By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Low numbers and a string of injuries made for a challenging year on the field for the Davidson Raiders.

But in terms of team building and camaraderie, coach Jason Low said the Raiders reached new heights.

Low told the Leader that the team is starting to build traditions, growing as a unit and also having more fun on the field.

“I think the program took some great strides forward,” said Low. “I feel like we went to the next level this year, so I’m excited for next year.”

The senior football team finished its regular season with a 1-4 record, after which they lost in the first round of playoffs.

The Raiders visited the Lanigan Lazers on Oct. 13, losing 54-20.

The game was a rematch of their Sept. 8 season opener, in which Davidson had defeated Lanigan 46-36, their only win this year.

The second time around, the Raiders were coping with the loss of three starters due to injuries.

“When we played them healthy at the start of the year, we beat them,” Low said.

While Lanigan had improved from the season’s start, Low said missed tackles and other mistakes likely cost Davidson the game.

Jacob Schilling scored two touchdowns against Lanigan, while Hunter Wall scored the third.

Clay Murfitt, who suffered a twisted leg in the Sept. 22 game, was back on the field in a reduced role.

Low said the Raiders took time to warm up, a problem that has repeatedly plagued the team this season.

A decision in the last quarter to iron-man some of the senior players, getting on them on both sides of the ball, seemed to shift the momentum somewhat.

“It seemed like we were always a second half team,” the coach observed.

Late this summer, the Raiders’ season appeared to be in jeopardy given the low number of players, despite a co-op arrangement that allows students from Kenaston, Loreburn and Craik to join the team.

The season was delayed slightly and the team managed to fill its roster with 19 players, most of them from out of town.

But the loss of several key players due to injuries also affected the team, as they left gaps that couldn’t be easily filled.

Carson George, a Grade 11 student from Kenaston, played as the team’s starting quarterback this year.

Despite the low numbers, he said the team had a strong core of experienced senior players.

He said he was somewhat nervous at the season’s start, recalling that he spoke to former quarterback Andrew Read prior to the opening game.

“He told me to stay calm,” said George, adding that he tried to heed this advice and that things generally went better when he did.

Another challenge was the long travel times to some games, hosted in distant towns like Preeceville and Assiniboia.

“The effort was there, but the outcome was not what we had in mind,” said George, adding that the team would benefit from being ready in advance, rather than taking time to warm up. “We have to start the game before the game starts.”

Seven Grade 12 players are graduating this year, but Low said the team will have a strong core remaining on both offence and defence, giving them a foundation to build on.

Davidson’s football season wrapped up on Wednesday with a scrimmage, with junior and senior players taking part.

Around 15 players were enrolled in Davidson’s junior football program this year — all but one of them from Davidson.

Davidson’s co-op arrangement with Kenaston, Loreburn and Craik also applies to the junior program. Low said he hopes they can attract more players from the other schools next year.