Category: Recaps

Trojans outlast St. Paul’s for second time in 2018, win ANAVETS Bowl

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Members of the Vincent Massey Trojans celebrate after winning the ANAVETS Bowl.

In the regular season, Vincent Massey battled to a hard-fought 14-10 win over the St. Paul’s Crusaders in a game that came down to the final minute. The case was much the same on Friday night in the ANAVETS Bowl, as senior Kyler Filewich got his 6’8″ arm up in the air to block a St. Paul’s field goal as time expired, preserving a 28-25 win for the Trojans.

“Unreal,” he said postgame.

“I knew they were going to try that so I had to get to the right gap and get my hands up. I knew I’m strong and I’m tall. It actually hit my helmet.”

The victory marked a clean sweep for the program, as they also won the JV title over Grant Park the night before. It’s also the first time the Crusaders have lost in the final since 2015, once again to Massey.

The #10 nationally ranked Trojans entered the season as heavy favourites to make it to the finals, due in part to the fact that they had 30 seniors back for this year. A multitude of them made big plays in this one, including quarterback Jackson Tachinski — the contest MVP who led his team on the game-winning touchdown drive with just 30 seconds left, and Bison commit Vaughn Lloyd, who made big plays in the run and passing game despite an ACL injury suffered earlier in the year.

The score in the first half mimicked that of the team’s week three regular season contest: a defensive slugfest. The Trojans got on the board on their first drive of the game thanks to some power running from fellow Bison commit Breydon Stubbs, and a Tachinski keeper for the touchdown, while St. Paul’s hit pay dirt on a Brody Lawson pass to sophomore Muludesta Yitna and also got two safeties from their defence. Aside from that both sides were stout, forcing one turnover each.

Massey would re-take the lead late in the third quarter on a Tachinski naked bootleg and would make it 21-11 with ten minutes to play on a Stubbs rushing touchdown that was set up by a big catch from Filewich. But the Crusaders kept their composure, taking a 25-21 lead with 2:25 to go thanks to another Yitna grab and a Lawson QB keeper.

That’s when Tachinski entered clutch mode, moving the ball all the way downfield for the game-winning touchdown pass to junior Riley Ho, who had a ton of critical receptions late in the ballgame and was also an efficient kick returner. Shad Nkiasi-Nsebwir and Ishe Matange also had catches on the drive.

“I was just thinking of Eli Manning in the Super Bowl beating the Patriots,” he said with a chuckle postgame. “I wanted that game-winning drive and I wanted that win so badly. Nothing was going to stop me from getting that.”

Nothing was going to stop Filewich either, as he erased a big kick return from Yitna by blocking Vince DeRosa’s 32-yard field goal attempt to seal the win.

“Nothing but joy,” he said of the victory. “We put in the work for three years and it’s just great to see it pay off.”

Rookie head coach Oleksewycz leads Kodiaks to first varsity title in 21 years

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Members of the River East Kodiaks hoist up the CTV Bowl following their win over Kelvin Friday night.

Sean Oleksewycz struggled to hold back tears as he stood side-by-side with senior pivot/halfback Sammy Hezekiah following River East’s 22-14 victory over Kelvin on friday night in the Division 2 CTV Bowl — the first championship for the school since 1997.

“You’re the best player I’ve ever coached,” he said to the University of Manitoba commit in an emotional post-game interview. “If [Sammy] just keeps his head up and keeps working and keeps his temper down, he’s going to the CFL.”

The duo have been closer than family ever since Hezekiah came to River East in grade nine. Originally a running back, it was Oleksewycz — the defensive coordinator for the Kodiaks at the time — who convinced Hezekiah to try his luck on the defensive side of the ball. That suggestion paid off, as the Nigeria native, who’s been lock-down all year, recorded the game-winning pick six to help his squad come back from a 14-13 second half deficit. He also added a forced fumble on defence, as well as over 200 all-purpose yards via the ground and air at the pivot position on route to being named the game’s MVP.

Not surprisingly, he gave full credit to his head coach for helping him get to where he is today.

