Like many others, I am sad. My psychologist told me that when I feel this way, I should write how I feel, because that’s what I know how to do. I am not very good at many things, but I would like to think that I can tell a story decently well. Today is not a story. Today is for me. 

For over a year, our lives have been changed. This pandemic has affected everyone in different ways, and has tested our mental every step of the way. Some have handled COVID-19 better than others. I, unfortunately, have not responded to this situation all that well at all. The reason for this is rooted in my mental illness. 

For many years, I have lived with anxiety and depression. I can’t remember the last time I woke up and wasn’t immensely stressed out about something. Whether it be money, friends, family, work, relationships or anything in between, I am in a constant state of panic. When I am not feeling worried, I am usually depressed. It comes on suddenly, sharply and without warning, like a thief in the night. It takes your inhibitions and tests your will, making you question your life and your purpose. As author Kay Redfield Jamison says in her book Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide,“The horror of profound depression, and the hopelessness that usually accompanies it, are hard to imagine for those who have not experienced them. Because the despair is private, it is resistant to clear and compelling description.”

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why the pandemic has exacerbated my mental health struggles. For a while, I tried to tune out of social media, because my partner told me it was “doom scrolling.” I agree, but with nothing else going on, it’s hard to stay away from my phone. I hope in my mind that things will get better, but the variants have complicated things, adding to the increasing chest palpitations and nonstop restlessness I feel. 

This past week has been particularly tough. On Tuesday, as numbers continued to soar and we headed towards total lockdown, I woke up feeling a sense of hopelessness. That hopelessness has not left since then. I feel defeated by the virus, and don’t know where to turn. Usually when I’m sad, I head to the football field. It has been my escape for as long as I can remember – whether it be playing or covering the sport – but I haven’t seen an organized game of tackle football played in this province since November of 2019. There isn’t even a CFL game to watch, as they’ve been off the field for the same duration. 

I understand that there are many people whose lives have been changed far more drastically than mine during this pandemic. I am also thankful that I live in a first world country, have a roof over my head, consistent work and food on the table during such uncertain times. But that doesn’t make things any easier. Football for me, is where I feel at home. It’s where all of my friends are, and where I can be myself. I feel a sense of purpose when I am on the gridiron covering the great Canadian game. When I am at home, I feel isolated and uncomfortable. I have lost a great deal of confidence in myself as I continue to battle with the war being waged inside of my head. 

I know that there is an end in sight to this pandemic, and I know that everyone who overcomes this will be better for it. Vaccine rollouts continue, and second doses are becoming increasingly more available. That is reason for optimism, despite the chaos that continues to engulf our province and our country. But in the present, I am still struggling. I vent to my partner, but I know that she is struggling too. I don’t want to place the burden of my sadness on her shoulders, so I carry on silently in pain, wishing and hoping to feel like myself. 

Every day I wake up and sink deeper and deeper into the abyss. There are times where I wish I didn’t wake up, and that this pain and sadness would leave me. But it won’t. It’s here to stay, and so I continue to fight, because I know that there will be brighter days. I know that our lives will return to normal, and that our youth will be back on the field, embracing each other and learning and growing. I wait patiently for that day, just like I wait patiently for my sanity to return. In times like this, I return to my marathon running days, and remind myself to just take it one step at a time.”

-MS-

The Manitoba Girls’ Football Association (MGFA) celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year. The league is thriving, thanks in large part to the work of Lisa Zueff-Cummings and Tanis Wilson. 

The pair were instrumental in the creation of senior women’s football in the province, dating back to 2007, and in 2011 they took things a step further. Cue the MGFA, the first full contact football program for girls in North America. The six-a-side game is played in the spring and is open to females aged 10-17. 

“We shouldn’t all have to wait until we’re in our 30s to play the game, so we decided to create the MGFA so that all the young girls could actually get a chance to play, starting at a young level and be that much better if they decide to go to the next level,” noted Zueff-Cummings. 

