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Playing for one of their own

It’s been a decade of playing in Scott MacDonald’s memory, and the annual tournament is showing no signs of slowing down. MacDonald was a former Bonnyville Voyageur who lost his battle to cancer in 2010.
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During the Renegades game against the Cold Lake Rams, Matthew Delpeche runs with the ball.

It’s been a decade of playing in Scott MacDonald’s memory, and the annual tournament is showing no signs of slowing down.

MacDonald was a former Bonnyville Voyageur who lost his battle to cancer in 2010.

Every year since, the Bonnyville Renegades, Bandits, and Voyageurs hit the field during the Scott MacDonald Memorial Tournament.

While it wasn’t the game some of the teams were hoping for at Walsh Field on Saturday, Sept. 21, everyone left knowing they gave it their all.

Close game for the Renegades

Although the Renegades fell 32-26 to the Cold Lake Rams, head coach Jason Morgan described the matchup as a “great way to start off the Scott MacDonald.”

“I think we got out-coached a little bit. The kids left it out on the field, but there were a couple of experienced plays I should have known to call a little different and I didn’t. I can’t lay this one on the kids at all.”

He added, “The kids learned a little bit about some heart, fighting back to come down from trailing, getting back into the game, taking the lead, and losing it late in the game.”

Starting quarterback Sara Fagnan believes the encounter could have gone either way.

“They had lots of good players, and it’s hard to go against that. It was a very equal game, we could have had it, but we had our hopes down and it ended that way.”

Before players took to the field, coaching staff explained that the tournament wasn’t just about football.

“We asked the kids to think about someone in their family that maybe have been suffering from cancer, or who had it, fought it, and won the battle, or even lost it. We said, ‘you guys play with your heart full today, and play for them,’” expressed Morgan.

Bandits play jamboree

Instead of a regular league game, the Bandits went up against the Cold Lake Ravens in a jamboree-style matchup due to the visiting team not having enough players.

The Ravens knew the significance of the day, and still wanted to put on a show for spectators.

“They couldn’t have made it through a game, and they still wanted to put on a show because it was the Scott MacDonald,” explained head coach Robbie Cole.

A jamboree is a scrimmage that takes teams through multiple plays, and can be used as an introduction to the sport for newcomers. Coaches are on the field offering instructions. This form of game play gives athletes the chance to learn in a hands-on atmosphere.

“There’s some kids that don’t know what they’re doing, so you get them in,” noted runningback Titus Fagnan. “It doesn’t mean anything because you already won, so you can get those kids in to teach them the game.”

While Cole believes it was important for the Bandits to participate in the Scott MacDonald, the day was also about stressing the importance of giving back to Bonnyville.

“There’s a lot more to life than football. You’ve got to teach them to give back to the community, and they just have to realize life can be taken away at any time. You’ve got to live life in the moment, and make sure you don’t take it for granted.”

Keeping Scott in their hearts

“For an exhibition game, it was far more physical than I hoped it would be, and I thought both teams understood what kind of game we needed.”

Head coach Larry Godziuk said the 13-12 win for the Voyagers against the Fort McMurray Saints wasn’t the finish to the day the team was expecting.

“It’s not what you hoped for to come out of an exhibition game, and it’s unfortunate. I think the day generally went well, so that’s good.”

Facing off against the tier one team was an exciting prospect for cornerback Mason Sartain.

“They’re all great players, and we loved having them on our field playing against them.”

With this being his first-year as a Voyageur, Sartain said he loved every minute of it.

“To the league itself, the win isn’t significant, but to us as players, it means the world. It’s probably one of the most important games to us because it’s the Scott MacDonald.”

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