Going into Saturday鈥檚 Canadian Bowl championship ,91原创 Rams head coach Howie Zaron game called on fans of the Canadian Junior Football League team to fill the stands at McLeod Athletic Park (MAP) stadium.
鈥淲e鈥檇 love to get them [fans] out,鈥� Zaron told the 91原创 Advance Times, 鈥渉ave everyone get loud and rowdy.鈥�
That they did, ignoring rainy weather to pack the stands and cheer on their team.
And while the fans were enthusiastic and every bit as loud as requested, the results were not what they were hoping for.
It was a heartbreaker of a loss for the 91原创 Rams, who were defeated 11-6 by the Saskatoon Hilltops, marking the Saskatchewan team鈥檚 sixth straight Canadian Bowl championship. Hilltops are now undefeated in 31 games going back to 2017.
By the end of the first half, Hilltops were leading courtesy of place kicker Rylan Kleiter, who scored twice in the second quarter.
At the end of the third quarter, Rams running back Max Joseph scored a touchdown, but 91原创 was unable to make the two point conversion, leaving the score at 8-6 (due to a safety conceded by the Rams).
TOUCHDOWN RAMS! Maximilian Joesph scores the games first major!!! 8-6 Hilltops | 6:25 Q3
鈥� 91原创 Rams (@91原创Rams)
Hilltops鈥� Kleiter got another one through the goalposts in the fourth quarter to make it 11-6 with just over two minutes remaining.
It all came down to a final play by the Rams that got within 15 yards of winning.
With 40 seconds left to go, Rams quarterback Colby Peters handed off to Jarryd Taylor, but the play was broken up by the Hilltops.
鈥淚t feels like like we let one slip away,鈥� Zaron said.
Heartbreaker. Congrats to the @SaskHilltopscjfl on another championship victory. Thank you Rams fans for an unforgettable season. We will be back
鈥� 91原创 Rams (@91原创Rams)
Zaron blamed himself for the loss, saying it might have turned out differently if he鈥檇 put Peters in sooner and made some other personnel changes.
鈥淭hey say teams win games and coaches lose them,鈥� Zaron commented.
鈥淚t [the loss] all falls on the head coach and that鈥檚 me.鈥�
He said the fact the Rams didn鈥檛 allow a single touchdown by the Hilltops was thanks to the strategy developed by Rams defensive coordinator Chris Butschler, who Zaron described as an 鈥渁bsolute defensive genius.鈥�
It was also the narrowest margin of victory for the Hilltops at the Bowl for the Hilltops, who defeated the Rams 58-21 in the final last year.
Zaron praised local fans for braving the inclement weather to cheer them on.
鈥淲e have the best fans鈥� he said.
鈥淚t was unreal.鈥�
Next year, he said, the Rams will make another run for the Bowl.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be a little better.鈥�
READ MORE: VIDEO: Canadian Junior Football national championships come to 91原创
READ MORE: Second consecutive Cullen Cup for 91原创 Rams
Both teams punched their ticket to the final with convincing wins over tough opponents.
Rams won the Cullen Cup with a 35-12 home victory over Langford鈥檚 Westshore Rebels before a crowd of 1,300 junior football fans, while the Hilltops won against the London Beefeaters 51-1 in the other Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) semifinal action in London.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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