By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Below is a breakdown of St. James’ spring camp, with comments from head coach Caleb Goudie, scatback Nate King Wilson and defensive back Riley Tougas.
Category: Recaps
MGFA standouts stake their claim in Manitoba’s 54-0 victory over Winnipeg
Feature photo: The mothers on the Manitoba Fearless celebrate following their win Sunday. Photo by the Manitoba Fearless.
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Last week, the Manitoba Fearless made history by knocking off the two-time defending Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) champion Regina Riot 34-9. The victory snapped an 0-for-9 drought against Regina and served as evidence that the pioneers of women’s football in this region would be a team to watch out for in 2019.
Manitoba lived up to the hype again this weekend in their first of two contests against a rebuilding Winnipeg Wolfpack team, knocking off their provincial rivals 54-0 on Mother’s Day at East Side Eagles field. The game was also played in honour of the late Richard Dudek, a former Vanier Cup champion with the Manitoba Bisons who founded the Wolfpack program.
“It really is heartwarming,” said Fearless head coach Craig Bachynski, a constant since Manitoba helped pioneer the senior women’s game in the late 2000’s.
“The hard work we’ve put in and the games where we’ve been on the other end of the score, that’s what’s gone into it to create the team that we have now.
It’s time for us to be more competitive with other teams in the league like Saskatchewan and we’re ready to embrace it. We have some great young ladies who are playing with us now. They believe. They work out together and do all the things required to be a good team.”
A number of those “great young ladies,” such as pivot Madison Siwicki, running back Brenna Hargrave and receiver Aashanti Tshiovo — who all had stellar games on Sunday — are products of the Manitoba Girls Football Assocation (MGFA). The MGFA was founded in 2011 by Tannis Wilson and Lisa Zueff-Cummings and gives young prospects a chance to hone their skills before moving up to the WWCFL at an older age.
“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.”
It didn’t take long for Manitoba to crack the score board thanks to their up-and-coming talent, as Siwicki — a two-time MGFA All-Star with the Interlake Thunder prior to coming to the Fearless — found Tshiovo on back-to-back passing touchdowns.
The sister of Valley Huskers standout Remis, who’s still eligible for the MGFA but has chosen to play up this season in the hopes of making the next wave of Team Canada as a receiver, made it a trio when she returned a kick for a touchdown following a Wolfpack safety.
Not to be outdone was the Fearless backfield, which was effective all day long despite losing last year’s rushing leader Hallie Eggie early in the contest. Hargrave, a three-time MGFA champion with the St. Vital Mustangs, scored a major and brought the lighting while being assisted by five-year WWCFL veteran Julie Sprague, who brought the thunder.
All three facets were working on Mothers Day, as 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year Kelly Booth also took an interception back to the house to give the Fearless a 42-0 halftime lead.
Siwicki would add a sneak in the second half to round out the majors while kicker/defensive lineman Brooklyn Dyce — the daughter of CFL coach Bobby and sister to Manitoba Bisons receiver Trysten — netted two field goals and also had two punt singles. She added a team-high 7.5 tackles as well.
Despite the score, the Wolfpack, led by first-year bench boss Aaron Taylor — who has close to 20 years of experience as a coach — showed promise.
Veteran Anne Smith, a former basketball star, was notable on both sides of the ball, recording an impressive grab as a slotback while also playing admirably at halfback. Fellow halfback Rocky Hackman was arguably the Wolfpack’s best player on the day, flying around the football on defence while also showing off her speed as a returner.
Additionally, offensive/defensive lineman Amanda Fraser and linebacker Jill Fast both tallied goal line stands, while fellow linebacker Julianna Raposo led all players with eight tackles.
Both teams will have May long weekend off and are back at it on May 26 at home. The 0-2 Wolfpack will host the 0-2 Regina Riot at 11 a.m. at East Side, while the 2-0 Fearless will face the five-time WWCFL champion Saskatoon Valkyries at 12 p.m. at St. Vital Mustangs Field in a battle for first place in the Prairie Conference.
“We respect Saskatoon. We respect who they are and what they’ve done,” Bachynski said.
“We followed their game a little bit last night on Twitter. They’re a good team. They’re fast, well-coached and have a large group of ladies, about 70-80 that they pull together. They’re gonna be a handful, but we have two weeks to work hard and prepare for them. We’re excited.”
Rifles down Auggies 18-8 in pre-season border battle
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Rifles linebacker Barret Mueller records an interception in the second half against the Auggies. Photo by Matt Hamilton.
