Category: Features

Lions aiming to get back on the prowl in the MMJFL

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Fort Garry celebrates after winning the 2013 MMJFL title. Photo by the MMJFL.

After a three-year hiatus, the Fort Garry Lions Football Club are looking to get back into the game at the major junior level.

The decision to field a team in the Manitoba Major Junior Football League (MMJFL) for 2019 was spearheaded by long-time Lions coach Mike Sosiak, with support from fellow veterans of the sport such as Wes Mueller, Jeff Kerr and Mike McCheyne.

“There is an option to play after high school. And if you either can’t or don’t want to make that commitment to a junior program, this is a great opportunity,” Sosiak says.

“We’re looking at two or three practices a week in the later evenings. We want to be able to accommodate the fact that you’re working late or are in school. We’ve got a really good atmosphere here. We’ve got a good coaching staff with experience that have coached at senior competitive levels as well.”

This isn’t the first time that Sosiak and company have stepped up to fill a void in the southwest Winnipeg football community. In 2014, members of the group created the Southwest Wolves, which was a co-op arrangement at the midget level that brought in athletes from both Fort Garry and the St. James Rods who might not have gotten the chance to play otherwise due to low numbers at their respective clubs.

Long story short, these gentlemen are passionate about the game and have a desire to expand the options for players in the 18-23 age group who might otherwise considering hanging up the cleats if their university or junior dreams weren’t fulfilled.

“The one advantage to majors football is we’re not looking at 60-80 player rosters. We’re looking at 30-40 players rosters. You’re going to get to play. And you’re going to get to play with the guys that you played with before,” Sosiak added.

“It’s an opportunity to, for lack of a better term, have that last shot to play. In some cases it’s that last opportunity to get together with the guys that you’ve played with before.”

This thought process worked perfectly for the Lions in both 2013 and 2014 when they claimed back-to-back MMJFL titles, the program’s first in over 30 years at the time.

Those two rosters contained a significant number of former Grant Park Pirates who were hungry for one final shot to ball out together. The teams included players such as 2011 CTV Bowl winners Dustin Ellis-Kyle and Jordan Birrell as well as fellow standouts Christoff Hasselfield, Robert Jackson and Brady Joyal.

“Majors was far and away the most fun I ever had playing football,” Hasselfield, who started playing the game when he was nine says.

“Lions was a unique opportunity for me as I got to play one last time with former teammates from Grant Park such as Jordan and Dustin and also many guys I played Crescentwood with when I started playing football like Cole Hamlin and Hiatt Abendscoen.

I still stay in touch with a handful of the players and when I run into old teammates I haven’t seen in awhile we pickup right where we left off. Definitely some of my fondest memories playing the sport came from my time playing with the Lions.”

Sosiak says the team is currently in the process of registering players and is hopeful he will have a roster to fill out by the end of the month, meaning there is still plenty of time to join the rush. For more information contact majorleague@fortgarrylions.ca.

Goudie finds a few good men: Tougas and King-Wilson to play in the MMJFL for St.James

By: Mike Still, MMJFL communications coordinator (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Nathaniel King-Wilson (20) makes a tackle during 2018 WHSFL play.

St. James Rods head coach Caleb Goudie — an alumnus of the clenched fisters as well as multiple Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) programs — is gearing up for the 2019 Manitoba Manitoba Junior Football League (MMJFL) season with a number of impact recruits.

Two of the squad’s most recent additions represent the epitome of heart and fearlessness in Riley Tougas and Nathaniel King-Wilson.

Despite weighing in at around 155 pounds, Tougas is as tough as they come.

The product of Elmwood High School started playing football at the end of grade eight and fit in with ease due to his wrestling background. He was part of Team Manitoba at the 2017 Canada Games along with winning the provincial title in the 70kg division in his grade 12 year in 2018.

With a hunger for physicality already instilled in his mind, it’s no surprise that Tougas decided to play on the defensive side of the ball for the Giants. While his initial plan was to play defensive back, logistics forced him to the more active strong side linebacker position.

“I wanted to play halfback, but since Elmwood didn’t have a guy that would step up through the hole and make contact, I would have to play SAM,” he says.

“I was perfectly fine with it. I think I fit well there.”

To say Tougas fit in well would be an understatement. He was a multiple-time MVP for Elmwood and finished his senior year with 68 tackles as a heat-seeking missile in the front seven.

Following his time with the Giants, Tougas took his talents to the Winnipeg Rifles. Despite being slightly undersized, he was one of the standouts at halfback during the team’s rookie scrimmage and earned a spot on the team for the 2018 season.

“Honestly I knew the speed and physicality would pick up,” he noted of his play during rookie camp. “So I was just telling myself to not back down and to step up pretty much.”

Tougas made it his mission last season to befriend his Rifles teammates and also increase his football IQ. He accomplished both tasks, however he was also stuck behind veterans in the secondary such as Troy Wilson, Jake Richardson, Dominic Horvath and Tyson Wood.

