RIOT SEEKING NEW HEAD COACH & GENERAL MANAGER

Following a successful 2019 season, the Regina Riot are searching for a new Head Coach and a new General Manager.

Morgan Bunce is stepping down from his role as Head Coach of the Regina Riot after one season. Prior to serving as Head Coach, Bunce spent four seasons filling various other roles on the Riot coaching staff. During Bunce’s one season as Head Coach, the Riot went to the WWCFL Championship Game but were defeated by the Saskatoon Valkyries. Bunce was part of three other championship staffs with the Riot. He plans to stay involved with the team in an undetermined capacity.

Alicia Dorwart has served as the General Manager of the Regina Riot since 2016. During her three years as GM, Alicia has been involved in two championship seasons and has reached the championship game one other time. Prior to becoming GM, Alicia had been both a player and volunteer support staff member with the Riot. Like Bunce, Alicia plans to stay involved with the team in an undetermined capacity.

The Regina Riot would like to officially thank both Alicia & Morgan for the years of hard work put toward building our program. Without them, the success that we’ve achieved over the past number of years would not be possible.

Job descriptions for each position are available for review below. If you are interested in applying for either available position, please submit a cover letter and resume reginariotfootball@gmail.com. Applications are open until August 11th, 2019.

 

Head Coach Job Description

General Manager Job Description

2019 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The wait is almost over! The 2019 Regina Riot regular season schedule has been made official. Here’s a look at what’s in store for the Riot this year:

 

WEEK 1 – Sunday, May 5th, 2019

Regina Riot vs. Manitoba Fearless – 2pm – Mosaic Stadium

 

WEEK 2 – Saturday, May 11th, 2019

Regina Riot @ Saskatoon Valkyries – 7pm – SMF Field

 

WEEK 3 – BYE WEEK

 

WEEK 4 – Sunday, May 26th, 2019

Regina Riot @ Winnipeg Wolfpack – 12pm (local time) – East Side Eagles Field

 

WEEK 5 – Sunday, June 2nd, 2019

Regina Riot vs. Saskatoon Valkyries – 2pm – Mosaic Stadium

 

It has also been announced that Regina will host the WWCFL Championship Game for the second year in a row. That game will take place on Saturday, June 29th, 2019.

Annual General Meeting Results

The Regina Riot held their Annual General Meeting on the evening of Wednesday, October 24th at Sheldon-Williams Collegiate.

The meeting began with a quick introduction of the current board members. This was followed by an address by the President, Clarke Westby, and a review of the financials by the Treasurer, DJ Haubrich.

There were three Board of Director positions available to vote on: President, Treasurer & Member-at-Large. President & Treasurer were both being voted on for two year terms. The Member-at-Large position, which was new, was being voted on for a one year trial period with the possibility of a one year extension. The new Member-at-Large would not have voting privileges during the first year of their term.

At the meeting, current President Clarke Westby ran unopposed and was voted back into his position with a vote of confidence. Former player Amanada Hungle put her name forward to replace existing treasurer DJ Haubrich, who did not reapply for his position. Amanda also ran unopposed and won a vote of confidence.

Three people applied for the position of Member-at-Large: former Head Coach Olivier Eddie, current Media Coordinator Roshelle Montgomery and former player Amanda Tafelmeyer. Olivier Eddie won the position in a vote of those who were in attendance at the meeting.

For a full list of meeting minutes, please click here.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 24TH

The Regina Riot’s Annual General Meeting has officially been scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, October 24th. The meeting will take place at Sheldon-Williams Collegiate and will begin promptly at 7:00pm. It is open to the general public.

At the meeting, three board positions will be voted on: President, Treasurer & Member At Large. President & Treasurer will each be for two-year terms. Member At Large will be a 1 year term with the possibility of a 1 year extension. Descriptions for each of these roles can be found below.

If you are interested in applying for either of these board positions, please submit a cover letter & resume to reginariotboard@gmail.com. Please specify which board position you are applying for.

 

President Job Description

Treasurer Job Description

Member At Large Job Description

Fall Camp Scheduled for September 23rd

 

 

The annual Regina Riot fall camp, presented by Evolution Fitness, is scheduled to take place this Sunday, September 23rd. Here’s a quick rundown of everything potential players need to know.

