Photograph: Michael Lukyn
May 28, 2016
Christian Phillips couldn’t have possibly dreamed of a better finish to his Winnipeg High School Football League career.
There was the Garden City Gophers receiver charging down the field on a punt-cover unit in Saturday’s Senior Bowl at Investors Group Field when a fumbled return bounced right into his mitts.
“I really just wanted to get a hit on the guy catching the ball,” said Phillips, still beaming about the play afterward. “I just went full speed, luckily it bounced off his chest and went to the ground and I just scooped it up and ran away with it.
“That was the perfect circumstance. If I had to put money on it, I would have never bet I would have scored a touchdown like that.”
Phillips’ heroics provided the only touchdown in a game won 9-3 by Team Miller, featuring guest coach Wade Miller – the Bombers President & CEO – and led by Winnipeg Rifles boss Geordie Wilson and his staff.
“For a lot of these kids, this is the culmination of their career,” said Wilson. “I asked a bunch of them how many of them were playing their last game. Of that group, about 15 of them said this was the last time they were ever going to play.
“It was fun. The kids that came out had a lot of fun with this.”
Tommy Semchyshyn of St. Paul’s High School was named the Offensive Player of the Game for Team Miller with Todd Campbell of Sisler honoured as the Defensive Player of the Game.
Team Bramwell’s top offensive player was Kevin Ebron of the Daniel Mac Maroons while Vincent Massey’s Keean Onyebuchi was selected as the top defender.
But this week was more about what happened at IGF Saturday afternoon. It was about rubbing shoulders one last time with teammates and former foes and capping their high-school careers in style.
Some have football ahead of them, like Team Bramwell quarterback Colby Kyliuk, who will be wearing University of Manitoba Bisons colours in the fall.
“It’s always fun getting together with all the guys you’ve played with and against all these years,” said Kyliuk. “It’s the last time dressed in a high-school outfit with all the boys. It’s been really good.
“I’m really looking forward to suiting up next year for the Bisons. I always wanted to play in my hometown and now I get that opportunity. I can’t wait.”
