Category: Recaps

Lancers, Clansmen and Giants victorious in WHSFL games of the week

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Clansmen pivot Carter Kutzan was on point against the Kodiaks, contributing in some capacity on all of his team’s touchdowns.

In a battle of undefeated teams in the WHSFL’s Bramwell conference (division 2), it was the Murdoch MacKay Clansmen who emerged victorious, while the Dakota Lancers and Elmwood Giants both improved to 3-1 on the year. Below is a recap of all three games of the week.

Division 1 (Potter conference): Dakota Lancers (3-1) 42 – 0 Grant Park Pirates (1-3)

The Dakota Lancers took a 20-0 lead into halftime and didn’t look back, knocking off the Grant Park Pirates 42-0 on Thursday night at Murray Field. Junior Peter Orajekwe — who was last year’s division 3 rookie of the year as a member of the Churchill Bulldogs — paced the home side’s offence, rushing for 153 yards and the games opening touchdown on just 12 carries.

“The game plan was to start hard and make [Grant Park] quit, and we just kept on going like that every five minutes,” Orajekwe said postgame. The team is pretty happy, but we need to keep working hard.”

Carson Cadieux also added a rushing touchdown, while senior defensive back/receiver Josh Yanchishyn had a hat trick, with a rushing, receiving and passing touchdown in the game.

Defensively, the Lancers were able to hold the Pirates potent running attack to just 58 yards, 40 of which came from feature back Paulo Dizon. Leading the charge was junior linebacker Josh Ma, who had 5.5 tackles, as well as two bone-crunching hits on special teams. Fellow grade 11 Jordan Friesen — who is a top 100 player in Canada for the 2020 class — added 4.5 tackles and a sack, while Daniel Okedara and Paul Orajekwe also got to Pirates pivot Wyatt Barber.

Despite the score, the Pirates defence did an admirable job. Alex Minor led the way, making multiple key tackles as well as registering an interception. Defensive back Jackson McLean also tallied a pick.

Next up for the Lancers is a critical matchup against the only undefeated team left in division 1, the Vincent Massey Trojans. That game goes at 5 p.m. at Dakota this Friday. Next up for Grant Park is a home tilt with the 0-4 Dryden Eagles at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Junior Peter Orajekwe — who was last year’s division 3 rookie of the year as a member of the Churchill Bulldogs — paced the Lancers offence, rushing for 153 yards and the games opening touchdown on just 12 carries.

Division 2 (Bramwell conference): Murdoch MacKay Clansmen (4-0) 32 – 16 River East Kodiaks (3-1)

In a battle of best on best in terms of offence and defence respectively, it was the Clansmen who were able to out-muscle the Kodiaks, holding them without a point in the second half, while scoring 17 straight in the third quarter en route to the victory.

Junior pivot Carter Kutzan led the way once more for Murdoch, making plays with both his arm and legs. He scored three majors on quarterback keepers, while also passing for another. The versatile quarterback was quick to praise his blocking up front for Murdoch’s current success in 2018.

“I couldn’t do anything without the offensive line,” he said postgame. “Our centre and our left guard Liam [Sobering] and Dawson [Waldner], they’ve just been unbelievable, but our whole offensive line, if we don’t have them, it’s nothing for us.”

Early on, it was the vaunted Kodiaks defence that stepped up. They recovered a fumble on the first Murdoch possession, and on the ensuing drive, Manitoba Bison commit Samuel Hezekiah was able to find the end zone with his legs.

The Clansmen would answer back though, as Kutzan found receiver Christian Kull on a few big post routes, which led to QB keeper to tie the game up at seven.

The Kodiaks would continue to make plays when it counted in the first half however, as hybrid safety Ethan Topping recovered a botched kick in the Clansmen end zone to give River East back the lead. Topping finished the day with 15 tackles, as well as a forced fumble to go with his major.

A safety would make the score 16-7 for River East, as they continued to bend but not break in the first half defensively. But Kutzan and the Murdoch offence continued to push back, scoring in the final minute of the first half on a touchdown pass. Receiver Alex Grace would add a two-point convert as the home side went into the break down by just one.

The second half is where things started to fall apart for the Kodiaks, as Kutzan and company began to start rolling, keeping the River East defence guessing with read option plays by Kutzan as well as a strong showing on the ground from running back Preston Kull, who came into the contest averaging 140 yards.

A safety gave the Clansmen their first lead of the game, which spelled the beginning of the end as the Murdoch defence was able to hold Hezekiah and company in check for the remainder of the contest. Kutzan would add two more scores, while River East was held to less than 140 yards on the ground.

Kodiaks head coach Sean Oleksewycz said postgame that nothing changed scheme-wise in the second half in terms of what either team was doing, and that Murdoch was simply able to make more plays.

“Carter [Kutzan] is a hell of a quarterback, he knows what we’re seeing,” he said. “We had them scouted well, we knew their plays before they were coming, but Liam Sobering and Carter, they’re great players. Hats off to them, they whipped us today pretty well.”

Despite the outcome, Oleksewycz added that a loss at this stage of the season isn’t the end of the world.

“Going 3-0 early, a loss is good for us right now,” he said. “We’re not world beaters right now, we know we have to come pay our rent each week so we can have success. We didn’t have a great week of practice and when it comes down to it we just didn’t play well.”

