Hard won victory for Lethbridge Rams over Bantam Mustangs

LCI Rams vs Bantam Mustangs
Lloyd Lybbert photos, C. Davis video

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Pincher Creek's Bantam Mustangs hosted the Lethbridge Rams at Matthew Halton field on Saturday afternoon. It was the Mustangs' last home game of the season, and they certainly came prepared to play.  A long kickoff by the Rams started the game.  Right from the start it was obvious that this was going to be a great game.

The Rams managed a touchdown and a field goal in the first quarter, putting them ahead 7-0, which is where the score stayed for most of the game.  Blocking and passing on both sides was terrific, and despite gloomy chilly weather the energy level on the field was high.   The Rams drove in another touchdown with only 44 seconds left on the clock before the end of the game, following it with another field goal, to win it 14-0.

It was nice to see so many former Mustangs out to support the team for what turned out to be one of the most exciting home-games of the season, for any level of play.  Our Mustangs gave 100% throughout.  Mustangs Head Coach Travis Liscombe agreed with that sentiment in a post-game interview.  "I think that was our best executed game," he said.  'I think that  except for two sweeps that beat us for long runs against us, that we were right there."

"Some positives to take away is that our passing game is opening up and doing better,  and our inside power run game is really doing well.  So the boys are executing really well.  I told each and every one of them that they should have a good Thanksgiving and hold their heads up high, because they performed really, really well.'

The Bantam Mustangs won an away game squeaker against Claresholm by a score of 20-19 earlier in the week, on Thursday, October 10.

Lloyd Lybbert photos

"Our grade 8's played, and a few of our grade 9's played,' explained Liscombe.  "Not a single player above 175 played in that game.  It was 9 man football.  So it was a wide open football game.  "It's always really good to win up in Claresholm.  They did really good up there, too. Like I said, those were our little guys,  so the running backs that you saw today (Saturday's game) were linemen for that game."

Playoffs are next for the Bantam Mustangs.  "These games right here have been for tiering, and determining where the playoff positions are," said Coach Liscombe.  "They will let me know where we play next.  I don't know if it is next Saturday, or the weekend after that. We'll see what happens." **

**According to the latest update, the Bantam Mustangs will be playing Saturday in Brooks at 2:00 pm vs the Roadrunners to determine tiering for playoffs.