Â鶹´«Ã½AV

The Yorkton Pee Wee Gridders football team opened up their 2011 Regina Minor Football League season over the weekend.

They did it against the defending champions from last year, the Wolverines, said Jason Farrell, Gridders head coach, following a 42-12 setback in Regina.

"They are probably the best team in the division," Farrell told him team before the start of that matchup, which he said his team was guilty of not playing a full two quarters.

Farrell said the home side took a 7-0 lead early off a touchdown, but Yorkton evened it up on their next possession, he said.

Following the loss, he said he told him team that he can only hope they learned something as a result.

He added that the Gridders are going to be short on experience this season after losing 20 experienced starters.

"It's a little overwhelming (at times)," he admitted following the Wolverines game. "We want to keep things in perspective (including) the importance of fundamentals."

Farrell was pleased to report the Gridders evened the affair at a touchdown apiece but hinted that the gameplan pretty much went south after that.

He said the defence didn't apply the kind of pressure needed to get to the quarterback, although one sack was recorded in Yorkton's favour.

They also need to work on tackling and penetration, he said.

"Movement needs to be faster" he observed with a pause, before rounding out the quote with "more crisp".

Gridder running back Hunter Arnold came up with 100 yards of rushing, noted Farrell.

Defensively, he said he would like to make some adjustments.

"You have two halves to a football game, we had a good half and a not-so-well-played half," he said half joking.

He said his team's defence played well enough in the second half but not the first.

Their next game comes this weekend on home field Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

Coach Farrell told his team the next time we play the Wolverines, it will be in the championship game on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m., at Leibel Field.