Both teams head into week five with critical contests yet again. The Clansmen will do battle with the 4-0 St. Norbert Celtics, who have been the feel good story in the Vidruk conference of division 2 so far. That game goes Friday at 4:30 at Murdoch. The Kodiaks will face off with the other undefeated team in the Vidruk conference, as they head to River Heights to take on the 4-0 Kelvin Clippers at 4:30 this Thursday. Both contests will be included as games of the week for division two.

Division 3: Elmwood Giants (3-1) 39 – 28 Maples Marauders (1-2)

The Giants got another stellar performance from running back Evyn Melville, as he ran the rock for 145 yards and four scores on just 12 carries in the victory. Linebacker Jacobien O’Connor paced the defensive play for Elmwood, recording two tackles, a blocked kick and three fumble recoveries.

The Marauders got 172 yards and two scores on the ground from the trio of Riley Mckee, Aaron Gosselin and Harper Brown, as well as seven tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery from defensive back Adamo Urciuoli, but it wasn’t enough to top the Giants, who now move into a three-way tie for first place in the division with the St. John’s Tigers and Fort Frances Muskies.

Next up for the Giants is a battle with the Churchill Bulldogs this Friday at 4:30, while the Marauders will do battle with the Muskies this Thursday at 4 p.m.

Manitoba wins home-and-home with Alberta, advance to 2-2

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Bison pivot Des Catellier back to pass. Photo by Trevor Hagan.

This article originally appeared on gobisons.ca by the same author here. 

On Friday night, Manitoba proved that last week wasn’t a fluke, sweeping the 0-4 Golden Bears with a ten-point win, 37-27.

Yet again though, it was a game that didn’t come easily. Manitoba trailed in the fourth quarter for a second straight contest against Alberta, this time getting a massive contribution from former CJFL All-Canadian running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette, who was playing in place of an injured Jamel Lyles.

The second-year back who previously suited up for the Regina Thunder had 45 yards rushing on the game-winning Manitoba drive, and sealed the matchup in the final minute with a 55-yard rushing major. He ended the contest with 133 yards on the ground on just ten carries.

“I really respect him, because he’s a guy that I’m sure knows and feels that he’s a really good football player. He’s had great success in junior, he’s had great success on our practice field on a nightly basis and hasn’t really been given his chance, and yet all he does is keep on working hard,” head coach Brian Dobie said about the Brandon native.

“He’s a great teammate in that locker room and on that practice field, and when he got his opportunity, he made the most of it.”

Manitoba’s run defence stepped up as well. Alberta rookie Jonathan Rosery was held in check for the majority of the game, a week after going off for 142 yards.

“Alberta ran the ball really well out here in Winnipeg. And that’s part of their signature,” Dobie said. “You look at the last couple years prior to this and the Hec Crighton winner in Ed Ilnicki running the ball for example. So yeah, I get that they’re a really good running team, but I thought [defensive coordinator] Stan [Pierre] did a great job with his defence.

They had a couple runs that stung, but they didn’t sustain it, and that absolutely affected the play of our defence. When you’re stopping the run and putting a team in a passing situation, and you can hold that team to 12 completions and 23 incompletions, that says it right there. And really, that’s what won the game.”

Not to be left out was the play of returner/cornerback Marcel Arruda-Welch, who was named Canada West Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks. His 87-yard punt return in the second quarter led to a Bisons touchdown and a 15-6 lead. Cumulatively, he had four kickoff returns for 82 yards and five punt returns for 114 yards. On the season, he has 404 all-purpose yards.

“We somewhat overlooked him on special teams, because really all the focus on Marcel has been for him to be the best corner that he can be,” Dobie said. “It’s certainly been a work in progress and look how well he’s playing now. But now he’s been inserted into returns and I don’t think that’s going away. He’s just an outstanding athlete and knows how to play football really well.”

At the midway point of the season, the Bisons sit at 2-2 and are tied for third place with their opponents this coming Saturday, the Regina Rams. It’s Manitoba’s Homecoming game, which always amps up the team — not to mention this is the only contest these two teams have against each other in 2018. Despite the importance in the standings, Dobie is treating the contest like any other game, noting the parity in the Canada West conference.

“We lose two squeakers to nationally-ranked teams. Both teams laid it out and we came up just slightly short. I don’t think that necessarily means we’re less than them or they’re better than us. They won that day. And in the last two weeks we’ve won the day and found a way to do it,” Dobie said.

“That’s the deal in Canada West is winning the day. It’s the toughest conference in the nation, not even close. This weekend against Regina is going to be the exact same thing; two really good football teams playing. Somebody’s going to win and both teams are going to lay it out.”

Bisons beat Alberta 37-21 for first win of the season

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Jesse Walker hauls in a TD grab for the Bisons. Photo by Trevor Hagan.

This article originally appeared on gobisons.ca by the same author here. 

For two weeks, the Bison football team – despite playing competitive football against two nationally ranked opponents – had been burdened by critical errors at critical times. But against the Alberta Golden Bears, they turned the tides, making some massive plays when it counted en route to a 37-21 win at home.

From their head coach’s perspective, it was an ugly win. But when all was said and done, the team put one into the win column and proved that they can look hardship in the mirror and overcome it.

