Following an interception, CHS Spartans player Riley Pethick (6) runs the ball toward the Warman end zone while being cheered on by teammate Dean Poitras. Pethick would score a touchdown to put the Spartans ahead 41-0 at the half. CHS eventually won the provincial semi-final game 74-21 and will now face Indian Head in the championship final. A showdown between the same two schools took place 50 years ago and resulted in Indian Head claiming the title.
by Phil Ambroziak
And then there were two.
The Carpenter High School Spartans will travel to Indian Head this Saturday (Nov. 9) to square off against the Indian Head Broncs in the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association (SHSAA) provincial football championship following the home team’s decisive win against the Warman Wolverines Nov. 2 at Lions Park.
“We do not have a provincial football banner hanging on our wall, but I hope to change that come Saturday,” remarked Spartans head coach Craig Paylor. “Indian Head is an unknown team to us and one of the best teams, if not the best, in the southern part of the province. We’ll just have to keep focused.”
That was the same strategy going into the semi-final game, an event that saw CHS score six touchdowns from pass plays and seven from run plays. The top points-earner was Aaron Varjassy who scored five touchdowns. Also scoring were Blaik Esau, Chase Paylor, Kohl Eide and Riley Pethick.
“We played both sides of the ball well throughout most of the game,” Paylor said. “Our scoring is usually fairly balanced. We have five or six receivers who can catch the ball and a quarterback who can distribute it to wherever it needs to be. We also have three formidable players in the back field. With Aaron Varjassy back there, the other team’s defence doesn’t know what’s coming.”
In spite of the team’s continued success, however, Paylor isn’t above being critical when need be.
“When it comes to kick returns I do feel we’re still giving too much yardage in terms of field position,” he said. “We also had to deal with a couple turnovers on Saturday, so we have to make sure we stay focused and keep possession of the ball.”
Heading into the final, Paylor said the recent change in weather could have an impact on how the game is played.
“At this time of year, the elements can quickly change,” he said. “That could dictate what can and cannot be done during a game, but we’ll adjust to the weather and we’ll be focused. We just have to remember, both teams are there to win.”