  • The camp is open to potential players of all skill levels. No prior football experience is required.
  • The camp goes from 9:00AM to 6:00PM. The morning session takes place at Luther High School and the afternoon session takes place at Mosaic Stadium (see full schedule below).
  • The morning session is specifically catered to players new to the team, and features a Safe Contact Practice and Classroom Session to give potential players with no football experience a chance to learn the game.
  • Players are required to bring their own cleats or outdoor athletic footwear. They should also bring weather appropriate clothing to wear under their equipment. All other necessary equipment will be provided by the Riot.
  • The camp is available to anyone who is in Grade 9 or older. There is no maximum age limit.
  • Registration for the camp is $40. Participants will receive a Regina Riot team camp water bottle, and pizza will be provided for all players at the end of the day.

You can register for the camp by e-mailing reginariotfootball@gmail.com or by signing up here.

 

RIOT FALL CAMP SCHEDULE

MORNING SESSION @ Luther High School (NEW PLAYER ONLY)

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM – Registration/Equipment Fitting

10:00AM to 11:00AM – Safe Contact Practice

11:00AM to 12:00PM – Classroom Session

 

AFTERNOON SESSION @ Mosaic Stadium (NEW & VETERAN PLAYERS)

1PM – Report to Mosaic Stadium

1:30PM to 3:00PM – First Practice Session

3:30PM to 5:00PM – Second Practice Session

5:00PM to 6:00PM – Pizza & Equipment Drop-Off

RIOT ANNOUNCE HEAD COACH VACANCY + GENERAL MANAGER EXTENSION

The Regina Riot made two important announcements in the last week via their social media accounts.

 

GENERAL MANAGER EXTENSION

The Riot will be extending current General Manager Alicia Dorwart for a third one-year term in the position. Alicia first took on General Manager duties prior to the 2017 season. Before that Alicia had been both a player and volunteer support staff member with the team.

“I am extremely honoured and proud to continue to help grow this organization and women’s football in Canada,” said Dorwart in regards to her return. “I am very fortunate to have such a hard working and talented staff to work with and look forward to seeing what 2019 brings.”

“We’re very excited to be bringing back Alicia for another year as General Manager,” said Team President Clarke Westby. “Alicia has done a fantastic job for us the past two years as we’ve won back-to-back championships. The continuity that she brings to the management of the team is crucial to our success.”

 

HEAD COACH VACANCY

The second announcement was that Olivier Eddie would be stepping down from his position as Head Coach. Olivier originally joined the Riot coaching staff as an assistant in 2014. He took over the role of Head Coach when Shawn McCall stepped down from the position prior to the 2017 season. Eddie would go on to lead the team to a championship that year, and would repeat the accomplishment again in 2018. Eddie will be taking a role on the Regina Thunder coaching staff.

“It’s difficult losing a great coach like Olivier,” said Clarke Westby. “He brought a passion and work ethic that will be difficult to replicate. We want to thank him for all the countless hours that he has dedicated to this organization over the years, and we wish him nothing but the best in his future coaching endeavours.”

The Regina Riot posted a job description for the position of Head Coach earlier this morning. You can read it here. They are looking for a coach with at least 5 years of coaching experience at the high school level.

If you are interested in applying for the position, please e-mail a resume & cover letter to reginariotfootball@gmail.com. Applications are open until August 7th, 2018.

 

RIOT WIN SECOND STRAIGHT WWCFL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THRILLING COMEBACK

The WWCFL championship was on the line this past weekend when provincial rivals the Regina Riot and Saskatoon Valkyries met on the turf at Mosaic Stadium. It was the third time they had faced off against each other this season, and the highest stakes game ever played between the two teams that have battled for women’s football supremacy in western Canada for the better half of the last decade.

Gloomy skies overhead cleared up just in time for kickoff, sparing the 900+ fans in attendance from getting soaked. Instead, those fans got to witness a Saskatoon Valkyries team that came hot out of the gate. The visiting team was able to take a score of 10-0 into the second quarter.

Things continued to look grim for the home team until the Riot defense was able to force an interception midway through the second quarter. This turned out to be the momentum swing the Riot would need, as they took the ball and marched it down the field for a touchdown with 2:55 remaining in the first half. The score at halftime would remain 10-7 in favour of the Valkyries.

The second half would be just as evenly matched, as the defenses on both sides of the ball continued to make it hard for the other team to score. A missed field goal attempt by the Riot late in the third quarter would result in a single point when the Valkyrie returner struggled to haul in the ball and couldn’t escape her own end zone, making the score 10-8.

In the fourth quarter, the Riot would again take the momentum and turn it in their favour with a huge 62 yard scramble by quarterback Aimee Kowalski. This took the ball all the way down to the Valkyrie five yard line. But it was here where the Valkyries would make their stand, causing a turnover on downs after stopping a 3rd and 1 rush attempt by the Riot short of the goal line.

