Manning up: Ernest Manning High School basking in the glory of first provincial football championship
For the first time in school history, the Ernest Manning Griffins are senior boys provincial football champs.
The Griffins got the job done on Saturday taking down the mighty Raymond Comets 28-24 in the championship game.
Receiver Alex Poitevien was one of the heroes – he scored the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute left on the clock.
Poitevien says he can’t take all of the credit.
“It was just kind of a sigh of relief,” he said.
“It was just all about the guys that got us down to that position because I didn’t have to do too much. We were in the red zone, like the five-yard line. Damien Cherry, our running back is what got us down there.”
REVENGE FUELLED THE GRIFFINS
Beating the Comets was revenge for what happened last year.
In the provincial semi-final, the Comets walloped the Griffins 48-6.
Caleb Wright plays on the offensive and defensive line. He says that score is something the club has never forgotten.
“Me and my brother actually have that written in our home gym, on the wall it’s 48-6. Every workout it’s 48-6. We got beat so bad by them and it was frankly embarrassing and we just showed them that we’re here to stay and we’re not a bad team like they thought we were,” he said.
HAD TO COMEBACK
Caleb’s twin brother Cohen Wright is Manning’s quarterback.
Beating the Comets wasn’t easy. Manning trailed 24-6 at one point in the game. But there was a belief they could come back just like they did in the city final when they trailed St. Francis 17-0. Cohen says belief is in their DNA.
“With our group, we like to keep things light,” Cohen said.
“No moment is too big for us and we really knew that we had them. We knew what we needed to do to beat them and we just kept working at it throughout the game and it just paid dividends towards the end.”
SCHOOLS TROPHY
The players returned to classes on Monday and got a lot of congratulations from teachers and fellow students.
Running back Damien Cherry says winning this championship wasn’t just for them, it was for the entire school.
“Most kids you dream of that, but until you‘re in that moment and holding that trophy, you realize your school gets to be on that trophy,” Cherry said.
“Bringing it to our school and letting the students know that we did that for you. We did that for last year’s team and for teams before that. We wanted to make sure that this is our trophy. This is Ernest Manning’s trophy right here.”
CREATING A DYNASTY
Head coach Garth Melrose got the Gatorade shower after the game and he was totally okay with that.
He says he couldn’t be more proud of this group and what they’ve been able to accomplish throughout high school.
“You know the word we’ve been using is dynasty,” Melrose said.
“Our kids in Grade 10, they won the division one city championship. In grade 11, we won the division one championship and in grade 12, the division one championship and now the ASAA (Alberta Schools Athletic Association) Provincial banner. So these boys are a dynasty.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Second Cup closes Montreal franchise over hateful incident
Second Cup Café has closed one of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday.
‘It’s pretty emotional:’ N.B. family escape fire, plan to rebuild home
A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on November, 14.
Cargo ship runs aground in St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg, Ont.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
Scurvy resurgence highlights issues of food insecurity in Canada's rural and remote areas
A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada.
B.C. man awarded $800K in damages after being injured by defective bear banger
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
A man called 911 for help during a home invasion. Las Vegas police fatally shot him
A Las Vegas man called for police help during a home invasion before an officer fatally shot him, according to authorities and 911 calls.
Cat caught in hunting snare rescued by BC SPCA
Donations are ramping up for a BC SPCA cat with a mangled paw after being caught in a hunting snare, one of a rising number of pets to fall prey to the hunting device.
These royal residences are opening their doors this Christmas
Not so long ago, if you wanted to spend Christmas with the royal family, the only way to get close was to press your nose up to the TV screen during the monarch’s Christmas speech.
'Still working full time on it:' One year later police continue to search for gunman in Caledon double murder linked to ex-Olympian
One year after a couple was shot and killed in their Caledon home in what investigators have described as a case of mistaken identity, Ontario Provincial Police say they are still trying to figure out who pulled the trigger.