After forfeiting a game in Moosomin, the previous weekend, the Dauphin Clippers football team returned to the gridiron to host the Virden Golden Bears, Sunday afternoon.
In a defensive battle, the Clippers fell 21-14, dropping their record to 2-3 on the season.
Given the blustery weather conditions, Clippers head coach Nathan Thacker felt neither offence would have much of a passing game.
“You’re going against the wind, you’re going to have to run the ball and teams wanted to throw the ball a little more with the wind,” he said.
Both of Dauphin’s touchdowns came from the defence when Virden tried throwing into the wind.
The forfeit was due to a lack of players.
“We were short enough bodies and had enough health issues that we couldn’t take a chance on going,” Thacker said, adding the Clippers are sharing athletes with the Gilbert Plains and Grandview volleyball teams, as well as some hockey players.
The Clippers end the regular season in Souris against the Southwest Sabres, Saturday, at 1 p.m.
Thacker hopes to continue to see the Clippers grow as a team.
“Despite the loss, our defence played so solid and our offence had the best series late in the game. The growth of a bunch of young players is what we’ve been aiming for all year. And we’ve got a chance here, if we can perform against Southwest, to potentially host a playoff game on the consolation side,” he said.
“And that’s something that I think is a great thing for our kids to get extra games, no matter if they’re on the A-side or the B-side, would go so much towards their development.”