“Like I said in the locker room, I thought we took a step back. We didn’t play very good football. We were all over the place on headsets, we were all over the place on the bench, we were substituting the wrong players, people were making mistakes. We took ten penalties, it’s the most we’ve taken this year. It was that kind of a game. It was just not a game where we were in a good rhythm,” Dobie said postgame.

“But we made plays and we found ways to win. And that’s what I said to [the team]. At the end of the day, it’s adversity. I don’t care who you play or who you win against. If you can win against adversity, that’s big.”

Saturday’s contest featured game-changing contributions from second-year cornerback Arjay Shelley as well as fifth-year slotback Dylan Schrot.

With the Golden Bears up 7-6 early in the second quarter and driving in the red zone, Shelley recorded a critical interception which kept Alberta from adding to their lead. He also added a second interception late in the third quarter on a tipped ball from fifth-year safety Jayden McKoy.

“He had two picks and he made a couple a couple of big tackles. He certainly made some plays,” Dobie said of Shelley’s performance. “I thought Jayden McKoy [made some plays] back there too and [strong side linebacker] Houston Rennie.”

Offensively, Schrot took the game over in the fourth. First, he took a screen pass 41 yards to the house to give the Bisons a 25-21 lead with just under eight minutes to play. He followed that up with a 51-yard touchdown reception on the following drive, using his speed to evade multiple Golden Bears defenders.

Schrot finished the contest with 141 yards on just six receptions and is now tied for the conference lead in receiving yards with 370 after three weeks of play. To put those numbers into perspective, he had just 238 yards all of last season while playing wideout. His five touchdowns are also tops in Canada West and are just two shy of tying Manitoba’s single-season record.

“Here he is again, for 141 yards on only six receptions and he’s been been doing that every game,” Dobie said of Schrot’s strong start to the 2018 season. “He’s unquestionably one of the best players in Canada West and on this football team.”

Next week, Manitoba heads to Alberta to face these same Golden Bears in a rematch. Home and homes are never easy, as according to Dobie, the opposing team has gotten the chance to see a significant amount of what’s in your playbook from the week prior. However, it appears the Bisons are ready for the challenge.

Winnipeg Rifles five-game regular season report

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Rifles fifth-year defensive back Andrew Ricard has been stellar so far this year with a conference leading three interceptions. Photo by Matthew Hamilton.

The Winnipeg Rifles are currently in a three-way tie for third place in the PFC after five games this season, sitting at 2-3 along with the Edmonton Wildcats and Regina Thunder. There are a few positives to take away from this situation.

The first is that they’ve already swept the Wildcats this year, which essentially ensures them fourth place at a minimum, as the Calgary Colts are 0-5 and likely out of the playoff mix due in part to scoring just 17 points all year. The second positive is that the Rifles play the Colts this coming Sunday at home and will hopefully use the game as a bounce-back after being defeated yesterday 44-18 by the now 4-1 Edmonton Huskies.

The Rifles most critical game of the 2018 season however, will come on Sunday, Oct. 7 at home when they host the Thunder. This game will likely be for third place in the conference, as the Saskatoon Hilltops sit at 5-0 while the Huskies only loss came at the hands of Regina earlier this year. In most people’s eyes, a first round playoff game against the Huskies is likely the more ideal situation compared to going on the road against Saskatoon — a team Winnipeg plays one more time on Sunday, Oct. 14 on the road.

The Thunder beat Winnipeg 29-21 in Regina earlier this season in a game that saw Rifles starting pivot Riley Naujoks go down with a leg injury on a dirty play from the hosts. The Rifles also committed six turnovers in that contest, one of which occurred on a potential scoring play in the redzone. If Winnipeg can limit their mental mistakes — which haunted them against the Huskies and Hilltops as well — then they should be able to compete at a high level against the Thunder.

Standouts through five games

Leading the way this year has been the Rifles front seven. Entering week five, Winnipeg’s starting front four of Noah Wilson, Justin Kwiatkowski, Hayden Nellis and Machuor Akau had combined for 26 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions. Akau has been the team’s best pass rusher, leading the conference with 4.5 of those sacks despite not playing this weekend against the Huskies. Kwiatkowski also has both of the starting unit’s interceptions, while rookie defensive end Devyn Turner also recorded an athletic pick-six against the Edmonton Wildcats two weeks ago.

In the linebacking corps, fifth year captain Donovan Hillary has led the way once more, with 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Fellow linebackers Mike Hart and Cole Sneesby have been just as stout, combining for 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

In the secondary, fifth year Andrew Ricard — who has moved all over the field from safety to corner — is having an all-star calibre year. He leads the conference with three interceptions and has also produced on special teams, registering a combined 241 yards in punt and kick returns. The addition of safety/halfback Keenan Onyebuchi from the Manitoba Bisons has also played a factor for the team’s defensive backfield. He recorded his first interception of the year against the Huskies and also had five tackles last week against the Wildcats.

Speaking of special teams, fifth year receiver/returner Brendan Naujoks has also been stellar. He’s averaging over 25 yards per punt return and has taken two back to the house. Punting-wise, Drenin Busch — who doubles as the team’s backup quarterback — is averaging 36.7 yards every time he boots the ball. He’s also recovered two of his own punts, demonstrating his hustle and fearlessness to make a play for his team.

