'I was tearing up': Yorkton welcomes back six local grads in Regina Thunder pre-season game
The last time Reece McCormick took to the gridiron at Kinsmen Century Field, he was a grade 10 student at Yorkton Regional High School.
With his grade 11 year dashed by an MCL injury, grade 12 for the Yorkton product saw the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, halting any chance to take the field as a senior.
Fast forward to Saturday, McCormick — fresh off a training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders — admitted it was emotional running onto the field where his football dream flourished.
“I was tearing up when I came in here,” he said following the 46-3 pre-season victory for the Regina Thunder over the Winnipeg Rifles.
McCormick was one of six Yorkton products on the field for the Thunder Saturday.
He commended the Yorkton Minor Football organization for their work in getting them to the Junior-calibre game.
“The organization here produces a lot of great athletes and they’re going to continue to do so,” McCormick said.
“It’s just nice to have a couple of guys that you know, that you grew up on the team, especially after high school, and you get to keep creating that bond with them … it’s pretty special.”
It wasn’t just the players of the Thunder that had a bit of Yorkton flare to them.
Jason Boyda, a co-head coach for the local Raider Gridder Football program, was patrolling the sidelines as a coach for the team.
He too, described the 2022 Yorkton Bowl as emotional.
“For them (the Yorkton players) to come back on our gridiron, and able to play one more time because COVID stole what it stole — that’s why I had tears. I was so emotional,” said Boyda.
In terms of the work Yorkton Minor Football has put in — Boyda said it’s because they’re doing things the right way, specifically early on in these athletes’ careers.
“Our coaches (go) to clinics, the older coaches we have here, we coach them up. With community support and the players buying into what we do — where they want to be in minor football … hard work pays off. The six guys that we have with the Regina Thunder, their hard work has paid off. Now they’re playing at the next level,” he explained.
Boyda wasn’t just a coach Saturday, either.
His son, Jaxon, was one of those six Yorkton players.
The wide receiver caught a touchdown in the second half, a moment the coach — and the father — won’t soon forget.
“I’m going to be honest … when he scored, good thing I got these (sunglasses) on, because my eyes welled up,” Boyda said.
“I had tears coming down because it was such an emotional thing. I’m a dad, right? … That feeling was phenomenal. I can’t just put it into words, pretty proud moment for me.”
All in all, it’s been a proud summer for Yorkton Minor Football. Two grads were chosen in the 2022 CFL Draft in B.C.’s Noah Zerr and Montreal’s Peter Kozushka.
And with a packed crowd full of young players from Yorkton Minor Football in attendance Saturday, it may not be long before more and more young players reach that next level from the Parkland.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.