'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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.