With a desire to get playing time in 2019, Tougas decided to make the move to the MMJFL, as Goudie had been interested in his services ever since high school and continued to show love to the promising prospect during junior.

“Riley brings a year of experience playing with the Rifles last year out of high school and has the gifts to play anywhere in the secondary and also contribute on offence,” Goudie says.

“The kid has got a seriousness about him when it comes to football that I don’t see from a lot of young men.”

While Tougas will help provide the thunder for St. James, King-Wilson will add much needed lighting on both sides of the ball, along with critical leadership skills.

A two-way player due to low numbers in both grade 11 and 12 for Daniel MacIntyre, he helped the Maroons snap a 39-year championship drought in 2017 by claiming a 30-0 victory in the CanadInns Bowl against Kildonan East.

“Having short numbers we were all really close and all pushed each other on and off the field,” King-Wilson says.

“We had a lot of guys who didn’t want to go to class, so we had to push them so that they could play during the week.”

King-Wilson further cemented his legacy during his senior year this year, finishing with 1,122 yards and 12 touchdowns as DMCI’s lead back along with 35 tackles, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions at defensive back. He was honoured for his efforts at season’s end as a Nissan All-Canadian.

The versatile athlete had a strong showing at Winnipeg Rifles camp a few weeks ago, however he wasn’t selected to the team. Goudie was genuinely shocked with the move and was quick to bring King-Wilson into the fold for this season.

“Nate King is a beast in his own right. This kid is a two way offensive and defensive machine. A true grinder, this kid has U SPORTS and CFL potential.”

Tougas and King-Wilson will be two of the names taking part in the St. James majors’ spring camp from May 30-June 1, which will wrap up with a scrimmage from 3-5 on the final day.

Team Canada CFFL western regionals preview

Mike Laping and his senior men’s flag team are gearing up for nationals where they’ll look to defend their title from last year. First up is the western regional this weekend at Garden City Complex.

From St. Vital to Sauder: Converted soccer star Owen Brown heading to UBC

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Owen Brown celebrates after winning the MFLM Special Teams Player of the Year award for a second straight year.

Over the years, Manitoba has produced a number of notable kicking stars who got their starts on the pitch such as Niko DiFonte of the Calgary Dinos, who booted a record-breaking 59-yard field goal to help his squad win the Hardy Cup in 2017.

St. Vital Mustangs product Owen Brown is aiming to be the next great kicking name coming out of the province and looks to be well on his way. He’s a two-time Midget Football League of Manitoba (MFLM) champion who’s also been a member of Team Manitoba U18. He’s got the leg to kick a field goal from 50-plus and is a great coffin-corner punter as well.

Brown got into football prior to entering grade ten thanks to his older brother Findlay, another former soccer star who recently finished his third season at McGill after starring with Vincent Massey Collegiate. Owen goes to St. John’s Ravenscourt, which doesn’t have a football team so he decided to shoot his shot in the MFLM beginning in 2016.

“We were both soccer players for a long time and then Findlay had had a lot of success in [football]. He got started in I think his grade 11 year and so my dad figured I should give it a try as well,” Owen says.

“It took be a bit of convincing. I’d never really considered football, it wasn’t really up my alley. But I gave it a try and [St. Vital Mustangs midget head coach] Kevin [Kavitch] sort of went out on a limb taking me as just a kicker.”

At the beginning, punting the ball was a bit more challenging for Brown, however muscle memory eventually kicked in.

“To a point, a ball is a ball. Field goal kicking is definitely a lot more natural. It’s a lot of pointing your toe and following through,” he says.

“Punting is definitely more technical. It’s a game of inches and centimetres and degrees. But I think soccer is transferrable in the sense that kicking is kicking and using your feet as extensions of your body is a helpful thing to have.”

It didn’t take long for Brown to master both kicking disciplines. He was a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals as a rookie and also had 45 total points. The following season he earned his first of back-to-back Special Teams Player of the Year awards — including netting a 52-yarder — while also helping the Mustangs two-peat in 2017 and 2018 as league champion.

“Winning two championships with the team has been an incredible ride. There’s been a lot of ups and downs,” Brown says with a smile.

“My first year we lost in the finals to the Falcons [Football Club] and it was a tough moment. But it was a real character moment for the team. We realized what it takes to succeed at a high level and we weren’t there yet. Then the next year we came back and we were really together as a team.

Trophies and rings are one thing, but it’s the journey more than the destination that matters most.”

Brown’s football journey is far from over. This season he’ll suit up for the UBC Thunderbirds, who he talked to throughout the 2018 Canada Cup and into the new year, before ultimately committing in February.

“It was always really good communicating with them. They’re very professional and really showed a lot of respect. They seemed very keen on me as a player and as a student. That was really great and I’m definitely looking forward to the next four years with them.”

