West Kildonan wins a squeaker over St. Norbert in WHSFL Bowl

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/11/2017 (3199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the end, the Daniel McIntyre Maroons had history on their side Wednesday night. They were due.

After a championship drought of 39 years, quarterback Kieran Benson threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another to lead the Maroons to a 30-0 triumph over the Kildonan East Reivers in the Winnipeg High School Football League’s Canad Inns Bowl at Investors Group Field (IGF).

The unbeaten Maroons (8-0), regular-season champs of the A Currie Division, won their first Centennial Trophy since 1978, which was the last time the school captured a city football championship. Daniel McIntyre struggled to a 1-6 record in 2016.

In the early game, the West Kildonan Wolverines took an early 6-0 lead and hung on for a 13-12 victory against the St. Norbert Celtics in the WHSFL Bowl.

“We wanted everyone united and doing this for the school,” said an elated Maroons head coach John St. Cyr following a bone-chilling Gatorade shower in the -11 C conditions. “After the win in Week 1 with the Minto Bowl championship over Tec Voc, the momentum just kept rolling and we were undefeated this season… first time in 39 years in Daniel Mac’s history. I don’t know of any other team that’s done this so far — we’re ecstatic. My mind has gone… I don’t even know what to think at this point.”

The Maroons got a MVP performance from tailback Rig Moulebou, who ran for 225 yards on 18 carries, including a 66-yard touchdown scamper to seal the deal in the fourth quarter.

Benson also found Marcus Jordan for a 15-yard major with 59 seconds left in the first half to give the Maroons an 8-0 lead at the intermission. He added another touchdown on a two-yard toss to speedy Ethan Schnerch on third and goal from the two-yard line in the third quarter.

Schnerch added a 30-yard punt single in the opening half. Benson would score from one yard out in the fourth quarter.

“Thirty-nine years, that’s crazy,” said the 5-11, 165-pound Schnerch, who finished the game with five catches for 66 yards. “I feel great, man. Coming from 1-6 last year, what are we (8-0)? It feels great.”

The unbeaten run caught Schnerch by surprise.

“I believed we could be a better team than last year, but I didn’t think we could go this far,” Schnerch said. “I’m really proud.”

The Reivers (5-3), hoping for a better finish with the return of star receiver Michael Goldenstein for the final two games of the regular season after he missed most of the season with a concussion, never got untracked in this one.

The Maroons advanced to the final with a 45-9 semifinal victory over Brandon’s Crocus Plainsmen while the Reivers upended the Portage Trojans 40-12 in the other semi.

Wolverines 13 Celtics 12

Quarterback Devon Machum scored the decisive touchdown on a seven-yard run with 5:52 remaining to lift the Wolverines (5-3) to a heart-stopping win over the Celtics (4-4).

The Celtics were poised to force overtime when Adam Brockie rumbled eight yards for a touchdown with 55 seconds left, but Curtis Junghans’ convert attempt sailed wide left to preserve the margin of victory for the Wolverines.

St. Norbert had a final opportunity to win the game after Charles Gillen recovered an onside kick, but the Celtics’ possession stalled on West Kildonan’s 28-yard line as time expired.

Russell Listmayer ran 16 yards for a first-half score to give the Wolverines a 6-0 edge at the intermission. Brockie, meanwhile, tied the game at 6-6 in the second half, hooking up with quarterback Junghans on a 10-yard pass and run for a major.

West Kildonan offensive lineman Nick Birch was named player of the game.

ON TAP: tonight, the Vincent Massey-Brandon Vikings take on the Oak Park Raiders in the CTV Bowl at 5 p.m., with the ANAVETS Bowl between the St. Paul’s Crusaders and the Dakota Lancers slated for 7:30 p.m. It will be the Crusaders’ 10th consecutive appearance in the AAA championship game. Both games are at IGF.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14