Muskies shutout Tigers in Homecoming game

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

In front of their largest audience in recent memory the Fort Frances High School Muskies shut down the St. John’s Tigers out of Winnipeg.

Hundreds of FFHS alumni gathered at the game which marked the celebration of the 75th year of Muskie football. Ahead of the coin toss all of the current Muskie players and coaches took the opportunity to shake hands with some of the many past players who were gathered along the sidelines.

The captains of the Muskies and Tigers were joined by honorary captains and members of the first Muskie football team Doug Medhurst and Larry Fontana. A third surviving member of that team and the man who won a contest to name the team with “muskies,” Al Robertson was unable to attend the game due to illness.

The Muskies ruled the gridiron from the first possession with the defense forcing several two and outs and the offense scoring a touchdown on their first possession when senior receiver Seamus Barkley caught a long pass from quarterback Parker Booth to give the Muskies first down at the two yard line. Booth ran the ball in for the first score of the game on the next play.

Scoring was spread among the Muskies offensive group including a 20 yard run for fullback Jaxon Strachan after the o-line created a hole for him. Booth had four TD passes 1 to Barkley and three more to Hayden Beckett.

A highlight of the defensive shutout was a goal-line stand that saw the Tigers with first and goal to go inside the 10 yard line. Barkley, Beckett and defensive tackle Devin Trinkner played key roles in the defense.

With the win the Muskies remain tied with Beaver Brae for first in the AAA division of the Winnipeg High School Football league. The Muskies will meet Kenora on Friday for a showdown of division titans and first overall up for grabs. The Muskies’ last two games of the regular season are home games on October 13th and 20th cheer on the team as they make the push for the playoffs.