“I can’t believe it. Every day is still a challenge to maintain it – you have your good years and your bad years with getting enough players to maintain it – but I’m super proud of it. We’ve grown, and it’s been proven that if you build it, they will come. The girls want to play, and they will play, as long as someone takes it on and builds it.”

The league has grown exponentially over the years. It started as a trial season with three teams, and has expanded to see as many as eight teams at the senior level and 12 overall. In 2019, the league took another positive step when Manitoba hosted the U18 Red River Cup, the first-ever high-performance tournament for girls, which featured teams from Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“Our girls are demanding a higher level, so we decided that [2019] was the year that we were going to try and start that,” mentioned Zueff-Cummings. “It ended up that Sask was ready and willing to join us, so we started to work really hard in January of that year, figuring out exactly how we were going to do this.”

Over the years, the MGFA has become a feeder system to the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, which has two Manitoba teams in the Fearless and Winnipeg Wolfpack. Athletes such as linebacker Isabelle McDonald, quarterback Madison Siwicki and receiver, running back and returner Aashanti Tshiovo were all major players for a Fearless squad that hosted a playoff game for the first time ever in 2019. 

Additionally, in July of 2019, Belle Jonasson, a former MGFA All-Star with the Transcona Nationals, made Team Manitoba’s U16 provincial team. In doing so, she became the first-ever female to crack the roster. That fall, she also suited up at the Division 1 level of high school football for Murdoch MacKay.  

“[The MGFA] was a big stepping point for me going into a sport I’d never played before, and being such a role model to the other girls that are new to the sport too” she mentioned. 

“After I made Team Manitoba, it kind of opened my eyes more to high school football. I thought if I could play Team Manitoba, then I can play high school.”

Jonasson, Siwicki, Tshiovo and McDonald all have the potential to make Team Canada’s women’s national team at a young age, which excites Zueff-Cummings. If and when that happens, it’ll be the “icing on the cake” for all the hard work done at the grassroots level. 

“I think about it every day almost. I can’t believe that something we just kind of threw out there – because it pretty much was me and Tanis throwing it out there – has been bought into,” shee says. 

“We still have dedicated volunteers and coaches that have been around with us since day one. They’re all addicted, they all love coaching the girls. I still sometimes can’t believe it’s been ten years.”

Over the next number of weeks, Football Manitoba communications specialist Mike Still will be highlighting the many minor football clubs in the province. Each piece will include a brief history and key moments, as well as some fond memories from alumni. We kick things off with the St. Vital Mustangs, a stable force in Winnipeg’s south end for over 70 years. 

The St. Vital Mustangs Football Club have a rich history that dates back to 1948. It was during this year that brothers Art and Wally McOuat founded the club, after recognizing a void in the St. Vital community. Their original location was at Memorial Park, behind Glenlawn School, moving to the current location at Maple Grove in 1994. 

With no money to field a team, Art personally financed the league administration fees, and accepted hand-me-downs from teams such as the St. Vital Bulldogs, a powerhouse in the Canadian Intermediate League in the late 50’s and early 60’s. 

In 1952, the Mustangs Football Club became official members of the Manitoba Juvenile Football League (MJFL), with Art as head coach. By 1954, the club was able to purchase their own jerseys, thanks to the hard work of Art and Barry Smith. 

The Mustangs were competitive right from the jump, with Art leading the team to their first championship in 1955, defeating the Norquay Rams 11-9 in a two-game total points series. Brother Wally took over the team the year after, where they remained a competitive threat. The club won three MJFL titles in the 1970’s, and under the guidance of Jim Ladd, captured five provincial midget (MFLM) titles throughout the 1980s. 

By 2008, the club had over 400 players and 16 total teams registered amongst the minor, midget and major age levels, and in 2011, the Mustangs took part in the inaugural season of the Manitoba Girls’ Football Association. 

In 2018, St. Vital celebrated 70 years of football in the province, while continuing to give back to the community. 