“[Oleksewycz] is a huge mentor. He’s able to know so much because of all the things he’s been through in his life. He’s an amazing guy.”

The Kodiaks set the tone for the contest early on, driving the field on their first possession thanks to a long passing play from Hezekiah to receiver/kicker Reece Wyke, who would eventually kick a chip shot field goal.

Kelvin would stiffen up defensively, registering an interception, but the Kodiaks responded early in the second quarter as Joshua Desjarlias blocked a Clippers punt and JoJo Funk-Clements hopped on it in the endzone to give River East a 10-0 lead. Another big passing play to Wyke led to his second field goal of the game as River East — who went 6-1 during the regular season including a shutout over their championship game opponent — entered halftime up 13-0.

Kelvin came out rejuvenated in the second half however. They got on the board with six minutes left in the third on a Liam Stephenson run that was set up by unnecessary roughness and roughing the passer calls on the Kodiaks. Four minutes later the Clippers had their first lead of the game, as Adam Fast hauled in a touchdown pass from pivot Daniel Moroz on a drive that was aided by a massive punt return from fellow receiver Robin Brooks.

“We should have put them away early in the third, we knew that,” Oleksewycz said. “We knew they were a good team though and they made a run. But we fought through the adversity.”

The Clippers had a few chances to increase their lead, including a drive that started after a Fast interception, but were unable to put Hezekiah and company away. He’d make them pay later on with the game-winning pick, shutting down the highly touted Brock Gates in the process. The Kodiaks added another field goal from Wyke to cap the scoring.

When asked about what this win means to both himself and the school, Oleksewycz was quick to bring up current JV coach and former varsity bench boss Robin Meade, who was the one who brought the Kodiak and Mount Allison Mountie alum into the fold.

“Without Robin Meade I probably wouldn’t be coaching football,” he said emotionally. “I had a terrible experience at another school coaching there and basically Robin was like, ‘why don’t you come over here for a year and see how it is.’ He was another U SPORTS guy and we just meshed so well. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Trojans cap perfect season, win JV title

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: The Vincent Massey Trojans strike a pose after winning the JV title.

The Vincent Massey Trojans JV squad were a well-oiled machine all season, outscoring their opponents 296-21. They completed a perfect season on Thursday night with a 39-0 victory over the resilient Grant Park Pirates.

Two-time Team Manitoba U16 member Negus Lewin led the way, scoring four majors while racking up over 200 yards on ground. He would’ve had six touchdowns if not for two holding penalties that negated a score on the first play of the game, as well as a long punt return. The running back, who watches film of NFL Hall-of-Famer Barry Sanders to get mentally prepared, was quick to credit his teammates — most of whom will move up to varsity with him next season.

“This weather was tough, so I knew I’d have to grind even more,” he said. “My team helped me as well to get where I am right now. Its a group effort. If my team’s not doing well, I’m not going to do well. We all performed great which led to me performing great.

Defensively, the Trojans recorded ten turnovers, two of which came on interceptions from defensive back Nick Gilberto in the first half as they led 20-0 at halftime.

“I really want to give thanks to my coaches and my team for everything they’ve done this year,” Gilberto said postgame. “It was all about them. They rushed the QB, especially the defensive line and that was the key.”

Grant Park fought tooth and nail however, getting some key plays from their stout front four led by Sal Pasta, as well as defensive back Jake Nitychoruk, who had a forced fumble and was all over the ball. But every time the Pirates made a key play, Massey was able to respond. Starting pivot Jordan Hanslip had a stout game as well, throwing for two touchdowns as a strong complement to Lewin’s ground attack.

The win was the Trojans fourth Homerun Bowl title in its nine-year history and pushed Massey past Oak Park for the most JV titles all-time.

Tigers win first title since 1980, play in honour of fallen teammate

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: St. John’s Tigers head coach Grant McMIllan lays down the jersey of Jordan Thomas (#7) for the team’s championship photo. The former high school pivot was slain in December of 2017.

The St. John’s Tigers had Jordan Thomas on their mind when they went into battle with the Elmwood Giants for division 3 supremacy at Investors Group Field tonight.