While Brown is excited to strap on the pads with the T-Birds, he’s equally stoked to begin his journey as a student in the highly acclaimed Sauder School of Business.

His goal is to take football as far as he can go, however he’s also aware that there’s life after the sport, using mentor Lirim Hajrullahu — a former U SPORTS kicker and Grey Cup champ — as an example. The product of the Western Mustangs put himself through his MBA while playing in the league and now runs a kicking academy for up-and-coming prospects.

“I’ve always wanted to play professionally, that would be incredible, but it’s never been the only thing I wanted to do,” says Brown.

“Obviously if I get the opportunity to play professionally in Canada or in the United States it would really be a wonderful experience, even if it’s only a couple of years. I think if I’m able to combine football and that business side in the future, that would be really interesting.”

Fearless rich with history, experience and drive entering 2019

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

It’s impossible not to mention the Manitoba Fearless when discussing historical women’s tackle football programs in the nation. Pioneered in the mid-late 2000’s by the likes of Tannis Wilson and Lisa Zueff-Cummings, the program existed a full two years before the debut of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL).

There from the start has been head coach Craig Bachynski, a key pillar in the amateur football community for over 30 years who’s also currently on the staff of the Winnipeg Rifles. A two-time member of Team Canada, he recalls a trip out west before the WWCFL was in existence.

“The first year that we did something, we put a team together to go to Alberta to play a team from Calgary and a team from Edmonton because there was no league and there wasn’t a place for people to play. What we did was took the labour day long weekend and flew up there, spent about a week and played three games [against Calgary and Edmonton].”

The early days of Fearless practice in the late 2000’s consisted of Bach teaching what he called “football 101” to the players.

“It was about okay, here’s the football, this is the size of the field. There was nothing taken for granted. It was terminology and all that stuff.”

But as the 2019 WWCFL season gets set to begin this weekend in Saskatchewan, the Fearless find themselves in a much more advantageous position, with a roster filled with veterans and rising stars.

“Where it started was a bunch of fun -loving people just wanting to play the sport. It’s gone from the rec mentality up to now having a more serious, elitist kind of attitude,” Bachynski says.

“We now have ladies who work out together 3-4 times a week and then they play football together. The pressure they put on each other to be better has gotten them to a high level.”

While increased expectation levels and maturity in the game have both been factors in Manitoba’s internal development over the years, an equally valuable external element has been the Manitoba Girls Football Assocation, founded in 2011 by Wilson and Zueff-Cummings, which gives young prospects a chance to hone their skills before moving up to the WWCFL at an older age.

“Now we’re starting to get the fruit from that league,” added Bachynski. We’re starting to get ladies who’ve progressed and played since they were 12, 13 and 14 and are now 17, 18 and 19.”

The Fearless have been through many bumps in the road over the years, however they’ve stuck to the path and have assembled a roster filled with national experience and tons of athleticism and will.

Bachysnki sees the potential and has set his sights high this year, with the ultimate goal of knocking off Regina and Saskatoon, who have combined to win the league title every year since the WWCFL’s inception in 2011.

“Really what it is is we’re trying to keep up to what’s going in Saskatchewan. Because if we’re going to do anything in this league, it’s controlled by Regina and Saskatoon.

Our goal this year is to knock one of them off so that we can have a home football game in the playoffs. That is our goal. Our ultimate goal is trying to win it all, but we really would like to host a playoff game here this year and really give everyone an understanding of what women’s football is about.”

Manitoba has no shortage of weapons on both sides of the ball, including at the quarterback position where Marta Breul and Madison Siwicki are battling it out.

Breul was a receiver in her debut season in 2018 and has natural athleticism due in part to her high-level volleyball and soccer background, while Siwicki comes to the team from the Interlake Thunder, where she was a two-time MGFA All-Star.

“Ideally we’d like to get both of them on the field at the same time, and we may work our way through that in the next couple of weeks but I love the way that they push each other,” Bachynski noted.

“We’ve sort of broken them up and given them fairly equal reps together. We’re waiting for someone to take the bull by the horns and be the number one. It’s a good thing to have. What has kept us behind and kept us back [in previous seasons] is our lack of depth at that position. So to have two ladies that we’re going to develop is gold for us.”

Among those aiding the two pivots in the backfield will be Hallie Eggie, who made the transition from defensive back for her second year in 2018 and went off, leading the league in rushing by over 200 yards.

“[Offensive coordinator] Nathan [Weichel] has designed a lot of the offence around her, just to try and get her in the open and take advantage of her, or use her as a decoy for other things to open up,” says Bachynski.

“She’s so competitive and so intense and driven and really loves to win and do everything it takes to be successful. And she likes to bring everyone along with her when she does that.”

There’s also a plethora of dangerous targets in the receiving corps, including Aashanti Tshiovo, the sister of Remis — who had 688 yards receiving on a revamped Valley Huskers squad last year.

