The regular season ended off a high note for the Wynyard Bears high school football team, as they picked up a 62-44 win over the Ituna Trojans.
After both teams came away empty handed on their opening possessions, the points started piling up on the scoreboard.
Wynyard’s Dawson Malinowski opened the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown run.
Hudson Senft responded for Ituna with a touchdown to tie the game 6-6.
Avery Flahr played most of the game at wide receiver but stepped under centre at quarterback and put Wynyard back on top with a quarterback sneak that ended in a 15-yard run for a touchdown, making the score 12-6.
Ituna grabbed their first lead of the game after Senft returned an interception for a 45-yard touchdown, the successful two-point convert gave the Trojans the 14-12 advantage.
Wynyard struck back with Malinowski hauling in a 20-yard touchdown reception.
Trojans quarterback Shawn Renkas regained the lead with a one-yard touchdown run.
In the final two minutes of the first half, there were three touchdowns between the two teams. First it was Malinowski with a 75-yard touchdown grab from Bears quarterback Blake Prisiak.
Ituna answered back with a one-yard touchdown from Chase Yakimoski plunging in from the one-yard line.
But Malinowski ended the half with his fourth touchdown of the game, a 30-yard reception, as the Bears entered the locker room with a 34-30 lead.
In the third quarter, Wynard began to pull away. First Prisiak connected with Flahr for a 59-yard touchdown. That was followed up by Malinowski running it in from 16 yards, as Wynyard led 48-30.
Ituna fought back with a pair of touchdowns of their own, Senft scored his third touchdown of the game with a nine-yard run and then Yakimoski scored with a18-yard reception, narrowing the Bear’s lead to 48-44.
But the final two touchdowns of the game came courtesy of Wynyard, first Prisiak found Nicholas Wiebe for a 30-yard touchdown catch and then to finish off the scoring, Malinowski ended his strong game with his sixth touchdown of the night, this time a 43-yard reception, to make the final, 62-44.
Wynyard finishes the regular season with a 4-2 record and second spot in the conference, while Ituna dropped to 2-4.
The Bears will begin the provincial playoffs with a road game as they head to Clavet next Saturday in a quarterfinal matchup.