The former QB, who helped lead the Tigers to their last championship game two years ago, was murdered during his senior year in December of 2017. The team played in his honour tonight, winning a hard-fought 13-10 contest in the snow for their first title since 1980. After the game, St. John’s head coach Grant McMillan laid down the former three-sport star’s jersey (#7) in front of the CanadInns trophy for the squad’s photo.

“It was about honouring him and the players who have come before us,” McMillan said in an emotional postgame interview. “This victory is bigger than the team and bigger than the school. It’s a celebration for our community.”

The Tigers knew exactly what they needed to do to win the contest over the 6-1 Elmwood Giants, who handed them their only loss in the regular season: stop Evyn Melville-Toth.

The punishing tailback broke the division 3 record this year with 17 touchdowns, four of which came in the two team’s regular season matchup in week two. But on Thursday night, he was contained, as St. John’s stacked the box and won the battle at the line of scrimmage.

The Tigers set the tone early, scoring on their first possession of the game thanks to some big passing plays from pivot Myles Kakewash. The drive was capped by an Asher Wood touchdown on a screen pass.

After multiple turnovers on both sides, the Giants were able to tie the game up early in the second quarter, as Melville-Both finished off a run-heavy drive. But St. John’s kept their composure, re-taking the lead before the half on a 17-yard field goal from Wood that was set up by a fake punt.

Elmwood would re-tie the game with a field goal, thanks to a fumble recovery by Edward Kisimba and an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Tigers that would have otherwise stopped the drive.

From then on, it was a fight to the finish, as both sides registered massive interceptions. The Tigers would get the last laugh however, taking the lead on a 30-yard field goal from Wood that was set up by a Trent Raven pick. The Giants would have two cracks in the final minute to tie the game, however Wood shut down both drives with an interception and a pass breakup and was named Player of the Game.

The rangy 6’3″ receiver/defensive back/kicker was quick to mention Thomas postgame, echoing his coach’s remarks.

“I was in the finals in grade ten, and [Thomas] was the quarterback,” he said. “To win this, I feel like we’re really honouring him and it feels really great.”

Bisons suffer heartbreaking 38-34 OT loss to UBC in Ybarra Jr.’s first career U SPORTS start

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Jamie Ybarra Jr. tosses the pigskin. Photo by Trevor Hagan.

NOTE: This article originally appeared on gobisons.ca by the same author. You can view it here. 

Quarterback Jamie Ybarra Jr. has been on a rollercoaster ride ever since late August. Roughly a week before the regular season started, he was working full-time and didn’t have much thought of returning to play football.

But after an injury to backup Scott Borden Jr., the former member of the Vancouver Island Raiders and Winnipeg Rifles of the CJFL got an offer he couldn’t refuse, joining the team in time for their pre-season contest against Regina, which he played well in.

Despite his strong showing, Ybarra Jr. was the clear backup to incumbent Des Catellier, who has thrown for 2,012 yards and 16 touchdowns this year. But when Catellier couldn’t go this week, Ybarra Jr. was the next man up. He more than exceeded expectations, scoring on four straight drives to open the game as Manitoba went into halftime up a commanding 31-13 against the no. 10 ranked UBC Thunderbirds.

“Here’s a guy that was playing flag football, and here’s a guy that graciously enough, decided to enroll in university and join our football team when I begged him to, never expecting to use him, because our number two was Scott Borden, who was an all-star in the BC Junior Football League,” said Dobie.

“And I’m just going to say it like this. Nobody expected that. Nobody expected your quarterback, who you literally brought in to run scout for you, to put up 31 points against one of the top teams in the country in a half.”

But the magic wore off in the second half, as the Thunderbirds scored 18 unanswered points to take the contest to OT, forced Manitoba into a field goal and won the game with a Michael O’Connor touchdown pass to Ben Cummings.

The Bisons were deep in UBC territory on two separate occasions in the second half, however the Thunderbirds were able to force two Ybarra Jr. interceptions to end each respective drive, thanks to increased pressure against an offensive line that was missing starters Myles Rose-Standish and Ryan Wengelinski.

