Bellerose Bulldogs Football

The Bellerose Bulldogs are putting last year behind them after a dream season turned into a nightmare.

The Bulldogs were penalized three wins by the Metro Edmonton High School Athletic Association on the eve of the Carr division one playoffs because of two ineligible players who transferred to Bellerose from Saskatchewan at the start of the football season and the transfer forms were not filed by the school’s athletic department.

The Bulldogs appealed the ruling but it was upheld by the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association.

When the Carr standings were updated the Bulldogs, tied for second at 5-2, dropped into the sixth spot at 2-5 and instead of playing the Austin O’Brien Crusaders, who they beat in league play, the first-round opponent was the Harry Ainlay Titans and the result was a 15-0 loss.

“It was a fantastic start and it didn’t end well at all so we just try to forget about it,” said head coach Chad Hill at Wednesday’s fall camp. “We’ve got some great kids coming back in the program and some really good coaches out with us this year so we’re really looking ahead and looking forward to 2015.”

Ironically, the Bulldogs host the Titans in the season opener Thursday at 5 p.m. at Riel Recreation Park. Gate admission is $5.

“We treat every game like it’s important for sure but the first one everyone is more amped up and ready to go. You’re excited but nervous. It should be good,” said Grade 12 lineman Matt Flatla.

It’s imperative the Bulldogs roar out of the starting blocks since only four teams make the playoffs.

“It’s really important. Last year we got off to a good start (5-0) and that takes some of the pressure, or at least the feelings of the pressure that some of the players carry with them,” Hill said. “The year before we got off to a slower start and I think that affected our boys a little bit in 2013. We were 0-2 and you could see every play there was more and more pressure on them.”

The new playoff format has raised the bar for all nine Carr teams.

“It’s a little more pressure for sure but as long as we push we can pull through,” said Flatla, 17.

Last year’s junior Bulldogs from the undefeated division one championship team will reinforce a senior lineup hit hard by the graduation of 28 players.

“For what we lost in size we gained in speed. We’re not a big team but we’re definitely fast,” said Flatla of the team of players from Bellerose and Sturgeon high schools. “Definitely we’re an athletic team this year.”

Only a handful of players are back on defence and the offensive unit consists of six returnees – three linemen, two receivers and quarterback Morgan Sherban.

“We’ve graduated a lot of players, actually the last couple of years we’ve graduated a lot of players, so our line every year I always say is going to be that question mark,” Hill said. “On the line, we’ve got some fantastic boys and they’re well coached from coach (Nick) Ternovatsky and coach Bucky (Dryer) with the juniors but every year I feel we’ve lost size so this year we’re going to have to rely on being fast and being quick off the ball.

“Our strength would be our speed. Our skill positions we have speed there. We have some receivers, we have with some nice height and we’ve got some guys that can really run and catch the football. Defensive backs have been playing very well in the spring and here in the fall camp too.”

The Bulldogs travelled to Red Deer to play the Notre Dame Cougars Friday in the team’s only preseason game. The score was unavailable at press time.

“It will help get the kinks out. Everybody is very excited and enthusiastic. I think we’ll do good,” said Flatla, a six-foot-two, 235-pound offensive and defensive tackle.

Big game

But no matter how the season unfolds for the Bulldogs, the most hyped game of the year is the Battle of St. Albert against the Paul Kane Blues, a 7:30 p.m. Friday Night Lights special Oct. 2.

“Everybody is always thinking about the crosstown rivals, but we’ll treat it like another game. It will be fun. It should be,” said Flatla, 17, a member of the 2013 undefeated junior Bulldogs’ division one championship winning team.

The Blues made the leap of faith into the Carr after back-to-back undefeated Miles division two championships and both years their only loss was in the Tier II provincial playoffs against the eventual Alberta Bowl champion.

“I congratulate Paul Kane for continuing to grow their program and for coming up into division one football. I’m happy for them that they decided to do it. It’s a little bit nice for us as Bulldogs that we get a crosstown game back because that is always fun, not just for the players but for the whole school. We haven’t had that in a couple of seasons,” Hill said. “A lot of the players have played together through minor football and spring league with the midget St. Albert Storm and a lot of the coaches know each other and have coached together so it should be a really good competitive, friendly rivalry.

“As far as the strategy standpoint that’s still a long ways off. We’ll see what they do on a week-to-week basis, the same as we’ll evaluate our own team and everybody else that we play on a week-to-week basis but again I’m happy that they’ve come up because it makes for a good rivalry.”