Category: Features

Manitoba Football Feed Year End Awards Finalists

After over 2000 votes, the finalists (public nomination and voting process) have been chosen for the fourth-annual Manitoba Football Feed Year End Awards!

Click here to make your selections. Only ONE vote per person will be counted.

Thank you for your continued support of amateur football in Manitoba!

Miles Mac lineman Shayla Mohamed reflects on historic WHSFL award selection

Throughout the history of amateur football in Manitoba, there are many females who’ve been trailblazers in the sport.

From Lisa Zueff-Cummings and Lisa Klaverkamp (Manitoba Fearless originals), to Maya Turner (first female to dress and score points in U SPORTS football) and Belle Jonasson (first female to make Manitoba’s provincial tackle football team – U16), the middle province boasts a rich and proud history of female representation in the sport.

Last week, more history was made when Miles Mac senior lineman Shayla Mohamed earned the WHSFL’s John Potter/Modern Man Barber Shops Award. In doing so, Mohamed became the first female to ever receive a WHSFL major award. 

“I was not expecting to win that award,” she said humbly. 

“When I think back on it, I want the younger generation of girls to see and realize that as long as you’re putting that effort in, as long as you’re working to not only better yourself, but your team, then you will get noticed for that and you will be successful.”

Mohamed’s football journey this year has been exceptional.

The only female on the Buckeyes’ roster in 2023, she was thrust into the starting centre role during the first game of the season. Usually a defensive lineman, her only experience at centre had been for Manitoba’s U18 girls team, where she snapped for two drives due to injuries.

Mohamed embraced the challenge, handling snapping duties for the remainder of the year. 

“Don’t be scared. At the very beginning of the season I played scared, because obviously it’s big guys that you’re going against. I’m like 5’3” and they’re 6’3”. But don’t let your size define you as a player. My aha moment was our Springfield game,” she recalled.

“Before I was always asking our other linemen, this is the way we’re going? We use a bunch of words in our play-calling and I get distracted so easily. There was one play where the guard I usually always ask, he was injured. I thought, I have to hold my own, especially because we have a new player in at guard and they don’t necessarily know what they’re doing. That’s when I was like oh my gosh, I know what I’m doing. I don’t have to depend on anyone else, I’ve got this.”

On top of starting at the 4A WHSFL level – the highest level of high school ball in the city – Mohamed also took the time to give back, like she’s been doing for years. She coached cruncher and atom teams for her club, East Side, and she also assists with the newcomers to Canada football program. 

“When you’re coaching other kids, you start to realize what you can do better as a player as well. It’s eye opening. If I’m telling these kids to do it I should be doing it too to set an example for them,” said Mohamed.

“Another thing for me, is I started playing co-ed football when I was ten. At that time there weren’t very many female coaches. I had a hard time opening up to the male coaches about hey, I have to go to the bathroom, or simple stuff like that. For me, coaching out there for little girls that want to come play, it’s easier with a female coach around.”

Mohamed will continue playing football after high school. The MGFA recently changed their age limit to 18, so she’ll finish her last year there and is likely to play in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League afterwards.

She takes many memories away from her time with Miles Mac. But above all else, she’s thankful for the connections she’s made along the way.

“I made a lot of friends on the team. I would even call them my brothers. [Running back] Nate Malcolm, he played on my atom team when I was ten when I first started. I’ve known him for a long time,” she noted.

“They all brought me under their wing and made it so that I was comfortable with them. They taught me things I didn’t know, and they even talked to me outside of football. It’s really that social life.”

Manitoba Bisons linebacker Nevan Brown reflects on breaking WHSFL tackles record

Earlier this month, the Dakota Lancers won their first-ever ANAVETS Bowl, defeating the St. Paul’s Crusaders in a rematch from the 2022 title game. 

It was a special moment for a program that’s been in existence for just over ten years, the ultimate statement that the Lancers had arrived. No longer were they just a playoff team. Now, the St. Vital program was a force. 

The Lancers were built on the backs of many dedicated staff and support members. From Dale  Driedger and Ray Jarvis (undefeated for just under two years beginning in 2010), to Glen Scrivener and everyone in between, Dakota truly is a team that’s supported by its community members. 

Amongst that group is head coach Mitch Harrison. 

The former Hardy Cup champ as a linebacker with the Manitoba Bisons in 2014 took over head coaching duties in 2019, and just four years later, he reached the pinnacle with a staff that featured many household names at the U SPORTS and pro levels. 

And while many will remember 2023 as the year the Lancers made history, it was the previous season, and that group’s seniors who set helped set the standard of what DCI football is today. 

The ’22 crop of grade 12s were Harrison’s first four-year athletes. They came in with him as freshman in 2019, enduring a global pandemic and made it to the ANAVETS Bowl last year. 

The following season, players like quarterback Blake Penner and linebacker Asun Ducharme mentioned how pivotal the prior year’s leadership group was to their success. It was a physical squad who led by example, establishing a culture of hard work, passion and relentlessness in the pursuit of greatness. 

The leader of that team on the defensive side of the ball was middle linebacker Nevan Brown. 

