St. Paul Bengals are Provincial champs again; Lions hope for similar fate

The St. Paul Bengals made it a historic achievement on Saturday, claiming back-to-back titles. 

Patrick Sesay scored all six touchdowns en route to a Provincial gold medal win for the St. Paul Bengals, taking down the Grande Prairie Broncos 43-35 at Regional Field on Saturday afternoon.

It was a picture-esque scene, as the weatherman couldn’t have provided a better day for late November football, and with so much on the line.

The Bengals first half was truly the difference in the game, with repeated carries by Sesay who was a force to be reckoned with.

“I just run fast, and when I see the hole, I hit it,” he said at half-time. 

By that break, the Bengals had accumulated 34 points to lead by 17.

But the Broncos would not go away. In the 4th quarter after Sesay’s 6th TD, Grande Prairie scored touchdowns on consecutive drives, making the game 41-35 with five minutes left to go.

St. Paul’s defence stiffened up, and didn’t allow another scoring drive after that. They completed a perfect season in stunning and thrilling fashion.

“We preached all week that it was going to come down to the last minute, and I think we lost our focus a little bit as young kids will do, and we had to get it back. But hats off to them… we made enough plays,” said former head coach Todd Tanisichuk, who has been a part of St. Paul football for two decades. 

He stepped away last season to allow Derek Zapisocki to run the team. Zapisocki credited his team’s heart for leading the way. Even when the games got tough this season, they found a way to persevere.

“It feels great, especially for the kids. They bought in from August 21st when we started. It’s been a great team, they’ve done everything we asked them. They kept fighting, and they keep winning,” he told Lakeland Connect. 

Halftime

St. Paul Lions

St. Paul’s high school counterparts are looking for similar success this weekend.

The Lions, after an upset Wheatland Football League championship, headed north to play the Sexsmith Sabres on Saturday as well. With a 29-20 victory, the Lions claimed the title of best in the North.

Now, it’s about being the best in Alberta the Tier IV level.

The Lions will play for the Tier IV Alberta Bowl championship against the Drumheller Titans, who defeated the Willow Creek Cobras 27-22 in the South Final.

Heading into the playoffs, the Titans were ranked first and the Lions second.

It’ll be under the lights in Red Deer, with a kickoff of 7:00pm.