By Robb Fenton
The Lloydminster Vandals have made strides every season since they began their time in the Alberta Football League, but there is still one thing they haven’t accomplished.
In 2008, they advanced to the championship game, but lost, last season they finished on top of the standings in the regular season, but couldn’t claim the title. They feel 2010 is different and will be their season.
“We’re really excited to get going. Last year left a bitter taste in our mouths and starting the season against an opponent is a lot better than hitting ourselves in practice, we get to go hit some other guys,” Vandals veteran Matt Fisher said.
In the past two season, the Vandals have compiled a record of 12-3, but have only made the finals once and dropped the game to the Calgary Wolfpack.
The Vandals are one of the closer-knit teams in the league and that chemistry and familiarity will go along way to making another title run this season.
“The strength I think is basically we have a few players that have been together for a while. We know each other, we know where each other is going to go,” Fisher said. “The offence, the O-line, has played together for five years, so they all know each other. The DBs have played together, the Wainwright guys are close, so we have a lot of guys who are comfortable with each other and as a whole, we’re comfortable and that brings us closer together as a team.”
While the Vandals haven’t seen what the rest of the league has to offer, they aren’t worried about other teams and what they can do.
Their gameplan is simple, worry about their own game and the wins will take care of themselves.
“From start to finish, the keys will be some of the new additions we have. We have some real athletes on the team and their athletic ability coming into the team and gelling with us,” Fisher said. “Bringing the new guys together and just playing together.”
Playing as a team is big in the AFL and chemistry is key to success which is why the quicker this year’s version of the Vandals bond, the better they will be.
“Joining together in the sense of one unit, not an offence and a defence, just one team with the same goal. Having that in mind right from the beginning is going to be crucial,” Ken Fisher said.
Both Matt and Ken know what it takes to win in this league and know every game and every week is important.
Regardless who they play, the Vandals will have to come up with a strong effort to pick up a win.
“We have set our goals to win the league and national championship. That’s our goal going in, but we want to focus on one week at a time. This week, it’s a matter of focussing on the Lancaster Legion and getting ready for them and going from there,” Ken said.
The potential of this team is something that’s not lost on Ken, who is ready for a long playoff run.
“We’re very excited. We have an incredible group of athletes and camaraderie is great. The team is awesome this year and it’s just going to be an exciting team to be a part of and watch. I think other teams are going to be really impressed with how much the talent level has grown this year,” Ken said.
Taking on the expansion Lancaster team doesn’t mean the Vandals will let up or take them lightly, the team knows they will have to be ready.
“It will be their first game ever and it will be a new feeling for them because they don’t know what to expect. That’s one thing we have to preach to our guys, don’t take them lightly. If we do, not that we’re going to lose, but they could come in and still smack us around,” Matt said. “We don’t want to get injured in the first game, so we have to keep our heads up.”
“We have no clue what to expect, so we’ll just go in ready to go and get at it,” Ken said.
Game time is set for 6 p.m. Saturday evening at Armstrong Field.