In 2022, he did something many thought to be impossible. He broke the WHSFL Division 1 record for tackles in the regular season. 

Heading into the year, that total was 96, set by River East’s Donovan Hillary in 2013. Brown not only broke it, he crushed it by one extra, finishing the campaign with 98 in eight games. 

“He was such a phenomenal athlete who really helped me progress in my own understanding of how to structure a defence around a generational talent,” reflected Harrison.

“Rather than trying to force him to fit a spot, we fit the defence to match the athleticism he brought to the table.”

‘The best defence in the province’

Being called generational is high praise, but it’s deserving for a guy like Brown, who worked his butt off to get to where he was. 

In grade nine, he was 5’10”, maybe 155 when the Lancers made it to the JV championship. Brown started that year at MAC. Then, the pandemic halted everything. 

The professional that he is, Brown took the opportunity to get better. When he had to stay home, he was putting work in six days a week. He did indoor weight training, cardio and anything else he could get his hands on to stay fit, including carrying superstore jugs of water up and down his back yards until he couldn’t carry them anymore. 

“That offseason between grade nine and ten is when I put on the most muscle. That whole summer there was nothing to do. I was just in my basement and in my back yard grinding every day. Six times a week, I’d have one rest day and be right back at it. I came back to school and my teammates thought I was on steroids, because of the size I had put on. I guess that it paid off.”

Brown also trained with Recruit Ready, joining up around the time of COVID. The mentorship he received worked wonders for his football IQ, and by the time his grade 11 season rolled around, he was a force. 

“I got to work with a lot of big names [at Recruit Ready]. Dave Donaldson was a great coach, and Adam Bighill was added my second year with them. The things I’ve learned from him and working with him directly have been really key in my development. That’s also including his strength program and the speed code. That program brought my 40 down from a five flat to a 4.8.”

After a year of growing pains, Brown enter his senior season ready and prepared to lead. He already had two offers heading into the 2022 campaign, and was tipping the scales at 6’1” and over 200 pounds. 

On the strength of Brown’s sideline-to-sideline skill, a linebacking corps that also featured the physical Ducharme and Carlos Teklu (plus safety Cohen Mcclusky), and that earned the nickname “the wolves,” (because they were always hunting the ball), Dakota finished 7-1 in the regular season, allowing just 83 points. 

“If you watch our games, one thing you’ll notice, when you see a ballcarrier, you’ll see 12 hats around him. We all want to get to the ball and be the one making the stop. It was the collective effort. Everyone on defence wanted to play. They all worked their tails off,” he reflected at the time. 

“I feel like it was hands down the best defence in the province. This was probably the best defence I’ve ever played with. I truly believe the linebacking corps was the heart and soul of the team. Me, Asun and Carlos all side by side, the energy and physicality we brought, I think the team fed off that. Our style of play and the way we brought things, it was really symbolic of what we wanted Dakota football to be.”

Dak outscored their opponents 67-28 over the first two weeks and were feeling confident. Week three however, ended in heartbreak against perennial powerhouse St. Paul’s. 

Carrying a late lead, the Lancers lost on a special teams miscue that was returned to the house, resulting in a 23-20 loss. 

And while it was an L in the standings, the game served as motivation for the remainder of the year. 

“After that game I think we realized we’re not going to have anything given to us this year, but we know what we need to do and we’re capable of everything. It lit a fire under us. We’re top dawgs, we need to go out and prove it.”

Dakota didn’t lose another game until the ANAVETS Bowl, giving up six points or less in three different regular season games along the way. 

“We had a lot of unique athletes in our defence that year that allowed us to do a lot structurally,” noted Harrison on the team’s dominant showing. 

“From there the kids just really loved getting after the ball. Nevan really drove the pace with which the defence played and the guys would just feed off of each other’s plays. 

Along the way, Brown shattered the tackles record. 

In week five, he was sitting at 62 tackles. While he wasn’t focusing solely on breaking the mark of 96, he did know how close he was entering the final game of the season, a rematch against St. Paul’s. 

“I think I remember looking at it in week five. Getting tackles, it’s something I’ve always been able to do. I don’t give up on plays and I usually get in on the ball and make a play. I took a look and it was 96. At that point I was averaging 16 tackles a game,” he said. 

“And then we go to Grant Park in week six and I get 18 tackles. I can’t lie, it was hard not to think about it. I just had to lock in and play the game. I played Steinbach and got nine. I needed eight to break it.”

In a revenge game for top spot, Dak out-lasted the Cru, with Brown recording ten tackles. The contest was a defensive slugfest at times, which fit the Lancers’ style of play perfectly. 

“In that game, breaking the tackle record, I knew the exact tackle I got it. I made it and came off the field. I go to my linebacker coach, I’m like that’s the one. I took a picture with the whole team on the bench. It was great. It was a really awesome feeling.”

While Dakota didn’t end up with the result they wanted in the final – a third and deciding game against St. Paul’s – their legacy will not be forgotten, nor will Brown’s, whose name is permanently marked in the history books. 

Now an important piece to the Manitoba Bisons linebacking corps, he can look back fondly on what he was able to accomplish with Dakota. 

