Through three weeks of play in the 2021 Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) season, the Murdoch MacKay Clansmen are averaging a ridiculous 339 rushing yards per game. It’s a major reason why the squad sits at 2-1 in the Division 2 standings, and it will be their calling card, especially when the weather starts to get cold.
Murdoch, which has four seniors on their offensive line, has had success with counters, inside runs and RPOs, creating substantial holes for anyone who runs the rock, including senior Daniel Wilson, who has 903 rushing yards after three weeks.
Standing at just 5’6” and around 150 pounds, Wilson – who’s been involved in the sport for six years – knows how to use his size to his advantage, and isn’t afraid of contact, something he got used to after playing Division 1 football as a starter in grade ten.
“I can be shifty,” he says. “If I get the right read, I’ll start chopping my feet real fast and people don’t even know where I’m going. I get five yards of separation.”
At the same time, Wilson, who’s scored seven times including three in a 23-12 win last week over Elmwood, understands and appreciates the work his o-line has been putting in.
“If I didn’t have my o-line the holes wouldn’t be open. My two big guys over here on the counters, I get ten yards every time. I never get stopped on a counter with these guys up front.”
The “two big guys” Wilson is referring to are the Boucher brothers, Drew and Jordin. Standing at 6’4”, 250, the duo are two of the top prospects in the class of 2022 and have already received offers from Manitoba and Carleton and are also on the radar of McMaster, and many other schools.
Just like Wilson, the Bouchers started at the D1 level in 2019 for the Clansmen. They’re both alums of Manitoba’s U16 program and put in serious work during the pandemic with Recruit Ready. Jordin’s primary position is on the defensive line, where he can plug and play at end or tackle, while Drew is one of the more athletic players on the offensive line and is also a versatile athlete who can long snap.
“We weren’t allowed to do one-on-ones for a while, and then last year in May to June, when COVID got a little normal, we were able to go inside. We kind of just hit bags and worked on the fundamentals of football. Taking that whole year off, you’re going to forget even the first two steps off the line,” noted Jordin of the lost 2020 season.
“Coach [Scott] Barbour, he’s been coaching me for about five years now, ever since I switched to d-line. Going to him for all these years, either at prep camp, Recruit Ready or U16, it’s good to have that same coach all the time and learning from him. He’s a great football coach. In the winter we were able to do one-on-ones and pick that intensity back up, and you’re going against Bisons guys and pounding doing on-on-ones. It’s going to really help you out. You have to go against that big dog and try to better yourself.”
“When we couldn’t do one-on-ones, the biggest thing they had us do was just get in front of guys with our feet, and not our hands. It got our feet fast. That’s the one big thing that I’ve noticed in my game this year. My positioning on the line is ten times better than it was two years ago,” added Drew of the training with RR.
“I was a little slow off the line and now I’m explosive and way more aggressive. Going up against those Bisons guys, the competition aspect is what makes us better football players. That’s why I really enjoy doing that program.”
By the time the season started, both athletes were ready to go. They didn’t know if they were going to have enough guys to field a team, but managed to do so just in time. Jordin’s numbers on the defensive line have backed up his hard work, as he leads the division with 34 tackles while also adding 3.5 sacks. Drew has added 11 tackles and a sack, and has also blocked three kicks.
“It was coming down to the wire, and we had to make sure we had 30 kids paid by a certain date or we weren’t playing. That first week of September it was really good. It felt good coming in here knowing you wanted to be that big leader on the team, and teaching kids,” said Jordan. “It’s always good to show what you know. It just makes the team that much better, and I think it’s really progressed our team quite well, especially that front seven on defence.”
The Clansmen have a critical battle with undefeated Sisler this Thursday at home, which will be important in determining their place in the standings with just two games left in the regular season. Make no mistake, the run game will play a huge role in the result.
“Daniel we’ve been playing football with him for five years now. It’s just the whole chemistry aspect of things. Our counters work well, our inside runs work well, our RPOs work well,” noted Drew. “I trust that he’s going to make the right read in that backfield and run right off me, or even our other o-linemen, because it’s not just me out there. I’m confident with him. It clearly shows on the stat sheet.”