The St. Paul Lions became Wheatland Football League champions when the team defeated the Cold Lake Royals, 40-21, on Saturday afternoon in a thrilling battle at St. Paul Regional High School field.
“It was a hard fought game. Right from the opening kickoff, you could tell it was going to be a close one, a cage match," said Lions quarterback Brenden McKay. “It's just a great feeling to be a part of this great group of guys and win a championship with them. It feels amazing."
“It's the biggest thing I've ever won in my life," noted Lions player Daryl Stranger. “Just to win it with this group of guys is the best feeling you could ever have. It's not going to happen every year, but when it does, it's real special."
The story stretches past the fact that it was the championship game, as there has been no love lost in the rivalry between the Royals and Lions. Cold Lake were the only team to find success on the gridiron against St. Paul this year when the Royals picked up a 16-8 victory at home in the final game of the season, but the Lions were not willing to give them the rubber match.
“Even when (Cold Lake) knew they were down how many touchdowns, it was a fight all the way to the end. It was one of the most intense games that I've ever played in my life," said Lions running back Jason Jubinville. “There's no better feeling than winning a championship and saying that you're number one."
Jubinville opened the scoring for St. Paul on a 25-yard run to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. Thanks to a strong effort from the defense, the Lions quickly recovered possession and Taylor Joly punched the ball in from 11-yards out to put the team up 13-0 at halftime.
“We're not necessarily a dominant defensive team but we played pretty well in the first half, for sure," said Lions coach Todd Tanasichuk. “We forced a few turnovers and made some big stops on third down."
In the opening minutes of the third quarter, Jubinville put up his second touchdown of the afternoon, tearing 50 yards down the field to give the Lions a 20 point lead with only a quarter and a half to play, but the Royals dug deep and started to push back.
Cold Lake managed to bring the ball within five yards of the end zone with a 40-yard run on their next drive, but the Lions defense held their resolve and Stranger snagged an interception on the goal line and ran it 20 yards up field to keep the Royals off the board.
Tanasichuk said that while there were some big plays in the game, Stranger's interception was likely the biggest due to the fact that it slowed down the momentum that Cold Lake had been building.
Cold Lake continued to push and managed to punch in their first touchdown with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but St. Paul widened the gap back up with another 25-yard touchdown run from Jubinville in the opening minutes of the fourth.
“I often forget to point out the blocking slots, that's Dominic Dion and Dylon Machura," said Lions coach John Lumby, noting that the pair have been integral to the Lions' offensive domination this season. “Out of that power formation, those two block and they help out the O line to open up those holes; that's huge."
Cold Lake managed to post a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it would not be enough to mount the comeback, and with 11 seconds left in the game, Jubinville added another 75-yard touchdown run to solidify St. Paul's first Wheatland Football League championship in five years.
When the trophy was brought onto the field, the Lions unanimously decided that Jubinville had earned the right to lift it first.
“It made me feel great. I love these boys, I couldn't have done it without them. It wasn't just me, obviously. It just felt great to hold the trophy and kind of be the leader," Jubinville said, who was elated to have earned a championship ring in his final year of high school football. “One of the main reasons I joined football back in the day was because I'd seen a ring on a guy's finger."
“Jason had a hard life at first, then he changed it around and joined football," McKay said, referring to Jubinville's former issues with drugs and alcohol. “He's really come far, so he definitely deserved to raise that trophy."
For offensive and defensive tackle Ryan Chrapko, defeating Cold Lake on Saturday afternoon put him among the elite of Lions alumni, including his own family members.
“I thought of all my cousins who have ever played this game and won," Chrapko said. “Those boys all played and they all won. I'm going to go home and brag. I played six years of ball and this was the best feeling I've ever had. You can't put a bigger smile on my face."
While they've tasted success and hoisted the WFL trophy, the season is still far from over for the Lions. The team will now travel to face the defending provincial champion, Stettler Wildcats, in the Tier III semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m.