The season may be over for the Creighton Kodiaks football team, but players still had one thing left to do - be cheered by their friends, peers and families at the team’s annual award banquet.
Individual awards were handed out, with several going to senior players. The team’s offensive player of the year was star running back Carson Straile, while the leadership award and offensive warrior of the year award for the season both went to quarterback Marcus Kennedy. Special teams player of the year went to kicker Grace Dubinak, while utility man and occasional running back Jaxon “Bongo” Smith won the most dedicated player award for the offence. Taylan Woods, typically found in the team’s secondary defence and passing game, won the honour for being the team’s most improved player.
Other honours went to Brayden Eyres, who won the defensive most dedicated player award, as well as Aidan Joa-Hall and Payton Pelletier, who were named the rookies of the year on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball - Kaleb Lycan was an honourable mention in the category. Jordan Gorrell was the defensive player of the year and defensive warrior of the year, while Ethan Lavis was an honourable mention for the team’s leadership award behind Kennedy.
Five of the team’s senior players - Dubinak, Kennedy, Smith, Straile and Woods - were honoured at the event, with others unable to make the event - Tanner Clark, Paxton Dareichuk and Caleb Janzen - also being toasted by the team and head coach Ryan Karakochuk.
Clark, a defensive back, was noted by Karakochuk as a joy to coach and a hard worker in practices and game situations. Dubinak was honoured for her ability to boot footballs through uprights, becoming the first female player to play in every possible game for the Kodiaks from Grade 9 up, even playing in a volleyball tournament and the team’s conference game within 24 hours earlier this year.
“We went to the [Northern Saskatchewan Football] Jamboree and I saw her kicking a 35-yard field goal at Mosaic Stadium. I had no doubt she was going to be our kicker this year,” Karakochuk said.
Dareichuk was the team’s centre, a close unit with quarterback Kennedy, who caught snaps from Dareichuk throughout their high school careers. An even-temperatured and good-natured presence on the sideline who had to change shifts at his part-time job to go to practice and play, Karakochuk spoke of trying to anger him on the sidelines during games - “I’m not sure if I was ever able to do it,” the coach said.
Smith, an offensive lineman and running back, was the other half of what Karakochuk called “the Bash Brothers” with Dareichuk. An imposing physical presence who enjoys running the ball and running people over alike, “Bongo” was able to get a touchdown in the team’s final conference game - but blew his knee out in the process.
Straile, a diminutive but quick waterbug of a back and returner, leaves the Kodiaks as the team’s all-time leading touchdown-getter, a big presence of two consecutive league titles for Creighton. Straile will play travel football this year for the Saskatchewan Selects team, the same provincial showcase club former teammate Noah Olivier made last season.
Woods started playing football last season but became a key presence as a defensive back and wideout, noted by the coach for his willingness to get down and dirty. Called a “Swiss Army knife” player by Karakochuk, Woods played both sides of the ball.
Kennedy was the Kodiaks’ quarterback for two years and leaves as the most accomplished shot-caller in the team’s history, the first player to be an equal threat on the ground and through the air. A jokester by nature but a leader for the team, Kennedy leaves as the new record holder for passing touchdowns in Kodiaks history.
Last and certainly not least is Caleb Janzen. The defensive lineman has spent the past two seasons fighting cancer, a diagnosis that prevented him from being able to attend most games this season. Players frequently visited Janzen at his home and in hospital throughout this season and last and often showed support for his battle while playing - whether it was chanting his name as a group to start off games, holding signs saying “#WePlayForCaleb” or writing his initials on their skin and gear in a show of support, the Kodiaks made sure to include Janzen as much as possible.
“I can truly say he is the toughest player that I've coached, that I've ever met. Even though he couldn't attend our games, we were thinking of him every time we circled up in the endzone before the game,” said Karakochuk, choked up.
“Caleb, you will always be a Kodiak. He is a three-time champion and a great friend to all of our seniors here today and I can't wait to go see him and take him pictures and talk football tomorrow.”
Karakochuk also provided a post-season update for attendees, pulling back the curtain on some of the team’s experiences this past season and future plans.
Karakochuk also said that his team, which has won its fifth league title in eight seasons on the field, is looking at potentially “leaving the north” - that is, to leave the current northern Saskatchewan football loop for a likely more competitive conference further south.
The Kodiaks won six of their eight games this year, only losing a road game to their rival Charlebois Community School Islanders from Cumberland House and a conference playoff game to eventual provincial runners-up Wakaw.
No final decision about a realignment has yet been made.
The players themselves looked back on the season with satisfaction, bringing home team’s third consecutive league championship.
“You have high expectations, but you're unsure and I think this season fulfilled our expectations. We won the championship, came short in the provincial game - it is what it is - but all in all, I think we all had a great time. We're all happy with how the season ended up,” said Kennedy.
“It started off pretty well. We definitely had some things to fix throughout the entire season. Every game, we always saw our flaws, but also the better half of ourselves as well. It went probably the way we wanted it to,” said Straile.