Aashanti is still eligible for the MGFA, but has decided to test her skills even further, which should come as no surprise as she’s played on boys’ teams her whole life and is also a skilled soccer player.

“She’s an amazing young athlete. She started working out with us early on indoors when we were at Gateway,” Bachynski says.

“She wants to become part of the Team Canada movement in the next 3-4 years, whenever they do it. And for her to do that she has to play at the next level and she understands that. She’s tough on herself. She’s very athletic and a bit like Hallie in terms of being motivated and intense.”

Defensively, the heart and soul of the squad lies in linebacker Lisa Thomas, a 12-year veteran who was selected to Team Canada in 2013. She’s a two-time team MVP and is also the St. Vital Mustangs’ CFO.

“She’s been here a long time,” smiled Bachynski. “She’s a very valuable leader and a veteran on this team who brings it all the time.”

Aiding Thomas in the linebacking corps is five-year veteran Nicole Chermcora, who’s been awarded the Fearless Heart Award the past two years in a row.

“She’s our defensive coordinator’s partner, so I don’t think she has any choice but to know and learn defence,” joked Bachynski. “She’s a pretty intense individual who loves to play.”

The defensive line is also loaded with players such as Brooklyn Dyce and a vastly improved Maggie Yestrau, who enters her second year in 2019.

Dyce is the daughter of CFL coach Bob and sister to Manitoba Bisons receiver Trysten. She’s an accomplished soccer athlete who was on scholarship at NDSU and wreaked havoc during last week’s controlled scrimmage against fellow WWCFL team Winnipeg.

“She’s incredible. She’s powerful, she’s strong and she’s got a nose for the football,” her head coach says. “She played when she was younger for the Crescentwood Grizzlies and she loves it. She brings it every time.”

Yestrau had a background knowledge of football prior to 2018 due to her son Chase being a member of the Sunrise Coyotes and now the Winnipeg Rifles. But it wasn’t until last season that she chose to strap on the pads herself, making great strides as the year progressed.

She worked really hard in the offseason after last year to not only just be a player, but be a contributor,” says Bachynski.

“We lost some of our defensive linemen from last year so she has stepped up and played really well for us. She’s gotten faster and stronger and she’s more motivated.”

Manitoba’s first game of the 2019 WWCFL season is this Saturday on the road against Regina. Your first chance to catch both local WWCFL teams live will be May 12 at East Side Eagles field at 11 a.m. as they battle for early season bragging rights.

Wolfpack looking to get back in the hunt

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

The Winnipeg Wolfpack, one of two Manitoba-based teams in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) are reloading this year with first-year head coach Aaron Taylor.

A former Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) champ as a defensive back with the Kelvin Clippers, he brings close to two decades of coaching experience with him, ranging all the way from the U16 provincial team to the junior football ranks with the Winnipeg Rifles.

One of Taylor’s biggest strengths as a head coach is his ability to build trust within a group in a short amount of time, as evidenced by his 2015 East Side Eagles squad that went on an undefeated run to the Manitoba Major Junior Football League (MMJFL) championship in his first season as bench boss.

That skill has already been on full display in the lead-up to Winnipeg’s first regular season game this Saturday against the Saskatoon Valkyries at 1 p.m. on the road.

The team played well in a controlled scrimmage against the Manitoba Fearless last week and are benefiting from the guidance of not only Taylor but also the assortment of well-respected coaches on his staff such as West Kildonan head coach Russell Wallace, Churchill lead man Kirkland Harper and Mike Benson, a graduate of St. Paul’s High School who plays for the BC Lions and is also the owner of local training facility ProPlayerU.

“The players have completely bought in now,” Taylor says.

“At first they were like ‘who’s this guy,’ but after every week we’re starting to see more players say ‘oh my God I’ve never learned this much in a season.’ They’re starting to see where the coaching level is at and they’re starting to raise their play to it.”

Arguably more important though, is the bond that the teammates have began to form with each other on a roster that includes a decent number of first-year players.

“They’re doing things off the field together and that’s the biggest thing,” Taylor noted.

“At the start of the season it was like ‘should we hang out or what should we do?’ Now we’ve got girls going ‘Tuesday night for wings, who’s coming?’ It’s coming together really fast.”

The Wolfpack’s offence is led by quarterback Rebecka Clark, who has experience at the position, but has never had a true quarterback coach, according to Taylor. She’s coming along quickly and is about as tough as they come due in part to her hockey background. Naturally, she’s demonstrated key leadership qualities all through training camp as well.

“She’s building a lot of trust with the players. She’s there every single night,” says Taylor. “The other night she had the flu but she still showed up and she was just standing there watching reps. She’s a huge team player.”

One of the players aiding her in the backfield is rookie Brittany Swanson, an athletic therapist and former track and field runner whose speed was on full display at the scrimmage, including a few massive runs.

