Although it is spring, some talented Virden Collegiate Institute football players had the opportunity recently to compete and show off their gridiron skills.

Last fall the VCI Golden Bears won the Murray Black Cup  - the Rural Manitoba Football League’s consolation championship. Top players from that team competed in the RMFL All-Star Game and the Challenge Cup this spring. The latter event pitted a nine-man all-star team against a Saskatchewan counterpart.

RMFL All-Star Game

On May 11, Virden players helped Team West beat Team East, 50-30. VCI coach Marc Talbot was the Team West head coach. The VCI players on the winning team were Carter Hayward, offensive line; Mitch Draper, linebacker; Fola Fashola, running back; Kolt Blackshaw, defensive end; and Preston Talbot, defensive end/linebacker.

“It was a well-played, hard-fought battle where Team West came out on top with a 50-30 victory,” Marc Talbot said a couple days later. “It was a nice warm-up game for the players as they get ready for the Challenge Cup as about 80 per cent of the players that played in the All-Star game are members of the Challenge Cup team.”

In addition to VCI, Team West included players from Moosomin, Swan Valley, Park West, Dauphin and Neelin. Team East features student-athletes from South West, Neepawa, Interlake, Winnipeg Falcons and the St. Vital Mustangs.

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup was played May 19 at Brandon’s Neelin High School with Team Saskatchewan winning 38-0. Marc Talbot served as the RMFL’s defensive coordinator. The VCI players representing the Manitoba league were Draper, Fashola, Blackshaw, and Preston Talbot.