“It feels great knowing that my name is in the history books for the league. I’m going to be someone people remember in the league. That holds weight. It was very important to me.”

With the ANAVETS Bowl on the line, underdog Grant Park looks to replicate 2011, upset Dakota

The year is 2011. Riding a seven-game win streak and the momentum of a 46-point victory over Massey Brandon in the Division 2 quarter-finals, Grant Park prepares for their biggest test yet: the 7-0 Dakota Lancers. 

At this time, Dak is in just their second year of existence at the WHSFL level. The St. Vital-based school had gone undefeated the year prior to claim the Division 3 title and were favoured to win it all again, this time at the D2 level, with a combined school record of 20-0.

Dak’s potent passing offence had the big name quarterback in uber athletic Lyall Buckland. They also had elite team speed, led by dynamite returner and defensive back Eric Plett, a future Manitoba Bison. 

On paper, they were the clear favourites against a Grant Park team that saw many athletes play both ways. 

The team’s roster wasn’t full of game-changing athletes at every position. But they knew what they did well, which was control possession by dictating the run game, and causing turnovers with a defence that saw all 12 players finish their tackles with ferocity. 

“We were split back veer, because we had to run the football,” recalled head coach Doug Kovacs, who was in his first year in the position with the Pirates at the time, after previously being on Sisler and Kelvin staffs that advanced to WHSFL championships.

“We had two good tackles, and everybody else weighed 165. [Our line] needed to get out and scramble cut that kid just enough to get [running backs] Jordan [Birrell] and Micheal [Ritchott] through for six. We did that for years because that’s what we had.”

Trailing 16-14, the Pirates scored the upset on a last-second field goal to advance to the Free Press Bowl. There, they outlasted Jayden McKoy [former Bison, now the defensive coordinator for the Lancers] and the 7-1 Miles Mac Buckeyes for their first-ever championship in school history.

On Friday, Kovacs will aim for his third varsity title with the Pirates [fourth overall], but first non-consolation championship in 12 seasons. The Pirates have big game experience, most recently playing in the 2021 ANAVETS Bowl against Vincent Massey. 

Their opponent is the Dakota Lancers, GP’s rival in the Southeastern Conference. And while both teams lost just once in the regular season, Grant Park’s was to their ANAVETS Bowl opponent, 49-0. 

So, the question for Kovacs and company, is can they pull off the under-dog win again? 

The tale of the tape

Grant Park proved they had an extra gear by knocking off powerhouse St. Paul’s 24-21 in the semis. 

Going in, the Pirates were 21.5 point underdogs. But much like 2011, they rode a strong run game, relied on lights out play from their two-way starters and made big plays on defence when it counted. 

Twelve years ago Grant Park’s roster of roughly 30 won because they cared about each other like family, and they were willing to leave everything on the field, no matter the cost. 

The 2023 group embodies a similar attitude. They’re extremely close off the field, and they work like dogs. 

“That’s why I make them lift together after school every day. The team that works together stays together. You try to keep them together as much as you can,” said Kovacs.

“They wanted to decorate the locker room this year. They put up LED lights. The ANAVETS hosts a games night. They come and they play shuffleboard, pool and darts. They’re in here a couple times a year. It actually brought in a couple of kids that had never played before.”

Despite losing four starters for various reasons, Grant Park continued to battle, led by two-way senior quarterback Scott Sisson, who also plays corner, senior running back and halfback Gavin Johannesson and junior running back, linebacker and long snapper Jesse Deneka. 

“This year, no one thought we would win, especially with what happened in the spring, with people leaving for prep schools and getting hurt or just quitting football. We weren’t expected to go anywhere,” acknowledged Deneka, who had 55.5 tackles in the regular season and will end his Pirates career with more than any other player in program history.

“We’re not even a big team, but as a group, we stuck together and went game by game. We didn’t worry about the next game. If I can go out there and help my team win, I’m going to do that. Playing both ways, I know I’m tired, I know I’m hurt, I’m cramping up, but I’m just going to go out there because I know if I’m out there, my team has confidence, I have confidence. We can go out there and win the game.”

The question now is if Grant Park can replicate what they did in 2011 by beating one of the best teams in the nation in Dakota. 

The Lancers put up 357 points in the regular season, only allowed 67 and have one of Canada’s most sought-after quarterbacks in Blake Penner [tied the single-season WHSFL passing TD record]. 

On defence, emotional leader Asun Ducharme headlines a group with exceptional team speed. It’s “the fastest football team I’ve been around regardless of level,” according to fifth-year head coach Mitch Harrison. 

Returners Amid Kanu and Augustine Nkundimana [Bisons commit with track and football] are both on the track team, and are a threat to take a kick back any time, as is grade 11 receiver Mikun Odunuga. 

“We have two track teams out there,” chuckled Harrison. “That is actually the case. Our whole 4×100 team is football kids.”

And while the narrative in the past has been Dakota’s ability to pull kids from the St. Vital Mustang’s program, that doesn’t tell the full story for Harrison’s group. 

None of the three standouts listed above had ever played football prior to attending Dakota. Neither had 2022 alum Sean Rowe, now the starting left tackle for the Bisons football team.