“When we first moved here, we had three football teams. We had a bantam group, a midget and a junior team. I was the young guy when we moved from Glenlawn to here, and now it’s been over 25 years and now I’m the old guy. It’s hard to put it into words. It’s amazing that we can continue this on,” noted Mustangs President Craig Bachynski, 

“Every year, we try to rebuild and add to the experience here. We did the lights ten years ago, we’ve added the third field, we’ve now become partners with the [WWCFL’s Manitoba] Fearless and the [CJFL’s] Winnipeg Rifles, and hopefully in the next couple of years there’s going to be more things happening. We’re chasing turf fields and all sorts of things. We’re really looking to make this south Winnipeg’s football place.”

Fond memories from a successful club 

The Mustangs have been a consistent contender at all age levels, helping countless players progress to the junior, university and pro ranks. 

“Being on a successful team with a lot of successful guys that have gone on to play U SPORTS and have gotten many offers, it really showed me the power of teamwork and being able to rely on your teammates. I think [Mustangs] prepared me better than any other program could have to play at a high school, provincial team and university level,” recalled quarterback Jordan Hanslip, a recent commit of the Manitoba Bisons and former bantam champ with St. Vital. 

“One thing I noticed during my time at St. Vital was that everyone was a lot closer. Almost every weekend we’d be hanging out at the field watching the other team’s games, then we’d go over to our friend’s houses. It was a super tight connection there and it really paid off on the field.”

For Mustangs majors alum Korey, football was a coping method. He’s lived his whole life with Tourette’s, using the gridiron as a way to manage his mental health while forming life-long friendships along the way. 

“There’s days I’d have, where my mind wasn’t in the right place and I just didn’t want to be around and was struggling so much. But as soon as I walked through the doors [at St. Vital], my mind was cleared,” he says. 

“All I’d want to do was come and see the guys, whether it was a film walkthrough night, actual practice or even equipment returns. As soon as you walked through the door, it’s a different life.”

Offensive lineman Tyler Fabbri is another proud alum of the program, playing for the club beginning at age 12. The eventual Winnipeg Rifle and Hardy Cup champ with the Manitoba Bisons won two provincial titles at the MFLM level between 2005-07, going on a ridiculous run that included a 27-3 record overall. 

“Not being able to play high school football at the time – Dakota didn’t have a team yet – meant that playing midget was going to be my ‘high school football’ experience. The coaches, managers and board members always went above and beyond to help out their players” he mentioned. 

“The Mustangs organization is much more than just a group of football teams. It was a family for me growing up. Winning was never the motivator. The Mustangs placed an emphasis on learning the game from the ground up, teaching us to be better students and members of the community. Without the club, I don’t know if I would be the person I am today.”

Fabbri’s fondest St. Vital moment came as a 17-year-old senior in 2007. Before the season, the team lost one its players unexpectedly, and as a group, they decided to dedicate the campaign to him. Coming up with the team mantra of “band of brothers,” they won the championship, taking one final walk across their field afterwards, with the late Evan Lecomte’s jersey in tow. 

“It was at that moment that I knew football was going to hold a special place in my heart,” says Fabbri. 

“The St. Vital Mustangs organization helped me realize that, and allowed me to grow, not only as an athlete, but as a person, both on and off the field.”

Entering the 2014 U SPORTS football season, the Manitoba Bisons knew they had unfinished business. 

The season prior, the Herd had advanced to the Hardy Cup, thanks to a back-and-forth 37-36 win against Saskatchewan which included a blocked field goal with two seconds left. It was the team’s first playoff win since the 2007 Vanier Cup year and also the first victory over Saskatchewan in a playoff game since 1973. 

But the following week, they ran into a familiar opponent in the Calgary Dinos, who’d had their number for the last six seasons. Canada West MVP and future CFL draft pick Mercer Timmis went off for 279 yards rushing, as the Dinos topped Manitoba 43-28, beating them for the 11th consecutive time. 