This Sunday at East Side Eagles field, the Winnipeg Rifles were handed their first test of the 2019 Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) season as they faced off against NCAA Division 3 team Augsburg University. It’s safe to say they passed with flying colours, securing a ten-point win in the border battle.
The game was contested with a mix of Canadian (12-on-12 with unlimited pre-snap motion, no yards, one yard off the ball) and American rules (11-on-11 with limited motion, fair catch rule, no yard given) — the former taking place in the first half and the latter in the second.
Winnipeg controlled the pace of play all afternoon long, taking a 6-0 lead to the half and eventually an 18-0 lead late into the contest. The Gunners could have been up by even more, however they missed a field goal and also had a pass dropped in the end zone.
Despite some minor execution issues in the red zone, the team looked solid despite missing starting offensive linemen Miguel Leano, Jaden Lakie and KJ Whittaker, as well as starting receivers Sheycoy Selent and Cole Chowen. Their performance was even more impressive considering the fact that head coach Geordie Wilson and his staff had just ten days with the entire squad to get an understanding of both the team’s playbook as well as the formations and alignment necessary when playing American rules.
“Our original plan for practices that week were American, Canadian, American. But the first day it didn’t go smooth at all,” joked second-year receiver Luke McMillan postgame. “We were running around all over the place, just no clue what we were doing. So we did [American rules] the second day right away and after that it was a lot better, we figured it out.”
That they did. Winnipeg didn’t look out of place at all playing the American-style game in the second half, with power backs Mathe Mitayango and Brandon Urciuoli controlling the tempo of the contest, including a number of big gainers from the former who noted the positive relationship he’s been able to establish already with running backs coach Eric Yuen.
“They started feeding me the ball and then my momentum started going,” Mitayango said. Once I get my momentum, you can’t stop me.”
Mitayango and Urciuoli’s performance helped open up the passing game, including a red zone touchdown toss in the second half from Riley Naujoks — who’s QB1 for the second year in a row — to Dallas Opiola. The drive was set up by an impressive one-handed grab from h-back Tyler Hodgson.
Not to be outdone was the defence, which got multiple sacks from 2018 Prairie Football Conference (PFC) All-Star Justin Kwiatkowski, as well as a fumble recovery for a touchdown and interception from former Midget Football League of Manitoba (MFLM) standout Barret Mueller. Rookie defensive back Keyshawn Gaskin from Vincent Massey Collegiate was also impressive with a few pass knockdowns.
The Rifles are now way ahead of schedule, as their spring game last year took place a month later. Wilson says the biggest benefit of an earlier game is the fact that the team was forced to get a grasp on the playbook quicker and will now be ahead of schedule for main camp. They will take a few days off before getting back to workouts on Wednesday, with the rookie class of 2019 being inducted in early June.
Solypa, team blue top team white 24-18 in annual Rifles rookie scrimmage
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Timmy Solypa is back in town and looking to make a difference for the Rifles
Over 80 players spread across the rosters of the Winnipeg Rifles and various teams from the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL), Midget Football League of Manitoba (MFLM), Rural Manitoba Football League (RMFL) and Northern Ontario came together this Sunday at Dakota Collegiate to cap off a stellar two weeks of Rifles rookie camp with a team scrimmage.
One of the players present was Timmy Solypa, who helped pace team blue in their 24-18 victory with a touchdown reception on a go route and was all over the field, lining up at both wideout and slot.
A standout in the WHSFL with the Murdoch MacKay Clansmen, he spent the past two seasons with the Kamloops Broncos in the British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC), hauling in a combined 45 receptions for 677 yards and two scores.
A coaching change this offseason resulted in Solypa looking to explore new opportunities and he seems to have found his niche with Winnipeg.
“Playing here, you see from the scores and the standings that the competition is so much higher,” he said of the Prairie Football Conference where the Rifles are a member.
“There’s definitely some great players here starting and they’re only first or second-year guys. I think this season is going to be a fun one and I’m looking forward to it.”
It was an air show all afternoon, with Solypa and Ethan Schnerch (DMCI) picking up touchdown receptions for team blue, while team white found the end zone on big plays from receivers Ethan Danell (Dakota) and Brock Gates (Kelvin) as well as running back John Alade (St. Vital). The latter showcased his jets on a catch-and-run that went roughly 50 yards for the biggest play of the day offensively.
