Photograph by: Michelle Berg, The StarPhoenix
The Saskatoon Valkyries proved once again on Sunday they are still the queens of women’s football in Saskatchewan.
For the fourth year in a row, the Valkyries downed the Regina Riot in the Prairie Conference championship of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. This time it was a 44-15 triumph at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon.
The Valkyries have one more step to go in pursuit of their fourth-straight league title. They face the Lethbridge Steel for the third straight time in the WWCFL championship in Saskatoon on July 5.
“I think we accomplished everything we wanted to as far as getting a lead in the game,” said Valkyries head coach Jeff Yausie. “Then we played all our players for the second, third and fourth quarters. I’m really happy with our team.”
Saskatoon put together several long drives in the first and second quarters that they capped off with touchdowns to put Regina in a large deficit early.
“We couldn’t get behind, right off the hop, which is what happened,” said Regina leading rusher Chantel Morrison, who finished with a game-high 206 yards rushing. “This is game three of playing them and every time we’ve played them they’ve scored very quick off the start of the game and I think what we needed to do today was not let that happen, or score and answer back right away.”
Stacey Boldt completed Saskatoon’s opening drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge. Julie David, who finished with 105 rushing yards, added three first-half touchdown runs of nine, 13 and eight yards. Samantha Matheson, the Valkyries’ leader with 174 yards rushing, scored on the longest play of the game, an 88-yard touchdown romp.
“I had to cut up the middle and then I just saw an opening between two of my players,” said Matheson about the long score. “Then I saw two of their players coming, but I managed to sneak past them. One girl grabbed my shoulder but I managed to shake that off.”
Just 2:20 into the second quarter, Saskatoon was ahead 35-0, a lead they held at the half.
Saskatoon added a third-quarter safety and Candace Bloomquist tossed her only touchdown of the game, a 14-yarder to Marci Kiselyk to put the Valkyries up 44-0. Rienna Rueve converted all six Valkyries touchdowns.
Despite the large deficit, the Riot served notice they came to play, too, controlling much of the third and fourth quarters. They picked up 232 of their 342 yards rushing in the second half.
Carmen Agar scored on 27- and 15-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter while the Riot added a safety. The 15 points allowed were more points than the Valkyries had surrendered to all opponents combined all season. Saskatoon has now outscored opponents 286-28.
“I don’t think we’re this far behind (the Valkyries),” said Riot head coach Darren Fisher. “They’re a great team. They’re well coached. They’ve got some fantastic players — Julie David, Candace (Bloomquist), the whole organization is fantastic. It’s what we’re trying to emulate, what we’re trying to get to, and we just didn’t get it done today.”
drice@thestarphoenix.com