In order to re-write history and cement their legacy, the Bisons needed get past the roadblock that was the Dinos, who’d won each of the last six conference titles. 

“I remember at the beginning of the 2014 season in meetings, coach [Vaughan] Mitchell, he said it pretty bluntly. He said ‘listen guys, we’re going to have to play Calgary three times,” noted offensive lineman Tyler Fabbri, the team’s veteran centre who was in his final year of eligibility at the time.

“We have them twice in the regular season and we’re going to have to play them in the playoffs, whether it’s the semis or the Hardy Cup. We have to win two of those games.’”

The layout of the roster 

There’s no doubt that the Bisons had the weapons on offence to make Mitchell’s statement a reality. 

First off, 6’1”, 213-pound quarterback Jordan Yantz was back for his second year (fifth-year eligibility). The multiple-time CJFL national champ with the Vancouver Island Raiders – who many considered the most prized recruit in head coach Brian Dobie’s long tenure as head coach – had been named a conference all-star in 2013 and was instrumental in the high-scoring Bisons’ march to the Hardy the year before. More importantly, he gave the team some much-needed consistency under centre.  

“I had gone through three different quarterbacks in my first three years,” noted Fabbri. 

“I went from Khaleal Williams to Cam Clark and then Ryan Marsch. Those guys were all great quarterbacks, but having Jordan for two years in a row was something that I think made that 2014 run even more special, because we had so much chemistry going into that second year together.”

Yantz had more than enough weapons to distribute the ball to. Future Grey Cup champ Nic Demski (589 yards, five scores, All-Canadian in 2014), as well as long-time VI teammate Matt Sawyer (451 yards, five scores, CanWest all-star) and the big-bodied Alex Vitt (489 yards, four scores) were just a few of the impact receivers that returned to the lineup. 

And while the team graduated one of the best players in program history at running back in Anthony Coombs, there was no need for concern as former Sturgeon Heights teammate and future Grey Cup champ Kienan LaFrance stepped in with ease, earning all-star status along the way. 

“[Coombs] was so fast and so quick, but then transitioning to Kienan, he was more of a one-cut downhill running back,” Fabbri said. “He’s not going to make 16 guys miss in a phone booth like Coombs could, but he’ll make somebody miss, he’s going to run hard and he’s going to finish all of his runs.”

Just as important was the team’s consistency on the offensive line. Along with Fabbri, Alex McKay, Nevin Gamblin, Geoff Gray and Rob Smith all returned up front, as did hybrid tight end/h-back Matt Hallock. The 2014 season also marked the first time that all five guys started all 11 games. 

“Coming into 2014, that was the first time that all five of us were coming back, which was huge. We had bonded so much just from the beginning of 2014 all the way through that season. There’s things that we started doing. Like Rob, the first huddle of every series, we’d always dap up and throw our hands in the middle, and then Rob would say ‘o-line’ and we’d go ‘dominate.’ That always set the tone for us going into those games, especially in the playoff run, we just became so close,” recalled Fabbri. 

“Geoff was still super raw, because he was the young one in the group, but even then, I didn’t have to worry about talking to all four guys when we broke the huddle and I saw a certain look for the defence. It was just well, okay, Calgary is in their base 30 defence, they’re probably going to blitz. Alex is okay out there at tackle and so is Rob, and Nevin and Geoff knew what their responsibilities were. I knew if nobody blitzed I’d be getting help from somebody somewhere else. There was a lot of non-verbal communication that I think really helped us become closer.”

Defensively, the theme in 2014 was professionalism. The year prior, the team was filled with playmakers who could change games in an instant, however there were also some lapses in judgement which resulted in big plays. Entering the new season, a change in attitude was necessary for a squad that was packed with stars, including future NFL draft pick David Onyemata and CFL draft picks Evan Gill and Evan Foster all on the defensive line. 

