The St. Paul Lions moved one step closer to a provincial championship this weekend with a 31-14 victory over the reigning Tier III provincial champion, the Stettler Wildcats.
“It’s big that we beat the defending Tier III champions,” said Lions coach Todd Tanasichuk. “It’s been 10 years since we’ve gotten to this point in provincials. Right now we’re tied for as far as a Lions team has ever gone, to the final four here.”
It was a cold afternoon for football in Stettler, with the mercury sinking to nearly 20 degrees below zero, but it wasn’t cold enough to slow down the commanding pace put forth by the Lions this season.
After giving up the ball in three downs on their first possession, Taylor Joly snagged the momentum back for St. Paul by picking up a huge interception in the Lions’ end zone, keeping Stettler off the board and tilting the tables back in St. Paul’s favor.
“The defense was more key in this one than the offense. It was a good performance from everyone all around, but that big stop we had early was huge, that interception,” said Lions coach John Lumby.
“That was a huge defensive stop. The game could have gone a whole bunch of different ways at that point, they could have gone up 7-0 and that could be a totally different game.”
On the following play, Jason Jubinville took off down the field, evading Wildcats every step of the way for a 90-yard touchdown run that shook Stettler to its core. Jubinville had another strong game on the gridiron despite the snow and freezing temperatures, putting up 186 yards on 12 carries.
On the Lions’ next possession, Jubinville tore down the field on another huge run that saw him shake off at least eight attempted tackles, but the touchdown was negated due to a Lions player being offside prior to the snap.
The Lions offense shook off the call, however, and marched to within 13 yards of the end zone, at which point Dylon Machura took over and carried the ball the rest of the way, putting them up 14-0.
“It’s all for the team really. We got this far because we are a team, and we work as a team,” Machura said. “I know when I get in there I’m mainly to block but today I got a touchdown and I thank my O-line for that.”
Just over a minute later, Joly further demonstrated his defensive prowess as he picked off another Wildcats’ pass. He returned the ball 20 yards for a touchdown, giving the Lions a commanding 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Despite the commanding first quarter, the Lions let penalties become a factor, as another touchdown play was called off due to a flag on the field for blocking from the rear.
“(Offside issues) can easily be fixed, but it’s a catch-22 on things like the roughing and the blocking from behind because kids are trying to make plays. They’re not trying to be dirty, they’re trying to make plays and make good hits,” Tanasichuk said, adding some issues will need to be corrected heading into the team’s game against St. Albert.
At the onset of the second quarter, Joly continued his defensive domination by picking off his third pass of the afternoon and setting a new Lions’ playoff record for interceptions in a game.
The second quarter was laden with turnovers as each team had trouble hanging onto the frozen football and neither managed to put up points, leaving the Lions ahead by 21 at the halftime break.
Quarterback Brenden McKay opened the scoring in the second half when he connected with Joly for a 54-yard touchdown pass.
Just when it seemed the Lions had taken complete control, the Wildcats pounced on the ensuing kickoff and returned the ball 70 yards into the end zone to bring the game back to within three touchdowns.
“There was no quit on their side,” Tanasichuk said of the Wildcats. “They knew how to fight - even though things were going against them, they kept fighting hard.”
With three minutes left in the third quarter, the Wildcats struck again with a 28-yard touchdown pass to bring the game within 14 points, but the Lions defense held strong in the final quarter of play to hang on for the victory, and the offense added a field goal to solidify the Lions’ berth to the Provincial Tier III Northern Finals.
Since the team’s inception in 1984, the Lions have never advanced to the provincial finals, a feat that Joly says he hopes to accomplish this weekend by taking down the St. Albert Skyhawks.
“It would be pretty sweet to go down in history like that.”
