RB Kevin Foster Verdier tucks the ball and follows his blockers to the outside.
On Friday, the Lorne Park Spartans travelled to Niagara Falls to take on the St. Paul Patriots in a preseason tilt.
The Spartans scored touchdowns in each of the first two quarters, then surrendered one to the Patriots in the final frame.
For the most part, the Spartans seemed to be playing their projected starters throughout the first half. QB Alex Lavric took every snap in the opening half before giving way to Ajet Suljejmani in the third, and then Alex Rector in the fourth.
“We certainly don’t have a concrete depth chart quite yet”, said head coach Scott Price. “We’re still moving players around, and guys are fighting for spots at almost every position, but we’re starting to get an idea of who we’re going to put out there. We’ll see what we have on film, and that will help us hopefully get guys in place for Richview next week so we can take one last look.”
Alex Lavric was 6/10 for 179 yards and two touchdowns, hitting both WR Devin Condlln and WR Ajet Suljejmani for deep strikes. On the ground, Kevin Foster Verdier led the team in rushing with 54 yards on 6 carries.
Defensively, the Spartans held up well, bending but not breaking until late in the fourth quarter when they gave up a 55-yard touchdown run straight up the middle.
“We had a blown assignment on a blitz”, said Price, “and we ended up with two guys in the A-gap, and no one in B, and they were running B. It’s a mistake that can’t happen in the regular season, which is why we’re working things like this out right now.”
Both teams avoided major injuries in this congenial affair, and both certainly benefitted from the experience. “This was a great test for us today”, said line coach Greg Kelly after the game. “St Paul is a strong team with great coaching, and a long football tradition. They had some size in the middle, a bruising back, and speed to compliment that on the outside.”
The Spartans wrap up their preseason against the Richview Saints in The Cage on Friday at 2:00pm.
Source: Lorne Park
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