“We became a lot more physical,” noted linebacker Mitch Harrison, who was in his fourth year of eligibility in 2014.

“Throughout the season, you could feel a professional vibe coming from the defensive side. It was less about being athletes and making plays are more about doing our job and focusing collectively. It was nice to see it not just from the guys in the starting group, but also the backups.”

Look no further than Harrison for a textbook example of the team’s adeptness. 

Harrison made the transition from defensive back to strong side linebacker in 2013, and was prepared to stick there in 2014. After a 44-24 loss to Saskatchewan in week one however, plans changed. 

“The whole offseason I was focused on trying to keep my weight down a little bit, because I didn’t want to get too heavy. [Strength coach] Matt Barr really helped me transition properly and do the things I needed to do to be able to play. I got to about 215, and then we got absolutely destroyed by Saskatchewan in the first game, and coach [Stan] Pierre was like ‘we have to completely change the linebacking corps’ and I moved to WILL. My whole game plan completely changed.”

Harrison was under-sized on the weak side. Well known for his football IQ, he made it work and got better week by week. 

“It’s not the same technique playing SAM as it is WILL. I didn’t know how to destroy blocks properly, I just relied on running around linemen and shooting gaps until finally coach Pierre talked to me. On campus I would walk up to poles and pretend they were linemen just so I could learn my technique faster. 

Eventually I started to get it. The blitz game I got before, but it was more of what gap I was in and how it fit. I needed a game-and-a-half and I think I got it pretty quickly. From there it was the most fun I ever had playing football, plus I was playing beside [halfback] Jayden [McKoy], and we’re best friends so it was ideal.”

Along with Harrison, the rest of Manitoba’s linebacking corps was the main point of interest defensively. Jonathan Jones, a teammate of Yantz’s at VI with gifted athleticism, had secured the starting spot at strong side, but was still getting a grip on the playbook, while DJ Lalama – a future Presidents’ Trophy winner and CFL Draft pick – moved into the middle linebacker spot previously held by Thomas Miles. 

“We got along, but early on there were some mistakes and we had to have some tough conversations to get things sorted out. I think those tough conversations really helped in the long run and we were able to have open conversations from that point on,” noted Harrison.

“DJ was also more of an emotional leader than myself. I’m not a yeller or anything like that. It was cool dynamic to be able to have him be that guy, while I was able to focus more on the mental side of things. Those other two could just fly around. You saw how many plays they were making. Coach Pierre gave me the freedom to make checks as often as I needed to and that gave them the freedom to fly around and make plays. I’ve never had more fun in a season with a group of linebackers.”

Overcoming adversity 

The regular season was filled with ups and downs. Dominant wins over Regina in week two and Saskatchewan in week five were leveled out by heartbreaking defeat, such as a 42-41 loss to Calgary in week four which also saw defensive leader Gill go down with a severe knee injury. The loss was Manitoba’s 12th in a row to the Dinos, who kicked the game-winning field goal with just 53 seconds left.

Instead of frustration, there was hope as the Bisons went shot-for-shot with the nation’s best. 

“We knew going into that season that we had a very, very talented football team and a very close knit-football team,” said Fabbri. “Yeah, it came down to the wire and we didn’t end up pulling it out, but I don’t remember anybody being super down or upset about it. It was okay, we know we can beat these guys.”

Entering the final week of the regular season at 3-4, the team needed a victory over the #2 ranked Dinos to secure their spot in the playoffs. They marched into the home tilt with confidence, despite Yantz being unavailable due to a concussion from the week prior against Saskatchewan. 

Cue Theo Deezar. The former St. Paul’s standout had joined the Bisons roster following a successful stint with the Okanagan Sun of the BCFC, and was prepared. Despite the importance of the game, Deezar didn’t let the moment overcome him. He followed the game plan to a tee, throwing for 210 yards and three majors while Alex Christie and LaFrance also combined for over 100 yards as Manitoba snapped their losing streak against Calgary at the perfect time in a 50-31 win. 