She’s completely bought in,” Taylor says.

“She hosted a party at her house for the offence to talk about the playbook. And they’re outside with garbage cans running through plays. The sky’s the ceiling for her. She’s built with speed. When you can get her into space, it’ll change a lot of things.”

The defence is loaded with a number first-year players who Taylor added are “straight athletes.” But there’s a key veteran presence on the defensive line in former Team Canada members Breanne Ward and Mubo Ilelaboye. The latter of those two — a former basketball star — is who Taylor would pick as the team’s captain.

““She’s a super athlete. She understands the game. She’s a huge motivator and leader on our team. She’s in everybody’s ear encouraging them. There’s only positivity coming out of her. And she works her butt off.”

Your first chance to catch both local WWCFL teams live will be May 12 at East Side Eagles field at 11 a.m. as they battle for early season bragging rights.

Four-time CJFL national champ Fischer brings ‘the Hilltop way’ to Manitoba

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Running back Logan Fischer was eight years old when he first strapped on the pads. Right from the start he was hooked.

“I fell in love with [football]. It just grabs you and you become something bigger than yourself,” the Saskatoon native says.

“Honestly just the love of football you could put me in pretty much any position and I’m going to give you every ounce of effort that I’ve got.”

That statement has wrung true throughout all of Fischer’s storied football career, including his time at Bethlehem Catholic High School where he went both ways as a quarterback and weak side linebacker.

Following his senior year, it seemed inevitable that Fischer would continue his football career with the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). For one, his father Axel had roots with the team dating back to 1978 when he won a national title with the squad as a tight end and kicker. There was also the fact that Fischer’s head coach Donnie Davidsen was the offensive line coach for the ‘Toppers and helped push him to continue in the sport.

“[Hilltops head coach Tom] Sargeant just kind of knew who I was by watching high school football games. And then I’m sure Donnie Davidsen was in his ear telling him ‘I’ve got this kid.’ You could say that Donnie was my foot in the door with the Hilltops.”

It didn’t take Fischer long to establish himself with the program that at the time had won 16 national championships and three in a row entering the 2013 season. He was on the roster’s top 40 as a rookie and had the opportunity to learn from veterans such as fellow back Andre Lalonde, who went off for 1367 yards rushing that year.

“Probably the strongest vibe I got was togetherness,” Fischer says of the bond he established with his teammates and coaches.

“Everyone was doing everything together, whether it was helping out within the community or just working the events that were held at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. It just made you feel like you were part of the family.”

The bruising 6’1″, 200-pound runner formed a strong complement in year two with Wayndel Lewis (who would also suit up for Manitoba later on in his career), churning out a yards per carry average of 7.5 while also adding four touchdowns during the regular season.

But his true breakthrough occurred in that year’s Prairie Football Conference (PFC) playoffs, where he shouldered the load for an injured Lewis, including going off for 183 yards on 28 carries in a 27-7 PFC final win over Calgary. He also added over 130 all-purpose yards in the CJFL national championship game, helping the Hilltops get back to the pinnacle a year after Regina had laid claim to the Canadian Bowl.

The 2015 season offered Fischer his opportunity to be the guy for Saskatoon, a task he didn’t take for granted.

“With the Hilltops no one is really guaranteed a position or a starting spot. You’ve got to prove yourself week after week. I made top 40 my first year so I understood that I had a chance to be a success with the program. But it’s more or less what you do in the offseason.

So many guys get a starting position and think oh I’m good I don’t need to train as hard as I did. But really that’s when you need to step it up the most because you’re now a leader for the team and you’ve got to put on a show for the young guys and make them want to be better than you are.”

Not only did Fischer put on a show over the next three years, he also cemented himself as one of the all-time greats in program history, finishing his career with 3690 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns as well as 934 receiving yards and nine scores as a multi-purpose threat. He was also the Offensive MVP of the Canadian Bowl in 2015 and 2016 and was an All-Canadian in 2017.

Additionally, Fischer got the chance to show his stuff as a late invite to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp following the 2016 season, where he had the opportunity to mingle with numerous stars such as former NFL QB Vince Young while also putting on 25 more pounds of muscle.

“That was a tremendous experience,” he says.

“I gained so much knowledge about football at a higher level and just wanting to compete. Unfortunately I got injured at spring camp there so that was a little bit of a setback and a nagging injury through my last season with the Hilltops but altogether it was just an amazing experience.”

The injury Fischer sustained was to his hamstring, which left him on the shelf for all of 2018 and put his pro dreams on hold. But thankfully there was a light at the end of the tunnel, which came courtesy of former Hilltops teammate Kirk Simonsen in March of 2019.

The right tackle was being recruited by Manitoba Bisons head coach Brian Dobie, who also asked about Fischer as the team was looking for a replacement for a likely CFL-bound Jamel Lyles.

