Trojans win ANAVETS Bowl

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This article was published 22/11/2021 (1613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Vincent Massey Collegiate has won its third Division One high school title in six years.

Head coach Kelsey McKay, who led the Trojans to victory in 2016 and again in 2018, said this year’s team was “hungry” and “missed the game.”

“I think we just ended up with the right group of young men who were resilient over the last year and a half,” McKay told The Sou’wester. “The leadership was there because they wanted to be there. They appreciated every moment, and every week were able to practice and play in a game.

“They didn’t take it for granted because we all knew it could be taken away from us in a second. We lived in the moment this year and appreciated and respected each other.”

The Trojans were crowned champions of the Winnipeg High School Football League on Nov. 15 after a 25-2 win over the Grant Park Pirates.

McKay said it was a tough, physical game and one of the better Grant Park teams the Trojans have gone up against.

“When they beat us earlier in the year it was a close game, but we had tremendously improved and were a great team in every aspect this year,” McKay said.

“We came out of the gate firing from the first play,” defensive back Josh Banman said.

“The first drive we stopped them, held them to safety and then it just kind of rolled from there. The first half was very dominant while the second half wasn’t, but we did so much in the first it didn’t really matter.”

“The goal is to always shoot for the championship,” linebacker Max Shippam added.

“We were never just aiming to make it to the semi-finals; we wanted to get to the championship and win.”

Banman believes the defensive line was one the strongest parts of the team, and that not having a season last year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic helped the players to victory.

“Grant Park was a well-rounded team and had a lot of good players, but I think our defence stepped it up, held their own and put on a show,” he said.

“From our (junior varsity) season to losing in the semifinals and then not having a season in Grade 11, we were all anxious to get going. Winning the championship meant everything.”

Coach McKay agreed the team’s defensive line stepped it up in the championship game.

“Our defence was undoubtedly the best, and our offence continued to get better,” he said.

“We weren’t going to be stopped. We moved the ball, controlled the clock and won field position. We never gave up any long returns and our tackling was good.”