A championship memory for four former Swift Current Comp Colts.
Noah Steinley, Carter Moberg, Parker Robertson and Zach Cloutier helped the Regina Thunder to a CJFL Prairie Football Conference title by beating the Saskatoon Hilltops 24-19 on Sunday.
"It's an unbelievable feeling is the whole game we were fighting with the boys playing hard for each other," Steinley said. "You didn't know it was over until it was over you. They're a great team over there in Saskatoon and they were fighting the whole way through. Just as soon as the final whistle it was an unbelievable feeling."
The undefeated Hilltops were certainly the favourite heading into Sunday's game. This was their first loss in 21 games dating back to October 30, 2022.
"Call a spade, a spade we were the underdogs," Steinley said. "They beat us pretty handily two times earlier in the year, but just we knew what we had. We had a great game plan, and we knew that if we just played for each other, we could go out there and win that thing."
Steinley is an offensive lineman and was proud of how their group contributed to a really strong running game for Regina.
"That's a big part of the system changes we implemented over the past three weeks," he said. "We've had 1100 some rushing yards and we have a ton of great guys up front. They're all working together and we're all playing for each other on the O-line. I'd say it's the tightest group on the team."
The Thunder built a 17-3 early, but Saskatoon kept chipping away at it.
"It got stressful towards the end," Cloutier said. "It was super exciting once we won and super happy for everybody. I think we gained our confidence. I think we lost a little bit of our confidence halfway through the season and we just really worked on getting our confidence back and playing as a team again."
Cloutier is a linebacker and was on the field during the final play as the Hilltops were pushing to overtake Regina.
"I had no idea actually, once I seen that ball thrown and then it was like didn't realize that the clock hit zero yet until the refs were waving their flags," he said. "Then it was just excitement from there."
The four local players had gone through the Swift Current football system at different stages.
"It's crazy," Steinley said. "I played with Carter since I was probably 13. I played with Zach and Parker's brothers, but I didn't really play with them as much. But it's amazing. Have a similar experience being from a small town and then coming to Regina to play football. No one really knows who you are, and then you get here and you kind of show out and people realize what Swift Current's about."
Now the Thunder play Okanogan with a shot at a spot in the Canadian Bowl.
"We played the Okanogan Sun in the national championship two years ago and lost," Steinley said. "So I think everyone is really looking forward to get another shot at them and take them down. Then if we win that game we head out to Ottawa. But it's just another game. Same preparation, watching film, doing our practices, do what you did in this game against Saskatoon... going in as the underdog and finding a way to win."
The CJFL National Semi Final is set for Sunday in Regina.