“I had no idea that they were looking to recruit me or that anyone was even interested in having me play football anymore. Kirk sent me a message and was like ‘hey man, you interested in playing football? Mind if I give your number to coach Dobie from the Bisons?’ I said absolutely. Please give it to him.”

A few weeks later, Fischer gave his verbal commitment to the Bisons, along with Simonsen. After spending a year away from the game he’s itching to get back on the field and to help make an immediate impact for a Bisons running back crew that also includes speed demon Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette and dynamic rookies Breydon Stubbs and Colton Nedotiafko.

“I think the easiest way to prep [for the running back job] is to pretend that it’s any man’s position at this point. I’m going to hit the gym every day and go 110 and run my heart out. Really that’s all I can do is just get bigger, faster and stronger the Hilltop way. That’s really all I know.”

Athletic success runs in the family for Bison commit Tachinski

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Tachinski back to pass against St. Paul’s

It was a memorable season for Vincent Massey Collegiate quarterback/point guard Jackson Tachinski, who took home provincial titles in both football and basketball in 2018-19. His athletic journey has far more mileage to go however, as the two-sport star announced his commitment this week to play both sports for the University of Manitoba in 2019-20.

“It’s going to take a while to transition obviously, because of the faster pace of the game,” he says.

“I’m expecting to make a lot of mistakes but that will help me to improve. With balancing the two sports, I’m just looking to work really hard. It’s going to be a challenge but I think I’m up for it. This is what I really want to do.”

Each of Jackson’s older siblings – twin sisters Victoria and Kennedy and the eldest Xander – come from athletic backgrounds, so it should come as no surprise that he went all in as well. Victoria is at Penn State on a track scholarship, while Xander recently completed his first year with the McMaster Marauders as a receiver.

Back in the day though, Xander was an accomplished pivot, including winning MVP in the WHSFL Division 1 ANAVETS Bowl in his senior year with St. Paul’s while also excelling in hockey and basketball.

“Being the oldest, I was always allowed to figure my way and my parents were always super encouraging of me trying out multiple sports, whether it was basketball, football, hockey or soccer,” he says.

“They always supported it and I think that led to my siblings trying out a bunch of sports and being successful at that.”

His abilities as ‘the guy’ had a clear impact on Jackson.

“Growing up [Xander] was a really good quarterback for St. Paul’s. I really looked up to him and thought I might as well try it. I like being a leader on the field and conducting everything. I also like having all the pressure on me. When the team gets blame I can take it. I think that’s really important.”

Jackson had his older brother as his coach for both flag football and basketball in middle school. While he wasn’t necessarily the star player at that time, it was his ability to take direction and work ethic that stood out.

“It was fun. He’s a great guy to coach because he’s super responsive. I guess that also comes with being his older brother. He’s going to listen to me because we know each other so well,” Xander says.

“He wasn’t the star player but he was still super hard working and very coachable. Because he built those traits as a secondary player, now he has the physical ability to be the star player and he still has those other traits. That’s what makes him such a special player.”

Jackson’s dedication to athletics continued to grow as he aged. He was rewarded in grade ten by being appointed starting quarterback for Vincent Massey’s JV football team. The squad rolled to a provincial title with Tachinski being named MVP.

“I think his JV years in terms of basketball and football, they were stepping stones,” says Xander.

“He wasn’t necessarily ‘the guy,’ but he was enough of the guy more than he was previously. He developed the hard work and the leadership and confidence enough in himself at a young age and it just allowed him to get better and better every single year.”

The following year Tachinski made Massey’s varsity team for both basketball and football. But the year ended in heartbreak as the bball team was ousted by St. Paul’s in the provincial final while the football team fell in the semi-finals.

Despite the result in both sports, Jackson was quick to bring up the lesson that was learned in defeat.

“I think every championship team needs to learn how to lose and our grade 11 season that’s exactly what happened. You need to learn how to lose so that you can take that feeling and know that you never want to feel it again.”

In the offseason and into the summer, Tachinski put his head down and simply got to work. When he wasn’t on the field or on the court training, he was in the weight room. Additionally, he was Team Manitoba’s starting quarterback for the U18 Canada Cup in July and the following month helped lead his province to an undefeated gold medal in flag football in Halifax. Right after that, he headed to Kamloops where he was Manitoba’s backup point guard for nationals.

“It was really good for me, because I dedicated a lot of time to those teams and the coaching was amazing,” he says of his provincial team experience last summer. “I improved a lot with them and got to play against really good competition with both provincial teams. I’m thankful I got to play for each.”

Tachinski’s senior year was one to remember. On the field he threw for over 1200 yards and didn’t toss a single interception en route to an undefeated regular season. The year was capped off with the team’s second victory of 2018 against powerhouse St. Paul’s in the ANAVETS Bowl. Tachinski was rewarded for his efforts as game MVP after perfectly executing the two-minute drill for the come-from-behind 28-25 win.

