It’s my Parting Shot for my Monday Musings…..
That was quite the football weekend with all the local favourites winning and, as it should be, Saskatoon proving to be better than Regina!
Let’s start with the champion teams – first, congratulations to the Hilltops, winners of their 24th Canadian Bowl with a frosty 21-18 victory over the Okanagan Sun. Since I haven’t called play-by-play of their games since 2013, I don’t know any of the players, but that veteran coaching staff is mostly the same – so congrats to Tom Sargeant, Shane Reider, Jeff Yausie, Donnie Davidsen, Dave Fisher, Brent Turkington and my old colour commentator Barclay Schlosser – plus relative newcomer Bruce Rempel and former all-star running back Andre Lalonde! I wonder if they still play hotel room “bocce” the night before a road game?! What a group!!
Nice to see Holy Cross beat Regina-Miller for the Provincial 6-A High School title Friday night, also at S-M-F Field. A lot of fine football athletes cut their teeth in the very competitive Saskatoon High School Football League – on their way to the Junior, college and even the professional ranks! Congrats to the Crusaders!!
Speaking of college, how about that Saturday afternoon comeback by the Saskatchewan Huskies to disappoint the Regina Rams at Griffiths Stadium! I watched a replay of it on Sunday morning and now understand what young Jackson Imrie told me in a text at the end of the third quarter as he was at the contest. I quote, It has not been a good game from a Huskie perspective. Boy, did that turnaround in a massive way! Sixteen unanswered points for a 25-24 triumph!! Congrats to Scott Flory and company!
Of course, there’s the Riders. They managed to win a defensive struggle with Corey Mace’s faith in his defence being the key to victory in the late stages! While many would’ve gambled on third and goal from the Lions’ five with 2:49 remaining and trailing 21-14, Mace opted to kick a field goal and have his defence get the ball back for Trevor Harris’ offence – which they did, twice!! And, how about 39-year-old Harris engineering a seven play, 76-yard touchdown drive in the final 63 seconds for the near, walk-off win?! Despite the protests of B-C’s owner, Tommy Nield’s catch was a good one – right?!! On to the 112th Grey Cup Game where Saskatchewan faces another young, dynamic quarterback in Montreal’s Davis Alexander. Ugh, how many remember the 2009 and 2010 Grey Cup losses to the Alouettes?!
What about the Saskatoon Blades you ask? They weren’t nearly as badly beaten as the Oilers were by Colorado on Saturday in Edmonton! Now, that was sweet!!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