Harrison and his staff have done a great job polishing the skill of their raw talent that came from the Mustangs, while also developing athletes into football players from scratch.

“An athlete is an athlete. We just let them use their athleticism to their advantage,” said Harrison. 

“To be honest, there’s a part of me that very much prefers kids with very little football background. I have so much confidence in our staff. Here’s a fresh brick of clay, turn it into something special, and they do.”

The Lancers were in the ANAVETS Bowl last year, they know how to handle the pressure, as does Grant Park, who played in the 2021 final. 

Neither team was successful in those years, but something’s got to give on Friday when the two teams face off at 6 pm. One of these programs will make history with their first-ever ANAVETS Bowl title, adding another chapter to the thrilling rivalry between the two sides. 

“Everyone in our program outside of new grade nines this year has had the experience of playing in the finals and losing. It’s not a lesson you want to learn,” said Harrison. 

“I took a huge shot to my ego with that one, but it was a really important learning lesson for our program. Now it’s just about going about our business and not letting the moment get too big. We’ve been there before. Why act like we haven’t?”

St. James caps historic MMFA run with another championship

This past weekend, the St. James RODS peewee squad won the MMFA Championship, scoring over 50 points in a back-and-forth thriller against Fort Garry that was as close as 14 late in the fourth. The victory capped off an incredible run from the core of the RODS group, who also who a championship with a perfect record at the atoms seven level a few years back.

Even more impressive is the run of QB1.

The team’s starting quarterback Blake Dagg – named game MVP for St. James – never lost at the minor
level, going 31-0. The only two games the RODS didn’t win came last year when Dagg had a fractured
growth plate in his foot. They tied the regular season finale and then lost in the semi-finals.

The mature pivot, who’s weighing his options but is leaning towards Oak Park as his school of choice,
was blessed with incredible mentors as coaches. Included is his dad Brian, the head coach, while his
coordinator was Bisons football legend Alex Christie.

‘It’s about building more than better football players’

For those unaware, Christie holds the program record for career blocked kicks – two of which came in the final game of the 2014 regular season against No. 2 nationally ranked Calgary.

Manitoba, without starting quarterback Jordan Yantz, needed a win to get into the playoffs, and Christie helped them accomplish that. The team went on to win the Hardy Cup, once again beating Calgary.

Christie has an economics degree from UM, and the 30-year-old currently works at Arthur J. Gallagher
(AJG) Insurance and Risk Management. It’s there that he met and befriended 36-year-old Brian Dagg,
the Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales and Cyber Liability for AJG, and also Blake’s dad.

“You can imagine how we spend most of our days,” joked Christie. “We actually game plan all day.”

Brian never played football. But he’s always been a fan of the game, and he and Blake bonded over the
sport. That eventually led to the RODS, where Brian has been a coach for the last seven years, as well as
Past President.

Alex, who’s been involved in football for 24 of his years on earth, has been there for six.

“Football’s always just been my favourite sport. I’m just a super fan, kind of a nerd. My daughter’s name
is Madden,” admitted Brian.

“I don’t even remember how we got Blake into it. I think we just said hey, let’s play football and off we
went. I’ve always been one to give back to my community. I’m young, I’m only 36, Alex is 30. We’ve both always given back. I’ve been with the RODS from day one. We’ve put our blood, sweat and tears into this. I’m an emotional guy, so there’s been some tears and there’s definitely been blood and sweat. It’s
all been worth it.”

The RODS have been running a Bisons-style playbook for the last three years. It’s sophisticated, and includes option plays on offence. Everyone has to execute but none more than the pivot, who has to
read the defence pre and post-snap and make judgement calls based on what the defence is running.

“We’re the only run-option team I’ve seen in minor football,” says Brian.

“We coach our core group ten months of the year. We’ve had that success for a long time. They come,
they’re willing to listen and to learn and they deal with our criticism. I told this to the kids yesterday. It’s
about way more than building better football players. It’s about building better athletes and human beings and bringing that work ethic to the table. Our core group really owns that.”

“It starts with the quarterback,” added Christie.

“I spend a lot of time with Brian inside and outside of work. I’ve grown that relationship with Blake as
well. He’s a very smart football player and he was able to figure out what I was trying to put down.
Football is football once it comes down to it. He was a quick learner, he picked it up great.”

Christie thinks Blake has the skill to make it as a quarterback or receiver in high school and beyond. He’s got lots of pieces around him as well, including AJ Bangura.

The versatile athlete joined St. James’ program last year after his local club folded, and he made an
immediate difference. A weapon who can line up anywhere on offence, Bangura caught passes, ran
often on jet sweeps and was also the team’s kicker.

“This kid is going to be the next Nic Demski if he keeps his head up and continues to work as hard as he does, and he will,” admits Christie.

“He is an incredible football player. When we ran a jet sweep across the field [in the championship], I’m
pretty sure he shook the defence twice over.”

“Those two are like best friends,” noted Brian of Blake and AJ’s relationship.

“They treat each other like a package deal, the ying to the other’s yang. They’re always talking,
communicating. Those two are a core we’re fortunate to have. I think any program would benefit with
just those two kids alone.”

