After their heartbreaking loss to Team Nova Scotia in Manitoba’s second game in Thursday’s consolation round robin, the coaches and athletes of Team Manitoba vowed they wouldn’t let the loss get them down.
And they didn’t.
On Sunday, in two brilliantly played mini-games, Manitoba whipped Team New Brunswick 31-7 and then got past favoured Team Nova Scotia 16-7, taking the coveted fifth place spot at the 2013 Football Canada Cup in Moncton, N.B.
With a fifth-place finish, it means that at next year’s Football Canada Cup – being held in Winnipeg – Manitoba will face off against the fourth-place team, Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan lost to Ontario in the Bronze Medal Game on Sunday afternoon.
In the first game of the day against New Brunswick, Manitoba dominated early on. Quarterback Drenin Busch hit wideout DeVonn Shepherd with one touchdown pass and then found his Murdoch MacKay teammate, Kaanon Felix, with another TD pass. New Brunswick managed to score against Manitoba when Coel Storey ran in a touchdown, but they simply couldn’t measure up against their Western foes.
Busch, who handled the kicking duties, as well, put up another three and then after he found Sisler wideout Riley Harrison he hit Shepherd for his second of the day. At this point, New Brunswick and Manitoba’s record improved to 2-2.
In the second game against Nova Scotia, Manitoba scored late in the half as Busch hit Riley Harrison to make it 7-0. This got things rolling for Manitoba and before the half ended, Liam Haime ran in another major and Manitoba led 13-0.
Nova Scotia scored a touchdown with 3:33 left in the first half, but Busch, nailed another field goal making it 16-7 at the half and that score stood up for the remainder of the game.
Team Manitoba took the field with something to prove on Sunday morning, and the young men got the job done.
“Congratulations to Team Manitoba on finishing 5th at the 2013 Football Canada Cup,” said Ron East, the Executive Director of Football Manitoba. “We achieved our goal of improving our rankings and we look forward to playing Saskatchewan, the fourth place finishers, in the opening game of the 2014 Football Canada Cup in Winnipeg… Mini Banjo Bowl!”
“I can’t stop telling everyone about how proud I am of those kids that represented our province in this year’s Canada Cup. Although we didn’t medal, our boys played with their hearts out every game. Drenin, was the leader of the team today and throughout the tournament,” enthused Offensive Coordinator John Makie. “There was a play against Nova Scotia, when he carried 7 defenders on his back to get us closer in the field position battle and that was the play that pumped up our team, at that point I knew we were winning that game. I am very proud of what he accomplished throughout this program and I consider myself fortunate to have worked with such a fantastic individual.”
With files from Rebecca Horan, Football Manitoba
Photos: Rob Penner, Football Manitoba
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
