The season is over for the Creighton Kodiaks football team.
A 77-44 conference game loss to the Wakaw/Cudworth Warriors ended what was a standout year for the Kodiaks, who finished second in the Northern Saskatchewan Football League with a 5-1 record.
The Kodiaks began the game with a bang, with running back Shawn Francois getting around the Wakaw defence and scoring a touchdown on the team’s first play, giving Creighton an early lead over heavily-favoured opponents.
The lead didn’t last long, however, with the Warriors offense running on all cylinders. Wakaw took a 54-22 lead at half-time.
Both teams kept up the attack in the second half, but the Kodiaks couldn’t claw back.
Francois scored three touchdowns and Linden Moore added two more, each in what will be their final high school football games before graduating. Noah Dickens also added a major for Creighton.
Wakaw entered the game as the favourites, but head coach Ryan Karakochuk was pleased with his team’s effort and capability.
“We knew, in this case, we were big underdogs. I think we played really, really well. We even had a lead in the game. There’s a lot of positives to be taken away,” he said.
There will be some serious turnover for next year’s Kodiaks squad. Five players from this year’s team are ineligible to return, including most of the team’s offense.
Francois and Moore are both done, as are starting quarterback Bailey Eastman, offensive lineman Dimitri Morin and defensive lineman Brandon Knife-Nepitabo.
“They’re all good players for sure,” said Karakochuk.
The cupboard is not completely bare for the team, despite the key losses. Several of the team’s best players this year are eligible to return, including defensive players Noah Dickens and Corbin Collier.
Dickens, a third-year defensive back, played at a high level from the first snap of the season.
“To me, he was the MVP on defense – not just for us, but for the whole league,” said Karakochuk.
Also likely to return is rookie revelation Blake Alexander. A grade nine student, Alexander became a key player for the team, taking positions on offense, defense and a permanent spot as the team’s kicker. Alexander stands as the Northern Saskatchewan league’s all-time leader in field goals, having made three successful kicks in a league where teams don’t often kick.
“He was a grade nine player for us this year, his first year. He was playing every snap for us against Wakaw. You don’t see that very often,” said Karakochuk. “He became our kicker and led our team in scoring. That was an awesome positive.”
Karakochuk also heaped praise on rookie Keenan Campbell, saying, “He’d never played football before, came in this year and played every snap on defense.”
The incoming grade nine class will be important for the program. The Kodiaks dressed only fourteen players for their final game against Wakaw. Without the five graduating players, there will be a need for new faces next season.
“We went to Wakaw with fourteen players and you look across the sideline and see a team that has 35 or 40 people…that’s not easy. We hope more kids come try out and play. We know there are some kids in grades six and seven who want to play,” said Karakochuk.