With time starting to tick down, opportunities were starting to run out for the Riot offense. But the pressure didn’t seem to make a difference, as they were able to drive the field once again thanks in large part to a big reception along the sideline by wide receiver Jenna Koller. The Riot continued to drive the ball until they had positioned themselves for a 3rd and 1 attempt at the Valkyrie goal line for the second consecutive drive. This time the Riot would not be denied, as Mallory Starkey ran the ball in for her second touchdown of the game. The Riot would take the lead 14-10 with 2:25 remaining in the game.

The Valkyries would end up with two more potential chances to march the field and take the lead to win the game, but both drives were snuffed out by quarterback sacks provided by veteran Riot linebacker Adrienne Zuck. The Riot would win the game and the WWCFL championship by a final score of 14-10.

“I’m extremely proud of our coaches and athletes,” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie following the game. “Nothing was going our way early on and our team just kept fighting. We have a resilient group and our athletes did everything right to deserve this championship.”

When asked about their opponents, the second year Riot head coach had nothing but nice things to say.

“The Valkyries coaching staff and players came out very strong. They played fast and physical and they caused us all sorts of issues. Hats off to them for a great game.”

Eddie also felt he had to say something about the fan support that was shown to the Riot at the championship game and over the course of the entire season.

“Having over 900 fans out here today is special. I think the Regina community is really starting to appreciate the special group that the Regina Riot are. Our fans played their part in making this championship game that much more memorable. The atmosphere was great and we are thankful for their support.”

The Regina Riot will take the rest of the summer off, but will pick things back up later this year with their annual fall camp.

 

 

SASKATCHEWAN SHOWDOWN SET FOR WWCFL CHAMPIONSHIP

Last weekend saw the first ever WWCFL Cross-Conference Finals take place, which included your Prairie Conference Champions the Regina Riot hosting the Edmonton Storm at Mosaic Stadium.

It was a beautiful day for football, and the Riot took advantage of that nice weather by getting off to an early start. They took a 30-0 lead into the second quarter and never looked back, winning by a final score of 45-9.

“It was a good day for us against Edmonton,” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie after the game. “We were able to get all of our younger players in the game.”

The second year Head Coach continued to heap praise on his players.

“We were really pleased with the play of our backup quarterback Josie Shannon, who moved the ball well for us all game. And we saw 12 different receivers touch the ball. It’s good to see the entire team contribute to the win.”

The Riot played the game wearing the jerseys of the Regina Thunder, after having their own jerseys stolen the weekend prior. The change of uniforms didn’t seem to affect the team’s play on the field, but the team is happy to have their own jerseys back for the championship game.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Regina Thunder and the entire Regina football community,” explained Board of Directors President Clarke Westby. “That said, we’d also like to thank the RPS for their hard work in locating the stolen van containing our uniforms. It’s going to be nice to be able to wear our own jerseys for this home championship game.”

On the other side of the bracket, the Saskatoon Valkyries traveled to Alberta to play the Calgary Rage in the second WWCFL Cross-Conference Final. The Valkyries were able to nullify Calgary’s homefield advantage and took this one by a score of 30-6.

And so, for the first time in league history, two provincial rivals will be battling for the WWCFL Championship.

It’s an exciting development for the league, and one of the reasons why a cross-conference playoff system was implemented this offseason. The two Saskatchewan teams have combined to win every championship in WWCFL history, with the Prairie Conference Final usually acting as the de facto championship game. With the new change, both teams will now get a chance to play each other with everything on the line.

“We’ve worked hard all year to be in the position that we are now,” said Eddie when asked about the upcoming game. “I think that we are in a really good spot heading into this final week.”

This year saw the first time that the Regina Riot have swept the Saskatoon Valkyries in the regular season, going 2-0 against their provincial rivals in a couple of closely contested games.

“Saskatoon always gives us our biggest test,” explained Eddie. “We know that this Sunday is going to be a challenge, but it’s our job to just keep doing what we’ve been doing all year. Our athletes are confident, but also aware that the job is not done. It all comes down to having another week of great practice and execution on the field.”

The WWCFL Championship will take place on Sunday, June 24th at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3pm. Tickets are available online or at the door.

 

 

 

RIOT BATTLE ADVERSITY ON ROAD TO CROSS CONFERENCE FINAL

The Regina Riot were supposed to be focused solely on preparing to host the WWCFL Cross Conference Final this week. Instead, they have found themselves mired in a series of unfortunate circumstances beyond their control. Starting on Sunday evening with the theft of a vehicle containing the team’s jerseys, and continuing later in the week with a change to the game’s scheduled kickoff time, it has been a week of adversity for the Riot. But the team is refusing to let that distract them.

