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Storm hurt by injuries

Foote Field – A rash of injuries halfway through the season are taking their toll on the winless St. Albert Storm. “It’s tough with injuries to key players.

Foote Field – A rash of injuries halfway through the season are taking their toll on the winless St. Albert Storm.

“It’s tough with injuries to key players. We had a lot of guys missing tonight and guys in new positions,” said Grade 11 fullback Devin Kondro after Wednesday’s 44-13 blowout by the Edmonton Chargers. “We need to get reps with the new people in practice and play harder.”

In back-to-back losses the team of Grade 9, 10 and 11 players were outscored 88-31 after settling for a 14-14 draw to kick off the tier I schedule in the Capital District Minor Football Association’s midget spring league.

“We can’t let the losses discourage us. We’ve got to bounce back,” said Kondro, a runaway freight train who derailed the Chargers (2-1) for two touchdowns and 107 rushing yards.

Grade 11 defensive standouts Cody Andresen (broken hand) at middle linebacker and tackling machine Cam Joseph (elbow) at rush end are out indefinitely. Galen Pon, a Grade 11 defensive back, is also on the limp and is a game time decision Sunday against the last-place Millwoods Grizzlies (0-2) at 3 p.m. at Clarke Park. Admission is $5.

Grade 9 quarterback Dallas Moroz drew the start after Mike Spagnolo, the Grade 11 first-string pivot, packed it in with a sore foot and Tayler White, the Grade 11 backup who plays safety and slotback, was sidelined with a concussion.

Ranked third on the Storm’s depth chart, Moroz was better than expected in his league debut.

“For a Grade 9 player, he had a great game,” said Kondro of Moroz, who quarterbacked the St. Albert Fury to the tier II bantam provincial final last year.

As the list of walking wounded continues to grow, head coach Chad Hill is struggling to keep track of the number of injured players on his team.

“We’ve got quite a few that’s for sure,” he said. “It means lots of the young guys are going to get opportunities [to play].”

The Storm’s decimated line-up trailed 16-0 after the first quarter, 30-7 at halftime and 44-13 after three quarters.

“It was mainly mental mistakes on our part,” Kondro said. “We come out soft in the first quarter and once we get some key players back we can get riled up for games and get mentally ready.”

The Storm’s first offensive possession ended with a blocked punt at the St. Albert 31. On second down, the Chargers split the defence for a 15-yard TD.

On the ensuing kickoff the Storm’s return man bobbled the catch and the Chargers recovered the ball at the St. Albert 12. On second down and 11, the Chargers scored from the 13-yard line to make it 13-0. They would later kick a 12-yard field goal.

The Storm got their act together offensively during a lengthy scoring drive, highlighted by a third down and short-yardage conversion on the second last play before quarter time. The run-dominated series of plays was capped off by Kondro’s two-yard burst 3:16 into the second quarter. Adam Anderson converted the score.

The Chargers pretty much sealed the deal with TD runs of 11 and 38 yards. A 20-yard catch in double coverage at the St. Albert 45 with less than eight minutes left until halftime set the stage for the Chargers’ first TD of the quarter.

Late in the half, Moroz was picked off in Chargers’ territory and the ball returned to the St. Albert 21. The Storm stood their ground defensively, forcing the Chargers to try a 29-yard field goal but it was wide right and the kick was returned out of the end zone.

In the second half the Chargers drove the kickoff for another TD, with a pass completion on the scoring play.

The Storm answered back as Kondro and Grayson Baker racked up most of the yards on the scoring drive. On third and six, Kondro rumbled to the 20. On second down at the 17, Baker was stopped short of the goal line at the one. Baker finished the game with 79 yards. On second and goal from the one, Kondro plowed through the Chargers to make it 37-13 with 2:29 left in the third quarter.

With the outcome a done deal, the Storm flashed some offensive fair while mixing up the run and pass plays as Moroz looked more polished at the controls.

After the loss Kondro was upbeat despite the lopsided score.

“For a lot of the guys, playing midget football is just about having fun. I know I’m having fun,” said the first-year Storm player. “I’ve met a lot of new people and I’m playing with new people. I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Kondro, 16, looks primed to have a monster season for the Bellerose Bulldogs when the metro Edmonton campaign kicks off in the fall. He is running the ball with power and authority and has displayed hands of steel, reeling in short passes for big gains. His yards after the catch have been impressive as opposing defenders have struggled to haul down the husky and deceptively fast Sturgeon Composite High School student.

“I’m all over the place, but I like it,” said Kondro, who has lined up in various formations under the play calling of offensive co-ordinator Marty Kipps.

It was major coup for the Storm to secure the services of the senior Bulldogs’ most valuable player in his Grade 10 and 11 seasons.

“It’s an absolute honour to win the MVP award two years in a row,” Kondro said. “I love playing for Bellerose. I love the people. It’s the people that really make it for me.”

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