The team has struggled to find their footing in the passing game so far this year, however the run game has clicked at times, thanks to some solid blocking from returning offensive lineman Jaden Lakie (tackle), Spencer Filmon (guard), Brody Jones (centre), Kenneth Whittaker (guard) and Cole Dimitroff (tackle). Running-back wise, Winnipeg has gotten contributions from three different players, with second year Mathe Mitayango leading the way with 245 yards heading into the game last night against the Huskies. Fifth year Austin Klein has also chipped in 129 yards while second year Brandon Urciuoli returned from injury two weeks ago and had a great game against the Wildcats. This depth will likely play a factor in the home stretch of the season.

It’s been tough sledding for the Rifles pivots this year, as Riley Naujoks and Busch have combined for just over 600 yards passing this year while also throwing seven combined interceptions. Interestingly, four of the duo’s five passing touchdowns have come in the fourth quarter, which demonstrates both of their resolve and dedication to finish off contests in strong fashion. They will both need to be at their best going forward, and can lean on a variety of experienced receivers, such as Brendan Naujoks, Griffin Shillingford, Cole Chowen and Tyler Hodgson. Entering week five, those four players had combined for 36 receptions, with Naujoks leading the way yardage-wise, with 152 yards.

Trojans, Kodiaks, Tigers victorious in varsity games of the week

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: St. Paul’s 1 running back/punter Te Jessie attempts to lunge past Vincent Massey defensive back Teagan Simon.

The number of undefeated varsity teams dipped to five this past week, as in the division one game of the week, the Vincent Massey Trojans handed the St. Paul’s 1 Crusaders their first regular season loss in over seven seasons. The St. John’s Tigers also levelled the playing field in division 3, topping the previously unbeaten Churchill Bulldogs. Below is a breakdown of all three marquee matchups from week three.

Division 1: Vincent Massey Trojans (3-0) 14 – 10 St. Paul’s 1 Crusaders (2-1)

In a growing division 1 rivalry that continues to produce game of the year candidates, it was the visiting Vincent Massey Trojans who were able to knock off the Crusaders, handing the hosts their first regular season loss in over seven years this past Friday night. The Trojans were also the last team to beat St. Paul’s 1 in the playoffs, that being in the 2015 ANAVETS Bowl.

To no one’s surprise, the defensive battle was decided in the final minutes.

St. Paul’s 1 had the ball, down 14-10 with two minutes to find the endzone. Senior Crusaders pivot Brody Lawson stepped back and unloaded a deep ball that found receiver Tristen Hutter, who had the team’s only touchdown in the contest. But just as it appeared that the senior had given his team ideal field position, Massey defensive back Sam Oyetunji — who had four tackles in the contest — stripped him from behind. The fumble was recovered by teammate Brandon Kamenz and the Trojans were able to run the clock down to secure the win.

“Honest to God I just trusted the coaches and what they called,” said Oyetunji regarding his critical forced fumble.

“They were like, ‘we’re going to play yellow [cover three] on this, because we know St. Paul’s, they’re going to go deep.’ So we were expecting it. The coverage, I was supposed to take someone else, but I saw the ball let go and I just knew I had to do something. Hutter caught it and I saw that the ball wasn’t tucked into his arm very good, so I was like there it is. At the end of the day, all glory be to God.”

The first quarter was a see-saw affair with both defences flexing their muscles. The Trojans forced St. Paul’s 1 to punt from the shadows of their own end zone on multiple occasions, however the Crusaders D held strong, with linebackers Nic Pereira, Nathan Carabatsakis and Tyler Grom all producing big hits.

The Trojans would open the scoring early in the second quarter, becoming the first team to produce a touchdown on the Crusaders this season. The drive was aided by a critical third down conversion and was finished off with a Kyler Filewich touchdown reception from Jackson Tachinksi.

A Te Jessie punt single and Vince DeRosa missed field goal would make the score 7-2 Massey at the half, as both teams continued to bend but not break. Defensive backs Trae Tomlinson of St. Paul’s and Shad Nkiasi-Nsebwir of Massey displayed their versatility, making key plays during the middle frame.

The Crusaders would take their first lead of the game with 3:54 to go in the third on a drive that was aided by a massive third down conversion by Jessie, who was originally set up to punt but saw a massive hole open up on the near side of the field and used his speed to move the chains. Lawson would cap the drive off with a five yard major to Hutter. The ensuing two-point conversion was also successful, giving the hosts a 10-7 lead entering the final quarter.

Massey secured the game-winning score with seven minutes to go, courtesy of a Jayden Zimmer touchdown reception. The grade 11 also had a pivotal catch earlier in the drive. Running back Breydon Stubbs busted off some critical second down conversions late as well to seal the contest. He finished with 149 yards on the ground on 26 carries.

Despite the loss, Hutter was resolute postgame, vowing that the visitors hadn’t seen the best of the Crusaders.

“It’s a good lesson on how to deal with adversity,” he said. “We’re definitely going to play them again, can’t wait. I feel like this was a really good challenge for us.”

Next up for the Trojans is a home date with the 2-1 Sturgeon Heights Huskies this Thursday. The Crusaders will continue their campaign on Friday night as they take on the 1-2 Steinbach Sabres.

Division 2: River East Kodiaks (3-0) 46 – 9 Kildonan East Reivers (0-3)

River East kept their undefeated streak going on Friday, topping their East Kildonan rivals in convincing fashion on homecoming night.

