Marshall Delorme and Andrew Kehler recently competed on the South Sask Selects Football Teams. Delorme participated on the U16 team, while Kehler represented Carlyle talent on the U13 team.
The boys each did very well as they helped to take their team to a second place finish at a tournament in San Antonio, Texas.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, each of the three Sask Selects football teams participated in scrimmages to prepare for the tournament action.
Somewhat worried about what to expect going into the tournament both local boys quickly settled into their roles on the team. It was different for them, going from Canadian rules to American rules, but the teams successfully transferred a mere few months of playing together to give teams that had been together for four years a difficult match.
Friday became a day of rest for the boys as they awaited the 2014 International Pigskin Classic, but first enjoyed camaraderie amongst the South Sask Selects teams participating and their families at the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. Wanting to be ready to play, the teams weren't quite as rowdy as they had been Thursday evening at Fatso's Sports Bar, which was an experience in itself.
Kehler, who typically plays quarterback out of Estevan, earned a spot on the Sask Selects as the running back. Having played on the team last year as well he had already gained experience in this position.
Kehler's team fought against the Alamo City Red Raiders with a loss of 26 to 0, however, eight points were earned by the Raiders with mere seconds left in the game.
The 13U team then met the Odessa Monsters, the city featured in the movie Friday Night Lights with many young players bound for Permian High School which was the location of the movie. Though somewhat intimidating the South Sask Selects would work hard to win the game 22 to 6.
"Odessa actually hadn't lost a game in their division, they hadn't lost one all season," Eldon Kehler, Andrew's father said.
This brought them into the final on Sunday where they faced the Alamo City Red Raiders again. Though great effort was put into it the team fell short in a game scoring 32 to 18, but they had not left empty handed. The Sask Selects would bring home the second place trophy.
"It was a good experience, good to meet all the guys down there that play year round that are like really good" Andrew stated. "Way better than last year, position, all that stuff, last year we didn't do very well."
Overall Andrew explained the experience was great, with some coaching even coming out of the Regina Rams. Thus, Andrew said he learned a lot and will take it with him to Estevan in the fall.
"It's just a lot more complex because we used a college offense instead of a regular minor football offense so it's just a lot more complex and they taught you how to do all that stuff" Andrew explained.
Delorme's team would be matched up against a team from Mexico in their first match. They would take the win with a score of 41 to 13 despite being amongst a raucous Mexican crowd.
Their second match would be a night game against the Alamo City Red Raiders in a match honouring former Red Raider greats as the match was dubbed a Hall of Fame Game. Though they lost this match, they had made their way to the championship game on Sunday, Feb. 23.
"Our second game against San Antonio it was a tougher game. For most of it, it was 12 to 10," Delorme stated. "Everyone was standing up in the stands cheering on. By the last couple of minutes our quarterback tried a sneak and the middle line backer hit him and the ball came loose and San Antonio ran it back for a touchdown. It looked bad for the score but the actual game was really good."
Here they faced the Red Raiders again where the Sask Selects would fight, but were unable to take the win. With a score of 14 to 6, it meant the U16 team also took home the second place trophy from the Pigskin Classic.
The third game Delorme said the team was a little tired and it wasn't quite the fight they had put up in the first game against the Red Raiders, but overall the Canadians couldn't be disappointed.
"No one on my team has ever played three games in one weekend," Delorme said. "I don't think any Canadian has played three games in one weekend, the most I've ever played was one game"
Delrome also learned a lot from the experience and is already looking to the fall to play with the Estevan Comp again.
"It was fun down there. I learned lots," Delorme stated. "It was a new position I was playing on so on the O-line [offensive line] I learned all the techniques with your foot movement, where your hands go I've learned a lot more about the O-line which will bring a lot more to the [Estevan] Comp, it should help us hopefully."
This difference between the O-line and the defensive line (D-line) was accentuated by the difference in Canadian Football rules and American Football rules.
"In the CFL there's a big yard between the D-Line and the O-Line, so on the defensive line you can do more jukes and stuff to get into your gap whereas the NFL you're head to head, you're just smashing into each other and the stronger man wins," Delorme explained. "That was one rule that was a lot different."
Despite being unsure about what they would be coming up against, Delorme is happy with the way the team showed.
"I think the scariest part was not knowing what we're playing against," Delorme said. "When I first heard that a couple of those guys are supposed to make the NFL, so I was scared but when we got there they were the same size of us and none of them were amazing, amazing. I'd say the Canadians put up a good fight"
This good fight was made even more impressive by the fact that the Sask Selects had been together for a mere three months.
"The teams we were playing in San Antonio they've been together for years and the Selects they were only selected from Prince Albert to here, so from all over, and to get a team to be a team together for three months, what they did was a huge accomplishment," Tracy Delorme, Marshall's mother, stated.
