Please note: As this is a team orientated web site, rarely are names mentioned in the summaries. If you are interested to know who were making the big plays, please contact us at jd@sabresfootball.comOct 20, 2001
2001 Sabres did not match up well with 2001 FalconsDuring the week leading into last Friday's game, there was some reminiscing about how from 1995, Sal had outscored their cross-town rivals 145-58. It seemed that Facey tried to even the score of the last 6 years in one game: 52-0.
In a game that was never close, Bev Facey ran up and down the field on the Sabres D, while the Falcon's defense had an easy afternoon stopping the Sabres offense. The only weakness that the Falcons showed was taken advantage for 70 yards of a total 100 yards passing, but what was the only glimmer of good play by the offense never resulted in a scoring opportunity.
The Sabres were definitely humbled on Friday afternoon. Losing to Bev Facey is not an experience too many Sabres have had; getting their heads handed back to them by the Falcons was a totally new experience.
It has been obvious all year that the 2001 Sabres have had their work cut out for them each step of the way. Now, entering the semi-finals, a great deal of extra work will be necessary if the Sabres will want to put up any resistance to the team finishing 1st in the Carr Conference. The playoff picture will not be settled until after next weeks games, during which the Sabres have a bye.
The Sabres do know that they will be playing at 5:00 on Oct. 30 at Foote Field.
Oct 12, 2001
The Sabres clinch playoff birth with a 6-0 win over O'LearyThe Sabres have never missed making it to post-season play since the program's early years in the '70's. Going into the 2001 season, the Sabres were well aware that they would have to play above themselves to obtain the chance to play in a playoff game. Two events happened last night that has led to the Sabres making it to the post season yet again. The Sabres won their crucial 3rd game and St. Albert handed Bev Facey their first loss.
The weather favoured the defenses. High winds, rain and a slippery field made it difficult for the offenses to anything more than grind the ball along the ground. The Sabres relied on their Jumbo team most of the game, moving the ball ahead 6 yards at a time. On their first drive, the Sabres moved the ball with ease into scoring position. However, on a third and goal play, a toss into the endzone was dropped and the Sabres came away with no points. A few drives later the Sabres punched the ball over the line, but the extra point was blocked. One final drive in the first half again had the Sabres knocking on the goaline, but a great third and goal stand by O'Leary prevented another score by the Sabres. The Sabres headed into the dressing room with a 6-0 lead, but the score could have been 21-0. The remainder of the game, O'Leary prevented the Sabre offense from being overly productive.
The "Better Half" of the Sabres was once again the defense. The O'Leary offense was never really a threat, but since the Sabres' offense was having trouble finishing their drives, the possibility of a lucky break for the Spartans had to be kept in check. The defense came hard at the Spartans coming up with a few sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. O'Leary's fullback, their main weapon, was prevented from breaking out on a long run. The Spartans never came close for even a field goal attempt. This was the first shut out for the Sabres D since last season.
Normally, names aren't mentioned on this site since our team philosophy is not to put a few players in front of others, but last night Riley Janzen had a game. With a key runningback doing volunteer work in Mexico, Janzen had to step up and carry the bulk of the rushing duties. Janzen ran for 189 yards on offense and added an interception and a key knock down on defense. Although Janzen shined last night, he will be the first to welcome back his team mate for the game next week.
The Sabres will finish with at least a 3-3 record and the only other team that can obtain a 3-3 record is AOB. Since Salisbury beat AOB, the Sabres are placed higher in the standings. But here's an interesting scenario; if the Sabres manage the upset of the season against Bev Facey, the Sabres would finish 3rd and the Falcons would drop to 4th since both would eventually end up with 4-2 records. This should make the cross-town rivalry even more exciting next Friday. Game time is 5:00, at the Strathcona Athletic Park.
Oct 04, 2001
The Sabres pull of another late in the game comebackThis game had the atmosphere of a playoff game. Both teams know how precious wins are this season, and this game was key to making it to the post season.
The Sabres found themselves going down to the wire to post their second win in 2001; a 10-7 victory over Austin O'Brien. The first quarter of the game has been the worst for the Sabres this season, and the trend did not stop against the Crusaders. The Sabres continuously found themselves in poor field position. The the defense always defending a short field, AOB finally punched one in to take a 7-0 in the first quarter.