“They were more aggressive,” Dobie said of UBC’s defensive play in the second half.

“Jamie [Ybarra Jr.] got happy feet a lot, and he got sacked a couple of times or had to throw the ball away. They came with a bit more pressure more often, and that was smart of their part. You’ve got a backup quarterback and you’ve got young offensive linemen. It was the right thing to do.”

With the loss, the Bisons fell to 3-5 and remained locked into the fourth seed for the conference semi-finals this Saturday. They’ll head to Calgary to take on the no. 3 ranked Calgary Dinos, who went undefeated in the regular season, including a 34-16 win two weeks ago against Manitoba.

Dobie’s message entering the playoff game is simple but powerful for a team that has taken every opponent to the limit this season.

“Let’s go. Let’s pull off the biggest upset in the nation. We can do it. Because, yeah, we have been that close and yeah, it’s tough… well, we’re that close, let’s just take the final step and that would be the game of your life to go in and upset [Calgary] right now.”

“We have such tremendous respect for Calgary as the top team in our conference, maybe in the country.”

Second half surge pushes Saskatchewan over Manitoba 27-4

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Manitoba pivot Des Catellier back to pass. Photo by getmyphoto.ca.

This article originally appeared on gobisons.ca by the same author. It can be viewed here. 

In week two at Investors Group Field — the first time that Manitoba and Saskatchewan met — it was an offensive showcase, with 94 combined points put on the board. This time around at Griffiths Stadium, however, it was a defensive battle. Both teams came up with huge stops at the goal line, including a third down stuff on a run play from safety Jayden McKoy, which resulted in a 4-4 deadlock at halftime.

“I think they played quite well,” Dobie said of his defence. “I think first of all, they took away the run, which either put Saskatchewan in second and long or at least an advantageous position for us. And that lasted for a good chunk of the game. Despite how the score may have looked, I think our defence had a pretty good day.”

Unfortunately, for as good as the Bisons played on defence, Saskatchewan was a little bit better, holding the conference’s third-leading passer Des Catellier to just 142 yards on 12 completions as Manitoba was unable to find the end zone.

The Huskies then developed a rhythm offensively in the second half, scoring on three of their first four drives while the visitors battled against a strong wind in the final 15 minutes that had played a bit of a factor all game.

“We just weren’t able to keep possession of the ball,” Dobie said.

“I think our defence got worn down for sure, I think that was part of it at the end in the fourth quarter. We were only down seven going into the fourth, but we’d now given up the wind advantage. It wasn’t a hurricane, but it counted, so we kind of faced a double whammy.”

Manitoba has now lost two games in a row, but due to Alberta’s loss to UBC, have clinched a playoff birth for the first time since 2015. The only question now is whether they finish in third or fourth place in the standings.

The Bisons need to beat UBC by 11 points at home this weekend to lock up third place, as the T-Birds defeated them by ten in the opening game of the regular season. If they are able to succeed in this venture then they’ll travel right back to Saskatchewan to do battle with the Huskies in the conference semi-final on Nov. 3. If UBC knocks off Manitoba, then the Bisons will head to Calgary to take on the No. 3 ranked Dinos while the Thunderbirds will host Saskatchewan.

A victory against UBC will be no easy task however, as they’ve won two games in a row and are starting to click on both sides of the ball.

“One thing that we always comment about UBC, is that they’re a team that always gets better as the season goes along,” Dobie said. “Their second half is always better than their first half.”

In Dobie’s eyes, one of the major keys to success in week eight will be a strong opening 15 minutes.

“First and foremost, we have to have a good first quarter. That has to be our focus right now. And then we need to worry about the second,” he said.

“Now, if we get into the late third and early fourth and we start thinking about scores, well hey, it’s a two-point converted touchdown and a field goal. Those things are all doable, heck we’ve done it several times this year. But it isn’t doable if we panic in the first half.”

Crusaders, Kodiaks lock up top seeds in Potter & Bramwell Conferences

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: River East’s Division 2 Offensive Player of the Year candidate Sammy Hezekiah back to pass.

