#CFCHSFB PREVIEW (MB): Oak Park looks to get back on track against Clansmen

The Winnipeg High School Football League’s (WHSFL) match of the week is Thursday’s game between the Murdoch MacKay Clansmen and the Oak Park Raiders.

In their quest to repeat as champions, the Raiders are a respectable 2-2. Oak Park opened the season 2-0 but have fallen the past couple of games.

However, there is positivity in the clubhouse of the Raiders.

Defensive end William Nuilan thinks his team can succeed in the future.

“We know what we are capable of and if we stick to fundamental football, and stick to our individual assignments we will succeed going forward” said Nuilan.

Special teams have been huge for the Raiders this year. Nico Di Fonte has been lights out kicking field goals and punting.

“He is a huge asset,” said Raiders head Coach Stu Nixon.

It will be tough for the Raiders, who graduated over 30 students last year and have had some injury problems this season.

With a fairly new team, the Raiders will try to keep it simple.

“Just staying the course, we can’t add new plays or systems really,we’ve found ourselves constantly repping players in vacant positions, as they become more comfortable we’ll become more successful,” added Nixon.

The Clansmen are 1-3. Three of the four games were against top teams from the WHSFL.

Their lone win of the season came in Week 2 against the Kelvin Clippers by a 30-23 margin.

One bright spot for the Clansmen has quarterback Landon Wilkinson who is second in the WHSFL in passing. Wilkinson has completed 32 of 65 passes for 730 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Wilkinson explained how his team has done through four games this year.

“On offence we have been able to move the ball through the air and on the ground, on defence flowing to the ball has been good but of course both are still not perfect, but we are working our way up,” said Wilkinson.

The Clansmen would like to have a strong finish to this season.

“Our team has been talking and we want to finish the year with a positive record so we are shooting on winning these next three games one at a time” added Wilkinson.

When asked how his team is preparing for this upcoming game, Wilkinson replied. “We will be playing hard, tough, and smart football.”