Bellerose Bulldogs Football

The Bellerose Bulldogs kicked off defence of their first metro Edmonton premier conference junior football championship in school history in Wednesday’s 55-0 thumping of the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds at Clarke Park.

The Dawgs rolled up 35 points in the first quarter of the pool B match and led 49-0 at halftime.

In the second half the Dawgs didn’t throw the ball and several players took turns at all positions.

“I’ve coached on the other end of one-sided games and it’s not a good feeling,” said head coach Chad Hill, who started inserting backups at the end of the first quarter with the clock running. “We’re not out to embarrass anyone. I don’t think running up the score at junior is ever the right thing to do. Large leads should be used for player development. We have a big roster with more than 50 players, so it was great to see all the young men get a chance to play and contribute in the win. That really builds a sense of team.”

The defence didn’t give up a first down until the second half. Up front, Ben Carter recovered a fumble and Jacob West tackled the quarterback and forced the second turnover of the first quarter. Eric Calkins ended the game with a strip-sack from defensive end. Linebacker Evan Nelson was another driving force in the win.

On the opening possession quarterback Trace Stuht scored from the six to finish the four-play, 65-yard drive. A catch and run by Calkins for more than 20 yards was followed by lengthy runs by Kit Liske and Corbin Stewart before Stuht scored.

The first of four rushing TDs by Mitch Kruk was from inside the 10. He scored two more times before quarter time.

Kruk gained close to 200 yards on the night. He ran for 165 yards and three TDs in the 59-0 exhibition blowout of the Harry Ainlay Titans two weeks ago.

Stuht also tossed TD passes to Liske in the endzone in the first quarter and to Corbin on his birthday for a 40-plus yard scoring play in the second quarter.

Liske also rattled off a 40-yard TD run in the second quarter.

Liske and Kruk had TDs called back for holding away from the play.

Jaedon Carroll kicked the converts.