Nationals too hot to handle for Wolverines

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This article was published 21/09/2018 (2775 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Westman Wolverines came out cold and never warmed up.

With temperatures barely above freezing and sleet on the ground, the Wolverines (1-3) were shut out 36-0 by the Transcona Nationals (3-1) in Manitoba Major Junior Football League action Saturday at Vincent Massey. It was the second game in a row the Wolverines were blanked after they lost 15-0 to the St. Vital Mustangs on Sept. 8.

The Nationals came out firing on all cylinders. Quarterback Bryson McNeil threw for three touchdowns in the opening quarter.

“They were clicking from the start,” said Westman head coach Brady Dane. “Credit to them, it’s tough getting on a bus in weather like this to play out here.”

Wolverines linebacker Cole Easton says he hasn’t played in conditions this cold since high school.

“It’s tough. It definitely takes a toll on you,” he said. “But you just gotta put that out of your mind and play football.

“Once you get going, the guys know, you warm up and it’s fine.”

Easton kept his team in the game early, picking off a McNeil pass in the red zone to keep it 8-0.

“I just checked run, bailed back into my zone, and he threw it right to me,” he said.

Easton led his team with seven solo and two assisted tackles.

McNeil would regain his form, and end the day with five touchdown passes.

“Our secondary had a couple breakdowns, but a couple bad plays was all it was really,” said Easton.

Wind was a major factor, with 29 of the Nationals’ 36 points coming with gusts to 40 km/h at their backs in the first and third quarters.

Down four majors at the half, Westman kept fighting. The home side only allowed one touchdown pass in the second half.

“I’m really proud of the guys, how they kept up the intensity in the second half,” said Easton. “They didn’t give up, didn’t hang their heads.”

The wind proved to be a factor in the Wolverines’ offence in the passing game, but a bright spot on that unit was Tyler Rowan. The running back finished with 18 carries for 97 yards.

“I was expecting it to be a heavy run game,” he said. “Lots of fumbles and loose balls.

“It was a lot better of a run game than last week.”

Rowan had no issues with ball security, even with less than ideal conditions to carry the ball or find footing on the mud-soaked field. He provided a spark for his team when he hurdled a Transcona defender and put his team into the red zone for the first time in the fourth quarter.

“You just gotta stay in it,” he said. “Fight through adversity, whether it’s the cold or injuries, you just have to keep playing.”

Rowan agreed with Easton about the weather.

“I’ve played games closer to November, but not with rain like it was at the start of the game,” he said. “It was definitely the most uncomfortable.”

Dane said the team tries to prepare for every game the same way. They usually have a morning practice session on game day and come out dressed well before kickoff. With near-freezing temperatures, he feels that isn’t necessarily the best approach. Dane kept his team indoors until 30 minutes before kickoff

“On a day like today we try to limit their exposure to the elements,” he said. “Other than that, you try to keep it the same mentally, tell them the same things.

“There’s opportunities with this (weather) and you just try to be the lucky one and take advantage of them.”

On this day, the breaks went the Nationals’ way.

The MMJFL takes a break this week. The Wolverines are back on the field Saturday, Oct. 6 in Winnipeg as they face the St. James Rods. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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