When all was said and done however, it was team blue’s defence that played arguably the biggest role in the outcome of the game. Defensive end Lucas Coreia (Miles Mac) started the scoring off by forcing a fumble that was recovered in the end zone, while defensive back Alex Minor (Grant Park) registered a critical pick six with the game tied at 12.
“I never got the opportunity to play that much wide receiver in [the WHSFL] season,” Minor — who has received interest from both York and Queen’s in the OUA — joked postgame. “This time I got it and made no mistake.”
Other players from the secondary that stood out from team blue included Josh Patterson (Garden City) — who had an interception — along with Brandon Kamenz and Teagan Simon from Vincent Massey Winnipeg’s ANAVETS Bowl-winning squad. Defensive end Spenser Pilon (River East, CTV Bowl champs) who’s “worked his ass off in the gym” according to former head coach Sean Oleksewycz, also wreaked havoc in both the run and passing game.
One the other side, defensive end Nathan Poetker (Steinbach) was all over the ball with two sacks, while second-year Rifles linebacker Treyton Viera had an interception.
Next up for the Rifles is their spring camp, taking place from April 24-May 4 at Dakota Collegiate. Things will wrap up on May 5 with a contest against Augsburg University, an NCAA Division III team. That game goes from 12-3 at East Side Eagles field.
AMFC conference in Manitoba a major success
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie speaks to the crowd at the AMFC conference.
Over 100 coaches from across Canada came together this past weekend to network and learn from each other as part of the 2019 Association of Manitoba Football Coaches (AMFC) conference.
Organized by Football Manitoba and Team Manitoba U16 head coach Jeff Ready, the clinic was the first of its kind locally since 2011.
“I think a conference like this is incredibly valuable, because we had a diverse topical lineup, hit community and competition levels, strength and conditioning systems, position specific program building and leadership seminars,” Ready said.
“Being able to offer that type of content and a venue for coaches to actively network and share was amazing to see.”
Among those providing their insight during the two-day conference were CFL commissioner and Manitoba Bisons product Randy Ambrosie as well as 13-year CFL veteran/best-selling author Angus Reid, Winnipeg Blue Bombers coaches Paul LaPolice, Marty Costello and Richie Hall and Manitoba Bisons head coach Brian Dobie.
Ambrosie — a former first round CFL pick and Grey Cup champion — provided a passionate speech during the evening dinner on day two about the state of football in Canada. He discussed the many values it teaches and how it can change people’s lives. As part of his talk, Ambrosie included his personal journey in the sport and the role it played in him overcoming academic struggles in school en route to obtaining a business degree from the U of M.
“For me, I was a kid who couldn’t see the value in school. I literally saw my mother go to parent teachers from the time I was in elementary school right through junior high and come home crying every time. Every semester she cried because she thought ‘how could my kid be that rotten consistently?”
And then I played for the East Side Eagles and I fell in love with football. And the first question I asked was what does it take to play pro football? And somebody said ‘well you’ve got to go to university.’ And it totally changed my life.”
A common theme all weekend long was the importance of trust.
“Trust is a skill, and skills need to be practiced,” Reid said in the first of his two keynotes during the weekend.
“Anything that can be improved with work is a skill. Anything that can erode without work is a skill. Trust can be improved with work. It can fall apart very quickly if we don’t work on it. It is not something that just happens and it is not something that you just give somebody. It needs to be practiced every single day.”
Dobie — well known for the bond he’s formed with his players over more than four decades of coaching — spoke about trust in with reference to the player-coach relationship.
“Trust. It’s not blind anymore. [The players] have a clue. And they need to believe in you. They need to believe that what you’re doing is in their best interest. That’s important.”
Feedback from the event was tremendously positive, with a follow-up for next year almost a near guarantee at this point.
“We want to keep bringing coaches together from across Canada,” said Ready.
“We already have interest in next year’s conference from coaches in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta.”
Everything you need to know from Team Manitoba’s U18 provincial team tryouts
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Plenty of talent was on display this weekend as Ryan Karhut and his coaching staff got their first look at this year’s crop of players looking to make Team Manitoba. Click the above video for the full breakdown.
WHSFL athletes show out at CFC prospect game tryouts
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Thirty of the best and brightest sophomore and junior players from the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) put their talents on display on Wednesday afternoon at the U of W’s recplex, looking to earn one of roughly 65 available spots to CanadaFootballChat’s (CFC) Prospect Game. The game will be broadcast on TSN in June of 2019.
