A sack on the final play of the Northern Raiders’ regular season instantly became an unfortunate lasting image.
When quarterback Vic Primeau went down in the last seconds of the team’s 28-0 loss to the Calgary Cowboys, in Calgary Midget Football Association action at Shouldice Park, May 11, it symbolized the team’s struggles from the past six games.
“Mental mistakes killed us all year,” said head coach Steve Kemp. “We’d get some momentum going and then do something to shoot ourselves in the foot.”
The team scored only 16 points in its six games (0W-5L-1T), while allowing 122 points against. But there is a scenario from the May 13 Cochrane Lions and Calgary Falcons game (after press time), whereby if the Lions win, the Raiders could end up making the playoffs.
“Right now, it’s business as usual,” Kemp said. “We’ll get back to practice and get back to work.”
A win against the Cowboys would have clinched fifth spot in the CMFA’s Parkinson Division for the Raiders.
But the Calgary squad scored two touchdowns in the last five minutes of the first half and didn’t look back.
“I thought we started the game strong and played well in the first half. We just made a couple mistakes and it led to them scoring,” Kemp said.
“In the second half, we didn’t keep our intensity up and our execution wasn’t there. We gave the game to them.”
The Raiders failed to generate much sustained offensive pressure. The team thought it got a break when the Cowboys had a 67-yard pass play called back on a penalty, but less than two minutes later a 30-yard quarterback scramble led to a three-yard touchdown on the next play.
Up 21-0, The Cowboys added another rushing touchdown on the final play of the third quarter to secure the victory.
For Kemp, it amounted to a frustrating finish, as his young roster just couldn’t overcome the mental aspect of the game required at this level.
“By this time of the season they should be used to it, but it is a factor,” he said.
“The older players, when the game is on the line, they’re more seasoned and ready for it. They want the ball. The younger players just weren’t ready to compete with the older guys at this point. But I think we have a really good team… coming.”