The defence also did their part, with McKoy, as well as roommate and former Langley Rams standout Jordan Linnen both recording fumble recoveries for touchdowns. 

“My ritual before the game, I would always dap up the quarterback before the coin toss. I just remember giving Theo a hug and I saw that he was ready. He gave me the confidence knowing that we were going to do this,” Fabbri recalled. 

“We came out with a good game plan and ran the ball for the majority of the game with double tight ends. Calgary, for whatever reason wasn’t ready for it and our defence started to put things together. From start to finish, that was probably the most complete game we’d played against Calgary.”

Defence takes it to another level in the conference playoffs

Manitoba’s high-powered offence received plenty of attention, and rightfully so, all season long. The Canada West playoffs were no different, with LaFrance rushing for more than 100 yards in both games, while Yantz threw for an average of 313. It was the Bisons’ defence however, that helped the team get over the hump. 

In two games, they combined for nine interceptions, led by Linnen and McKoy, who each had three. 

“The dominance came just from being confident in our system and knowing what the other team was going to do. It was never a matter of can we do this, it was how much effort do we need to put in collectively to make it happen? We were all near the end of our careers, except for Jayden basically, but he’s such a hard worker too and he did what he needed to do,” said Harrison. 

“We were tired about hearing about 2007, we were tired of hearing about all these other teams. We wanted to put our stamp on it. It was a confidence thing. We just felt confident in every matchup.”

The defence saved the best for last in their 27-15 Hardy Cup win over Calgary, forcing ten turnovers while helping fulfill Mitchell’s pre-season statement by beating the Dinos twice. 

Everyone stepped up for Manitoba, as Linnen and fellow defensive backs Cam Teschuk and Tyler Fong all recorded interceptions. Jones also had a pick, which he took back to the house to tie the game at seven just under five minutes into the game. 

“That play itself was so prototypical of the season. Jon was not in the right spot at all but they just threw it at him and he took it to the house,” joked Harrison.

“That’s exactly the type of plays we were having happen to us. Sometimes it’s a little bit of luck, but also it’s good athletes making plays.”

Uteck Bowl an all-time classic 

Riding the momentum of the school’s 11th Hardy Cup victory, Manitoba headed to Montreal to do battle with the #2 ranked Carabins in the Uteck Bowl. Due to U SPORTS rules, both sides only had two or three different game tapes to work with for the national semi. Offensively, the looks that the visitors had prepared for, compared to the looks they got in the front seven were different. 

“They just played a base 4-3, but we got to the game and [future CFL draft pick Byron] Archambault was on the line every single time, whether it was on top of me or on top of either of the guards. They were in this weird, essentially 50 front and they were doing a tonne of stunting and looping. It took us essentially until halftime to make the adjustment to figure out what was going on,” said Fabbri. 

“It felt like it was a blur at the beginning and then it all started to slow down and make more sense. It wasn’t even crazy. They were crashing two guys and looping one guy around. It was like okay, we can figure this out.” 

Defensively, Harrison and company had to adjust to the speed of a Carabins offence that featured multiple CFL draft picks, including Mik Davidson who was a problem on jet sweeps. The hosts jumped on the Herd early, taking a 20-7 into the second quarter. 

“It’s a completely different playing style from the CanWest to the RSEQ. It’s a faster game, whereas at the time, we were a lot more smash mouth with bigger and bulkier players. They were trying to stretch us to the sideline with super quick guys. I felt like their schemes were a lot simpler, but their athletes were so good that you had to just cover them.

I remember because coach Pierre would be like ‘you have to get out there. If [Davidson] got the jet sweep I was the guy who had to go, and I had to see it early. All I remember thinking was if they ran any inside zone off of this, that guy is probably gone, or if I can’t get out there I’m going to be in man. I was just petrified by that one guy’s speed. Outside of that I knew the playbook inside and out.”

