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It’s taken 13 years, but the Regina Thunder are once again national champions.
The Prairie Football Conference champions went out to B.C. and defeated the Westshore Rebels 42-21 thanks to three fourth quarter touchdowns to claim the 188th Canadian Bowl. It’s just the second time the Thunder have won the Canadian Junior Football League national championship, the first coming back in 2013.
Regina was led by quarterback Jayden Zelionka, who scored three times on the ground, and running back Peter Boersch, who seemed to get positive chunks of yards almost any time he touched the football.
“I’m feeling so many different types of emotions but happy is the big one,” Zelionka said.
The Rebels got out to an early lead in the game, only needing two plays to score the game’s first touchdown as Zion Brown, the Canadian Junior Football League’s leading receiver, caught a long touchdown pass from Anthony Cancellare to put the Rebels up 7-0 early.
Regina was pinned deep in their own end after a penalty on the convert attempt but put together a good drive as the Thunder got on the board with a field goal by Harry Case. The Thunder once again got closer to the Rebels with another field goal.
In the second quarter, quarterback Jayden Zelionka rushed it in from two yards out as Regina pulled out to a 13-7 lead.
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Case missed on a 48-yard field goal but the ball went out the back of the end zone for a single point.
Cancellare once again got help with some big plays as Kwame Franklin caught a bomb from Cancellare. The next play, Brown got in behind the Thunder defence and hauled in his second touchdown of the game to tie things at 14 with just over a minute left in the first half.
In the third quarter, the Thunder came out and used a powerful run game with running back Peter Boersch to help go down the field as Zelionka scored his second rushing touchdown of the game to go up 21-14.
Thunder defensive back Marcus Butz recorded the game’s first turnover as he picked off Cancellare.
Westshore tied things up in the fourth quarter to set up a thrilling finish.
The Thunder were able to take back the lead quickly after that.
Owen Effa helped stop a Westshore drive late in the game as he picked off a pass.
Zelionka scored his third rushing touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter to clinch the win for Regina while running back Mathew Morris scored another touchdown to go up by 21.
In order to reach the Canadian Bowl, the Thunder knocked off the Saskatoon Hilltops in the PFC title game and then defeated the Sault Ste. Marie Cougars in the semifinal game.
More to come…
