Manitoba prepares for Challenge Cup

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/05/2025 (334 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba will be looking for a second win in a row when the Sask-Toba Challenge Cup takes place at Neelin on Monday, May 19.

The fifth edition of the game will features players from the Rural Manitoba Football League meeting Saskatchewan all-stars in a nine-man game.

“You’re playing for pride,” head coach Jim McEwen of the Winnipeg Falcons said during a practice at Neelin on Sunday afternoon. “This game counts. This matters. I think for every player every game counts, but this one should hit home especially. You’re not just representing yourself, your parents and your team, you’re representing Manitoba and that’s something special.”

Manitoba earned a 44-33 decision in 2024 after losing 51-14 in 2023, 24-16 in 2022 and 22-0 in the inaugural 2019 game. The 2020 and 2021 games weren’t held due to the pandemic. Prior to 2019, Saskatchewan played an all-star game against a team from North Dakota.

“Saskatchewan does take pride in this game,” McEwen added. “Until last year we had never won. Last year was the first time we had a chance to beat them and we did. It was a really good, hard-hitting game and really close until the very end. We just managed to get up on top. I’m expecting the same this year from Saskatchewan. They are very well coached and have very good programs.”

Frank Devine of the Southwest Sabres will serve as offensive co-ordinator, while the defensive co-ordinator is Mark Talbot of Virden.

Virden Golden Bears running back Fola Fashola is a Grade 11 student.

“This is my first Challenge Cup and I’m hoping to go out there and make Manitoba proud,” Fashola said. “A lot of my friends told me about this and said it’s such a good experience for football. I’m hoping that going out here and performing phenomenally in this game could me broaden my views and some people might look at me and help me find a place to play football in college.”

A lot of the players were chosen from the all-star nominations that were received from the 11 teams that play in the league, which covers an area from Moosomin, Sask., to a pair of clubs that play out of Winnipeg.

Each team submitted the names of one offensive and one defensive lineman, an offensive and defensive all-star, a special teams player and their top rookie.

“That’s the major building block that we use to select these players,” McEwen said. “If we don’t have enough say quarterbacks or receivers or positional players that we need, we’ll actually reach out to different coaches and try to find the best players who weren’t nominated but could definitely be all-stars as well.”

They had a combine involving about 50 players, and cut down to their final roster of 38. The team is mainly comprised of Grade 12 students, although there are two Grade 9s.

The roster includes players from all 11 RMFL teams — Saskatchewan picks from 30 — with some Moosomin players actually playing against Saskatchewan. While that’s a nice feather in the cap of the league, it doesn’t make the job of bringing players coached by 11 different staffs any easier.

“It’s not about the systems, it’s building players into what we’re doing,” McEwen said. “We only have a short time and actually practise more than Saskatchewan does because we’re coming out once a week. Players are driving in from all over and coaches are driving in from all over … We tried to find a central location to minimize driving because everything is spread out so much.

“That was one challenge, getting to players to come out every weekend.”

The coaches also settled on Neelin as its home base because Spartans football coach Rob Cullen encouraged them to use it. The Spartans will be represented by defensive back Sean Taron.

“This is the field we’re actually playing on, so players have to start establishing this as their home base,” said McEwen, who has worked with the Falcons for the past six seasons in a variety of roles, including head coach, offensive co-ordinator, defensive co-ordinator and special teams co-ordinator.

“One of the great things about it is the team is coming together, The camaraderie is building. I was actually concerned about some inter-division rivalry between players that maybe they don’t like each other, but if that is the case, they’re not showing it whatsoever. It’s a really good team bonding experience.”

Fashola, who is joined on the team by three Virden teammates, defensive lineman Kolten Blackshaw and linebackers Preston Talbot and Mitchell Draper, said the process of bringing the all-stars together really hasn’t been that difficult.

“When you get really good players, there is always this connect because they know what they’re doing, and with that, you don’t have to yell at your teammates or even have coach yell at you,” Fashola said. “You’re all on the same sort of wavelength.

“When you start to practise together and get a few more reps in, you realize these guys you’ve been playing against and butting heads for the entirety of the season, they’re all just regular people like you who love to play football, and that’s why they’re here with us today.”

Fashola could carry Manitoba a long way.

He had 67 carries for 1,296 yards in 10 regular season and playoff games in 2024, with 162 yards receiving. His 22 touchdowns nearly matched the number produced by the rest of the team.

On top of that, he returned three of the five kickoffs he fielded for touchdowns and gained 240 yards.

The Challenge Cup takes place at 2 o’clock on May 19. Neelin is also hosting the RMFL all-star game this Sunday at 2 p.m.

McEwen, who was the defensive back co-ordinator for Manitoba in last year’s game, said his club has come together nicely and he’s expecting big things from them.

“They’re actually doing really well,” McEwen said. “They work hard, they’re paying attention what we’re talking about, they’ve very receptive. They’re a great group of young men. You can just see the team building and team bonding between them. To me right now, that’s my favourite thing. There is talent on this field and I’m expecting to come out with a win.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com