On top of on-field adjustments – which included a shift from man-match coverage to zone in order to deal with over-under drag routes – Manitoba also had to deal with a ferocious crowd. 

“That stadium, they’re right on top of you. We didn’t know that until the game obviously. Our big crowd games were always in Saskatchewan on Friday nights in Saskatoon. Their military games, they’d get 8,000 people, but at the U of S, their fans are 50 metres behind you and in the bleachers. In the game against Montreal, our bench was underneath the stands essentially,” recalled Fabbri. 

“It was like a dugout. We had to practice a silent count, which we’d never put in. That was the first time in my career that we put in a silent count. I remember we tried the first play on a regular cadence, and I think I heard Jordan say one word, so we were just going on muscle memory. It was good that we’d worked together so much, because I knew the rhythm of his cadence and I timed up it well enough. But after going back to the huddle, we realized we couldn’t go on a regular cadence. That atmosphere, to this day was something special to play in.”

As the game progressed, so did Manitoba’s offence. Yantz connected with Sawyer for a 30-yard major and also ran one in himself from ten yards out as Montreal entered halftime up by just six at 27-21. 

 “We had a rhythm with our offence and we were making plays,” said Fabbri. “Everybody was making plays, from Sawyer to Demmer, to [Dustin] Pedey [Pedersen] to Kienan.”

Both defences stood their ground in the second half, with just seven combined points scored. The game came down to the final possession, with Manitoba taking the ball with 1:32 left, needing to drive the length of the field to advance to their first Vanier since 2007. 

Calmly, Yantz – who threw for 320 yards and two scores – marched his team into the Carabins red zone with just 30 seconds to play. 

“Our five-step passing game wasn’t working fantastic because of the way their defence was playing,” added Fabbri. 

“They were getting some pressure from Archambault, because that guy was an absolute tank. I remember we made an adjustment to just go to our three-step passing game, our salt and pepper stuff. That drive, from what I remember, was 90 percent short stuff.”

Unfortunately, the Bisons’ dreams were dashed courtesy of a sack and forced fumble by Anthony Coady. 

“We got the ball to the 11 and we had called our classic red zone play, and unfortunately one guy ran the wrong route. I remember Anthony Coady came down from free safety, and the defensive tackle was on top of me and he wasn’t really coming super hard and I was like, what’s going on? I turned my head and I see Coady get through the line. Jordan did what he could to get away, but Coady made a play that sent them to the national championship. Montreal made one more play than we did that game.”

Legacy 

Despite coming up 11 yards short of a Vanier Cup appearance, the 2014 Manitoba Bisons cemented themselves as the best team of the decade, demonstrating exceptional resolve in overcoming multiple injuries, as well as the Dinos. In a testament to their overall skill, 11 alumni from the 2014 roster eventually made it to the CFL in some form. 

“All throughout that season, coach Dobie was always comparing us to the 2007 team. Almost daily we were hearing something about the 2007 team. I think a lot of guys took that to heart. We’re like okay, we’re not the 2007 team. We’re the best team since the 2007 team,” stated Fabbri. 

“We want to be the big, bad Bisons. We want to be the best Bisons team this school and province has seen in the last eight years. With all the rule changes, this team is finally back. We have the core guys, we have everything. I’d be comfortable to say that the 2014 team was the best Bisons team in the 2010s. 

We can’t say we’re the best team in Bisons history because of the 2007 season and also 2001, but I think since the rules changed in U SPORTS and it kind of filtered out the older guys for lack of a better term, I think that was the best Bisons team since the Vanier. I don’t know if there’s been as good of a team since. Nothing against the program now, but I would like to say we’re definitely in that argument for sure.”

One glimpse at 6’3”, 240-pound defensive end Westan Shiels’ Instagram page gives you all the insight you need about his brute strength. In a post from this past August, the senior from Virden Collegiate can be seen deadlifting a 445-pound tractor tire, which is no easy feat. 