“When I was walking onto the field for the final drive of the game, I just didn’t want to lose at all,” the humble pivot says.

“I couldn’t even imagine losing and nothing was going to stop me or our team from losing that game. In that kind of situation, you’ve just got to keep looking at the clock and keep trying to get first downs. You can’t really worry about how many yards you’re going to get, just keep focusing on first downs and keeping your eye on the clock.”

The recognition didn’t stop there as the senior was named Division 1’s co-winner of Offensive Player of the Year along with Garden City pivot and fellow Bison commit Jarrett Alcaraz. But like the leader that he is, Tachinski preferred to take the attention off of him and focus on the team as a whole.

“I don’t really care too much about winning awards,” he says after a quick pause.

“The very first game of the season against Oak Park I threw three touchdowns and 200 yards or so. I didn’t really know what to expect from our team and myself but we played a really good game. After the game I was really excited because I saw the path our team was going towards and I just wanted to work hard and be a part of it and hopefully we had a championship-winning season ahead of us. We did and it was really fun.”

On the basketball court, Tachinski also turned into a game-changer, providing 20 points per game for a club that already had a massive impact inside with long-time friend and multi-sport teammate Kyler Filewich along with fellow big Donald Stewart. He was also named a provincial tournament all-star when all was said and done.

“I think I just got a lot better skill-wise,” he says.

“I became a much better shooter and got much more confident, and sports is all about confidence in my opinion. When you have that confidence you can do better things. I think that’s what really kicked in for me.”

Now, Tachinski sets his sights on the post-secondary experience. He has his siblings to use as resources, however Xander isn’t worried about the moment being too big for the younger bro.

“As a family, we don’t look for pressures or limitations. We just look for opportunities. We’ve talked university sports because of my experience and the time commitment and stuff like that, so I think he has a pretty good idea of what it’s like.

I think he’s able to put it together pretty well just based on what he sees in his older siblings. In terms of pressure and being a university athlete, I don’t think he thinks about that at all. I think he focuses on being a good teammate and doing whatever it takes for his team to win.”

All-Canadian Kitzman brings size, physicality to Bisons defence

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Tye Kitzman sizing up a receiver. Photo by the Okanagan Sun.

There’s no mistaking defensive back Tye Kitzman’s love for football. For evidence, look no further than the graduate of Clarence Fulton Secondary’s high school responsibilities, where he went both ways as quarterback and safety.

“It’s something I’ve always loved and I didn’t really want to come off the field,” the product of Vernon, BC says.

“Having a small roster we had a lot of guys come up from the junior level to play on the senior team and we weren’t the powerhouse of the league by any means, but I loved being able to play and hopefully take it to the next level.”

Originally intent on heading to either UBC or an NCAA Division II school following graduation in 2015, a message from a coach whose camp he’d previously attended changed his mind.

It was mentioned to him that Shane Beatty with the Canadian Junior Football League’s (CJFL) Okanagan Sun was looking for more defensive backs. He reached out to the head coach, who offered for him to come to indoor practices in the spring and winter. The rest is history.

“I made a bond with [Beatty] and it went well, so it made it an easy choice because it was so close to home and would make the transition a bit easier coming out of high school.”

Kitzman was injured during his rookie year, however he still vividly remembers the run that his squad went on in 2015, going 12-0 en route to a Cullen Cup championship. Beatty was a big part of Okanagan’s resurgence, completely changing the image of the program and expectations while bolstering a defence that included British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC) all-stars such as Brennan Van Nistelrooy, Matt McConnell, Cord Delinte and Jonas Gering.

“I think [Beatty] totally turned the program around,” Kitzman says.

“He made a big change with his intensity, focus and knowledge of the game. You could obviously see with the record, he was very successful. With the Sun we always preach family and in my first year there was a huge family vibe. Everybody got along but there was also always competition. It was definitely a place that guys wanted to be.”

The following year there was a switch in leadership, as Beatty departed and Ben Macauley stepped in. The team will still quite strong defensively however, with Kitzman earning the team’s Most Improved Player award after recording 23 tackles and three interceptions.

“I never honestly played corner or had real training at DB until I came to the Sun,” he says.

“My second year there I just kind of got the hang of it and started to improve my game a bit. By the end of the year I had confidence in what I was doing.

Kitzman – who stands at 6’2” and over 200 pounds – loves to use his physicality to disrupt receivers from their routes at the line of scrimmage. This strategy continued to pay off in his third and fourth year with the Sun, where he tallied a combined nine interceptions, 15 pass defenses, a fumble recovery and two scores. He was also honoured as a BCFC all-star in both years as well as being named a CJFL All-Canadian in 2017.

“Coming into my third year, I knew I could step up my game. I didn’t want to just be another name on the roster. I wanted to make a name for myself and excel,” he says.

