Stettler's first-ever atom football team, the Bobcats, took on Lacombe Red on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Red Deer, losing a well-fought game.
The lone touchdown from Stettler was scored by Cole Shuckburgh, who broke through the opponent's defence.
"It was a great start for the Bobcat program," said Head Coach Devon Mappin. "We were able to see the development of the players in action and they have certainly improved their skills since spring camp."
Kevin Shuckburgh, one of the assistant coaches said, "We continually drove the ball on every possession. To be very honest, if it were a real football game and we could keep driving after getting first downs the game would have been very close."
Although the Bobcats put their best foot forward, Lacombe Red was a more seasoned team and shut them out.
"We were very pleased with the effort these young athletes showed on the field in what was an exciting match against a good team," added Mark Neitz, one of the assistant coaches. "All players received ample play time both on offence and defence, and took a big step towards developing game play."
Neitz added that as coaches, their focus was on getting the players to learn the game, exhibit the proper fundamentals that lead to success on the field and above all to have fun.
"If this is achieved, we feel we will have accomplished what we set out to do this season," stated Neitz.
The Bobcats will face Lacombe Grey at 10 a.m. and Rocky Mountain House at 11.10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Red Deer.