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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Rifles are slightly off target again
Fall to 0-2 with loss to national champion Saskatoon
cole breiland / winnipeg free press Winnipeg Rifles' Brett Carter is brought down by Saskatoon Hilltops' Dylan Kemp in the second quarter on Sunday at Canad Inns Stadium.
The Winnipeg Rifles are still searching for their first win of the Prairie Football Conference season after losing 35-20 to the defending national champion Saskatoon Hilltops on Sunday at Canad Inns Stadium.
"We played really hard but we need to play smarter. We need to learn as a team to manage our efforts so we don't put ourselves in situations to help the other team," said Rifles head coach Greg Graceffo. "We had a fumble in the end zone that led to seven for them and we took an unnecessary roughness penalty on the quarterback after we intercepted a pass."
The Rifles, who fell to 0-2, will now have some time away from home to sort things out as they play the next three games on the road. Their next home game is on Sept. 23 against the Calgary Colts at Canad Inns Stadium.
"Our team needs to secure the football and be smarter with respect to our play and with respect to penalties, and we will be better," Graceffo said. "We played very hard but every mistake we made hurt us."
The Hilltops took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter on a 65-yard punt return touchdown by Lane Bannerman and a touchdown on a missed field goal fumble recovery in the end zone by Adam Morrison.
Saskatoon led 17-3 at the half after Winnipeg kicker Brad Mikoluff kicked a 26-yard field goal while Saskatoon's Zach Schmidt kicked a 36-yard field goal.
The Hilltops scored another major in the third quarter on a 10-yard dash by running back Brendon Gryba. Mikoluff added a 30-yard field goal for the Rifles.
Winnipeg tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hilltops 14-11.
Saskatoon's Schmidt kicked a 41-yard single and 42-yard field goal, and Kyle McGinnis caught a four-yard TD pass from quarterback Matt Harder. Winnipeg's fourth-quarter scoring came from Brett Carter with a 15-yard touchdown catch from quarterback John Kiesman and a one-yard touchdown run by Devin Cox.
Kiesman, who played the full game for the Rifles after being pulled last week after three quarters, completed 15 of 34 passes for 197 yards and rushed for 52 yards.
The leading rusher for Winnipeg was Martin Hovi with 15 carries for 63 yards while Winnipeg's top pass-catcher was Carter with 11 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown.
Saskatoon's Harder completed eight of 11 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown and Matt Karpinka went 10-of-18 for 118 yards.
ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPAshleyPrest
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 20, 2012 C2
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