As the game progressed the defense became stronger and stronger, limiting AOB to smaller and smaller gains and forcing them to punt more often. As the end of the half approached the offense were doing a few things that indicated that the second half may be more productive.
In the second half, AOB managed a couple of drives, but handed the ball to the Sabres defense via fumbles. The defense became more and more aggressive, putting the Crusaders in many 2nd and long situations. The Sabres D seemed to have thrived on making AOB pass, as they sacked the QB 6 times. With the defense playing as hard as they did, it provided the opportunity for the offense to contribute.
A small half-time adjustment to the personnel on the offense equated to better chemistry against AOB. The third quarter saw a small drive end in a 25 yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3. With the defense continuously getting the ball back, the offense was getting the opportunities to get more points.
With 7 minutes left in the game, the Sabres found themselves on their own 30; 90 yards from winning the game. They needed such a drive not only for the victory, but for a boost of self-confidence. With strong, determined running, and a clutch reception to sustain the drive; the Sabres found themselves punching the ball over the goal line with 3 minutes remaining on the clock. Now it was the defense's turn to win the game.
Initially, the game looked like it was in hand when AOB faced a third a long situation. But a perfect pass and catch got AOB into the Sabres' half of the field. However, the defense once again had AOB in a passing situation, but this time their drive ended with a sack.
But the game was not over. Miscommunication on offense led to a time-clock violation and a punting situation. AOB was going to get the ball back for one more try. Unfortunately for the Sabres, the only bad snap of the game came at this moment and AOB tackled the punter behind the line of scrimmage. AOB still had a chance. The Sabre D came up big two more times and the Crusaders sent out the field goal team to tie the game on the last play of the game. The tension was soon dissipated when the kick was blocked. Final score 10-7.
So the Sabres' hopes of making the playoffs are still alive. With the win over AOB, the Sabres now sit in a temporary tie for second, although St. Albert and ABJ have a game at hand. All games are must win situations and next week's game against O'Leary will be no different. With the league's third leading rusher, and a team searching for their first win of the season, the Spartans will not be an easy win. The Sabres will also be without their leading scorer who has the opportunity to do some volunteer work with a team of dentists who are heading for rural Mexico. These factors point to another entertaining game for the Sabre Fans! Game time 5:00, Thursday October 11 at Clarke Stadium.
Sept 29, 2001
The Sabres are 1-2 with a 28-7 loss to St. AlbertWith the lessons learned last week, the Sabres attempted to improve their play and get revenge for last year's Metro Final loss against the Skyhawks from St. Albert High. However, with the loss against the 'Hawks, it has become apparent that the Sabres are still on their steep learning curve.
A key problem that has plagued the Sabres this season is rampant penalties. In the first quarter alone, Salisbury had 10 penalties. Any hopes of stopping St. Albert drives or sustaining their own drives were usually halted with the participation by the referees. With long St. Albert drives and the offense using the punting team too often, the Sabres D was on the field far too long for the Sabres to have a fighting chance.
While the past two games may have been tough losses, there were positives that indicate that the Sabres should not be counted out yet. Defensively, there were turnovers both during the play and by stopping the Skyhawks on a third down gamble. Offensively, the passing game began to click and key line-up issues were solved. Late in the fourth quarter, the offense were reminded of what it is like to sustain a drive when they punched the ball into the endzone after driving the field. (The defense was reminded of what it is like to have a rest.)
The time has come for the Sabres to demonstrate that they have learned enough to make the playoffs this season. In order to have a chance of making it to post-season play, the Sabres must win their next two games against Austin O'Brien and O'Leary. The pressure is on, will the Sabres respond?
Game time is Thursday, 5:00 at Foote Field which was just built in the north-east corner of the University Farm.
Sept 20, 2001
Scots blank Sabres 30-0Not since some time before 1981, have the Sabres been held off the score board. But last night, the ABJ Scots dominated the Sabres offense and managed to find weak points in the Sabres D.
The Sabres played well defensively; holding the Scots to modest gains on all but four plays. However, the team speed of the Scots took advantage of the four defensive breakdowns; three running plays and one pass play that were all over 50 yards and all were touchdowns. (The other 2 points came from a safety.)
