A 600-kilometre road trip proved a tough start to the 2019 Alberta Football League (AFL) season for the Airdrie Irish men’s team.
Playing on the road with a thin lineup, the Irish opened its campaign May 25 with a 27-6 loss at the hands of the Cold Lake Fighter Jets – the AFL’s newest franchise, which replaced the Lloydminster Vandals.
“The big road trip doesn’t help – we had a lot of guys with family and work commitments, and just couldn’t get the time off,” said James Balsdon, a slot back, kicker and safety for the Irish.
The Fighter Jets put on a show for fans at the team’s inaugural game, which was held at Cold Lake’s brand-new football stadium. F18 fighter pilots with Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake helped celebrate the event with a pre-game flyover.
“Cold Lake is going to have a great organization,” Balsdon said. “They have a lot of the new, fancy stuff, so that’s really drawing in people. That’s why we’re trying to get into the community more, especially with this new turf-field project coming up [in Airdrie]. It’s going to spark people into coming here, as well.”
Cold Lake came out hot in the early minutes to post a 27-0 lead in the first half.
The Irish, a patchwork squad with players from Airdrie, Calgary, Grande Prairie and St. Albert, struggled to find the right formula against the well-drilled Cold Lake team. The Airdrie team also faced a significant setback in the first half, when starting quarterback Corey Backus suffered a shoulder injury and had to be replaced.
“First half, we came out flat,” Balsdon said. “We just didn’t have the numbers, and we were still trying to figure out personnel and which spots [people should play].”
Second-half adjustments paid dividends for Airdrie, as the away team prevented the Fighter Jets from extending its lead in the final 30 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, the Irish made it onto the board with a touchdown from Kristopher McQuaig.
“We were at about the 20-yard line. He ran a post-route and caught the ball over top and had an open run into the end zone,” Balsdon said.
Despite starting the season with a 21-point defeat, Balsdon said, there are a few positives to take from the game against Cold Lake.
“We got some chemistry in and we figured out where people are going to play,” he said. “It was a good team-bonding effort. The heart of the people showed, and these are the guys we want to go forward with.
“Even with low numbers and down by a few scores, they just kept pushing.”
The Irish will look to bounce back from the loss June 1, when it takes on the Calgary Wolfpack in Airdrie’s home opener. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park.
“That’s our rival game and it’s going to be a pretty fun one,” Balsdon said. “We’re hoping to get some fans out for the game and start building up the fan base.”