“We can’t go to gyms, and I don’t have much equipment to work with, but we recently hauled up a new tire here and built a squat rack,” he says. “I’m doing everything I can.”

Shiels’ combination of raw power and explosiveness has translated perfectly to the gridiron. He started playing football when he was six years old, and “just loved being able to hit kids.” Admittedly, he had anger problems when he was younger and strapping on the pads turned into an excellent outlet for releasing frustration. 

In learning about Shiels’ past, his exasperation is understandable. His parents split up when he was five years old, and on top of that, he moved around quite often. 

“I’ve been everywhere. I was born in Fredericton, then we moved to Shilo and then Wawanesa. Then from Wawanesa we went to Brandon for grade five. I was in Prince George for grade six and then I came back to live with my dad for a year in Glenboro, Manitoba for grade seven. Then, my mom moved back to Brandon and I did grade eight there, and then I went to Virden, and I’ve been there ever since.”

Difference-maker in multiple leagues

Shiels has been a difference-maker, regardless as to which team he played for.  

In grade eight, his Westman Youth Football Association (WYFA) squad went undefeated, with Shiels earning time as an under-sized guard, as well as a defensive end. 

“At the time when I was playing guard, I was all in. Little grade eight me was talking about going pro at guard, which was funny because I didn’t nearly have the size. I was good at it because I was one of the strongest there. I had one guy on both sides of me, and all I had to do was make sure the guy opposite didn’t go through me.”

At practice, the energy was high and so was the compete level. Shiels’ favourite drill was Oklahoma, invented in 1947 by Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bud Wilkinson as a way to test an athlete’s toughness. Two players would be placed inside a corridor of two blocking bags that gave a three-foot wide and nine-foot long channel. The aim was to knock your opponent to the ground or outside of the corridor.  

“I think our best game was 50-0. We were mean,” noted Shiels. 

“Practices were something that I don’t think I’ll ever see again. There was hitting everywhere. No matter what part of the drill I was in, I loved it, just because of how explosive it was. One second you’re on your back, the next you’re hitting someone or getting hit.”

The following year, Shiels transitioned to Virden and the storied Rural Manitoba Football League (RMFL), where he’s spent his entire high school career. 

The nine-man RMFL, which has been around in some form since 1958, currently houses nine teams, with alumni that include Israel Idonije, Chris Bauman and Landon Rice. More recently, athletes such as Interlake’s Colton Nedotiafko (Manitoba Bisons, 2019) have moved onto U SPORTS football, with countless others also transitioning to the post-secondary level. 

Shiels found his niche last year with Virden, where he played tight end and defensive end. He was also named the team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. 

“They’d have me at tight end for games where we didn’t really need to worry about winning because it was already in the bag. But for games against Swan Lake, Dauphin and Moosomin, they had me at defensive end, because they knew if I played both sides of the ball than I would benefit the team a lot more than just being on one side,” he says. 

“The bigger guys just throw their weight around in the sport, but then there’s me. I’m 240 pounds, I’m fast and I have quick feet and good technique. I’m just as good as those guys who are twice my size.”

Shiels’ proved his statement earlier this year when he attended Team Manitoba’s U18 winter prep camp. Amongst countless WHSFL standouts, Shiels didn’t look out of place. He drew the eyes of multiple Manitoba Bisons staff members through his work in one-on-one drills, as well as the scrimmage portion, where he stuffed a ball carrier in the backfield to conclude one of the sessions. 

“The first day I went all out and pushed myself. I went there not even thinking I would make Team Manitoba. I just wanted to get better and try to improve in any aspect possible.”

The Canada Cup was cancelled this year due to COVID, however Shiels still left his mark, impressing Bisons head coach Brian Dobie enough to earn a scholarship for the 2021 season. He joins a positional group that’s been absolutely loaded under coach Scott Barbour over the last few years, with five defensive linemen drafted to the CFL since 2019. 

“I want to go in there and first year be starting later in the season. I’m training right now so that I’ll be ready to go.”