Offensively, the Sabres demonstrated that they are indeed still on a steep learning curve. For an offense that will remain together for two years, many lessons will be taken away from the game, especially when the game tape is reviewed. There were glimmers of things to come, but overall the offense had problems controlling the Scots' defensive front and could not sustain drives. When some successful plays were strung together, the drives were snuffed out by penalties.
When the forecasts pick the other team to win, it is always nice to prove the prediction wrong. That did not happen last night. The Sabres find themselves as the underdogs this season, which will provide them with a true test of character. In next week's game, the Sabres are again predicted to come out on the wrong side of a loss. It is another chance to prove the forecasters wrong and steal a win from a strong St. Albert Skyhawk team. Game time is 7:30, Friday night at Coronation Stadium.
Sept 14, 2001
Sabres mount comeback to win opener against Bellerose 19-14Last nights league opener for the Sabres looked and felt more like a playoff game than the first game of the season. Both teams played hard with the knowledge of how important each win will be this season. In the end, it was the Sabres who came away with the 1-0 record.
The Stormdogs started off quickly using a couple of talented players. The opening kick-off by the Sabres pinned Bellerose deep; however, the first play by Bellerose was a 40 yard scamper by the Stormdog's runningback. A few plays later, they were celebrating the first touchdown of the game.
The Sabres' offense responded quickly. Using their misdirection offense effectively, it only took a half a dozen plays to move the ball to the Bellerose 7 yard line. A play later and the game was tied. The rest of the half was dominated by the defenses as each team made good adjustments.
Scoring in the second half was again initiated by Bellerose who took the lead with a 14-7 score. But as the game wore on, the Sabre defense became more hungry and started to shut down the Bellerose key players. Without their go to guys, Bellerose became ineffective offensively. The Bellerose defense was also playing well, as the Sabre offense sought a way to even the score.
The turning point of the game came when the Sabres were punting from deep in their own end and the ball was recovered by an onside player. Using the momentum of the success of the play, the Sabres drove the Stormdogs along the ground and into the endzone. The attention then turned to the convert team who had the task of evening the score. Unfortunately, the kick was blocked and the Sabres remained behind with a score of 14-13 for Bellerose. However, there was still 4 minutes left in the game.
With the Bellerose offense figured out, the Sabres' defense quickly had the Stormdogs punting. The Sabres now had the ball inside Bellerose territory. The first play was stuffed leaving Sabres facing second and long with time running out. However, the subsequent playaction play was a 30 yard pass into the endzone for the go ahead touchdown. An attempt for a 2 point conversion was foiled and the score was now 19-14 for the Sabres. Again the Sabres' defense made quick work of the Bellerose offense and the game was over.
It was a win both team knew they had to have and the Sabres displayed great character and composure to come from behind to get it. Winning the first game is also a bonus since all of the kinks have not been worked out in the systems. The goal is to get better with each week and to have a win in their back pockets already, bodes well for the remainder of the season.
Next week, the Sabres take on the defending Tier 3 Northern Provincial Champions, Arch Bishop Jordan. With most of their talent back from last year, the Scots are one of the favourites to be in the championship finals this year. The Sabres will have their hands full. Game time is 5:00 at the Strathcona Athletic Park next Thursday, September 20.
Sept 9, 2001
Senior Sabres post 1-3 record at M.E. Lazerte JamboreeThe Senior Sabres started the day with a win over J.C. Charyk from Hanna. The team then seemed to run out of gas as the day progressed losing McNally, Walter Murray (Saskatoon) and M.E. Lazerte. The Sabres schedule may have been a factor as the Sabres had to play their four games in a row.
The first game against the Hawks from Hanna was actually the worst game for the Sabres D. Still trying to get the chemistry right, the defense initially had trouble stopping the Hanna offense. After calming down and tightening up, Hanna had trouble moving the ball after their only score of the game. The Sabres offense moved the ball well scoring both on the ground and in the air. One blemish for the offense was fumbling the ball on the Hawks' one yard line on the very last play of the game. The final score Sabres 2 touchdowns - Hanna one touchdown.
