Nathaniel Cross had two touchdown plays of a combined 190 yards, but it wasn’t enough as the Airdrie Storm dropped its first game of the Calgary Bantam Football Association season last weekend.
The loss, 34-12 to the Calgary Cowboys at Shouldice Park on Sept. 11, moves the Storm to 2W-1L on the season, good for third in the CBFA’s north division.
Storm head coach Steve Kemp said the team’s flat effort in the first half, the 9 a.m. start time and the Cowboys’ dynamic offence were all significant factors in the defeat.
“It was kind of a combination of all those things,” he said. “It was our first early game of the season, so our guys definitely weren’t used to it. We looked like we were still asleep in the first half and we were not executing our game plan.”
The Cowboys built up a 26-0 lead in the first half, with the Airdrie squad unable to stop them on offence or sustain any pressure while they had the ball. Both Storm touchdowns in the second half were on dynamic plays to Cross: the first was a 100-yard run from the Storm 10-yard line and the second was a short hitch pass from the 20-yard line that turned into a 90-yard score.
“In the second half, we came out a lot better, but it was too little too late. They were two huge plays and he had another long one called back,” Kemp said.
“We also had a little bit of complacency from the first two games. I think a few people just expected us to be able to walk in and win. But it was a good lesson that we’ll have to work harder against the better teams if we want to win.”
The Storm will next take on the Calgary Mavericks at Shouldice Park on Sept. 18 at 11 a.m.
“They’re a solid team; aggressive. They all like to hit, they’re always excited to play, and that goes a long way. They’ve got a really good running game and a solid quarterback too,” Kemp said.
“We need to come out, execute and play our game. We can’t sit back and let them dictate the pace.”
