Muskies clinch playoff berth in win

It’s the most dangerous game on any team’s schedule—the game a team is supposed to win.
Coaches dread them because their team has very little to gain and everything to lose. A win is almost anti-climatic while a loss can destroy a team’s confidence—and send the season into a tailspin.
But these types of contests also can reveal a lot about a team’s mental preparedness and toughness. As is often said, championship squads beat the teams they are supposed to beat.
If such is the case, the Muskies appear to have taken another step towards reaching their ultimate goal of becoming champions of the Winnipeg High School Football League.
The black-and-gold took care of business in convincing fashion on Friday by dismantling WHSFL cellar-dwellers Daniel Mac 43-7 in Winnipeg.
The victory was particularly sweet for head coach Bob Swing and the rest of the coaching staff as it clinched a playoff berth for the Muskies.
“Any win that gets you into the playoffs is going to be good, right?” Swing asked rhetorically in a conversation Monday morning.
Leading the offensive barrage for the Muskies was tailback Terry Carmody, who racked up 340 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries in just three quarters of play.
Carmody’s three touchdowns were particularly impressive as each of the scores came on runs of more than 55 yards.
“It was good,” Swing said of Carmody’s performance. “We wanted to ensure that he had a good day and we did that.”
Carmody was not the only Muskie back who enjoyed a solid afternoon against the Daniel Mac defence.
Fullback Allen “Gus” Hunsperger made the most of three rare rushing opportunities, rumbling for 17 yards and a touchdown of his own.
And in the fourth quarter, with Carmody shut down for the day by the Muskie coaches, back-up running back Matt Depiero racked up 41 yards and a touchdown on just five carries as the black-and-gold looked to run out the clock.
Fort High’s dominant ground game, in turn, opened things up for the passing attack.
Quarterback Blake Wepruk was efficient, completing three of five passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. Wepruk’s totals would have been even more impressive had he not had several completions called back due to penalties.
As was the case with Carmody, Wepruk was taken out of the game in the third quarter. But back-up pivot Steve Boileau settled in under centre nicely, completing several passes of his own.
Defensively, the Muskies continued their strong play this season, limiting Daniel Mac to small gains until late in the fourth quarter when the home side completed three successive passes en route to their only score.
Boileau was particularly effective at his regular safety position—picking off two passes.
“The defence played really well,” Swing said. “We were happy with what happened. We gave up a couple of longer runs and we’ll work on that this week.
“They [Daniel Mac] play a bit of a different scheme on offence that we’ve gotta be prepared for because when we go to the playoffs, there might be some teams that are showing that power look to us,” he added.
The Muskies face Oak Park #2 in their regular-season finale this Friday (Oct. 13) in Winnipeg. Kick-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The team then will enjoy their “bye” week before the quarter-finals are held Oct. 26-27 (it isn’t known yet when or against who the Muskies will open the playoffs).
The Muskie defence made the first big play of the afternoon against Daniel Mac when Carmody recovered a fumble around mid-field on the home team’s second possession of the game.
Carmody then broke a 45-yard rush to the Daniel Mac five-yard line, setting up a touchdown pass from Wepruk to Boileau.
Boileau successfully converted the point-after attempt and the Muskies led 7-0 early in the first quarter.
Boileau, the Muskies’ most versatile player, featured in another big play minutes later when he picked off an errant Daniel Mac pass.
Two plays later, Carmody took a toss 69 yards for his first touchdown of the afternoon. The extra point attempt was successful and the Muskies had a 14-0 lead.
The second quarter began in much the same way as the first one ended, with Carmody breaking off another long touchdown run—this time a 58-yard scamper to paydirt.
Boileau converted the point-after attempt and the Muskies had a commanding 21-0 lead at halftime.
The Muskies received the kick to start the second half and promptly drove the ball deep into Daniel Mac territory.
With the defence keying on Carmody, the Muskies handed the ball off inside to Hunsperger who rumbled seven yards for the touchdown. The point-after kick made it 28-0.
Carmody capped his impressive day on the next Muskie possession, breaking a 65-yard run right up the middle of the Daniel Mac defence. Boileau converted the point after and it was 35-0 after three quarters.
Depiero increased the Muskie lead with an eight-yard scoring run of his own early in the fourth quarter. And Boileau continued his perfect day kicking the ball, converting the extra point attempt to make the score 42-0.
Daniel Mac conceded a single point on a missed Muskie field goal from 35 yards out before scoring their only touchdown of the day minutes before the final whistle.