“I busted my ass and put the work in every day. Having a great coach like [defensive coordinator] Nathan Mollard who really knew I was there to put in the work, he pushed me to be great and every day I was looking for something to improve on. I was watching a lot of film, doing everything I could to be the best and it turned out well for me that year.”

At the end of the 2018 season, Kitzman knew he wanted to move onto the U SPORTS level. He talked to a lot of schools, one of which was Brian Dobie from the Manitoba Bisons, who came out every year for a recruiting trip. He vibed with Manitoba’s bench boss and the two kept in touch. Not too long after in the new year, it was a done deal that he’d be taking his talents to the 204.

The move also made sense logistically. While Kitzman played corner for the Sun, his likely landing spot with Manitoba would be either strong side linebacker or safety due to his tacking abilities, physicality and range.

“I made my trip out there and immediately loved it. I sat down for a few hours with the DC and we started connecting and talking about the playbook and what he wanted from me. It was a really good connection between all the coaches and their facilities are amazing. It just seemed like the best opportunity to excel in the position I’d be coming into with their SAM and safety leaving.”

Kitzman is also coming into camp with the right attitude He knows he’s already used up two years of his university eligibility and wants to find the field right from the jump.

“I don’t want to come in and just be on the roster and sit on the bench for a couple of years. I don’t have that kind of time. I only have three years so I want to be able to come in and make a difference right away.”

Hulking defensive lineman Stevenson will take his talents to Mount Allison

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Going into grade nine, Gabe Stevenson grew six inches, propelling him to an impressive six-foot-six. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that head coach Beau Wilkes and the rest of the Garden City staff decided his best fit was at defensive line.

“I actually wanted to play linebacker when I first signed up for the team, but there was a need for linemen, and with my height I was a better fit at defensive lineman,” Stevenson says.

“Naturally, I did what’s best for the team and it kind of went from there.”

Stevenson had played community football as a kid, but drifted away from the sport in middle school due to commitments with hockey. He was excited to return to the gridiron once he reached his freshman year of high school, but needed some pointers, as he’d never played defensive line before.

Cue fellow lineman Kieran Cummings — a member of the Saskatchewan Huskies Hardy Cup-winning squad this past year who was Garden City’s team MVP in both 2016 and 2017. He was instrumental in helping Stevenson grasp the concepts and flow of playing up front.

“It was great,” Stevenson says of his relationship with Cummings.

“We played together when I played for the [North Winnipeg] Nomads, so going into Garden City I knew him. Ever since I joined the team, our friendship just gotten stronger and stronger. I kind of see him as my mentor who I can go to and ask for advice or tips on how I can get stronger.”

With a year of experience under his belt, the 235-pounder felt confident heading into his grade ten season. He picked up three tackles in relief of one of the squad’s seniors who was injured during a regular season game and also played admirably in Cummings’s spot after he went down with injury during the quarter-finals.

From grade 11 onwards, Stevenson didn’t leave the field much. He grew another inch and was also asked to play offensive line for the first time.

“Obviously I’d never played on the offensive line, so that was a big learning curve that I needed to master. Luckily again, Kieran was right there with me to help me along the way. Not only did I get stronger on the defensive line but I got stronger on the offensive line too.”

Going into his senior year, Stevenson felt confident. The versatile end/tackle picked up 12 tackles and was part of a Garden City roster that finished 5-2 in the regular season, making it all the way to the semi-finals before being knocked off by Vincent Massey.

“With the group of players that we had, we felt like we could make a really strong push for the championship,” he says.

“Unfortunately it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but we obviously gave it a good run having the best regular season that Garden City has ever had, but it’s a bit sour because we didn’t bring home a championship.”

While the final result wasn’t what Stevenson and company wanted, there was still a light at the end of the tunnel.

Mount Allison University had become aware of the big-bodied lineman and sent him an email in the week leading up to the semi-final contest. He talked back-and-forth with the team’s recruiter and eventually head coach Peter Fraser, who put his mind at ease.

“From what I was reading and hearing, I had a good feeling about [Mount Allison]. I was sold when I went on my official visit not too long ago when I went to the campus and met some of the guys out there. How welcomed I felt, it was truly a perfect fit in my opinion in terms of what I wanted academic and football-wise.”

Stevenson is big into drama and production and was very impressed by the school’s performing arts centre. He also meshed well with some of the professors he met that teach psychology and sociology — two subjects that he’s interested in minoring in.

While going pro is the ultimate goal for the Garden City product, he also realizes the importance of his education while in New Brunswick.

“I’m just focused right now on getting my degree. That’s something my parents have preached my whole life.

But I’m also going there to try and help the team in any way that I can. At the end of my career, I hope that I’ve proven to be one of the better players that Mount A has had and if that leads to a CFL or NFL opportunity, I’ll gladly explore it. If not, I’ll still be happy with what I’ve accomplished there, but hopefully my football career doesn’t end at Mount A.”