Now that Brian’s son is moving onto high school, he and Christie’s run looks to be over. Regardless of
what happens next, they’ve helped prepared a solid number of kids for the next level in their football
careers, and led by example.

“I hope we’ve given the kids a positive experience,” mentioned Christie. “When I was playing, I had good
coaches, but they weren’t as fluent in football. I’m hoping I was able to teach these kids something more
than they would get elsewhere, and that that knowledge was able to be passed on.

Mr. Seatbelt David Sindikubwabo ready to get ‘strapped up’ at U18 Football Canada Cup

Earlier this week, Team Manitoba’s U18 coaching staff selected their captains for the upcoming Canada Cup, which begins tomorrow at Foote Field in Alberta. Among the six honourees was grade 11 defensive back David Sindikubwabo out of Dakota Collegiate. 

The 5’10”, 170-pound playmaker was one of the standouts all throughout the selection process, so his appointment comes as no surprise. He’s got a swagger that you can’t teach, and athleticism that jumps off the page. It’s what makes him one of a kind, and he has the evidence to back it up. 

Take his sophomore season, where he hurdled over a defender on a kick return in the JV championship against Oak Park. It was a gutsy decision, but one that paid off, as he executed the move perfectly. 

The photo will be re-played for years, and is the first thing many think about when discussing a play that represents who Sindikubwabo is: a confident athlete who isn’t afraid to put his body on the line to make a difference.

“I was supposed to pitch it off to Amid Kanu, my running back, but then the ball came out wobbly on my hand when I picked it up, and I thought a pitch would’ve been way too late, so I just started running up the middle,” he says with a smile as he reflects on the move. 

“I saw a guy coming right in from of me. I didn’t think I would be able to make a move to get around him, so I thought why not? Let me hurdle him.”

Plays like this, and a vocal leadership style are what earned Sindikubwabo the nickname Mr. Seatbelt. 

“I got it given to me in the locker room. You know me, I have a loud mouth and I like chirping at my other teammates. They’re like ‘David you’re always strapping up,’ and we all collectively thought of a seat belt. I’m like I don’t want to be called seatbelt. Mr. Seatbelt sounds cool. They just started calling me that,” he noted.

“I just always want to be strapped up. I strive to have zero balls caught on me every game. Last season I only had one ball caught on me in a zone coverage. It was still kind of my responsibility, but I still stay I had zero balls caught on me in man to man. I always try to keep thinking to myself Mr. Seatbelt. I have to keep that reputation up, and keep myself strapped up and focused.”

As you can tell, Mr. Seatbelt takes pride in his play. He’s one of the top prospects in his class, capable of playing anywhere in the secondary. 

Whether it’s using his speed and range to knock down a deep ball, lining up in press coverage at the line, or jumping a ball and taking it to the house (see the first clip of his sophomore hudle film for reference), he was meant to play the sport of football. 

One percent better 

But it hasn’t always been this easy. Earlier in his career, Sindikubwabo doubted if he could make the transition from offence to defence. He had previously been a receiver and returner, but made the shift defensive back after his time with Manitoba’s U16 team last summer. 

When he needed advice, he went to his big bro Hubert. 

The Dakota alum – a former running back who moved onto the Okanagan Sun’s junior football program after high school – offered up a quote that continues to resonate with his younger sibling. 

“He said ‘just make sure you’re one percent better every day.’ I took that to heart. I don’t have to be on the field every day, I just have to make sure that my IQ is one percent better, my diet is one percent better, my skills are one percent better.”

It’s safe to say he’s embodied is approach in full. Through the tutelage of respected defensive backs coach Sean Oleksewycz, along with the veteran staff at Dakota, Sindikubwabo has become a machine, and he’s just getting started. 

“Sometimes I overthink and that’s when I make mistakes. [‘Toba defensive backs coach Oleksewycz] reminds me to believe in my talent and play how I can play. Once I follow those words, I start doing well. He also taught me some technical skills, obviously some nice DB work, how to get out of my breaks, how to get faster and to not look at the quarterback on my breaks and just stay with my receiver.”

Manitoba takes on Quebec in the opening round tomorrow. The team’s secondary will be one of their biggest strengths, taking a team-first approach throughout. 

Sindikubwabo, who can also kick, hold and obviously return punts and kicks, will be a name to remember during play. He’ll then take the skills he’s learned back to Dak for his junior season this fall, where the Lancers are a favourite to make it to the ANAVETS Bowl in the new 4A and 3A varsity format.

“I just want to make sure my leadership contributes to the whole team, so we can be better and have fun while we’re doing it, because football is a team sport.”

Meet new Football Manitoba President of the Board Ryan Bliznikas

It’s safe to say that Ryan Bliznikas is a busy man. Married with kids, he owns an accounting firm in Thunder Bay, Ontario but still finds time to give back to the football community. 

“I coach everything at home that I can. My daughter and son at home will play flag, my son will play tackle in the fall and I’m coaching Hammarskjold High School, going on year 14 with the junior team,” he says.  

