The year is 2011. Riding a seven-game win streak and the momentum of a 46-point victory over Massey Brandon in the Division 2 quarter-finals, Grant Park prepares for their biggest test yet: the 7-0 Dakota Lancers. 

At this time, Dak is in just their second year of existence at the WHSFL level. The St. Vital-based school had gone undefeated the year prior to claim the Division 3 title and were favoured to win it all again, this time at the D2 level, with a combined school record of 20-0.

Dak’s potent passing offence had the big name quarterback in uber athletic Lyall Buckland. They also had elite team speed, led by dynamite returner and defensive back Eric Plett, a future Manitoba Bison. 

On paper, they were the clear favourites against a Grant Park team that saw many athletes play both ways. 

The team’s roster wasn’t full of game-changing athletes at every position. But they knew what they did well, which was control possession by dictating the run game, and causing turnovers with a defence that saw all 12 players finish their tackles with ferocity. 

“We were split back veer, because we had to run the football,” recalled head coach Doug Kovacs, who was in his first year in the position with the Pirates at the time, after previously being on Sisler and Kelvin staffs that advanced to WHSFL championships.

“We had two good tackles, and everybody else weighed 165. [Our line] needed to get out and scramble cut that kid just enough to get [running backs] Jordan [Birrell] and Micheal [Ritchott] through for six. We did that for years because that’s what we had.”

Trailing 16-14, the Pirates scored the upset on a last-second field goal to advance to the Free Press Bowl. There, they outlasted Jayden McKoy [former Bison, now the defensive coordinator for the Lancers] and the 7-1 Miles Mac Buckeyes for their first-ever championship in school history.

On Friday, Kovacs will aim for his third varsity title with the Pirates [fourth overall], but first non-consolation championship in 12 seasons. The Pirates have big game experience, most recently playing in the 2021 ANAVETS Bowl against Vincent Massey. 

Their opponent is the Dakota Lancers, GP’s rival in the Southeastern Conference. And while both teams lost just once in the regular season, Grant Park’s was to their ANAVETS Bowl opponent, 49-0. 

So, the question for Kovacs and company, is can they pull off the under-dog win again? 

The tale of the tape

Grant Park proved they had an extra gear by knocking off powerhouse St. Paul’s 24-21 in the semis. 

Going in, the Pirates were 21.5 point underdogs. But much like 2011, they rode a strong run game, relied on lights out play from their two-way starters and made big plays on defence when it counted. 

Twelve years ago Grant Park’s roster of roughly 30 won because they cared about each other like family, and they were willing to leave everything on the field, no matter the cost. 

The 2023 group embodies a similar attitude. They’re extremely close off the field, and they work like dogs. 

“That’s why I make them lift together after school every day. The team that works together stays together. You try to keep them together as much as you can,” said Kovacs.

“They wanted to decorate the locker room this year. They put up LED lights. The ANAVETS hosts a games night. They come and they play shuffleboard, pool and darts. They’re in here a couple times a year. It actually brought in a couple of kids that had never played before.”

Despite losing four starters for various reasons, Grant Park continued to battle, led by two-way senior quarterback Scott Sisson, who also plays corner, senior running back and halfback Gavin Johannesson and junior running back, linebacker and long snapper Jesse Deneka. 

“This year, no one thought we would win, especially with what happened in the spring, with people leaving for prep schools and getting hurt or just quitting football. We weren’t expected to go anywhere,” acknowledged Deneka, who had 55.5 tackles in the regular season and will end his Pirates career with more than any other player in program history.

“We’re not even a big team, but as a group, we stuck together and went game by game. We didn’t worry about the next game. If I can go out there and help my team win, I’m going to do that. Playing both ways, I know I’m tired, I know I’m hurt, I’m cramping up, but I’m just going to go out there because I know if I’m out there, my team has confidence, I have confidence. We can go out there and win the game.”

The question now is if Grant Park can replicate what they did in 2011 by beating one of the best teams in the nation in Dakota. 

The Lancers put up 357 points in the regular season, only allowed 67 and have one of Canada’s most sought-after quarterbacks in Blake Penner [tied the single-season WHSFL passing TD record]. 

On defence, emotional leader Asun Ducharme headlines a group with exceptional team speed. It’s “the fastest football team I’ve been around regardless of level,” according to fifth-year head coach Mitch Harrison. 

Returners Amid Kanu and Augustine Nkundimana [Bisons commit with track and football] are both on the track team, and are a threat to take a kick back any time, as is grade 11 receiver Mikun Odunuga. 

“We have two track teams out there,” chuckled Harrison. “That is actually the case. Our whole 4×100 team is football kids.”

And while the narrative in the past has been Dakota’s ability to pull kids from the St. Vital Mustang’s program, that doesn’t tell the full story for Harrison’s group. 

None of the three standouts listed above had ever played football prior to attending Dakota. Neither had 2022 alum Sean Rowe, now the starting left tackle for the Bisons football team.

Harrison and his staff have done a great job polishing the skill of their raw talent that came from the Mustangs, while also developing athletes into football players from scratch.

“An athlete is an athlete. We just let them use their athleticism to their advantage,” said Harrison. 

“To be honest, there’s a part of me that very much prefers kids with very little football background. I have so much confidence in our staff. Here’s a fresh brick of clay, turn it into something special, and they do.”

The Lancers were in the ANAVETS Bowl last year, they know how to handle the pressure, as does Grant Park, who played in the 2021 final. 

Neither team was successful in those years, but something’s got to give on Friday when the two teams face off at 6 pm. One of these programs will make history with their first-ever ANAVETS Bowl title, adding another chapter to the thrilling rivalry between the two sides. 

“Everyone in our program outside of new grade nines this year has had the experience of playing in the finals and losing. It’s not a lesson you want to learn,” said Harrison. 

“I took a huge shot to my ego with that one, but it was a really important learning lesson for our program. Now it’s just about going about our business and not letting the moment get too big. We’ve been there before. Why act like we haven’t?”