St. Paul’s 1 made a commanding statement this week to claim the top spot in the Potter Conference of Division 1, while River East got some help from Crocus Plains to secure top seed in the Bramwell Conference as the WHSFL heads into playoff season. Additionally, William Barnsdale continued his Most Outstanding Player-calibre year for the Churchill Bulldogs.

Division 1: St. Paul’s 1 Crusaders (6-1) 44 – 7 Garden City Fighting Gophers (5-2)

The Crusaders got out to a 20-0 lead over Garden City at halftime and didn’t look back, securing the top seed in the Potter Conference of Division 1 with a 37-point win over the Fighting Gophers.

Offensively, the team was paced by the arm and legs of senior pivot Brody Lawson, who threw two touchdown passes to receiver Zach Wynne and also ran for another while accumulating well over 200 all-purpose yards. Wynne stepped up big-time, with Lawson’s favourite target Tristen Hutter out of the line up.

Defensively, the Crusaders — who gave up just 21 points in the regular season — were able to keep versatile pivot Jarrett Alcaraz in check, specifically when he scrambled outside the pocket to try and keep various plays alive. They blitzed him on multiple occasions as well, which forced him to adjust his first reads. Junior Linebacker Nathan Carabatsakis led the way with a fumble recovery and an interception.

“I just feel like we’re all gelling and there’s lot of communication this year,” Carabatsakis said of his team’s defensive performance so far.

“[Montreal Alouettes linebacker] DJ [Lalama] is here helping us and that’s a lot of good insight, which is helpful. I just feel really good this year. We had a great defence last year and this year I feel like we’re doing a lot better too.”

Receivers Payton Yakimishyn — who also had a solid day punting — as well as Everrett Findley both had admirable performances in the loss. The former made some big catches over the middle of the Crusaders defence, while the latter used his elusiveness to get open on a few occasions, including registering Garden City’s only touchdown.

Both teams begin quarter-final action this week. St. Paul’s 1 will renew a classic Div 1 rivalry with Oak Park on Thursday at 5 p.m., while Garden City. will host Vincent Massey Brandon at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Division 2: River East Kodiaks (6-1) 13 – 7 DMCI Maroons (3-3-1) 

Both of these squads performed admirably despite the loss of some critical pieces to their roster. The Maroons were without starting quarterback Kieran Benson, who sustained a concussion a few weeks ago. The Kodiaks on the other hand, didn’t have lead back Deion Nelson — who will not return to the team this year — as well as star pivot/halfback Sammy Hezekiah, who was ejected from the game in the second series .

Hezekiah scored the only touchdown for River East before leaving the contest, while Spenser Pilon and Ethan Topping held DMCI’s game-changing running back Nathaniel King-Wilson in check. Pilon finished with four tackles and a sack, while Topping had nine tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.

The Kodiaks also got some help from the Crocus Plains Plainsmen, who registered the upset of the season, knocking off the now 5-1-1 Murdoch MacKay Clansmen 19-16 to give River East the top seed in the Bramwell Conference. Additionally, the win propelled the Brandon squad to eight points and the eighth and final CTV Bowl playoff spot over DMCI.

Next up for River East is a home quarter-final contest against Miles Mac this Thursday at 4 p.m. The Maroons will host Beaver Brae in the consolation semi-finals.

Division 3: Churchill Bulldogs (4-2) 22 – 20 Maples Marauders (2-4)

In a back-and-forth battle, it was the Churchill Bulldogs who were able to escape with a two point win over Maples.

William Barnsdale — who set a new division 3 record this season with seven forced fumbles — was the star of the show once more for the Bulldogs, registering eight tackles, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick on defence, as well as 164 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including the game-tying score with just 30 seconds remaining.

He finished the year with 703 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns in just four games as the starting running back.

Barnsdale also got support from fellow back Yves Amane, who had 106 yards on the ground, as well as two two-point converts, including the game-winner.

Churchill will now host Tec Voc in the quarter-finals this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., while Fort Frances will welcome the Marauders on Thursday at 2:30 in the other divisional quarter-final. The winners of those two games will face St. John’s and Elmwood, respectively.