“Provincially I’ve been asked to be a part of the U18 girls tackle team. I jumped at that one because it’s new, unique and about those opportunities and growing something. I jump back on the plane on the turnaround day and I’m out to Nova Scotia after that tournament with my U16 girls for flag. That’s the summer. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Bliznikas, who goes by ‘Bliz’ in the football community, has been integral to the growth of amateur football in his home province. 

For a number of years now, northwestern Ontario athletes have earned spots in Manitoba’s U16 and U18 tackle rosters, while flag numbers are skyrocketing. Bliz has been part of the executive that’s overseen that growth through the Thunder Bay Minor Football Association.  

“Locally, our flag numbers for indoor in April and May, we thought last year was big, this year was even bigger. A total of 430 kids are playing and another 50 were on the wait list. We’re partnered with Lakehead University. They actually let us be open for an extra hour after they’re closed, just so we could launch U18 this year, and those kids have been playing flag since the inception,” he says. 

“We grew with that. Our tackle numbers are up, we ran an ID camp in Thunder Bay for U16 and U18. We had eight come in from Fort Frances and two from Dryden. That grew from just a single person the prior year, so knowing that they’re choosing us in a way for a regional camp makes it feel more whole. It was really nice to see that.”

This year, Bliz is taking the next step. Recently he was named President of the Board for Football Manitoba, a role that West Kildonan head coach Russell Wallace previously had. 

A people person, he hopes to “grow the extended family” within the football community. His attention for detail will also be invaluable as he looks to expand the provincial sport organization’s reach. 

“I want to help to grow numbers. That doesn’t mean just Winnipeg or Thunder Bay. Obviously those are your two largest locations, but the way to put it is how do you shrink the highway between here and Winnipeg? What other communities can we go in and try to help to get flag going,” he says. 

“Fort Frances, Dryden, Kenora, can we help them get a U14 program to feed into their high school program? Are there jamborees you can do with them? Really the biggest thing is how can Football Manitoba be looked at from east to west coast as the leader in this sport?”

After a rookie season for the memory books, St. Paul’s quarterback Cole Anseeuw is back for more

Any long-time Bisons football fan knows the name Shane Munson. A quarterback for the Herd from 1999-2003, he led the team to the Vanier Cup for the first time in over three decades (2001 season) and still holds the program’s passing touchdown (62) and completion (507) records. He also held the passing yards record (7474) for almost two decades, broken in 2022 by Des Catellier.

Suffice to say, his name carries weight in the football community, and he’s been referred to as one of the best players to ever don the black and gold. 

Last year, he got back into the coaching ranks, mentoring the next generation for St. Paul’s High School. The local powerhouse featured a collection of talented quarterbacks, but it was rookie Cole Anseeuw, then a grade 11, who won the battle for the starting spot. 

A high-level AAA defenceman, Anseeuw previously made the JV football team, but ultimately chose to focus on his main sport. After some convincing from his friends, he strapped on the pads for a full season in 2022, turning into a natural under centre. 

“I like how you can be a leader,” he says. 

“You’re always involved in the play no matter what. I’d say quarterback is more of a mental game instead of physical. You have to read the defence, make sure everybody is in the right positions, get everybody checked, as well as play your own position and make great plays.”

His leadership and communication skills carried over from hockey, and with the tutelage of Munson, Anseeuw threw for over 1400 yards and won the ANAVETS Bowl – the most historic championship in the WHSFL – as a first-year. 

“It’s very rare for a player to become the starter in his first year, and win the championship,” stated the Bisons alum. 

“Cole works hard, is very coachable and is an awesome teammate. He has great potential with impressive arm strength, agility and field vision. He demonstrates excellent decision-making skills and displays strong leadership qualities on and off the field. With continued development, he has the potential to move onto the next level.”

That’s high praise for a rookie quarterback, who soaks up information like a sponge, and doesn’t get rattled in high-pressure moments. Like his coach taught him, he keeps it simple, taking what the defence gives him and moving onto the next play in cerebral fashion. 

“[Munson] showed me how to read defences. If the safety drops, where I should throw it and if the corner drops. The easy stuff that really helped me develop as a quarterback, as well as footwork. He really highlights that as much as possible and the throw will come after that. Next year, footwork is going to be one of the main things I work on.”

The opening touchdown of the ANAVETS Bowl in the first quarter was a great example of Anseeuw’s football IQ. 

Playing against an elite Dakota Lancers defence, one that had knocked off the Crusaders just a few weeks prior, the pivot saw that the defence was playing with high safeties.  

Pre-snap, dynamic athlete Olu Akinola motioned to the wide side of the field, creating an off-balance look with trips. The inside receiver on the play, both safeties crashed down on Akinola, leaving senior Porter Holland – the middle receiver – wide open on a go route which Anseeuw saw the instantly for a 55-yard major. 

Entering the 2023 season, Anseeuw is part of a loaded quarterback group that features Blake Penner, entering year three as Dakota’s starter, and grade 11 Ryan Wirtzfeld, who started as a sophomore for Oak Park last year, among others. 

Anseeuw has already received a scholarship offer from the Bisons, but he’s not settling, knowing how much talent there is around him. He’s currently practicing with Team Manitoba, with the hopes of leading his province to an upset of Quebec in the opening round of the Canada Cup later this summer. And the work will keep going from there. 