“We talk about our team culture constantly” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie when asked about the incidents this week. “We focus on purposeful and intentional actions, and have built a culture around our responses and what we can control.”

It’s a culture that has lead the Riot to their first undefeated regular season in organization history heading into this week’s playoff matchup.

“These unforeseen events… we don’t control any of these” continued Eddie. “I’m especially proud of our athletes this week and how they have focused on their responses and doing the absolute best with every single curveball that has been thrown at the them. They have responded in a way that unifies us.”

In response to the stolen jerseys, media outlets within Regina worked with the Riot to help spread the message and help locate the jerseys. The Regina football community also stepped up, with multiple teams offering up their jerseys for the Riot to wear for the remainder of their season.

“The support of the Regina community has been excellent” said Olivier. “The media, our fans, and the general population have taken the time to bring awareness to our story and it makes us feel supported and loved. Other teams in our league have reached out, as well as many local teams in Regina. We appreciate all of that.”

And yet, with all of this adversity thrown their way, there is still a game to play this Sunday. The Edmonton Storm will be coming to town having narrowly defeated the Lethbridge Steel last weekend in the Western Conference Semi-Final. It’s the first time the Riot & Storm will have met up this season.

“Edmonton has a good team,” said the Head Coach. “I think they will come out with great energy. It’s our job to go out there, score first, and gain momentum. We’re coming off of a bye week and it will be important for us to play well right out of the gate.”

And when it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter what jerseys the Riot are wearing this weekend.

“Our team understands that come Sunday, it doesn’t matter whether we wear yellow, blue, red, orange or black” said Eddie. “We’re stepping onto the field with one mindset: to earn our spot in the WWCFL Championship.”

The WWCFL Cross Conference Final takes place on Sunday, June 17th at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff has been moved to 3pm. Tickets are available at the door or online.

If you have any information that could lead to the return of the Regina Riot’s stolen jerseys, please send it to reginariotfootball@gmail.com.

RIOT CLINCH FIRST UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON AND FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF BYE

This past weekend saw the conclusion of the WWCFL regular season, and featured a big provincial showdown between the Regina Riot & Saskatoon Valkyries. It was the first game the Riot have hosted at new Mosaic Stadium since it opened last year, and it would determine who finished first in the Prairie Conference standings and receive a bye to the Cross-Conference Finals on June 17th.

The Riot, who won the first meeting between these two teams earlier this year, would strike first once again. Quarterback Aimee Kowalski was able to find her sister Alex Kowalski wide open for a score with 3:59 remaining in the first quarter. The Valkyries would tie the score up late in the second quarter, but the Riot would answer back quickly thanks to a huge catch and run from wide receiver Rachelle Smith.

During halftime, Ovarian Cancer Canada held a special tribute for ovarian cancer survivors in attendance at the game. It has become an annual tradition of the Regina Riot’s Teal Game, which sees the team wear teal accents to their regular uniform in support of ovarian cancer awareness. This year marked the fourth year in a row that the Riot have hosted the teal game. Ovarian Cancer Canada received 100% of the profits from the game’s 50/50 draw.

Things stayed close through much of the second half, with the Riot defense managing to make big plays whenever the Valkyries came close to scoring. However, the Riot had trouble shifting field position, and eventually were forced to concede a safety to Saskatoon. Regina was able to extend their lead by another Kowalski-to-Kowalski touchdown on the last play of the third quarter, making the score 21 – 9 heading into the final quarter.

Saskatoon continued to prevent Regina from extending their lead throughout the fourth, and eventually were able to score a touchdown themselves to make it a one score game with 2:27 remaining. The Valkyries defense would provide their team with another stop and get the ball back one more time with a chance to win the game, but Riot rookie defensive back Katheryn Neigum was able to make the game sealing interception. The Riot would win by a final score of 21 – 16, clinching the first undefeated regular season in team history.

“We played a good game and are happy with the win. It’s always makes us very proud when we are able to win wearing teal.” said Head Coach Olivier Eddie following the game. “That said, Saskatoon prepared some challenging things for us to deal with. We will need to be better prepared if we face them again in the postseason.”

That won’t be a possibility until the WWCFL Championship, which is being hosted in Regina on June 24th. In the meantime, Regina waits on the winners of next week’s Western Conference playoff matchups to find out who their next opponent will be.

“Finishing the regular season undefeated was one of our team goals” explained Eddie. “We will make the best out of our next week of practice and get ready for the Cross-Conference Finals.”

Regina will host the Cross-Conference Finals on June 17th at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff will be at 2pm. Tickets are available online or at the door.