The CFC combine included a 40 yard dash, t-test, vertical and kneeling power ball chest throw, which all took place during the morning session. The afternoon session featured position-specific drills, with one-on-ones in pads concluding the day.
Sophomore Oak Park running back Rhyland Kelly was one of the major standouts during the five hour event. He ran the fastest 40 at 4.60 and also demonstrated his versatility as a receiver and defensive back during positional drills. Standing at 6’1″ and 169 pounds, scouts appear to love his upside and could see him lining up anywhere from scatback to the secondary.
“I’d like to think I did fairly well throughout the whole tryout,” Kelly said after the event.
“There really isn’t much to it, I just went out there and tried to perform to my best abilities. And I’d like to thank my coaches from Recruit Ready for giving me some of the training which helped me today.”
Additionally, rangy St. Paul’s defensive end Zach Lytle — a grade ten who stands at 6’4″ and 185 pounds — showed his athleticism with a 4.69 in the 40, while 6’3″, 245-pound junior DE Jordan Friesen out of Dakota put up a 4.75.
Other highlights from the testing events included a vertical of over 30 for grade 11 Dakota linebacker Josh Ma. This number is quite impressive considering the fact that he’s 5’7″. But it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as Ma has a background in basketball as a point guard. He also impressed during the one-on-one sessions, throwing around his 205-pound body effectively while also playing physical in coverage.
Positionally, it was hard not to notice sophomore pivot Jordan Hanslip out of Vincent Massey Winnipeg, who has received high praise from head coach Kelsey McKay on numerous occasions and has the potential to surpass Andreas Dueck and Jackson Tachinski as the top gunslinger in program history. He was looking to focus mainly on the routes he’ll be throwing in high school, such as ins, outs, hooks and gos and did so with poise and accuracy.
“I was really just looking to work on my technique and playing against the best of what Manitoba has and just competing against them,” he said.
“Coming out of this combine I’m hoping to focus on the finer details and maybe a little bit of athleticism.”
Unsurprisingly, the tallest receiver at the event, Vincent Massey’s Kaiden Bannon, also impressed. The 6’2″, 180-pounder was stellar during the positional gauntlet drill and drew the eye of a few different coaches.
A few out of province players also had great days, such as 6’4″, 250-pound offensive lineman Derek Beaubien from the Assinoboia Rockets in Saskatchewan. The former member of Team Canada was rock solid as a blocker, showing his power and upper body strength. The same could be said for Regina’s Ryker Frank, who made an amazing catch during the one-on-ones and also held his ground as a pass blocker. His 40 times were consistent as well, with both in the 4.7’s.
Not to be forgotten was grade 11 Kelvin kicker/punter Ethan Nagler, who was booming the ball all day. A converted soccer star who began playing footy when he was three years old, he’s already received plenty of interest both in Canada and the United States.
“It felt great,” Nagler said of the day as a whole.
“Canadafootballchat does so much, especially for kickers in Canada. There’s nothing else like it.”
Tryouts for the prospect game have been occurring all across the nation, with the last camp scheduled for March 27. Invites will be sent out shortly afterwards, with an expected date of anywhere between April 10-15.
Team Manitoba U16 phase one breakdown
Some of the top athletes from Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba touched down at the U of M’s indoor soccer complex this weekend for phase one of U16 tryouts. Head coach Jeff Ready returns to man the helm for the third year in a row and has a stellar staff around him. Get the breakdown in the above video.
Quartet of Mustangs highlight 2018-19 MFLM year-end award winners
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Lucas Daviduik with the Matt Sheridan Lineman of the Year award.
After claiming their second consecutive Midget Football League of Manitoba (MFLM) title this past October, the St. Vital Mustangs were honoured with four of the league’s six major awards this past Thursday.
Converted soccer player Owen Brown, who didn’t take up the sport until a few years ago, took home his second consecutive Special Team’s Player of the Year award. The Mustangs kicker/punter led the MFLM with 38 total points, including going six-of-eight on field goal attempts.
Brown — whose older brother Findlay had a strong season kicking for McGill in 2018 — will be part of the UBC Thunderbirds roster this fall while also attending the highly acclaimed Sauder School of Business. More on him in a future article.
“I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience with the Mustangs,” Brown said when discussing his three-year MFLM career.
