Spartans a title away from perfect season
When 2018 dawned, Sheldonwilliams Spartans quarterback Keegan Kaytor had never won a championship in football.
Now he is pursuing his third title in a span of 31/2 months.
In July, Kaytor piloted Saskatchewan’s under-18 team to the gold medal at the Football Canada Cup, throwing for three touchdowns in a 31-26 victory over Alberta. He was named the tournament’s offensive MVP after passing for 281 yards and running for another 70 in the final.
Last Friday, the Grade 12 pivot was part of Sheldon’s 24-3 victory over the Balgonie Greenall Griffins in the Regina Intercollegiate Football League’s Stewart Conference final.
He would like to complete the hat trick Saturday when the Spartans face the Saskatoon Bishop Mahoney Saints in the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association’s 3A final (1:30 p.m., Leibel Field).
“It should be a great game — an important game for Sheldon,” Kaytor said. “It’s the provincial final and Sheldon hasn’t been there in a while.
“All of our guys are excited. All the coaches are excited. I’m excited.”
The 3A city title was Sheldon’s first since 1976. The Spartans had last won a championship of any description in 2006, when they captured the RIFL’S Schwann Conference title and the provincial 4A crown.
“The city final was a great game,” Kaytor said. “That’s a big win as well. We’re very happy with that one, but that wasn’t our Super Bowl.
“That wasn’t our end game. We still have one more.”
One more victory would give Sheldon an undefeated season — another reward for the commitment demonstrated by the players.
“The biggest factor is that all the boys on our team are all in,” Kaytor said. “We all share that one goal. This was our goal right off the getgo.
“We wanted to be here, and we wanted to make it to the provincial final. We want to win. This is what we set out to do. Now that we’re here, we’ve got to finish it. We’ve got to make our goal happen.”
The Schwann Conference champion Miller Marauders, meanwhile, are preparing for Saturday ’s 4A provincial final against the Saskatoon Centennial Chargers. The kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m., at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.