The Battle River Shock earned its first win of the season in the Capital District Minor Football Association on Saturday with a 31-30 win over Fort McMurray.

With the victory at MEGlobal Athletic Park in Lacombe, Battle River is already into the second half of a six-week schedule with a 1-3 record.

Maren Stevens is the Shock’s head coach and says the point of the league is to prepare midget football players for their high school programs in the fall.

“Our players come from Tier II, III and IV schools. We combine them to play against Tier I teams, so it’s a little higher competition,” Stevens says.

“The wins don’t come easy but it exposes these guys and lets them develop at a higher level competition so when they go back in the fall to their high school programs, they’re well-oiled machines and ready to go.”

The Shock takes players in Grades 9 to 11 who live in the Battle River School District area, as well as near the Battle River. Its roster also includes players from Lacombe, Ponoka and Stettler.