Fighting Saints Football

Another season has come and gone for our football program. Now that the cleats have been hung up and snow is on the ground, it is time to take a look back at what was the 2013 season.

Although it did not end exactly how we may have wanted, this year was another successful campaign for the junior squad. The team entered the season with 16 returning Grade 10’s, and a number of promising Grade 9’s. Practices began on Thursday, September 5^th and by the following Monday all players were in full equipment. This meant that there would be approximately two and half weeks to get the team ready for the season opener on September 26^th.

Things got off to a shaky start however, with weather forcing the cancellation of the usual pre-season exhibition game on the 20^th. For the first time since 2003, the juniors would begin the season playing someone other than our cross-town rivals, the St. Ignatius Falcons. This game would end up as a disappointing loss to the Churchill Trojans and the next week would end similarly, this time to St. Ignatius.

The juniors were able to reverse their fortunes in the following two games, doubling up the Hammarskjold Vikings and the Westgate Tigers. With a record of two wins and two losses, the juniors would finish third and automatically advance to the semi-finals against number-two ranked Churchill. The team was in good shape heading into their bye week and certainly on an emotional high. During the couple weeks off between games, two junior players, Cody Baranyk and Kellen Steudle, were privileged to be called up by the senior squad and had some significant playing time in their game that week.

The November 2^nd semi-final would pit the juniors against a team that had soundly defeated them in week one. The team had improved significantly since that time, and had two weeks to prepare for the match-up. The juniors roared out to a 21-0 lead after the first half, and hung on to upset Churchill 34-29. This would set up a second trip to the finals in three years, and a re-match with number-one ranked St. Ignatius.

What was anticipated to be a high-scoring slugfest turned into a tight, defensive battle. With five starters out of the line-up due to injury, the offense struggled to move the ball against a tough Falcons defense. However as the game progressed, the offense began to pick up momentum. Unfortunately the clock became the enemy, and the game ended as a disappointing 7-0 loss.

Although the championship has eluded the team again, it was a great season. With upwards of 15 potential returning Gr. 9’s, next season promises to be equally as exciting. Spring camp is only 5 months away!

The 2013 senior campaign was one fraught with challenges but also with some successes.  With quite a number of returning players, including several fifth year athletes, practices began on Wednesday, September 5^th. This would leave approximately one week and half to prepare for the season’s first game on September 20^th.

The opener began with the traditional match-up against our cross-town rivals, the St. Ignatius Falcons. At stake was claim over the Catholic Cup, which had been firmly planted at St. Pat’s for the last number of years. Unfortunately this round went to St. Ignatius and along with it the Cup (at least until next year).

Promise returned the next week with a win over Superior, but the injury bug hit the team and a number of players were lost for the year. This precipitated heartbreaking losses to Westgate, Churchill and Hammarskjold which doomed the season. The very under-strength squad did achieve some redemption with a victory over Superior and finished with a final record of 2 and 5.

With another sizable group of Gr.10’s moving up next year from junior, there’s a lot of hope for more successful 2014 season!