The Kodiaks defence has given up just 17 points all year, and continued to flex their muscles against the Reivers, holding versatile pivots Nicholas Ducharme and Brice Bayisabe to just 65 combined passing yards. The latter did have 55 yards rushing on seven carries but was unable to gain sustained momentum.

Offensively, River East’s two-headed monster of Samuel Hezekiah and former Reiver Deion Nelson continued to wreak havoc. The former had 238 combined all-purpose yards and four scores, while the latter had 167 yards rushing and two majors, including a play where he bounced off of at least four different Kildonan East defenders.

The Kodiaks will be participants in the division 2 game of the week again this week, as they go head-to-head with the Murdoch MacKay Clansmen — who are also unbeaten — this Friday. Something’s gotta give in a contest that should see plenty of fireworks, as these two squads have combined for 292 points this year. The Reivers will look to get in the win column on Thursday, as they take on the Beaver Brae Broncos, who also have yet to get their first W of the 2018 campaign.

Division 3: St. John’s Tigers (2-1) 24 – 7 Churchill Bulldogs (2-1)

The Tigers kept the playing field level on Thursday night, handing Churchill their first loss of the 2018 campaign.

St. John’s run defence was critical, holding game-changing running back Gustavo Quadros to just eight yards on six carries. This comes a week after he burned up the turf for 200 yards against Lorette. Defensive lineman Nick Wakos was huge with seven tackles, while defensive back Riley Mercer had a team leading 12. Fellow defensive back Asher Wood also added an interception.

Offensively, the Tigers were paced by tremendous play up front, giving pivot Myles Kakewash plenty of time to throw. He finished with 112 yards passing and a major on the day and also had a rushing touchdown. Shawn Inglis also had a strong day, gaining 49 yards on just six carries.

Churchill has the bye this week, while St. John’s will take on Tec Voc on Friday.

Raiders, Kodiaks and Giants victorious in WHSFL Games of the Week

By: Mike Still

Feature photo: Oak Park running back Rhyland Kelly makes a move against Sisler in the WHSFL Division 1 varsity game of the week.

Week two of varsity action in the WHSFL saw plenty of tight contests and thrilling performances. Below is a breakdown of the three games of the week.

Division 1 (Gustafson conference): Oak Park Raiders 25 – Sisler Spartans 13 

The Oak Park Raiders (1-1) successfully defended their field at homecoming this past Friday night, defeating the Sister Spartans (1-1) 25-13 in a defensive slugfest. Defensive back Ben Hilton was the player of the game, pacing the home squad with an interception in the second, third and fourth quarter. His second pick was the most critical, occurring while the Spartans were driving into Oak Park territory down 18-7 late in third.

“We were watching the game film all the time, so we were just reading their plays and practicing our coverages,” Hilton said postgame. “Every time, we knew what they were doing.”

The contest’s first touchdown was rather unique. Raiders kicker Niall Reid’s intended field goal went off the crossbar, however Sisler was unable to field the ball. Oak Park defensive back Tyson Wood promptly recovered the pigskin in the end zone to give the home side a 7-0 lead.

The Spartans levelled the score early in the second quarter, courtesy of a 25-yard Steven Koniuck touchdown reception in double coverage. This was the dynamic receiver’s only grab of the game however, as the Raiders secondary held him in check for the rest of the contest. Koniuck also made his presence felt in the return game though, as he was named the Division 1 Special Teams Player of the Week with 95 yards in kick returns.

But the home side would re-take the lead for good on a 30-yard Reid field goal with six minutes to play in the first half. The kick was set up by a 50-yard punt return.

Pandemonium would ensue in the final few minutes of the first half. First, Hilton would record his first interception of the game, taking the ball all the way into Sisler territory. Then, on the ensuing drive, senior Austin Balan would give the ball right back to his squad, picking off a pass from junior Thomas Hubbard. Just when it looked like the Spartans were pulling the momentum back in their favour, they fumbled the ball and Oak Park defensive lineman Grayson Wright recovered. The Raiders would score on the following drive, courtesy of a quarterback keeper from Hubbard to take a 17-7 lead into the break.

The third quarter featured a little bit of deja vu. First, with Oak Park now up 18-7, Hilton would grab his second interception of the game on a third down gamble from the Spartans. But on the next Raiders drive, Balan was able to haul in his second pick courtesy of an impressive diving grab. Unfortunately for the visitors, Oak Park’s defence would once again capitalize on a fumble, with Wright ending up with the pigskin for the second time on the ensuing drive. Sophomore running Rhyland Kelly would put the game to bed shortly afterwards, running the ball right down the Spartans throat while capping off the following Oak Park drive with a major of his own to make the score 25-7.

The 14-year-old had a tremendous showing for the hosts, pacing the offence all game long. He was humble with his assessment of his performance after the contest.

“Honestly, it was just like straight forward football. Just hit the hole and go,” Kelly said. “It was nothing special, no madden plays or anything.”

The Spartans would add a late touchdown courtesy of Balan, but it was too little too late. Despite the score, the CFC 100 athlete was tremendous. Along with his two picks, he recorded 217 yards on the ground on 22 carries and had six tackles.

“I thought we played better than the scoreboard showed,” Balan said postgame. “We were able to move the ball on offence, we just couldn’t capitalize. Defensively we played well. Overall the bounces just didn’t go our way, and we weren’t disciplined enough today.”

