Titans, this was the kind of workout they were looking for heading in to the post-season.
“For the guys, even though it was a loss, it was still a victory for them because they got to see the character of their team,” said head coach Ken Fournier. “When the coaches were talking about scheduling an exhibition against a tougher team, you couldn’t dream up a better situation.”
The Titans had a slow start. Three early fumbles early allowed the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. But the Titans continued to chip away. The Bulldogs still had a substantial lead, but Cody Gouin’s touchdown and following convert were able to cut the score to 21-34. Kyle Smith, whose performance during this game included a 90-yard return for a touchdown, picked off a pass and cut the score to 28-34 with his second touchdown.
The Titans charge continued and they brought it back to their opponent’s 26-yard line with 33 seconds, but lost possession.
Fournier said Smith put together a career game, and quarterback Steven Robertson stood strong in the pocket and lifted his passing game. Spencer Fournier was not only making yards on the run but on the pass as well, and the tight ends put together an amazing game.
“I think we got the momentum in the second half. When you play teams you don’t usually see, you don’t know what kind of offense they are running, and you don’t know what to prepare for,” said Fournier.
“They scored three right away. It was still a good match-up, but then we were battling the clock the rest of the game.”
The Titans will be hosting the league finals this weekend against Canmore. This will be the third time Drumheller and Canmore have met on the field this season, and the Titans have swept the series. Coach Fournier said they cannot take Canmore lightly.
“We have to focus on controlling the ball and keeping their offense off the field,” said Fournier. “They have just had two weeks to prepare for us. Their defense should be stronger against our offense. We have been preparing too, but I fully expect Canmore to come out with a new look offense.
“They can play. A lot of our success against Canmore was turnovers that we capitalized on, so if they don’t make any mistakes they will be a lot tougher team to play than what the last score showed.”
Game time is 1 p.m.