It was supposed to be nothing more than a tune-up game for the Winnipeg Rifles. One that would build some much-needed momentum heading into the Prairie Conference playoffs next week after pouncing on the lowly Edmonton Wildcats on Sunday at IG Field.
Instead, the otherwise meaningless game that ended in a 12-8 victory for the hosts quickly turned into a nightmare, as the Rifles lost starting quarterback Bryson McNeil for the rest of the season.
McNeil, who has taken the Canadian Junior Football League by storm in his second year at the helm, was injured early in the second quarter after soaking a blindside hit while delivering a pass to receiver Jake Roger for a 58-yard gain. What ended up being the biggest play of the day was promptly overshadowed by a collective concern for McNeil, who got up favouring his left shoulder.
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Winnipeg Rifles quarterback Bryson McNeil gets sacked by Edmonton Wildcats’ Tanner Shaw in the first quarter in Winnipeg Sunday.
It was later confirmed that McNeil, who entered the week as the country’s leading passer in yards, suffered a broken collarbone. It’s McNeil’s final year of eligibility in the CJFL, meaning his junior football career is over.
“That has got to be the most costly win ever,” said head coach Geordie Wilson while shaking his head in disgust.
“It was just a bad missed block, that’s really what happened. They got a clean run at him and unfortunately you get driven into the dirt.”
One of the key storylines coming into Sunday’s matchup was how Wilson planned to manage his starters, given the game was inconsequential to their standing in the playoffs.
Unlike the Blue Bombers with many of their starters, the Rifles head coach was adamant about playing his first-stringer in hopes they’d restore some confidence that’s escaped them after losing the last two games.
“We came off the loss in Edmonton (against the Huskies), we were so flat,” Wilson said. “I thought, honestly, it was really important that we came out and won this game.
“We were going to start Bryson and then we kind of hoped that we would’ve been able to get to (Hubbard).”
Wilson wasn’t given much of a choice. The blows came in bunches for the Rifles, as right tackle Tyrone Crook is feared to have torn his ACL. Punter Donavon Downing also left the game on two occasions with lower body injuries, staying on the sideline after the second occurred.
Maybe it was the bite in the mid-October air or the aura of playing at the famed IG Field, but the Rifles (4-4) came out of the gates stiff against the Wildcats (0-8), who, aside from trying to end a ten-game losing streak that dates back to 2021, were playing to end head coach Darcy Park’s career on a high note.
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Edmonton Wildcats’ Kayden Bracegirdle is tackled in the first quarter.
It was a different-looking Rifles team from the one that spanked the Wildcats 48-20 at Emerald Hills in Week 9. McNeil was left to scramble for his life at many points before leaving the game, whether it was due to a breakdown in the protection or receivers failing to create separation.
It wasn’t until the dying moments of the first quarter that the Rifles secured their first first down of the game, courtesy of a McNeil scramble.
Quarterback Thomas Hubbard, who came in relief of McNeil, accounted for Winnipeg’s lone touchdown on the day, rushing for a two-yard major. Hubbard played admirably considering he was thrust into action cold (literally and figuratively), going 11-18 for 150 yards and one interception.
Although the offence sputtered throughout much of the game, Hubbard proved fearless, taking deep shots down the field and displaying his mobility when needed. His favourite target on the day was Roger, who finished with five grabs for 103 yards.
“I was a little nervous at first. But I got the team, we’ve got the boys, so we just had to do what we needed to do and we ended up coming out with a win,” Hubbard said.
“I feel good. I mean, we got a hell of a team. I think a nice week of practice, we go to Regina, we do our thing and we move on. Keep on rolling.”
The offensive power struggle ceased to slow down as both defensive units combined for nine sacks and six turnovers on the day. Though the Wildcats opened the scoring with a rushing major from Nathan Zacharias, Winnipeg closed the door for the rest of the game.
Rifles stud linebacker Brandon Kamenz accounted for three of the team’s six sacks, including a strip-sack that sealed the game, to go with four tackles.
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Edmonton Wildcats’ Max Taylor is tackled by the Winnipeg Rifles in the first quarter.
The Rifles (4-4) will now try to ride their season-ending victory into Regina where they will face the Thunder (8-0) in the semi-finals on Sunday. It figures to be a spirited battle from the Rifles, who have lost both meetings with Regina this season by a combined eight points.
“I have all the confidence in the world,” Hubbard said. “We have a good group of (receivers), we have a good offence as a whole and it’s been a whole season so far, right? Even though I haven’t been starting, still having gotten those reps, these guys believe in me, I believe in them.”
“A win’s bound to happen. It’s gonna happen. We’re gonna get it done, whatever it takes.”
Twitter: @jfreysam
