Eskimos sweep senior, junior titles
It’s not unusual for girls to play in the Kinsmen Minor Football League but it’s unusual for one to dominate the way Chelsea Burton did this year.
The 11-year-old was an imposing presence on the Eskimos defensive and offensive lines and a big factor in their 8-0 record. They beat the Redblacks 30-6 in the Junior Division final at Thomas A. Stewart Athletic Field on Saturday morning.
Burton was one of only three second-year players on the Eskimos along with Nate Harvey and Cooper Stephenson. They led a mostly rookie group to an undefeated season.
Eskimos head coach Robert Harvey said he marvelled at watching Burton.
“She’s just been dominant this season,” Harvey said.
“She was a pleasure to coach last year and she came back this year twice as resolved to win having lost narrowly last year. Offence, defence we can count on her and she’s even kicked extra points for us. She’s a force of nature.”
She’s a favourite to win the league’s most valuable player award.
“In my opinion, and the opinion of a lot of coaches in our league, she was the best athlete in our league this year. That is atypical,” said Harvey.
Burton says she just wanted to do what she saw her brother T.J., who plays for the senior Eskimos, does.
“My brother has been playing this sport for a while and I’ve always wanted to play it,” said Chelsea. “I always knew I would be good at it. Once I got onto that football field I just knew I was going to hit and play like I meant it.”
She wears it almost like a badge of honour that she does so well against boys.
“I feel like boys will respect you more because you are playing a sport that mostly boys play,” she said.
Last year the Eskimos lost in the final by two points.
“We basically had a team full of rookies who worked really hard,” Harvey said.
“We focused on the fundamentals and having fun. I told them if we worked really hard and we all do our job we could win this and that’s what they did. I’m really happy I could teach them that life lesson as well as teach them a love for the game of football.”
A focus on teamwork led to success, he said.
“Our three returning players stood out but we didn’t focus on that. We made sure everybody had the same type of experience and everybody could produce. We saw the players who were new really step up and rise to the challenge.”
Stephenson scored two touchdowns, Harvey one and Chase Van Allen recorded his first touchdown of the season. Burton, Stephenson and Van Allen kicked converts.
“It was very exciting to win it this year,” Stephenson said. “I left (last year) behind and this was a new year. Everyone worked together.”
The Redblacks were also a young team with only three returning players. They posted a 5-3 record on the season with their only losses against the Eskimos.
“Our guys came together and worked hard in the playoffs,” said Redblacks coach Bryan Goode. “They played with class and heart through the whole game today. The coaching staff is really proud of how the kids came together.”
Tyson Wood scored the Redblacks touchdown.
The Eskimos also won the Senior Division final 41-16 over the Argos.
Two of the Argos’ top offensive players, Nate Thomson and Cole Kidd, left the game with injuries in the first quarter.
The Eskimos ran up a 29-0 lead in the first quarter. Ryan Forsythe scored a touchdown on their second play of the game after Jordan Feeley returned the opening kick-off to the Argos’ one-yard line.
Lucas Brooks scored two majors, a field goal and convert. Xavier Parmiter added two TDs and Feeley one. Scoring for the Argos was Charlie Matthews and Shane Loranger with touchdowns and Peyton Clarkin kicked two converts.