“The coaching staff and team have all been incredibly supportive, even in my first year coming into the league as a pure kicker, which had rarely been seen before. I could’ve easily been shrugged off, but everyone on the team was incredibly welcoming and really made it as good of it’s experience as it could’ve been.”
Earning the Matt Sheridan Lineman of the Year award, which has previously been won by current Blue Bomber and former Falcon Football Club member Geoff Gray — was fellow Mustang Lucas Daviduik, who led the MFLM with five sacks this past year.
The Beausejour native, who started playing the game five years ago — beginning with the Sunrise Coyotes — has accrued 63 tackles and 7.5 sacks over the past two years. He hopes to continue his playing career next season either in the Manitoba Major Junior Football League, or with the Winnipeg Rifles of the Canadian Junior Football League.
“To me, winning this award is just another step in a long road of football I have yet to come, either playing in the future or coaching. Looking back on [my career], it’s been quite a journey. Five years doesn’t seem like that long of a time to me anymore, and if I could go back and re-live it I would.”
Also earning major awards for the Mustangs were Abdulrahman Mudasiru, who was the league’s Rookie of the Year, as well as Drey Warde, who was the Offensive Player of the Year, after collecting 438 yards on the ground and five scores.
The President’s Award, given to a player who has “a team first mentality on the field and in the community” went to Falcon Football Club’s Lukas Kornelson, while Defensive Player of the Year honours were handed out to North Winnipeg Nomads defensive back Matteo Urciuoli, the brother of current Maples defensive back Adamo and second cousin of Rifles running back Brandon.
“I’ve never played nine-man football before, so I wasn’t really used to it at first,” the former Maples DB said of the transition to the nine-man game.
“The first game I was a bit off, knowing there’s a lot more open space for people to fly around with, but once I got used to it, I loved it.”
Balan cleans up at 2018 WHSFL year end awards
By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Austin Balan stops for a photo after winning the Bomber Alumni Most Outstanding Player award for Division 1, his second piece of hardware on the evening.
On the field, Austin Balan is calm, cool and collected. He lets his play do the talking, puts his head down and gets to work. It’s rare that you’ll see him phased, which was particularly notable this year.
Entering the 2018 season, he knew his role would have to expand on both sides of the field with the departure of players such as Tyler Koniuck, Brayden Desjarlais and Easton Montour. The former Division 1 Rookie of the Year was prepared from the jump and it showed. He never took a play off, finishing with 1,222 rushing yards and eight scores as a fearless downhill running back as well as 81.5 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks at his more natural defensive back position, which he will play at the next level with the University of Manitoba upon graduation from Sisler.
Balan was rewarded for his efforts last night at the WHSFL’s year end awards banquet with both the Elite Performance Defensive Player of the Year and Bomber Alumni Most Outstanding Player awards. The former is presented to one offensive and defensive player in each division who made the biggest difference to their team as a whole while the latter is voted on by the Bomber Alumni Association and is presented to the best overall player in each division.
Not surprisingly, Balan was humble and respectful when discussing his newly-won hardware.
“I was very honoured to receive both of these awards tonight. It means a lot,” he said. “It represents all the hard work that I’ve put in over the past couple of years on the practice field and working out. I want to thank all my coaches for all the time and dedication they’ve put in to help me grow into the player I am today as well.”
The Elite Performance Offensive Player of the Year race on the other hand, was so tight that the committee chose to give the nod to two pivots: Jarrett Alcaraz from Garden City and Jackson Tachinksi from the ANAVETS Bowl-winning Vincent Massey Trojans.
The former — who will play for the U of M in the fall as a defensive back — was pleasantly surprised to co-win the award for what is technically his secondary position. While this may be true, there’s no denying the impact Alcaraz had under centre for the Fighting Gophers. He had over 1,000 all-purpose yards and double-digit touchdowns as a playmaker with both his arm and legs.
“It was definitely an honour winning this award, especially it not being my main position,” Alcaraz said. “Being able to win it with Jackson [Tachinski], that guy is one of my buddies, we played together this summer as well, so it’s definitely awesome winning it with him.”
Tachinski was lights out all year. The MVP of the ANAVETS Bowl had well over 1200 yards and didn’t throw an interception. He also displayed his poise, especially in the championship game, where he perfectly executed the two-minute drill to complete a come-from-behind win for Massey.
“It feels good,” Tachinski said after co-winning the award. “There were definitely a lot of other deserving nominees and I could’ve lost to any of them so I’m appreciative of this recognition.”