Next up for the Raiders is a home clash with the 1-1 Dakota Lancers on Thursday evening. Sisler’s next matchup will be under the lights at Nomads stadium this Thursday, as they take on the 1-1 Garden City Fighting Gophers at 7 p.m. in the McPhillips Bowl.

Division 2 (Bramwell conference): River East 54 – Neelin 6 

The River East Kodiaks (2-0) continued to prove that they’re a top contender in division 2 with a commanding 48-point victory over the Neelin Spartans (0-2).

The storyline of this contest was the Spartans strong passing game going up against a stout River East secondary. After throwing for 366 yards and two touchdowns a week ago, the Kodiaks were able to hold Neelin pivot Evan Nachtigal to just 192 yards and a score on Thursday night. His one touchdown occurred on a Hail Mary toss on the final play of the first half, which receiver Kaleb Johnston hauled in from 40 yards out. Despite their 0-2 record, Nachtigal and Johnston have developed quite the connection, with the latter hauling in 307 of the former’s 558 passing yards this season.

River East’s offence was clearly no slouch in this contest either. They went off for 435 yards on the ground, 187 of which came from Kildonan East transfer Deion Nelson. Next week, Nelson will get a chance to face his old team, as the undefeated Kodiaks do battle with a tough Reivers squad that are still looking for their first win of the season. That game will take place this Friday at 4:30 p.m. at River East in the division 2 game of the week. Neelin’s next game is Friday as well, as they take on the 2-0 St. Norbert Celtics at home at 5 p.m.

Division 3 (Currie): Elmwood Giants 45 – St. John’s Tigers 28

It was an offensive showcase on Thursday night at Elmwood, as the Giants (2-0) held off a surge from the Tigers (1-1) to stay undefeated.

Both pivots had a solid day, with Elmwood’s Logan Claeys and St. John’s Myles Kakewash throwing for two touchdowns and close to 200 yards each. The difference in this one came down to the ground game, where Giants running back Evyn Melville continued his stellar start to the 2018 season with 168 yards and four touchdowns. His rushing yardage was more than five of the Tigers ball carriers combined. In two games, Meville has now ran for 382 yards and six majors,

Next up for the Giants is a road tilt with the 1-1 Fort Frances Muskies on Friday afternoon, while the Tigers next game is this Thursday against the 2-0 Churchill Bulldogs in the division 3 game of the week.

Bisons fall to 0-2, Dobie still optimistic

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Dylan Schrot makes a tremendous grab against Saskatchewan. Photo by Trevor Hagan.

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

You’d be hard pressed to find a more entertaining U SPORTS football home opener than this past Friday at Investors Group Field, where Manitoba came up two points shy against the #10-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies. It was a game that included lead changes, pick-sixes, onside kicks and everything in between. But when push came to shove, it was the 2-0 Huskies that emerged victorious, handing the Bisons their second consecutive loss to start the season.

Despite the result, Brian Dobie maintained faith in his team.

“We’re pretty good. We honestly are,” he said following the contest. “This is the best team we’ve had for sure in their performances since 2014. It just is.”

Some might consider this statement to be particularly bold. But when you analyze the first two contests Manitoba has played – both of which have been against nationally ranked opponents – then it’s relatively easy to understand Dobie’s faith in his team.

In week one against UBC, the Bisons made as many positive plays on both sides of ball as their opponent, but were hindered by some costly mistakes on special teams. This week, they went score-for-score with the Huskies and were a two-point convert away from taking the contest to overtime. Additionally, they’ve lost those first two games by a combined total of just 12 points.

“I like that they believe that they’re good and that they believe that they should win. That’s really hard to get a locker room to honestly feel that way,” Dobie said of his team. “I like that about them. I like the pieces that are on the field in most of our positions. We’ve got a couple weak areas in spots, but we’ve got a lot of strengths.”

One of those strengths is third-year pivot Des Catellier, who has thrown for 803 yards in his first season as the bona fide number one guy for the Bisons. That’s just 13 yards shy of the conference lead. His 401.5 yards per game is also second in the conference and his six passing touchdowns also tie him for second in that category. Granted, we’re just two weeks into the season, however his numbers are currently above two fifth-year quarterbacks, including former Hec Crighton winner Noah Picton of Regina.

“Des Catellier is a legit Canada West quarterback. And I can’t give him a bigger complement,” Dobie said. “He gives us a chance right off the bat.”

Catellier is also complemented by tremendous depth all across board offensively. Receivers Dylan Schrot and Macho Bockru— the latter of which went off for 185 yards and two scores against Saskatchewan — are currently third and fourth in the conference in receiving yards, while fellow pass-catchers Shai Ross, Riley Harrison and Trysten Dyce have all made big plays early on. On top of that, running back Jamel Lyles had over 100 yards rushing this past weekend and is a threat to score every time he has the ball.

“I like our offence. I like the design of our offence and I think Blaire [Atkinson] is doing a great job as offensive coordinator,” Dobie said. “We’ve got a really good group of receivers and we protect our quarterback for the most part. So we give ourselves a chance to make plays, get first downs and score points.”

Defensively, the Bisons have an eight-man rotation in their front four that looks to be gaining more confidence, while fifth-year halfback Schneider Charles had a pick-six against the Huskies.

