Sabres set to mark 10 years of football

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This article was published 26/09/2019 (2073 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It has been a memorable 10 years of high school football in so many ways for the SRSS Sabres football programs.

That decade of football competing in the Winnipeg High School Football League will be marked with a big celebration today at the football field at A.D. Penner Park in Steinbach and although there is rain in the forecast for later today, the party will go on.

The Sabres will be marking a 10-year program that has yielded two division championships along the way, a WHSFL Division III crown in 2012 and then a Division II title in 2016.

Now competing in Division I for the third season, the Sabres are fielding one of their best-ever squads as they are considered one of the top teams in the division, starting the season in the ultra-competitive division with a 2-1 record.

Meanwhile, the SRSS Junior Varsity Sabres, into their third season in the loop, have had a difficult season to date as they have opened the campaign with a pair of losses.

Both these teams will be in action today in Steinbach with the JV Sabres hosting the Oak Park Raiders at 4:00 p.m. and then at 7:00 p.m. under the lights the varsity Sabres will entertain the Sturgeon Heights Huskies at 7:00 p.m.

After the varsity Sabres lost their season opener to the St. Paul’s Crusaders, the Sabres have bounced back to win their last two games, including an impressive 41-19 victory over the Kelvin Clippers last Friday at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg.

The Sabres are now tied for second with St. Paul’s in the Potter Conference. Dakota leads the conference with a 3-0 record as they upset St. Paul’s in a storm-shortened game last Friday.

At Kelvin, the Sabres led 21-11 at the half, enroute to the 41-19 victory over the Clippers.

It was the same recipe for success that the Sabres utilized in beating the Clippers, and that is a punishing defence, the leadership from quarterback Sawyer Thiessen, and very proficient special teams.

Thiessen completed 11 of 22 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown to Jayden Martens. Martens was again the favourite target for Thiessen as the big receiver hauled in four passes for 129 yards.

But it was along the ground that Thiessen was the most impressive as he took off with the ball 11 times, rumbling for 164 yards along the way, including scoring three touchdowns. Isaac Dokken and Payton Falk also combined to run for another 100 yards on the soggy and muddy field.

Leading the way defensively for the Sabres were Isaac Dokken, Tyson Bennett and Bryson Friesen, each with six tackles in the game. Bennett and Friesen also had interceptions while Keyan Grimard recorded his first sack as a Sabre.

Sabres’ head coach Stephen Fedus says they are happy with the effort put in by the team forth so far, “but we are continuing challenge the team to continue to get better as the season goes on.”

Sturgeon Heights comes into tonight’s game with a 1-2 record, “they are a real physical team and it will be a challenge for us.”

As part of the 10^th year and Homecoming celebrations today, with rented lighting to illuminate the field, will be the announcement and introduction of the Sabres football program All-Decade Team as well as honouring those two championship squads.

In addition, there will be bouncy castles for the kids, a barbecue and play-by-play announcing of the two games followed by fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

See today’s print edition of The Carillon for more on the Sabres All-Decade Team