Early lead enough as #3 Calgary gets past Manitoba 34-16

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Des Catellier tries to evade Calgary’s Boston Rowe. Photo by David Moll.

This article originally appeared on gobisons.ca by the same author. You can view it here. 

Starting off strong is always critical, especially against an undefeated Calgary team that had only given up one opening drive score (week three against Saskatchewan) all season. Manitoba was in a position to put points on the board in their first possession against the Dinos last weekend, before a fumble at the host’s 37-yard line resulted in a 68-yard touchdown the other way.

It was the first of 22 straight points put on the board by the Canada West’s top team, a total that the Bisons were unable to match.

“For sure it was a traumatic moment, you could visibly see it and feel it,” said Dobie about the fumble recovery for a score.

“And after that when Calgary started doing some things and we were struggling, you could feel some frustration growing. Did it effect us? Yes it did.”

The Bisons played admirably in the second half, despite being down by as many as 33. They put 15 straight points on the board to close the contest, getting rushing touchdowns of 17 and 24 yards from Jamel Lyles and Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette, respectively. The former finished with 147 yards and now leads the conference with 545 total, despite missing a game against Alberta earlier in the season.

Defensive tackle Jeremie Drouin also had his best game of the year with four tackles and a sack, as he continues to step up with Cole Adamson injured. As a whole, Manitoba’s front four rotation — which also included Kent Hicks, Braiden Watson, Brock Gowanlock, Derek Dufault, Chris Larsen and Samson Abbott — limited starting Calgary running back Robinson Rodrigues to 70 yards.

“We’ve really improved against the run greatly from last year,” Dobie said. “And I think that’s where you’re seeing the best results from that group.”

The defensive unit will need to be just as strong this week on the road against the 3-3 Saskatchewan Huskies — a team that beat the Bisons in a 48-46 offensive showcase at Investors Group Field back in week two. Naturally, Dobie is focusing on the here and now, instead of what happened well over a month ago.

“I don’t know if we can take too much from [week two] to be honest with you,” he said.

“They’ve really grown their team and are just doing it bigger and better. I think the big thing is going into Saskatchewan. That’s a hard place for anybody to win and they obviously are very self-motivated because of everything that everybody puts into University of Saskatchewan football there.”

Additionally, the stakes have been upped for this contest after Regina forfeited all three of their wins due to an ineligible player a few weeks back. One of those victories was against the Bisons, which has vaulted them into a three-way tie for second in the conference alongside UBC and the Huskies, and the chance for a home playoff game with two contests remaining.

“We need to win the game by three points. They know it and we know it,” Dobie said. “We’ve got Saskatchewan and UBC and they’ve got us and Regina. Everybody is kind of in a position now where it’s down to two games and here we go.”

Injury-depleted Maroons tie Murdoch, Spartans, Tigers rise in standings

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Nathaniel King-Wilson with the game-tying fumble recovery for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against DMCI.

In this week’s feature contests, the Spartans and Tigers climbed up in the standings while the Daniel McIntyre Maroons came from behind to tie the division-leading Murdoch MacKay Clansmen.

Division 1: Sisler Spartans (4-2) 38  – 0 Vincent Massey Brandon Vikings (4-2)

It was the Austin Balan show this past Friday, as he went off for a jaw-dropping 324 yards and four scores on 21 carries to spark the Spartans offensive attack.

“I had a bunch of great blocking up front, and Massey ran a 3-4 front so it really benefited our run schemes,” he said postgame. “They also double-teamed [division 1’s leading receiver] Steven [Koniuck] the whole game so once I got to the second level it was all open space.”

The other significant storyline coming out of this contest was the health of Massey’s powerful back Zane Anderson, who entered the game just behind Balan for the division’s rushing lead. He had been banged up the week prior against St. Paul’s 2 and only saw action in a few series against Sisler. When healthy, he is a game-changer for the Vikings and his presence may be needed in the season finale this week, as Vincent Massey looks to lock up second place in the Gustafson Conference when they take on the 2-4 Sturgeon Heights Huskies this Thursday.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, the control has been taken out of their hands, as all Sisler needs to do is beat the 5-0-1 Vincent Massey Trojans this Friday to secure the second seed in the conference. That task won’t be easy however, as the Trojans — who have sole-possession of first place — have only allowed 14 points in the past three weeks.

