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Bucs steamroll Vandals to remain undefeated

The team is back in action on July 9th in Calgary against the Wolfpack

The Central Alberta Buccaneers hopped on the bus for their first long road trip of the 2016 season when they visited the Lloydminister Vandals on Saturday evening.

Both teams held undefeated records heading into the game, with the Bucs holding a 3-0 record while the Vandals clung to a 2-0 record after their bye week last week.

The Buccaneer offense wasted little time getting rolling. After the initial kickoff, the Pirate offense needed only two plays to find the Vandal end-zone.

It wouldn’t be the last time, either, as the Bucs rolled to a dominating 65-3 victory.

“I thought we made a lot of big plays on the offensive side of the ball,” said Buccaneer Quarterback Brandon Leyh after the game.

“We have a ton of playmakers. It seemed like only a matter of time until one of them broke loose.”

While the Buc offense was firing on all cylinders, their defense was slow to start. The Vandal offense was able to run the ball deep into Buc territory several times in the first quarter.

“Lloyd came out really hard. I think we were taken back by it to be honest. They hit hard throughout the game,” said Leyh.

Despite the Vandals’ early momentum, the Pirate defense eventually managed to slow them down and hold them to a single field goal.

The Buccaneer defense rallied for the remainder of the game and played with more consistency.

After the final whistle, the Bucs were victorious with a convincing 65-3 win. They are tied for first in the AFL with the Calgary Gators. Both teams have a 4-0 record.

Looking forward, the Bucs have a long road ahead of them before they compete for the AFL championship.

While they have had success in the first half of the season, they cannot rest on their laurels.

“We need to clean up the little things. Penalties are killing us; we have to be the more disciplined team going forward. We have the pieces but we have a long way to go,” Leyh said.

Luckily the Bucs have a bye week next week where they can practice, rest and heal any injuries. Their next game is set on July 9th in Calgary against the Wolfpack.

- Cormier