It’s as clear as the top of Bob Swing’s freshly shaven head: without responsibility and composure, the Muskie varsity football squad’s post-season will be short and none too sweet.
“Our kids have got to take responsibility,” preached Swing, as the last-place Muskies (0-7) head into tomorrow night’s battle at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg against the first-place St. Paul’s Crusaders (7-0) as part of the Winnipeg High School Football League quarterfinals.
“But I’m positive we can shock the world. I firmly believe in that, if our guys take responsibility on the field. When you’ve lost 18 in a row like we have, you reach a point where you don’t know what to say. When the wheels start falling off, they really fall off. It’s a subconscious thing. You need success to feed off of it.”
That feeling of success hasn’t been felt by way of a victory for the black and gold since the 2001 season, a losing streak which was extended this past Friday in a 45-4 defeat at home to the Crusaders in the regular season finale.
“Death occurs for us in this game when we’re in the opponent’s end of the field four, five times in the first quarter, and don’t go up by two touchdowns,” said Swing.
The numbers would indicate that, like before last year’s 35-8 quarterfinal loss to the eventual WHSFL champion Oak Park Raiders, the Muskies are staring a mountainous hurdle in the face in trying to conquer the Crusaders.
While St. Paul’s led the league in points scored (199) and fewest points allowed (53), Fort Frances is at the back of the pack in both categories (90 PF, 226 PA).
But Swing thinks the Crusaders have put all their cards on the table, and has faith in the idea that it’s nothing his troops can’t handle, despite Friday’s lopsided score.
“(St. Paul’s) has a tremendous front seven, and their (running) backs are strong backs. But they didn’t do anything we didn’t expect them to do. Going by the tape we have on them, they’ve shown us all they have to show.”
The Muskies gave the Crusaders all they could handle for most of the first half, before a late second-quarter meltdown put St. Paul’s in charge for good.
Craig McTavish’s punt single actually had the Muskies in front after the first quarter, and even after conceding a safety in the second stanza to make it 2-1 for the visitors, Fort Frances was in good shape approaching half-time.
But the beginning of the end came with 3:39 remaining in the half, when Chaanse Fennell lived to his billing as the WHFSL’s premier running back with his first of three touchdowns for the day on a five-yard run off a second-and-three play to put St. Paul’s up 9-1.
Kellen Blower’s 44-yard punt single upped the lead to 10-1, before McTavish responded with a 27-yard field goal to trim the advantage to six with less than a minute on the clock.
But Fennell took the following kickoff and tore a hole through the Muskie coverage unit, taking the ball down to the Fort Frances 21. Two plays later, Crusaders’ quarterback Mark Ralph had two of his receivers dance free in the end zone behind the Muskies’ secondary, and connected with Antonio Hajzler on a 16-yard strike with 3.9 seconds to go to make it 17-4.
McTavish was led away from the field before the start of the third quarter, favouring his right side, and the Muskies’ hopes to make a comeback were crippled not too much longer after that.
Fennell, who led the league in touchdowns (14) and rushing yardage (1,044) entering the game, took a first-and-ten hand off at his own 20. The powerful ball carrier proceeded to obliterate one Muskie tackler, before bolting to the outside and sprinting down the left sideline 90 yards to the end zone, effectively taking the wind out of the Muskie sails.
It was not quarterback Andrew George’s best day, as he had a tough time generating any offence, although it didn’t help matters that his offensive line protection was questionable at the best of times, and non-existent at others.
On the second last play of the third quarter, George had his pass deflected by St. Paul’s linebacker Michael Benson, and intercepted by Blower at the Fort Frances 40.
The Crusaders took only two plays to capitalize, as Aaron Edmonds reeled in Ralph’s screen pass on second-and-14 and rambled 30 yards for the major to open the fourth quarter and to build the lead to 31-4.
Chaanse collected the touchdown hat trick halfway through the quarter, taking a pitch and knifing through the Muskie defence like it was margarine for a 54-yard score. Backup quarterback Jan vander Hooft completed the onslaught when he hit Hajzler on a 24-yard pass-and-run play which saw Hajzler catch the ball at the 10, make a quick move on one Muskie defensive back, and dart across the goal line.
Linebacker Ty Griffith returned Friday after missing two games with an ankle injury, while kicker/defensive back Kyle McTavish (wrist) and receiver/linebacker Andrew Sonnasinh (fibula) remained out of the line-up.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
