Bellerose Bulldogs Football

The streak is over.

After 34 consecutive wins in league and playoffs and four-straight championships, the Bellerose Bulldogs tasted defeat for the first time since the 2011 playoffs in metro Edmonton junior football.

The Jasper Place Rebels pulled the plug on the Bulldogs with a convincing 27-11 decision in Monday’s division one semifinal at Johnny Bright Park.

The Rebels played like a team on a mission for championship honours and the Bulldogs looked like a team that was scared to lose instead of hungry to win.

The Bulldogs were unable to match the physicality of the Rebels and struggled to execute basic concepts on offence and special teams.

On defence, the Bulldogs plugged up the middle against the double-wing offence but got beat on the edges with the fly sweep.

The Bulldogs were the top pool B team at 5-0 for a bye into the semifinals while averaging 50.6 points per win and 16.2 against.

The victory was the fifth in a row for the Rebels (5-1, 194 PF/66 PA) after placing second in pool A and in the crossover playoff round they mauled the injury-depleted Paul Kane Blues (3-3) 51-8.

Last year the Bulldogs survived a tight 7-6 affair with the Rebels in the semifinals.

This year’s edition of players from the Bellerose and Sturgeon high schools featured six returnees from the 6-0 lineup that leveled the Bev Facey Falcons 41-6 in the 2015 final for the junior program’s 29th straight win and fourth undefeated junior championship in as many years.

The metro record for consecutive junior football banners is five in a row by the 1991-95 St. Francis Xavier Rams.

Facey was the last team to defeat the Bulldogs before the Rebels pulled off the feat and the score was 17-12 in the 2011 semifinals.

Facey (5-0), the pool A leader, and the Rebels will compete for the division one championship Friday