But despite all the positives, Manitoba is still 0-2 for a third straight season. They’ll need to play their best football going forward in order to have a chance to make the postseason for the first time since 2015.

“We’ve got to win four of the six games. That’s the position we’re in right now. [The season] is so short,” Dobie said.

“We’ll be okay. We can beat anyone. That’s not rah-rah talk. We can beat anybody. But we can also lose to anybody. It’s the Canada West [conference]. But boy those opportunities don’t come around that often, and we had two in a row that were right there to take and we just couldn’t convert them.”

Winnipeg Rifles week three recap/week four primer

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Mathe Mitayango went off for over 100 yards against the Wildcats in week one. Photo by Matthew Hamilton.

The Winnipeg Rifles were certainly happy to have the bye week this week. Two straight losses and 10 combined turnovers led to back-to-back losses over the 2-2 Regina Thunder and 3-0 Saskatoon Hilltops, respectively.

The team went into halftime down 24-1 against Saskatoon in their most recent contest on Sunday, Sept. 2 and were unable to dig themselves out of the first half hole they created, falling 38-8. Despite the loss, there were a few bright spots to make note of.

Winnipeg’s front seven continued to prove why they are one of the best in the country, stuffing the Hilltops in multiple goal line situations, while holding running back Ben Abrook to just 79 rushing yards. Veteran Donovan Hillary led the way with eight total tackles, while the Rifles starting defensive line of Noah Wilson, Justin Kwiatkowski, Hayden Nellis and Machuor Akau combined for 12 tackles.

In the secondary, Andrew Ricard continued to prove why he is a likely CJFL All-Canadian, literally stealing a ball out of the hands of a Saskatoon receiver on their third drive of the game. He also added 66 yards on kickoff returns.

Offensively, fifth-year Austin Klein had a stellar performance, running the rock 14 times for 66 yards. As has been mentioned before, the Rifles have a dangerous three-headed monster in the backfield with power backs Mathe Mitayango and a currently injured Brandon Urciuoli, along with Klein, who has great vision and speed. Additionally, tight end/h-back Tyler Hodgson had his best game of the season, exposing the middle of the Hilltops zone for 54 yards on three receptions. He’s also hard to bring down with his big frame.

Pausing on the injury front for a second, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for numerous players. Akau and Ricard both suffered injuries against Saskatoon and certainly benefited from an extra week of rest. On top of those two, Urciuoli is getting closer to game action each week and should be set to make his debut quite soon, while starting pivot Riley Naujoks has been recovering from a knee injury suffered against the Regina Thunder and should be able to play this weekend. If not, the team is in capable hands with backup Drenin Busch.

This Saturday, the Rifles will head to Clarke Stadium to take on the Edmonton Wildcats in a rematch of their week one contest, which Winnipeg won 19-3. Winnipeg’s front seven was stupendous in the game, as was Mathe Mitayano, who blitzed for over 100 yards in front of tremendous blocking in the trenches.

It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats defend Winnipeg’s two biggest threats in the receiving corps, in Brendan Naujoks and Griffin Shillingford. The former had 27 yards on two catches but also had a punt return touchdown the last time the team played Edmonton, while the latter led the team with 66 yards and a touchdown. Look for Shillingford to try and get involved early, as he’s been held to just one catch for seven yards over the past two games and is hungry to make an impact.

The Wildcats are definitely more of a passing team, which will have Ricard and company licking their chops in the secondary. One player to keep an eye out for at the defensive back position is University of Manitoba transfer Keenan Onyebuchi. He played multiple positions in the secondary in his debut against the Hilltops and should be primed for a breakout performance.

St. Paul’s 1 shuts out Dakota 23-0 in WHSFL Game of the Week

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo: Crusaders pivot Brody Lawson searches for an open man against Dakota.

A 23-point second quarter was all the visiting St. Paul’s Crusaders 1 needed on Wednesday night at Murray Field, as they blanked the Dakota Lancers in the opening game of the 2018 WHSFL varsity season. The game was a rematch from last year’s ANAVETS Bowl, which the Crusaders also won.

The first quarter was a defensive battle both ways, as each team struggled to move the ball past midfield. The Lancers had the best opportunity to open the scoring after blocking a punt deep in Crusaders territory, however an attempted field goal was botched, keeping the game scoreless heading into the second quarter.

The Crusaders would open the scoring early in the second quarter thanks to a strong mix of run and pass, featuring junior running back Tanner Frobisher and receivers Tristen Hutter and Cordell Francis. Fellow junior tailback Te Jessie would cap the drive off with a rushing touchdown.

The visitors would add to their lead shortly after, as senior kicker Vince DeRosa pinned the Lancers deep in their own end. Junior linebacker Nathan Carabatsakis would ensure that the home squad had to concede a safety, after stuffing the Dakota offence on back-to-back plays.

Mental mistakes continued to haunt the Lancers deep into the second quarter. First, a botched snap on a punt set St. Paul’s up with ideal field position. A costly pass interference penalty on the ensuing drive brought the Crusaders even closer paydirt, and the drive was capped off with a touchdown pass from senior pivot Brody Lawson to Hutter, who made a tremendous one-handed grab. Later on, sophomore Nic Pereira would intercept an Aidan Campbell pass, which led to a major from junior running back Te Jessie to cap the scoring.

