The Lacombe Rams returned to central Alberta to take on the Notre Dame Cougars after travelling to Lloydminster for an exhibition game against one of the better teams in the province.
“It ended up being 32-14 (for Lloydminster) but it was 12-0 at the half and 18-7 after three. It was a good game to the bitter end, we were getting out backups in and we got beat up a bit,” Coach Brian Ross said about the loss out east.
The Rams were hoping to improve on their regular season record, after both the Hunting Hills Lightning and the Lindsay Thurber Raiders got the better of them earlier on in the year.
It would be the Cougars, however, that clawed first after Josh Burke finished off a possession with a one-yard score — after the Cougars returned it 70 yards of a Ram interception.
The Rams would manage a field goal after an extended possession but the Cougars would keep it coming late in the first half when Spencer Henderson scored on the second last play of the half with a three-yard touchdown, leading to a 14-3 lead at halftime.
“We are not tough enough to push people around right now and I don’t know if we can teach tough. It is one of those things. It comes with experience,” Ross said.
The second half would carry on the same way for the Ram, with Cougar Luc Lukalu scoring another 50-yard touchdown, extending Notre Dames lead to 21-3.
“Notre Dame is a good team. All of the teams in our division are reasonably good,” Ross said.
The Rams would be unable to keep up with Cougar offence, going scoreless in the second half and giving up another 18-yard touchdown by Jayden Tattrie - leading to the final score of 28-3.
“We are struggling so hard offensively. We are not allowing good defensive performances to shine through and at this point we will have to revamp more stuff,” Ross said.
The Rams now have a bye week, before playing either Hunting Hills or the Lindsay Thurber in the first round of the Red Deer High School Football playoffs.
“We are a reasonably good team that had a really tough night tonight. We will be okay,” Ross said.
todd.vaughan@lacombeexpress.com
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