Royals fall short in bronze-medal game against Wakaw Warriors
By David McIver
The Rosetown Royals played the Wakaw Warriors in the provincial 2A six-man football bronze-medal game last Saturday, but were defeated by a score of 74-32.
The Royals had lost a semifinal 64-30 to the Watrous Winston Wildcats in Watrous on Nov. 1.
The Wildcats were to host the Clavet Cougars in the gold-medal game, also on Saturday.
Harper Willis of the Rosetown Royals rushes for about 10 yards and a first down, bringing the football to the Wildcat 45-yard line in the 2A six-man provincial semifinal in Watrous on Nov. 1. Unfortunately, he got hurt on this first-quarter play, leaving Malcolm Ledding and Boyd Anderson as the team’s main rushers. The Wildcats defeated the Royals 64-30. The Royals hosted the Wakaw Warriors in the bronze-medal game last Saturday, but were defeated 74-32. Photo by David McIver
The Wakaw team included a running back-receiver and a quarterback, who are both “very athletic,” and a “very good” middle linebacker who has signed with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, said Royals head coach Mitchell Wintonyk.
“The Warriors are fast and athletic and fly around and make plays,” said Wintonyk.
In Watrous, the home team led 16-8 after the first quarter and 32-14 at halftime.
The Royals got three touchdowns in Watrous from offensive end Jordan Bouclin on pass-and-run plays of 86, 28, and 13 yards. Backup running back Keegan Boyd got the last major of the game, rushing for eight yards to paydirt in the fourth quarter.
Wildcat quarterback-receiver Blake Morelli took a pass 59 yards for the first touchdown of the day. Morelli also scored on rushes of six and seven yards. Still in the first half, Addison Klassen scored on a 32-yard pass play.
Running back Aaron Burgos scored on rushes of about eight and 71 yards. Two other backs, Justice Holland and Trey Kelly, rushed for majors of seven and 12 yards, respectively. In the second quarter, Liam Defosse-Calyniuk intercepted a pass Royals quarterback Cale Morris likely regretted throwing, taking it 77 yards to the end zone.
“The Royals played hard. The effort was there. We’ve got to clean up mistakes. We got away with it in the quarterfinal (vs. the Hague Panthers),” said Wintonyk.
“They made fewer mistakes on offence and defence against the Wildcats, but it wasn’t good enough… at this time of year… It will come back to bite you,” he said.
Wintonyk liked “the compete level and physicality, but it wasn’t meant to be,” he added.