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Shuswap Chargers football team wins Southern Conference Championships

Minor football team becomes 9-man champions after defeating Kamloops
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The bantam Shuswap Chargers at the Southern Interior Conference championships. (Selina Metcalfe/Ihana Images)

The Shuswap Chargers are the Junior Bantam 9-Man champions of the Southern Interior Football Conference, after a hard fought 46-38 win over the Kamloops Broncos on Sunday.

The 2018 championship game capped off an undefeated 6-0 regular season record in which they never trailed in a single game, and a tough semi-final game over the Okanagan Sun Blue to clinch the title. It also handed the Broncos their second loss of the season after losing to Salmon Arm back in late September.

The high powered Chargers offense, led by quarterback Cohen Boyd, struck early and often in the first half, going up by a score of 32-14.

The Broncos stormed back in the second half, scoring on the second kickoff and then again on their next possession, tightening the score to 32-30 before Salmon Arm pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Boyd rushed for one score and threw for another three touchdowns during the day, once to tight end Jaden Brennan and twice to receiver Owen (Ocean) Stockbruegger. Stockbruegger scored 28 total points on the day, hitting five of six conversions and returning one punt for a touchdown. The other score on the day was a rushing touchdown by tailback Riley McEown.

The Chargers defence, led by the punishing tackles of Tristan Verney and Stockbruegger, continued to put pressure on the Broncos and their powerful running game holding off a few late surges by the away team.

“This game was a battle. The team brought their best effort to beat a very talented team,” said Chargers’ head coach Andrew Van Dokkumburg.

The team includes: Malaki Rockwood, Callan Johnson, Tyson Baker, Eli Eklund, Cohen Boyd, Jack Danyluk, Riley McEown, Manraj Chhokar, Tristan Verney, Owen Stockbruegger, Carson Paiement, Andrew Steinwant, Caitlin Hewitt, Seth Blackburn, Shaun Billey, Ethan Jobin, Jaden Brennan, Brody Beasley, Benjamin Anderson, Brandon Greenlaw and Kale Goodman.

Dwight Tait, Ben Hall, Shawn Danyluk and Mark Boyd round out the coaching staff. The team manager is Kim Anderson, while Ed Jasper is the trainer.

The Chargers now travel to Kamloops next weekend for the Provincial Championship tournament.

Submitted by Andrew Van Dokkumburg