“It would mean the world [to play for the Bisons], keeping it at home and with the family. Of course there’s a lot of quarterbacks in the league that are great, and I guess it’ll be a tough decision [for the team on who to sign],” he says. 

“I’m just going to be training as much as possible and going to Dakota to throw. I’ll also be training with [Bisons quarterbacks coach] Cory Waldbauer and the quarterbacks at the Bisons. Hopefully I can improve and be the best I possibly can be for next year.”

WHSFL champ Rylan Pats soaking in provincial team experience

If you’ve been following the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) scene over the last number of years, then you know who Rylan Pats is. 

The hybrid defensive back and linebacker has been a tried and true member of the Oakbank football scene for quite some time. In his sophomore year in 2021, he started at safety as the expansion Springfield Sabres won the Division 2 title in just their second year of play (not factoring COVID). 

The Sabres not only won the D2 title, they did it in undefeated fashion. Over their first two years in the WHSFL, they were undefeated in the regular season. Despite a loss to Churchill in the 2019 D3 semi-finals, they moved up, capping an incredible year with an upset of Murdoch in the 2021 championship, a brutally cold contest held at East Side Eagles field in the blustering snow. 

Winning that game was not easy. The Sabres faced off against the league’s best rushing attack, led by the twin towers Drew and Jordin Boucher on the offensive line, and the division’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, running back Daniel Wilson. In a gritty showing, the upstart program used their unconventional offensive attack (wing-t) and aggressive but intelligent defence to take the win.

“The biggest thing for SCI is they’ve always been considered underdogs, up until that season I’d argue. Going into that game we were considered the underdog, [Murdoch] had been scoring a lot. I remember on the bus as we were going out, our coach just mentioned hey, whatever happens, let’s just go out and play,” recalls Pats. 

“Everyone came together. I think the biggest thing I remember was in the fourth quarter. [Running back] Josh Schers, he took a really nice long one and that solidified us winning. It kind of dawned on me that we’d done it, and overcome the adversity of being this D3 program that had moved up. We went on a pretty good streak, 7-0. I still take a lot of pride in that, but at the same time you have to move on and understand that it’s a new season.”

And while Pats prefers not to dwell on the past, it’s important to evaluate how far he’s come as a player and person since he first strapped on the pads. 

Known as a defensive stopper, Pats has never been one to shy away from contact. Once he reads a quarterback and tracks the football, it’s difficult for receivers to hold onto the pigskin. His aggressiveness can be compared to former Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-star and Vanier Cup champion Taylor Loffler. When he came downhill, players were rarely the same after contact. 

Long story short, Pats isn’t intimidated by anyone. He’ll lay the leather down whether you’re 5’5” or 6’5” and he’ll do it with conviction. 

‘It’s become everything’

But it hasn’t always been that way. When he was younger, the crafty defensive back didn’t think much about playing the great sport of football. But ever since he joined up, his life has changed for the better.

“Initially it was the idea of getting out there and doing something that I was uncomfortable doing. Growing up I was really scared of contact and scared of being hurt. And then I started playing football, which is a big contact sport. It helped me break out of my shell and I was able to find something that I enjoyed putting hours into. It’s been like that ever since,” he says. 

“It’s become everything. Our whole family wakes up on Sunday and we watch football.”

Speaking of family, they mean “everything” to Pats. His parents are his role models, and he hopes to use football to provide for them when he gets older. 

“Growing up in a small town, they really showed me the ins and outs of who to become, helping guide me on my path. They’ve made so many sacrifices for me to be on specific teams, driving me to practices, whatever it may be. My dream is to retire them obviously. I’d love to make it super easy for them and give them whatever they ever wanted, because that’s what they’ve done for me.”

The next step in that journey is happening right now. 

Pats, who enters his senior season this fall, is currently battling for a spot on Team Manitoba, who will play in the Canada Cup later this summer. He made the first cuts, as the secondary was narrowed down to 11 players. 

The process has been eye-opening thus far. Pats has been lining up at halfback, a spot he’s less familiar with compared to safety. There’s also coverages that he hasn’t seen, as Springfield is a run-heavy team. Nonetheless, he’s taking the experience one day at a time, learning from one of the country’s best defensive back coaches in Sean Oleksewycz, also the DB coach and recruiting coordinator for the Manitoba Bisons. 

“Coming from a school that doesn’t throw the ball a whole lot, the biggest thing is taking mental reps, and asking people around you. Even today I was asking a lot of the guys with the St. Paul’s helmets how the coverages work,” he notes. 

“When I go on the field, I’d throw a thumbs up just to make sure I know what I’m doing and understand. But I think the biggest thing is mental reps. Even if you’re not on the field, you have to be paying attention. The same thing goes for practicing. The last thing you want to do is go on the field and not know what you’re doing.”

Pats played some linebacker as a grade 11, so he’s no stranger to making adjustments. Blessed with an incredible work ethic, he’ll be just fine.

