Senior Royals last local football hope
By David McIver
The Rosetown Central High School senior Royals will travel to Watrous for a 2A provincial semifinal this Saturday.
Rosetown advanced after defeating the Hague Panthers 62-50 at home last Saturday in a provincial quarterfinal. The Watrous Wildcats earned their spot with a 51-20 win over the Preeceville Panthers the day before.
The North West Central Wildcats were eliminated after a 42-38 loss to the Kerrobert Rebels in their league playoff game on Oct. 18 in Kerrobert.
Behind the blocking of teammates including offensive end Jordan Bouclin, Rosetown Royals running back Malcolm Ledding falls forward on a 32-yard rush in the second quarter last Saturday against the Hague Panthers. Rosetown won 62-50 and will visit Watrous for a 2A provincial semifinal this Saturday. Photo by David McIver
Harper Willis and Boyd Anderson each rushed for three touchdowns for Rosetown. Malcolm Ledding, the third running back used in the game, scored on a 69-yard carry. Quarterback Cale Morris added a one-yard sneak for another major. The Royals reported no injuries, said head coach Mitchell Wintonyk.
Panthers running back Dom Wiens scored six touchdowns, while receiver Ryder Wiens added another on a 34-yard pass-and-run play.
The Wildcats’ loss in Kerrobert came on a last-second touchdown, said head coach Martin McGrath.
McGrath said his team “dominated from the first quarter on” and held a 20-point lead at one point, but he couldn’t recall who scored their touchdowns and said no scoring summary was provided after the game.
He added that a couple of close calls didn’t go their way — including a fumble recovery ruled in Kerrobert’s favour that his team questioned. On another play, he said a Rebels player might have stepped out of bounds before scoring.
Facing third-and-five and trying to run out the clock, the Wildcats came up a yard short. Kerrobert took over on downs, and after two defensive stops, “got one guy free on a rush to the end zone,” McGrath said.
“It was one of those losses that hits you in the gut,” he said, adding he expects Kerrobert to face a tough matchup in Lemberg against the host North Valley High School Eagles. McGrath noted his older son Liam once faced a difficult playoff game there, and said two younger brothers of players from that year were expected to be in Saturday’s lineup for the Eagles.
The Plenty Junior Wildcats were also eliminated, losing to the Eatonia Junior Spartans in a league semifinal in Eatonia on Oct. 20, said Wildcats head coach Morgan Rousseaux, who could not recall the score.
Grade 8 player Lane Suter scored the first two touchdowns of his career, and Emerson Summarch “probably rushed for four” more, Rousseaux said. Despite the result, “the kids had fun,” he added.