At the outset of the Prairie Football Conference season, the Regina Thunder head coach noted that the league could be a four-horse race to the finish line.
Three weeks in, it seems to be just that with the Thunder, Saskatoon Hilltops, Edmonton Wildcats and Calgary Colts tied for the league lead at 2-1. The Winnipeg Rifles are next at 1-2 and the Edmonton Huskies occupy the basement at 0-3.
"The team that comes ready to play is going to be the successful one," Klempner said Sunday after Regina fell 21-16 to the host Colts. "It's going to be a battle from now until the end of the year. And those other teams are getting better too, so you never know what's going to happen."
In other PFC weekend games, the Hilltops, fresh off a surprising loss to the Thunder, beat up on the Wildcats 35-14 and the Rifles beat the Huskies 16-14.
After holding teams well below 300 yards of offence in its first two games, the Thunder allowed Calgary to gain 211 yards on the ground and 168 more in the air on Sunday.
Tailback Alan Lichwa did the bulk of the damage with 26 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown.
"Our defence hung in there," said Klempner. "They moved the ball well against us and ran a little more than other teams have, but it was a bend-but-don't-break thing. They were playing hard and to the ball. It was a battling kind of game."
Given that, Regina was in the game the whole way before Calgary was able to run out most of the clock and punt the ball away on the final play of the game. The return went back to the Colts' 50-yard line but there was no time left on the clock.
The reigning Canadian Junior Football League offensive player-of-the-week, Regina quarterback Reid Quest, wasn't as sharp as he was in Weeks 1 and 2. Against the Colts, Quest went 16-for-33 for 203 yards with a touchdown pass (of nine yards to Johnny Ottaviano) and an interception. Quest also ran 10 times for 40 yards and a major. The Colts defence registered six sacks, including three by the aptly named Ben Rush.
"They're a good football team and had a few little (defensive) wrinkles in there that kept our guys off balance and we dropped some balls," said Klempner. "We'll have to look at the film and see exactly what it was, but our guys looked confused."
Jeff Bolen and Jonathan Probe, who share Regina's kicking duties, made up the rest of the scoring with a convert and a single each.
Calgary receiver Tyson Hinds was on the scoring end of Calgary's only other touchdown from Clayton Masikewich. Karim Ould-Hamouda converted both majors and added a 38-yard field goal. Regina also conceded two safeties.
The Thunder play host to the Huskies on Sunday (1 p.m.) at Mosaic Stadium before its bye week.