What stands out the most is his maturity from his sophomore year to now. Previously, Pats was a player who ran around with reckless abandon, hitting anything and everything. As he’s gotten older, he’s understood that being cerebral is just as important as making a big play. Sometimes that big play costs a team more than simply being in the right spot. 

And that awareness of what’s needed will suit him as he goes further with Team Manitoba, into his senior year and beyond. 

“I’m trying to educate myself every day and try to get better in any way I can. I’m really looking at how people carry themselves and the way they’re acting when things go wrong. I’m trying to also control myself. I sometimes have a bit of an anger issue. I can get upset and start yelling. I’m just trying to control that and be content with where I’m at, slow down my head and be in the moment.”

MGFA alum St. Jean giving back to the game as league president, coach

The footprints of the Manitoba Girls Football Association (MGFA) – the first full contact program for girls in North America – can be seen all across the sport’s landscape in the province.

Proud alums have gone on to play senior women’s football for the Manitoba Fearless and Winnipeg Wolfpack, along with representing Canada on the national stage and giving back to the game in numerous ways.

The MGFA (more details here), which celebrated its ten-year anniversary two seasons ago, is offered in the spring annually and is for girls aged 10-17.

The six-a-side game was where Alexa St. Jean first got the itch for the sport. That love for the game hasn’t left her since.

“I actually started because my brother played football. His coach nonstop bugged me saying you should play football, but I played high level hockey, so playing with the boys in the fall, that didn’t fit my schedule. When the girls started and it was in the spring, I was like oh I can do this actually,” she recalls.

“I loved football from that point on. I went on to Fearless for a couple of years and transitioned to coaching when I couldn’t play anymore. It’s been seven seasons coaching MGFA, boys, flag, kind of everything.”

St. Jean started playing in the MGFA in 2012 for St. Vital, making her one of the earliest ambassadors for the league. A stickler for the details, she was a perfect fit at quarterback, which she began playing in her third contest that first season.

“Thinking, making decisions and reading plays, that’s how my brain works, being able to see what’s happening down field. That also comes from playing hockey. I played defence, so I visualize a lot, and see plays developing and what’s going to happen.”

St. Jean was part of championship three-peat with the Mustangs, including 2016, the final year she and the “core four” participated in the MGFA. Afterwards, she suited up for the Fearless and also played flag football for Team Manitoba.

Nowadays, you can see her coaching up the next generation, whether it’s with the Fearless as quarterbacks coach, or flag and anything in between.

Last season, she helped mentor MGFA alum Madi Siwicki as the Fearless won their first-ever playoff game and advanced to the league final.

It’s a special feeling. When St. Jean was younger, she didn’t have a role model to look up to at the position. Giving back provides a full-circle moment, a reminder of where she’s come from.

“I almost enjoy it more than playing. I’ve watched Madi come up in the MGFA, I played against her when she started quarterback in MGFA and I remember watching her then and being like this kid is going to be good, because I can see the way she reads the field,” she says.

“It’s a whole different perspective. I know what she’s going through and she gives me perspectives that I didn’t even think about. I didn’t have anyone to look up to that was an older quarterback. I came in and was always the only quarterback on my team, so it’s nice to be there for someone else.”

‘A very full circle moment’

As you can see above, St. Jean stays busy. The game has given her so much, and it’s only right to give back.

Last season, she led Team Manitoba’s girls team into the Canada Cup, and she’ll do the same this summer, alongside Team Canada and Manitoba Fearless lineman Julie Sprague.

The pair shared countless memories together in the MGFA, knowing their trajectories in the sport could’ve been drastically different without it.

“If it wasn’t for starting that league, I would not be here, and some of the girls I’ve coached, like [quarterback] Madi [Siwicki], [receiver] Morgan [Moffatt], seeing them, they deserve this,” said an emotional Sprague shortly after making Team Canada.

“Without that league, there would be girls who are lost, because some sports are lame, and they deserve it.”

When Lisa Zueff-Cummings, the heart and soul of women’s football in Manitoba, and commissioner Maggie Yestrau stepped back after many years of admirable service, St. Jean and Sprague knew they needed to step up.

It’s for this reason that St. Jean is now the president of the MGFA, while Sprague is the registrar. With their leadership, women’s football is in good hands.

“It’s a very full circle moment,” says St. Jean.

“When Julie and I realized that Zueff was going off the board and that Maggie was stepping down, we both looked at each other and said we can’t let this league die. It meant so much to us growing up. It gave us opportunities that no one else has in a lot of provinces. Going in, it was almost a no-brainer to help grow the league some more and get it back to where it was before COVID, and to make sure that these girls still have the opportunity to play just girls, and not have to play with the boys all the time.”

This season, the Falcons Football Club is fielding a senior women’s team for the first time, and the game is growing in the Interlake and other areas as well. With the success of previous alums and the passion St. Jean and Sprague have for the game, the sky is the limit for where the sport can go for girls.

“When I started, we had four teams who played on half fields. You didn’t even have two endzones. Before COVID we had seven senior teams, four junior teams. Zueff really put in the work to market it to players and to girls. A lot of the girls too now, have proven that they can go, and they play with the boys and they start in high school. That’s a big part of getting more exposure, proving that girls can go out and do it the same as the boys.”