Three members of the Sacred Heart Saints senior football team had the honour of representing the southern part of the province at Football Saskatchewan鈥檚 annual Senior Bowl competition in Regina from May 16-19.
Saints鈥� linebacker/offensive end Shane Varjassy, running back/wide receiver Christian Flaman and utility player Nick Clarke (defensive back, running back, quarterback, linebacker) all took part in the nine-man Senior Bowl game as members of Team 麻豆传媒AV, and as such were also named as three of Saskatchewan鈥檚 top nine-man football players.
Unfortunately the three Saints players came out on the wrong end of a 36-8 loss to Team North, however the loss is just a small negative in a weekend of wonderful positives. 鈥淚t was really fun, the entire weekend was,鈥� said Varjassy, a seven year football veteran. 鈥淓veryone on the team were good guys and we had a good coach.
鈥淲e had fun during the practices, during the games and during down time.鈥�
Flaman echoed Varjassy鈥檚 comments, but added that it was also interesting to find themselves on the same sidelines as members of the Melville Cobras and Foam Lake Panthers, two teams that Sacred Heart has not gotten along with on the football field in recent years. 鈥淚t was interesting, playing with the Melville guys especially,鈥� offered Flaman. 鈥淚鈥檝e been playing against Melville all throughout my high school career so it was interesting playing with some of them.
鈥淚t was a different experience but it was a great one.鈥�
Another great experience according to all three players was the opportunity to play in Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. 鈥淚t was pretty cool to step onto that field. I mean, that鈥檚 where the Riders play, where they won the Grey Cup, so it was pretty cool,鈥� mentioned Varjassy.
Clarke agreed with his Sacred Heart teammate, but added that while it was fun to play on the same field as the Riders, it was also much more different, and difficult, than playing in Yorkton, Melville or Esterhazy. 鈥淧laying at Mosaic Stadium, that鈥檚 obviously a really intense place to play with the Riders playing there and all so it makes for quite a different atmosphere leading up,鈥� said Clarke. 鈥淭here is that much more excitement and buildup when compared to a high school game at a normal field.
鈥淭he game itself was much harder as well. Normally you might play some backups in a high school game and they might not be at the same level as you and you might find it quite easy to play against but at the Senior Bowl it鈥檚 the best of the best.鈥�
And although the game ended with a loss for the three Saints players, the loss did come in a game where the best of the best competed.
And this year Clarke, Flaman and Varjassy were three of the best.
