Senior Bowl leaves lasting impression
The Ed Henick Senior Bowl is the last hurrah for Saskatchewan’s top high school football players.
Although the outcome between the North and South teams in Monday’s 12-man contest was decisively onesided, the respective MVPs — Jordan Walls (North) and Atlee Simon (South) — had games to remember.
Walls was the best of a very impressive lot on the North side in the 55-2 victory at Griffiths Stadium.
The Saskatoon Hilltops recruit split time at quarterback with Kobe Kindrachuk and finished the game with 93 yards passing and 56 more on the ground.
Thanks in part to Walls’s contributions, the North team ended a seven-year losing streak against the South and set a record for points scored. The 1993 South team had 54.
“Coming in, I was very nervous. Offence doesn’t normally click as well as it should when there isn’t much time beforehand,” said Walls, a Tommy Douglas student. “It seemed like every time we were out there we were just marching, marching, marching and punching it in every time.
“When we came in at halftime, we said, ‘We’re getting 50 today.’ ”
The North led 33-0 at the intermission.
While on the South side, Simon rushed the ball 17 times for 100 yards. His team had 139 yards of net offence in the game.
Simon, who will play for the Regina Rams in August, played his last game for his longtime coach, dad and former University of Saskatchewan Huskie Luis Simon.
“It was a bittersweet moment,” said Atlee, who plays for Thom Collegiate but attends Harvest City Christian Academy. “It was a special moment getting the opportunity with him. It’s something I’ll remember for sure.”
“I was telling the guys today that this was the first time it really sunk in,” added Luis. “Ever since Grade 5, I’ve coached him every single year expect for one year.
“But, you know what? I get to start over with my 10-yearold (Isaac).”
The outcome was never in doubt for the North team.
Hilltops recruit Jason Price caught three touchdown passes, racking up 74 yards.
Defensive back James Vause — another future Hilltop — was the most productive defender, making three tackles, assisting on four others and hauling in an interception.
“We just played a perfect game,” Walls said.
The South team, meanwhile, made nine turnovers, highlighted by five lost fumbles.
“Individually, I think we’ve got some better players,” Luis said. “It just wasn’t our day today.”
“It’s a complicated offence for some of the guys that came from certain programs,” Atlee said. “Trying to get everything meshed together in such a short period of time was tough.
“We executed the best we could out here. Things don’t go your way all the time.”
The South group didn’t leave Saskatoon empty-handed, however.
They won the morning nine-man game 7-1 and the afternoon six-man contest 12-0. However, the North improved its record in the 12man game to 12-18.
“Grudge matches or records, we never have conversations about that,” North coach Travis Serke said. “In the back of our minds, we know the South has won more than us.
“But it was about the kids and about the coaching staff deciding on a defence and an offence and putting the kids in the right position to make plays.” Walls did in the end. He’s confident his last high school hurrah will bring more success at the junior level.
“This game’s a good test to see where I’m at,” Walls said. “It’s the best of the best. It shows me with a little extra work, I can for sure play at the next level of football.”