Shorthanded Chargers blanked in football final
Normally quarterbacks don’t get very excited about interceptions they’re involved with. But on Saturday, Regina Miller Marauders starting quarterback Luke Hornung was pretty pleased with a pair of picks.
Hornung, who sees double duty as a linebacker, picked off two Saskatoon Centennial Charger passes and helped Miller blank the host Chargers 45-0 in the 4A provincial final at SMF Field in Saskatoon.
“That was pretty cool,” said Hornung about the picks.
“The guys put me in position. I was fortunate enough to make the plays. Whatever I can do to help the team.”
Hornung also helped his team by passing for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding 40 more yards on the ground.
The Chargers were playing with quite a different lineup than the one that won their second straight overtime city championship over Holy Cross just one week earlier. Seven Centennial starters were in Italy, including star running back Thomas Coghill. Fellow top rusher Rhett Krysak was also out of the lineup, due to injury.
“It happens every year at Centennial,” said Charger head coach Brent Keeler. “They ’re on a history study tour trip. The same thing happened last year (when the Chargers lost 44-15 in the provincial final to Regina Campbell). It’s just something you have to put up with when you’re at Centennial.”
Despite the missing players, Centennial played Miller tight early, trailing 7-0 till midway through the second quarter on a cold and windy day. But five straight Miller touchdowns in the last eight minutes of the first half erased any doubt about the game’s outcome. Miller had 289 total yards of first half offence, compared to minus 31 yards for Centennial.
“We kind of knew coming into this it would be tough, with all those guys missing and all the talent they (Miller) had on their team,” said defensive end Riece Kack, who led Centennial with 10 defensive points.
“It was a really good season as a whole. We were out here to win the city championship — that was our goal from the start — and we did that.”
Hornung threw 26- and 43-yard touchdown tosses to Emmett Steadman.
Steadman also blocked a punt, returning it three yards for another major, and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass of his own to Kieran Poissant on an option play.
Isaac Birdsell-tyndale had a nine-yard rushing major and Poissant added his second major of the game on a 23-yard double reverse. Kris Lowry converted all six touchdowns and added a single on a missed field goal. Centennial also conceded a safety.
The Chargers finally got their offence going on their final drive of the game, pushing to the Miller 13 yard line. A 20-yard last minute field goal attempt by Karter Ambrosichuk was kicked into the onrushing line, preserving the shutout for Miller.
“Obviously it’s a little bit disappointing that we can’t put a better product on the field at the final,” said Keeler.
“But being in the provincial final means we won the city championship, and that’s what it’s about for us. This year we certainly had a younger team — a young offence. I’m just very pleased that we repeated as city champions.”
The game was the second-highest scoring 4A provincial football championship shutout. The record is held by Regina Leboldus, who blanked Saskatoon Aden Bowman 66-0 in 2008.
In other provincial football action, Lumsden made it back-toback 3A 9-man championships with a 55-16 victory over Humboldt. Delisle won in 2A 9-man with a 43-20 win over Indian Head. Clavet won their second straight 2A 6-man title, defeating Wakaw 56-34. In 1A, Hafford’s 64-8 win over Hanley was their first football championship since 1991.