Joey Payeur
To say it’s been a tumultuous last few days for the Muskie football team would be a gross understatement.
The black-and-gold, with just 20 bodies to start their WHSFL regular-season opener here last Thursday afternoon and 18 to finish it, yielded 34 unanswered points in the second quarter en route to a 46-12 loss to the Kildonan East Reivers.
On Friday, the team held a meeting with one stark message: without at least 10 more players showing up for practice this week, the Muskies would be folded for the season—and perhaps for good should the numbers never improve.
With Monday serving as decision day, head coach Mike Cuzzolino saw the cavalry arrive just in time.
“We had about eight new faces [Monday] and we expect four or five more between [yesterday and today],” he remarked.
“[Fort High principal] Bill Daley has been a huge proponent for us,” Cuzzolino added.
“He’s been diligently recruiting for us and I can’t thank him enough.”
Against a Reivers’ team that played in the Vidruk Division (‘AA’) last year, the Muskies held firm through an opening quarter that ended tied at 6-6 despite the absence of star veteran defensive lineman/linebacker Kenton Bowles, whose hip injury may keep him out for the season.
Winston Jourdain-Johnston had a punt go right through his hands and deflect into the end zone, where Desmond Jeanson pounced on it for the visitors.
But Fort High answered with a 10-play, 53-yard drive that ended when Dougie deBernardeaux plowed up the middle for a four-yard scoring run before missing the extra point in his new added role of placekicker this season.
Reivers’ quarterback Danny Harris then took things into his own hands—and feet.
Harris scrambled 49 yards to the Muskie 16 on the last play of the first quarter.
He then started the second quarter by handing off to Jeanson for a 16-yard major and a 12-6 lead.
The touchdowns came fast and furious after that, with the Reivers finding the end zone four more times before halftime.
After the Muskies were intercepted on their next drive, Harris aired one out to Jeanson, who got behind deBernardeaux in the secondary for a 52-yard touchdown reception.
Sekina Scheibler’s subsequent 49-yard kick-off return went for nought at the Muskies turned the ball over on downs.
Harris promptly completed three-straight passes covering 81 yards—the final one into the end zone to Brandon Wiebe from eight yards out.
He later called a quarterback keeper from the Muskies’ seven-yard line and ran in for another touchdown.
Michael Goldenstein then outjumped deBernardeaux for a Harris pass and dashed down the right sideline for a 60-yard scoring strike and a 40-6 lead.
Scheibler offered his own brand of quick destruction on the first offensive play of the third quarter.
The second-year running back took the hand-off, carved a route through the middle, and then took advantage of a great seal block by Damon Nyberg to bust loose down the left sideline for a 62-yard touchdown run that closed the gap to 40-12.
Facing the Reivers’ second-team offence, with Talor Fisher taking over for Harris at quarterback, the Muskie defence gave up a six-play drive right after that saw Fisher plunge in from one yard out to round out the scoring.
Fort High, despite losing defensive linemen Jaykob Ryll and Keegan Oliver, as well as defensive back William Lowe, to injuries, held firm after that to shut out Kildonan East over the final 18 minutes of the game, which ended in running time due to the deficit.
“They’re warriors. They never gave up,” Cuzzolino said of his team.
“They were tired, sore, beat up, dehydrated and they battled to he end,” he added.
“They are all heart and you can’t coach that.”
Muskie quarterback Brandon Whitecrow was just 5-for-12 passing for 59 yards—having to do without his main weapon from last season as leading receiver Cole Kowalski left to join the golf team.
Two of Whitecrow’s completions were of a special nature, though, as he connected with younger sister, Serene, for the first catches of her high school career.
She will have some female company on the roster going forward, with new recruits Samara Jones and Chelsea Allan on board as of this week to possibly fill openings at receiver and defensive back.
With more bodies on hand, the Muskies are getting ready for Friday’s 3 p.m. game against the visiting St. Norbert Celtics.
The Celtics (1-0) leaned heavily on running back Mathieu Cornborough in their season-opening 25-9 triumph over the Daniel McIntyre Maroons.
“I think right now . . . we can’t afford to fall 0-2,” noted Cuzzolino.
“We need a win and the kids can do it.
“We need to continue to rally around each other and have a really solid week of practice,” he stressed.
“Anything can happen. I believe in this group.”
