Resurrection in District 8 final
School hopes to get a lift in the Nov. 8 championship from offensive lineman Zane Spoenlien
Zane Spoenlien has two hectic weeks ahead of him.
For starters, the Resurrection Catholic Secondary School student will travel to Orlando, Fla., next Friday to participate in the Nov. 5-11 World Powerlifting Congress championship.
If his schedule permits, which he believes it will, the 15-year-old Spoenlien will be back in time to take his spot on the offensive line when the Phoenix football team competes in the District 8 senior championship on Nov. 8 at Warrior Field.
Resurrection (4-1-1) earned a direct berth to the league’s championship game by playing to a 10-10 tie with the St. David Celtics (3-2-1) on Wednesday afternoon. The Celtics will take on the St. Mary’s Eagles in semifinal action next Thursday, with the winner facing Resurrection in the final.
“The timing isn’t great, but I booked the trip to Orlando last year and it’s a really big event for me,” said Spoenlien.
“Powerlifting and football are my things, and they’re equally important to me. So hopefully, it goes well in Orlando and we play David in the final. We haven’t beaten them yet.”
The six-foot, 235-pound Spoenlien has put together a strong resumé in both sports, but his powerlifting numbers are especially impressive. He trains four times each week at the Wharehouse Strength Academy and has personal-best efforts of 400 pounds in the bench press, 580 pounds in the deadlift and 505 pounds in the squat.
The strength, he said, gives him a huge advantage on the football field against larger opponents.
“If you’ve got size without strength, you’ve really got nothing,” he said. “Strength is a huge advantage.”
A Grade 11 student, Spoenlien plays for the Cambridge Lions during the summer season and said he hopes to play university football at “either Waterloo or Laurier” after graduating from high school.
Resurrection and St. David coaches decided to forgo overtime after Tuesday’s game turned chippy in the final minutes. The contest meant nothing in the standings, so players shook hands and went their separate ways after the final whistle.
“You don’t want to see anyone
Powerlifting and football are my things. ZANE SPOENLIEN Resurrection
get hurt. … So, we move on and get ready for St. Mary’s,” said Celtics head coach Shane Verbiski.
“I like our chances (against the Eagles), but they’re a wellcoached team with a great quarterback (Andrew Brush), so it won’t be easy.”
St. David had a legitimate chance of winning after a Resurrection player was assessed a 35-yard penalty in the final minute but instead of going for a touchdown, Celtics quarterback/ kicker Sam Publicover was instructed to hit a 22-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining on a first-down play from Resurrection’s 15-yard line.
St. David jumped out to 7-0 on a one-yard touchdown run by Zach Gladding. The score was set up by a spectacular reception by Brayden Schneider.
Resurrection responded minutes later when quarterback Max Le Duc rushed for a three-yard score.
That play came moments after interception by Resurrection defender Braeden Barry.
Jaxon Matcheski put Resurrection up 10-7 with less than two minutes to play.