High school football in the area got into full swing earlier this month when teams from Davidson, Hanley, Loreburn/Kenaston and Central Butte got into some pre-season game action.

In their only pre-season game of the season Sept. 6 the Hanley Sabres beat the Davidson Raiders 85-13 at the Ranch in Davidson while the Loreburn/Kenaston Aztecs came from behind for a 44-30 victory over the Central Butte Bulldogs at The Dog House in Central Butte.

Aztecs vs. Bulldogs

Aztecs coach Lloyd Tulp said the game provided him with a somewhat good idea of where his team stands heading into their first regular season game at LCBI versus the Bisons. He said there were some positives to take out of the game, but his team will have to improve their timing both offensively and defensively if they want to make it to the playoffs.

“Some players surprised me,” said Tulp, noting Grade 9 quarterback Dawson George and Grade 10 middle linebacker Clayton Jess had strong games where they showed off their athleticism and intensity on the field.

The Aztecs were down 22-20 to the Bulldogs heading into the fourth quarter when the two coaches decided to put in their younger players to give them a taste of game action.

Troy Wist, coach of the Bulldogs, said the coaches had agreed beforehand to put in the rookies and treat the fourth quarter as more of a junior style game.

“The coaches were in the huddle,” said Wist. “We did do some specialty teams because they scored some touchdowns, so they did do some kickoffs. It was a good learning experience for them.”

Wist said his team felt good about their game because they were able to find their groove and battle back to take the lead after going down early to the Aztecs. He said fitness is an area his club would have to work on as they are going to have a few guys playing both ways, but all in all he is happy with how his boys played.

“It was a great game,” he said. “Both teams had good sportsmanship (and) it was a friendly game.”

Sabres vs. Raiders

Raiders coach Blair Frederickson said his players should look at their 85-13 loss to the Sabres on home field Sept. 6 as a good learning experience for the three-year-old club. He said it is important for Davidson to compete against these tough teams early on in the season to give them an idea of what they need to do to become a top team in this league.

“By playing (Hanley) early in the season, it makes my boys rise up to a higher level, which is going to benefit my program and my kids,” said Frederickson. “Football is very much a long haul. Sometimes we get caught up in that day-to-day (thinking). By the end of the month, by the beginning of October…that’s when we’ll see if the boys are making progress and pulling together.”

To read more please see the Sept. 16 print edition of The Davidson Leader.