Dakota kept on fighting in the second half — primarily utilizing the pass — but despite some key throws from Campbell and a few solid receptions from senior receivers Ethan Dannell and Josh Ford, they were unable to crack the scoreboard as the Crusaders halted a third down gamble and also got an interception from sophomore Trae Tomlinson.

“We mostly played deep zone, and I read off of that and got a pick,” Tomlinson said postgame. “I felt great today, I was ready to ball out.”

The Crusaders, whose strength was the passing game in the pre-season, flexed their muscles in that department again, as Lawson found multiple targets for big gains during the contest. They also utilized a strong 1-2 punch with Frobisher and Jessie in the backfield.

“[Dakota] pretty much just played a cover three and a cover one, so we just played to our routes that worked well against those,” Lawson said after the contest. Dakota also has a really good defensive line and I was really proud of the way our o-line played today, they definitely held their ground.”

Despite the loss, there were a few standouts for the Lancers, including junior linebacker Josh Ma who has been a stellar playmaker at the varsity level since his freshman year. He was all over the field on Wednesday once again, and was critical in keeping the Crusaders off the board in the second half.

“Coach [Jarvis] pretty much said keep going, push hard and to keep our heads in the game,” Ma said of the comments from his coach at halftime. “We just have to keep going, keep our heads in and practice harder moving forward.”

Week one of the 2018 varsity schedule continues tomorrow, with eight games on the docket. There are also five games being played on Friday. 

 

Bisons fall 30-20 in tight contest at #6 UBC in season opener

By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

Feature photo by: Bob Frid, UBC Thunderbirds

NOTE: This article was originally published on gobisons.ca here, by the same author.

In the pre-season coaches’ poll, the UBC Thunderbirds were the consensus pick to win the Hardy Cup. Manitoba was ranked fourth. But on Saturday night on the road, Dobie and his Bisons gave the ‘Birds all they could handle.

“I felt we made as many positive plays, or more, as UBC made on both sides of the ball,” Dobie said.

It’s hard to argue with the head coach’s logic. Offensively, third year quarterback Des Catellier — making just the fifth start of his U SPORTS career — was excellent. He outthrew likely CFL draft pick Michael O’Connor by 70 yards (379 total) and had two touchdown passes. The Calgary native also distributed the ball to seven different receivers and looked comfortable in his second year in offensive coordinator Blaire Atkinson’s system.

“[Des] looked calm. He looked like a veteran quarterback, which he is,” said Dobie.

“His reads were very good. When he felt that he was in trouble, he didn’t panic. He was an emotional leader, but he played the game intellectually and calmly. There was really nothing missing.”

Defensively, the Bisons held top UBC receiving threat Trivel Pinto to just 66 yards, while also forcing a fumble in the second quarter when it looked like the draft-eligible player was about to score. Rookie Markos Bockru also had his first career interception during the contest.

Additionally, the team adjusted well after field halfback Stefan Conway was lost due to injury. Houston Rennie was shifted from his strong side linebacker spot to Conway’s position, while veteran Caleb Abraham slotted in for Rennie. Both played admirably.

“At that point, I thought we were in gigantic trouble,” Dobie said of the substitutions that were made after Conway went down. But we didn’t not win the game for that reason.”

Ultimately, it was three special teams plays that had a major factor in the final outcome of the contest.

Down by one early in the second quarter, Matt Riley had his punt from the UBC 50-yard line blocked and returned for a touchdown to make the score 14-6. Then, once again trailing by a single point with just over two minutes to play in the first half, kicker Brad Mikoluff had his 35-yard field goal partially blocked to keep the score 14-13 heading into halftime.

The back-breaker occurred midway through the third quarter, with the Bisons down 16-13 and attempting the game-tying field goal. The snap went over Mikoluff’s head and Manitoba came away with nothing. The Thunderbirds would go on to score a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Despite the visitors clawing back to within three, UBC was able to hold on for the win in the latter stages of the contest.

“We had a special teams meeting right off the bat today, and I started the meeting,” Dobie said.

“Coach [Ryan] Karhut has done an amazing job with special teams, I’m super impressed, but I started the meeting and spent the first fifteen minutes talking and saying that we need to be more focused in the moment, rather than treating it like a special teams rep and I’m on defence next or just finished playing offence.”

“I’m not in their heads, I don’t know what they think, but I do know some glaring problems showed up. Special teams had a real bad start to their season, but I assure you it will only get better.”

Looking ahead to this week, the Bisons will host their home opener at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7 against provincial rival Saskatchewan. The Huskies got off to a hot start, winning their season opener 42-0 over Alberta.

“We know that Saskatchewan is really good. I don’t care who they beat, they beat a Canada West opponent 42-0. When you’re beating someone 42-0 in this conference, you’re really good,” Dobie said.

“I’m sure they’re like every Saskatchewan team I’ve ever coached against in my career; disciplined, structured and consistent. Sure, they’ve got good athletes, but they’re going to constantly play high end football. You’re not going to see too many chinks in the armour.”

Despite this week’s results, the Bisons are motivated heading into their Week 2 matchup against the Huskies.

“I think this team isn’t happy or feeling good about itself because they lost,” Dobie said. “But I do think they are confident, angry and determined. If that’s the case, we need to prove it.”