Tachinski hasn’t decided where he’s playing next season yet, however there is certainly plenty of interest in his services, including from the Bisons.
Division 2
It’s not easy stepping out of the shadows of Dayton Black, however that’s exactly what quarterback Evan Nachtigall did this year for Neelin. In the process, he broke two records set by last year’s Division 2 Offensive Player of Year, putting up a record 234 passes for a new division 2 high of 1985 yards.
The gunslinger was honoured for his work as the second straight player from the Spartans to win the Elite Performance Offensive Player of the Year award and third in a row from a Brandon school after Mack Adams from Massey Brandon took home the trophy in 2016.
“It really started in grade nine when I came into Neelin being a backup behind Dayton and taking second team reps every practice, and even the odd one in-game, especially last year in the playoffs against Kelvin,” said Nachtigall.
“The offseason was really about throwing a lot of balls and getting my arm ready for my first year starting at quarterback.”
The River East Kodiaks swept the Defensive Player of the Year and Bomber alumni awards, with Ethan Topping taking home the former and Sammy Hezekiah securing the latter.
Topping, a hybrid linebacker had seven sacks and five forced fumbles and was all over the field for the Kodiaks, helping them to their first varsity title in over two decades. He’s also the fourth player in the past six years from the school to win the award.
The charismatic Hezekiah had 19 combined touchdowns as a dual threat under centre for River East and was also lockdown all year at the halfback position, which he will play in the fall for the Bisons. He was also the CTV Bowl MVP after a stellar performance that included the game-winning pick six.
“It’s crazy. This is my first time winning anything major at this banquet,” a visibly excited Hezekiah said. “It means a lot to me.”
Division 3
Two record breakers were acknowledged for their performances in division 3, as Elmwood’s Evyn Melville-Toth took home the Elite Performance Offensive Player of the Year award while William Barnsdale of Churchill was selected as Defensive Player of the Year.
Melville-Toth, also known as the human bowling ball, used his small but built frame to bounce off of defenders all season. In the process, he broke the division record for rushing touchdowns, with 17. Barnsdale was a hound for the football, eclipsing the division record for fumble recoveries in a season, with seven while also tying the record for fumble receives in a game, with three.
The Bomber alumni award went to division 3 champion Asher Wood of St. John’s. The title game MVP did a little bit of everything for the Tigers — who won their first championship since 1980. He was the team’s leading receiver with 427 yards and eight scores, added five interceptions on defence and also tallied eight field goals.
“It’s a real honour to be named the most outstanding player in our division,” Wood said. “One of our best players Payton [Yakimishyn] moved just before the season started, so I knew I had to step up and become a leader on the team.”
Wood, who is also a standout soccer player, has had interest from universities in reference to his play on the pitch, but is still undecided on whether or not he will go that route or play football. One way or the other, he’s in a good position, as St., John’s gives out a number of full scholarships to the U of M, so he’s going to try and get one of those.
Other Major Award Winners
Heavy Metal Design Coach of the Year: Mike Steeves, Vincent Massey Brandon
Rick Symonds Memorial Assistant Coach of the Year: Jason Park, St. Paul’s 1
Arnie Taylor Volunteer Award: Mark Dibol, Portage
Robert Whitlaw Memorial Rookie of the Year Award: Keshaun Ducharme (Churchill, Div 3), Kaiden Banfield (Portage, Div 2), Nic Pereira (St. Paul’s 1, Div 1)
Kas Vidruk Memorial Lineman of the Year Award: Jeremy Hampshire (Elmwood, Div 3), Isaiah Letander (Kelvin, Div 2), Kyler Filewich (Vincent Massey WPG, Div 1)
Jim Foubister Award (Presented annually to a high school football player who displays excellence on the field, sportsmenship, teamwork and overall good person. The selection of the award winner is determined by the officials of the league): Reese Francey, Garden City
John Potter/D’Arcy Bain Sports Physiotherapy Bursary Award (Presented annually to a grade 12 graduating high school football player who plans to continue their football career. The selection will be based on the development and progress made by a player during their high school playing career): Elijah Rivera, Garden City
Harry Hood Memorial Trophy (Awarded annually to the high school football player who exemplifies the standard in playing ability, school citizenship, fair play and scholastic standing.The selection of the award winner is made by the special committee.A scholarship of approximately $500.00 will be awarded to the trophy recipient upon registration at an educational institution of their choice next fall): Brody Lawson, St. Paul’s 1