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 24^th at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3pm. Tickets are available online or at the door.