McInnis rushes to league title in overtime

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

It was the moment kids go to bed hoping to dream about: tie game in overtime with a chance to win the league championship.
For Austin McInnis, that dream became reality Nov. 5 at a surprisingly warm Crowther Memorial Junior High School (CMJHS) field.
The Strathmore Community Football Association (SCFA) peewee Badgers downed the Red Deer Hornets 12-6 in front of a lively crowd to capture the Central Alberta Peewee Football Association league title.
For the SCFA organization, it was their first league title in any of the three age groups since 2002, when the bantam team was crowned Tier I champions.
Tied 6-6 after the fourth quarter, the Hornets won the coin toss and elected to take the ball.
Backed up because of penalties, the Hornets faced third and what seemed like a mile. That’s when Hornets quarterback Matthew LaBonte connected with wide out Ryan Raymont on a 38-yard pass down towards the Badgers goal line.
“Our D made a few mistakes today, but we bent and didn’t break,” said Badgers head coach Doug Thiessen. “They were lights out all year for us just like they were today.”
The Hornets were looking at first and goal when they were swarmed by the Badgers defensive line, backing them up with eight and 12-yard sacks. Trying to salvage their situation, the Hornets tried to kick the ball through the end zone for the rouge, but that was also blocked.
The Badgers took over on downs back at the 35. Any score would clinch them the championship.
“We called a run play that was only supposed to pick up five, maybe 10 yards so we could kick the ball for the win,” said Thiessen.
McInnis took the handoff to the left, bounced off a tackle in the A gap and was gone 35 yards to pay dirt and the league championship.
“It feels really good to score a big touchdown like that,” said McInnis, who was beaming after the game. It was his third touchdown of the season. “The play was an R1F1 handoff through the line and I was able to deke my way through to the opening.”
It was a sentimental touchdown as well for McInnis. Earlier in the season, teammate Sean Grill broke his leg at practice one night. While he was in the hospital, a pair of Calgary Stampeders visited him. Afterwards, Thiessen bought him a pair of Stamps gloves. Grill gave them to McInnis prior to the game and told him to wear them and to score a touchdown for him.
As soon as McInnis crossed the goal line and the referees signaled touchdown, the entire Badgers roster and coaching staff poured onto the field while the Hornets fell to their knees in shock and heartbreak.
“The boys played great today. Both teams played well; there was nothing more I could have asked from them. They played their hearts out,” said Hornets head coach Tracy Collins-Decker. “It’s hard for them when they lose a game like that so quickly.”
Parents rushed the field to take photos, Thiessen was given an ice bath from his team, and league commissioner Carl Seafoot presented the trophy to the captains.
“That was one of the toughest games we played all year. I think my team deserved to win this one,” said McInnis.
The Peewee Badgers will host the Bonnyville Renegades on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. at CMJHS for the Tier III provincial championship.

 

Senior Badgers miss out
Unfortunately, the highly anticipated rematch between the senior Badgers and the Innisfail Cyclones was a let down.
The Cyclones cauterized the Badgers 67-6 to win their third-straight Mountain View Football Conference title Nov. 5 in Innisfail.
There was some controversy heading into the finals; the Badgers thought they should have hosted the championship, but an end-of-season rule change saw the game transfer to Innisfail.
But for the Badgers, it didn’t matter if the game was in Strathmore, Innisfail or on the moon, they simply didn’t have their A game.
“Everything went wrong,” said Badgers head coach Sean Seafoot. “We saved our worst game of the season for the end.”
Starting with 19 players on the bench, the Badgers limped into the fourth quarter still scoreless while injuries shrank their bench to 11 guys.
“It’s a tough way to end, but it was a really fun season, I loved coaching these guys, we have most of the roster coming back next year to take another run at it,” said Seafoot, whose players returned to CMJHS just in time to see peewee McInnis’s winning touchdown. “I think the players all had a great time this year and that’s what really matters.”

 

Bantam Badgers miss in consolation play
The bantam Badgers played in the consolation final in Rocky Mountain House against the Rebels and were clipped 41-36.
The Badgers were playing catch up after trailing 5-0 after the first quarter. Riley Southern registered three touchdowns, Luke Henry and Brandon Middlemiss chipped in a touchdown each, but it wasn’t enough to pass the Rebels.