It was a bittersweet ending to the season for the 10 and 11-year-old players on the Sea to Sky Pee Wee Broncos football team Sunday (Nov. 14).
The team lost their final game 26-6 to the Vikings which combined with the Colts victory over the Raiders, eliminated the team from postseason action in the Gordon Sturtridge Football League (GSL).
However, head coach Ralph Forsyth was pleased with his team's effort on the day.
"Most of the time when we lose I'm mad," Forsyth said to the players as a group shortly after the game concluded. "But I'm really proud of you guys today, you played your best and that's all that we as coaches can ask of you."
It was a poor start for the Broncos as the team turned the ball over on downs during their first possession of the game and then saw the Vikings score on a long run to open the scoring.
But the Broncos answered back when running back Nolan Welsh scampered 20 yards for a major. The extra point attempt was no good and the first quarter concluded with the Broncos trailing 7-6.
The Vikings started off the second quarter with a bang, getting inside the red zone on their second play of the drive.
Five plays later they reached the end zone and converted their extra point to go up 14-6.
The Broncos went four and out on their next possession, and with the second half nearing its conclusion, the Vikings went for a passing play but it was picked off by Jackson Leppard.
That play ended the second half and the Broncos saw themselves trailing 14-6 heading into the third quarter.
The second half began with promise for the Broncos when Jack Forsyth recovered a fumble early on.
They followed that up with a 60 yard run by Nolan but the Broncos failed to convert in the red zone, turning the ball over on downs.
Not capitalizing on Nolan's tremendous run may have been the turning point in the game and the Broncos never recovered from that moment.
Starting off inside their own 10 after the turnover on downs, the Vikings went on a lengthy drive up field that ate up the rest of the third quarter and most of the fourth. They eventually scored but failed on the extra point attempt to take a 20-6 lead.
The Broncos went four and out on their next possession and the Vikings exploited their excellent field position to score again and go up 26-6, which ended up being the game's final score.
"It was a tough game for us," Forsyth said after the loss. "They're a bigger, older team than us and they're 8-2 for a reason. I thought our defence played good and it really came down to a couple of plays that made the difference."
Forsyth also praised the work of Welsh.
"He's a star," he said of the Broncos running back. "He had a great game today and he's scored at least a touchdown every game for us, it's been a great year for him."
The loss left the Broncos final record on the year at four wins and six losses which placed them in fifth place and out of the playoffs.
They finished with the same record as both the Colts and the Raiders but league tiebreaker rules determined that the Broncos were the team on the outside looking in.
Despite the team's early exit, Forsyth said it was a fun year for the team.
"As disappointing as it is, I still feel an enormous amount of pride in the Broncos as a team," he said.
"I was not sure what to expect this year as it was my first season as a Tackle Coach, I know for many of the players it was their first time in tackle and for some it was their first time playing football. The team really came together and I hope the boys all take away a sense of accomplishment from what they did on the field this season."
