The combination of a hellish schedule, injuries and playing the top team in the Moose Jaw High School Football League was too much for the ECS Elecs to handle.
The Elecs' third season came to an end on Saturday with a 42-3 loss to the Vanier Vikings in semi-final action in Moose Jaw.
Coming off a 21-9 win over the Swift Current Colts in their quarter-final on Tuesday, the Elecs were quickly overwhelmed by the powerful Vikings in the first quarter of what was their third game in eight days.
Vanier scored a touchdown on each of their first three drives, and Elecs head coach Ricci said a strong wind helped their cause.
The Elecs opted to receive after winning the coin toss, a decision Ricci said he'd like to revisit.
"Maybe I should have taken a side (instead of choosing to kick or receive) off the bat because of how aggressive they are. They attacked us with the wind," he said.
Ricci believes the quick start for the Vikings messed with his team psychologically and they weren't able to recover.
"You go in with a game plan, and getting so far behind in the first quarter against a team like that, now you're looking at trying to get some big plays and get back into it," he said.
The Vikings continued their onslaught with an 81-yard completion for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Kyle Hovind would get the Elecs on the board with a 29-yard field goal before the end of the half, trimming the Vikings' lead to 28-3.
Vanier would add two more majors in the second half. Running back Brandin Cannon and receiver Keegan Arnyek each had two touchdowns for the Vikings, with quarterback Ryan Froehlich and running back Mike Stefanovic adding one apiece.
The blowout came one week after the Elecs held the Vikings scoreless for nearly three quarters in their regular season finale, and Ricci said the difference came mainly in the form of fatigue.
"They did absolutely nothing that was any different from what we've seen in the past," he said of the Vikings. "The situation we were in with three games in eight days, it's just not working. You're not getting the team's best performance in a game that's so important," Ricci said.
"Football's not made for tournament-style play."
He plans to address the issue with the league over the off-season and hopes to see a different format next year, possibly one with only four teams in the playoffs. The Elecs focused on video preparation, with minimal physical activity between games, but it didn't seem to make a difference, Ricci said.
On Tuesday, the Elecs took a 14-3 lead at the half on a 73-yard rushing major by Dustin MacCuish and a 32-yard touchdown pass to Stefan Seipp, who plays on the defensive line but has been pressed into service on offence.
MacCuish, who would suffer an injury later in the game, said his touchdown came at a good time following a scoreless first quarter.
"It really brought the team up. Spirits were really high after that," said the running back, who wrapped up his first season playing organized football.
Colton Bachorcik closed out the scoring for ECS with a four-yard run with 1:26 left in the game.
The Colts' only touchdown came on a 29-yard pass in the fourth quarter that appeared to hit the ground. They also got a field goal in the second quarter.
The Elecs are losing roughly 12 players to graduation, but Ricci is optimistic about the core coming back.
"The positive thing is we're moving forward and getting better every year. We're getting closer to being a powerhouse at some point in this league."
