'We do it for Coach Gord': Thom, Sheldon Williams football teams clash in second Beat Cancer game

As the Thom Trojans take the field against the Sheldon Williams Spartans in the second annual Beat Cancer Game, they’re playing for their late coach.

Players say Gord MacQuarrie, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator, was instrumental in helping adjust the attitude of a team in search of a new identity.

“We do it for Coach Gord. We miss him, a lot. He contributed a lot to the team and really helped us get to where we are now with our rebuild,” said Thom defensive back Liam Newell.

In 2019, the Trojans were unable to field a football team due to a lack of players. Upon their return in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, the team struggled.

“We scored 18 points the whole season,” said defensive back Landon Livingstone, recalling his grade 9 season.

Livingstone said the following season, MacQuarrie helped show them that playing football could be about more than just playing for fun, without putting in the work.

“Coach Gord's mentality is like you're here, you'll work hard, and then you can say you've played football, because you haven't really played unless you're actually out here putting in the work every day to be better,” Livingstone said.

But just as the Trojans were starting to find their footing, MacQuarrie faced a battle with cancer. His battle and the school's Beat Cancer Week sparked a conversation between the staff at Thom and Sheldon Williams Collegiate. It led to the first Beat Cancer game between the two schools, with an almost unbelievable ending.

“We called a pass play, and our quarterback took off and I remember my reaction was like, 'No, no no,' and when he broke the sideline, 80 yards downfield I was like great decision, just the way we drew it up,” said Ross Vanstone, the head coach of the Trojans.

To top it off, the Trojans went for the two-point conversion to win the game outright.

The very next day, MacQuarrie passed away.

“It's kind of fitting that his last day on earth that we got that win for him. It was kind of like a miracle on that field,” Vanstone said.

• Get the CTV News app for Saskatchewan breaking news alerts and top stories 

On the other side of the ball, Sheldon Williams Spartans assistant coach Pete Paczko is facing a cancer battle of his own.

“When you get a diagnosis like that, and I hope nobody does, but when you do, it's sort of like well, now what? And what do I do to sort of keep this as normal as possible? So the coaching thing was sort of a no brainer,” Paczko said.

Despite facing a stage four diagnosis and going through treatments, Paczko is staying on the sidelines.

“The energy I get and the support I get from the kids and the coaches makes it all worthwhile. Even if I'm having a tough day physically, football practice will fix that for a couple hours,” Paczko said.

Donations were being collected at the gate at Friday’s game, with proceeds going to cancer research.

In the end, the Thom Trojans won the 2024 Beat Cancer Game 35-0 at Leibel Field.