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Bengals beat Red Dogs, earn spot in finals

The St. Paul Bengals bantam football team is heading to the league finals in a rematch of the 2017 league final that saw them take on the Bonnyville Bandits.
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The St. Paul Bengals bantam football team is heading to the league finals in a rematch of the 2017 league final that saw them take on the Bonnyville Bandits.

In order to earn a spot in the finals, the Bengals had to defeat the Lloydminster Red Dogs in Lloydminster on Oct. 27. And while the Bengals were confident heading into the match-up, the team practiced hard and prepared for what ended up being a rather close game.

Halfway through, the Bengals would find themselves ahead by a score of 13-9. The Red Dogs kept pushing and managed to grab two more points in the second half, but the Bengals ran a few things specifically for the Red Dogs' offence, and it paid off, according to coach Todd Tanasichuk.

"Really, it was a defensive victory," he said.

But the Bengals still required points on the board to win, and touchdowns by Tyler Foote and Ryan Fodchuk made that happen. Tanasichuk says the team struggled to move the ball at times, and the weather offered an additional challenge.

"It was a windy day," said the coach.

But in the end, the Bengals were excited to do what few people thought could be accomplished. In the midst of a rebuilding year, and with only a couple of returning starters, the Bengals have practiced hard and have been getting better each time they hit the field.

"We preach patience," said Tanasichuk. And that patience is paying off. "We're excited. We're off to the championship game."

Looking ahead to Saturday, the Bengals will have their work cut out for them. St. Paul lost both match-ups against Bonnyville this season.

"They don't have a lot of respect for us, but we're motivated," said Tanasichuk, adding, "We know that the task is daunting . . . We're going to give it our best effort for sure, and hopefully earn their respect."

Bonnyville beat Wainwright this weekend by a score of 64-22, to earn a spot in Saturday's finals, which will take place at Walsh Field in Bonnyville at 1 p.m.

Tanasichuk says he believes the Bengals can play the Bandits "tough."

When speaking about the success of the St. Paul football club as a whole, which also includes the Lions, Tanasichuk says Saturday's game will be the seventh championship game for a St. Paul football team in the last nine years.

"We're quite proud of that," he says, adding, he's hoping to make Saturday's appearance a winning one.


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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