While the Sabres may have lost 2-0 (in TD's) to the McNally Tigers, the score is not indicative of how the game really went. The Sabres drove the ball down inside the Tigers 3rd yard line, but a strange rule only allowed three downs inside the opposition's 20, and the Sabres ran out of plays. On the Tigers first possession, they moved the ball from their 20 yard line all the way to a touchdown. The Tiger's second score was assisted by the Sabres offense via a interception deep in their own end. The Sabres D were stuck in an unfortunate position and the Tigers scored their second touchdown.
Walter Murray High from Saskatoon brought talented receivers, a good quarterback and probably one of the best middle linebackers in the country. Walter Murray scored two touchdowns through the air attacking with a slotback and a wide receiver. The Sabres offense managed to distract the middle linebacker on enough plays to drive the field for one score. On another drive, the Sabres unfortunately ran out of plays again, and had to turn the ball over on Saskatoon's one yard line.
The fourth game in a row was against the host team, M.E.Lazerte. (Maybe the scheduling was deliberate as the Sabres walked over the VG's in last year's tournament.) This year's version of the VG's has more talent and speed than last year; however, many of the Sabres were simply out of gas and could not compete at a level necessary to keep the game close. The Sabres offense could not move the ball and the Sabres defense was beat on the ground and in the air. The Sabres seemed to be in great relief at the end of the game. It was a very long day for the team. Final score was 2-0 for the VG's.
As for the outlook for the season: Many of the errors during the day were rookie mistakes. The young offense has much to learn, but is running out of time. The Sabre D seems to be gelling as a unit, which is good since they may have to keep games close until the offensive chemistry comes together.
This Thursday, the Senior Sabres open the 2001 season against the Bellerose Stormdogs. The Stormdogs have been dwelling near the bottom of the standings since football was split among two schools in St. Albert. However, scouting reports indicate that the 'Dogs have talent in key positions and are looking to make moves up in the standings this year. For the Sabres, every win is very important if they hope to get into post-season play. Both the Sabres and 'Dogs need a first win and therefore, this game should prove to be very entertaining. Game time is 7:30 at Coronation Stadium.
September 2, 2001
Success in the MountainsThe first time Sabres football played football in the mountains turned out to be a great success. The Canmore Collegiate Wolverines extended an invitation to the Sabres play an exhibition game in the Bow Valley. The Wolverines were looking to gain experience for their new program by playing against an established one; but may have bit off more than they could chew.
The Wolverines are only in their second year of existence and had players that ranged from grade 12 all the way down to grade 9. The Sabres brought both their senior and junior teams to play. The game was a controlled scrimmage with each team getting 10 plays from scrimmage in each quarter, alternating from senior to junior.
The Sabres young senior offense took to the field first, and did not get off to a perfect start as the first play was blown dead on a procedure call. However, the next play was a 65 yard touchdown rush. During the next 4 plays, another 50 yard TD was scored on the ground, and a 60 yard pass and run ended with another TD. In total, the senior offense scored 6 touchdowns during the game. The Sabres' youthful talent on offense seemed to be on the right foot this season (even with their middle linebacker substituting for a starting running back who is out with an injury).
The Sabres defense were also successful. The senior Wolverines lacked talent in many positions, but had a strong runningback and a quarterback who could throw. The Wolverines has some success moving the ball occasionally, but the Sabres snuffed out drives with interceptions and fumble recoveries. The defense added to the Sabres scoring with one interception and one fumble recovering that were both returned for touchdowns. Wolverines came close to scoring a couple of times but only managed to cross the line once.
The junior teams also dominated their competitors. The juniors managed to punch the ball in twice; once by air and a second on the ground. Defensively, the Jr. Sabres also had an interception. The Jr. Sabres were not scored on by the inexperienced Wolverines.
The Wolverines showed their lack of experience, and the Sabres execution was surprisingly good after only a week of practice. Just how far along the Sabres truly are will be determined next weekend at the M.E. Lazerte Jamboree. One game will be against the McNally Tigers who are rumoured to be pre-seaon favourites to be in the Public League Final. Other games will be against Walter Murray (Saskatoon), M.E. Lazerte and Hanna. How they do next weekend will be a more accurate indication of how well the 2001 Sabres will do this season.
The Sabres program wishes to thank the Wolverines for the warm hospitality and wish them well in their 2001 season play. Good Luck Canmore.
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