High school football playoffs heat up

East Winnipeg

West Winnipeg

The Winnipeg High School Football League regular season wrapped up with a handful of junior varsity games on Oct. 21, and playoffs are underway.

In the AAAA/Tier 1 Potter Division, perennial powerhouses the Oak Park Raiders and Dakota Lancers both finished with 6-1 records and 12 points. The Raiders finished with 281 points scored and only 62 against, while the Lancers scored 253 and allowed just 41.

In the AAAA/Tier 1 Vidruk Division, the St. Paul’s Crusaders and Vincent Massey Trojans each finished with 6-1 records and 12 points, with St. Paul’s scoring 199 points and allowing 61, while Vincent Massey scored 256 and allowed only 45.

On the A-side of the AAAA Tier 1 playoffs, St. Paul’s took on Brandon’s Vincent Massey Vikings, Dakota battled the Grant Park Pirates, Oak Park faced the Miles Macdonell Buckeyes, and the Trojans faced the Steinbach Sabres on Oct. 24. Results were not available at press time. Semifinals will be played on Oct. 31.

The Tier 1 consolation playoffs saw the Crocus Plains Plainsmen win 35-28 vs. River East Kodiaks, while Sturgeon Heights Huskies edged out the Kelvin Clippers 23-21 on Oct. 22. The consolation final between Crocus Plains and Sturgeon Heights will be held Oct. 29.

In the AAAA/Tier 2 Division, the West Kildonan Wolverines were undefeated in seven outings, scoring 218 points while allowing 78 against. The Elmwood Giants finished second, going 6-1, while scoring 248 points and allowing 110 against.

(During the final game of the season between the Sisler Spartans and Tec Voc Hornets, Darius Hartshorne, a Grade 12 Spartans player, sustained a serious neck injury that required emergency surgery following what was described as an “awkward collision” and a “freak accident.”)

Quarterfinals began for Tier 2 on Oct. 23. West Kildonan took on Sisler, Elmwood faced the Kildonan-East Reivers, Tec Voc played the Garden City Gophers, and Murdoch MacKay faced the Springfield Sabres. Results were not available at press time. The semifinals will be played Oct. 30.

The Churchill Bulldogs finished atop the AAA Division, tied with the Fort Frances Muskie with 6-1 records. Churchill scored 246 points while only allowing 80 against, while Fort Frances scored 216 and allowed 114.

The AAA quarter-finals got underway on Oct. 23, with Dryden facing Beaver Brae. Churchill took on Daniel McIntyre, John Taylor faced St. Norbert, and Fort Frances played St. John’s on Oct. 24. Results were not available at press time. The semifinals will go on Oct. 30.

Varsity championship games are scheduled for Nov. 7 and 8.

The top four AAAA schools also fielded 12-player junior varsity squads, with Oak Park going undefeated in six games. In the 12-player semifinals, Oak Park beat St. Paul’s 37-2, while Dakota beat Vincent Massey 53-0 on Oct. 22. The JV 12-player final between Oak Park and Dakota is set for Oct. 29 at Princess Auto Stadium.

A dozen other schools fielded nine-player JV squads, with the Miles Macdonell Buckeyes going undefeated in six games to finish the regular season in top spot. The semifinals will take place on Oct. 29, with the final set for Nov. 5 at Princess Auto Stadium.

For more information, visit whsfl.ca