The St. Paul Lions gained more momentum on Friday night with a big win at home against the Bonnyville Voyageurs, winning with a final score of 35-2.
“We played an outstanding game today,” said coach Todd Tanasichuk, after the game. He added that Bonnyville played “undisciplined football,” while the Lions kept their heads in the game.
The game belonged to the Lions pretty much the whole way through. Grade 10 quarterback Brenden McKay threw three touchdowns and had 187 yards passing, making for a “fantastic” game for the young Lion, said offensive line coach Steve Johnson.
“I think we did great. Everyone did their job,” said McKay, after the game.
Partway through the game, Lions’ Miguel Corbiere was injured and as a precaution, he was taken off the field by ambulance. It was a big hit, said Johnson, who added, it’s always better to be safe when dealing with injuries to the neck.
But, the injury only added more fuel to the fire, as the Lions would be up 28-2 in the third quarter and would later increase the lead to 35-2 in the fourth.
Coaches praised the entire team for their performance on Friday. The defence “came to play today,” said Johnson, adding, “We shut ‘em down.”
“The whole O-line did a phenomenal job.”
A few early sacks put Bonnyville in its place, and allowed for St. Paul to take hold of the game.
Other standout players included Jason Jubinville, who had 93 yards on 14 carries. Overall, the Lions had 237 yards rushing. Jubinville also caught a pass for a 39-yard touchdown. The leading receiver on Friday was Mark Proskiw, who caught five passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Other players scoring touchdowns were Dominic Dion and Josh Pelham.
On defence, Dion was a force with 12 tackles, while Dale Johnson also had a great showing with two sacks, and Cody White who had an interception.
The Lions will head to Bonnyville on Thursday to face the Voyageurs again.
“They’re going to come out with a vengeance,” said Johnson, adding, “We respect them. They’re a good team.”
“I think they will come to play,” agreed linebacker Dale Johnson. “It’s not going to be an easy week.” He also praised his teammates’ performance on Friday, saying the players did exactly what the coaches had asked of them, but noted that the team will have to work hard to prepare for this week’s rematch.
The St. Paul Lions are currently ranked 10th in the province.