Division 2: Daniel McIntyre Maroons (3-2-1) 26 – 26 Murdoch MacKay Clansmen (5-0-1)

The Daniel McIntyre Maroons displayed their grit this past Thursday, battling to a 26-26 tie with the Murdoch MacKay Clansmen despite playing with just 25 athletes by game’s end due to injury.

Arguably the biggest loss to the Maroons roster was starting pivot Kieran Benson, who took part in the Winnipeg Rifles rookie and spring camps this year. He suffered an upper body injury last week in a 29-2 loss against the West Kildonan Wolverines and his status for this week’s game is up in the air.

Veteran Ethan Schnerch — who is typically a receiver — took his spot as quarterback and also played on defence as the team’s starting safety. He, along with fellow impact playmaker Nathaniel King-Wilson were instrumental in the game’s final score. The former had 121 all-purpose yards on offence and also added two critical fumble recoveries on defence, while the latter had 106 yards rushing and a score as well as the contest’s two biggest forced fumbles as a halfback.

King-Wilson’s two forced fumbles both occurred late in the fourth quarter, and were arguably the two most important plays defensively. The first came in the final minute with the Maroons down 26-20 and seemingly out of the game after a failed third down convert deep in Murdoch territory. He was able to wrestle the ball away from the Clansmen ball-carrier, and after multiple bounces on the ground, picked up the ball and ran it into the end zone to the tie the contest.

“I knew we needed a fumble and I didn’t grab it clearly, so it was just kicking around and I was like, I could pick this up, so I did and got in there somehow,” King-Wilson said post game.”

A few penalties resulted in the game-winning convert being re-tried on two separate occasions, with the third attempt being blocked by Murdoch defensive lineman Riley Burkett. The Clansmen would then get the ball back and drove the field, thanks in large part to some key plays from pivot Carter Kutzan, who finished the contest with 251 all-purpose yards and two scores. The visitors looked to have the game won on a big-time passing play down the sidelines, however King-Wilson was able to knock the ball free for a second straight possession to end the drive and ultimately the game.

Schnerch credited his team’s hard work in practice for the result, despite the depleted roster.

“We have such low numbers, but we find a way through conditioning in practice and just by practicing,” he said. King-Wilson echoed his teammate’s sentiments, saying “we don’t have a lot of guys but they all have heart and are hard working.”

The Maroons will look to maintain third place in Division 2’s Bramwell Conference this week as they take on the 5-1 River East Kodiaks on Thursday. The stakes are just as high for the Clansmen, who simply need a win over the 3-3 Crocus Plains Plainsmen this Friday to finish first. A loss, and victory by the Kodiaks however, would pull-vault the latter to the top seed.

Division 3: St. John’s Tigers (4-1) 21 – 13 (4-2) Fort Frances Muskies 

Brady Meeks had 127 yards passing and a touchdown, however it wasn’t enough to topple the Tigers, who have a chance to finish first in the division with a win on Friday against Lorette coupled by a loss by the 4-1 Elmwood Giants — the only team to beat them this year. Elmwood faces Tec Voc this Thursday and controls their own destiny as the number one seed in the playoffs.

Fort Frances finishes the year at 4-2 and will now wait the results of this week’s games to determine their seeding for the division 3 playoffs. They currently sit in second place but could slip all the way to forth if St. John’s, Elmwood and Churchill all win.

Garden City, River East and Elmwood victorious in WHSFL Games of the Week

By: Mike Still

Feature photo: River East defensive backs Joseph Funk-Clements (L) and Kian Crampton (R) sandwich Kelvin receiver Cooper Dawson as he attempts to haul in a pass.

The Garden City Fighting Gophers, River East Kodiaks and Elmwood Giants all maintained their grasp for divisional supremacy this week with critical victories last Thursday and Friday night.

Division 1: Garden City Fighting Gophers (4-1) 32 – 13 Sturgeon Heights Huskies (2-3) 

It was the Jarrett Alcaraz and Reese Francey show last Thursday night, as Garden City was able to knock off Sturgeon. Alcaraz threw for 148 yards and a touchdown and also had 120 yards rushing and two scores in a standout performance while also playing defensive back. Francey was tremendous in the secondary for the Fighting Gophers, registering eight tackles while also contributing a blocked kick.

Alcaraz, who will play for the University of Manitoba next year, connected with impact senior Payton Yakimishyn for his lone passing score on the day. The receiver finished the contest with a team-leading 76 yards on three catches and now has 201 yards on the year.

Next up for Garden City is a Friday afternoon clash with Grant Park on the road. Sturgeon also plays on Friday, as they head to Charleswood to do battle with the Oak Park Raiders.

Division 2: River East Kodiaks (4-1) 33 – 0 Kelvin Clippers (4-1) 

The Kodiaks handed Kelvin their first loss of the 2018 campaign on Thursday afternoon with a commanding shutout win over the Clippers. It was also the first time River East has beaten Kelvin in 12 years.

“It’s the best bus ride we’ve had coming over here since I’ve been a high school coach,” said Kodiaks head coach Sean Oleksewycz postgame. “I’ve been lucky to be on a couple CFL and university buses and have seen how those guys act. Our guys didn’t say one word coming over here. I knew as soon as we got here that we’d be able to play a physical brand of football and win this game.”

The Kodiaks became the first team to score against the Clippers this season after an opening drive touchdown pass from U of M commit Sammy Hezekiah to versatile running back/defensive back Joseph Funk-Clements. The touchdown would end up being the game-winner as the visitors shut down defending division 2 rookie of the year Daniel Moroz and a potent Kelvin passing attack.

Rylan Griffiths and Joshua Desjarlais paced a solid River East pass rush, combining for seven tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble. Ethan Topping, Simon Kosman and Spenser Pilon also added interceptions while Hezekiah held game-breaking receiver Brock Gates in check. Fellow Clippers pass-catchers Adam Fast, Robin Brooks and Liam Stephenson all made big-time plays for their squad, but were unable to find the end zone.

Offensively, River East’s two-headed monster of Hezekiah and Deion Nelson continued to wreak havoc. Nelson had 155 yards rushing on just 15 carries and also added a touchdown, while Hezekiah had 108 all-purpose yards and three scores.

“He competes,” Oleksewycz said of Hezekiah.

“I’m just trying to coach him up as hard as I can to get him prepared for the next level where [University of Manitoba head coach] Brian [Dobie] and his staff will take over. I know he’s very excited to play for [defensive coordinator] Stan [Pierre].

No disrespect to any other coaches in the league, but him and I watch more film together than any other player-coach. All credit to him, he played a hell of a game and does everything he’s taught.”

Kelvin’s best chance to get on the board came in the first half on a drive that was set up by multiple big gains from running back Lamont Evert, who was the home side’s best offensive player. They had three cracks to get into the end zone from the two yard line, but were stymied by a big-time sack from Topping on their final attempt. It was the first of multiple turnovers on third down by the Clippers, as they lost their kicker/punter Ethan Nagler to injury during the contest.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for either of these teams this week. River East will head to Portage la Prairie on Friday to take on the 3-2 Trojans, while the Clippers will host St. Norbert on the same day in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Vidruk Conference.

Division 3: Elmwood Giants (4-1) 30 – 26 Churchill Bulldogs (2-2) 

In a battle of two of the best running backs in the conference, it was Elmwood’s Evyn Melville who stepped up once again, rushing for 329 yards and two scores in a hard-fought four point victory over Churchill.

The Bulldogs did an admirable job defensively despite Melville’s statistics, forcing three interceptions from Giants pivot Logan Claeys. Unfortunately, Elmwood was just as strong on both sides of the ball, recovering four fumbles while also getting an interception from defensive end Jeremy Hampshire, his second of the year.

The Giants have a bye this week and will host Tec Voc in two weeks time in their final regular season game of the year. Churchill will face Tec this Thursday.