Virden beats Neepawa for Murray Black Cup
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- Published on Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Photo by Eoin Devereux. Despite their best efforts, the Tigers were unable to contain Virden to the back field during the Murray Black Cup final.
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The Rural Manitoba Football League season did not end the way the Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute (NACI) Tigers had hoped for, as they were defeated 34-20 by the Virden Golden Bears in the Murray Black Cup.
The game was played on Saturday, Nov. 7 in Neepawa and saw a large contingent of fans for both sides in the stands for the final. The first half featured both sides moving the ball down the field via a solid ground game. At the mid-way point, it was Neepawa who held on to a 20-14 lead.
In the second half, Virden was able to make some adjustments on defence and shut down the Tigers offensive efforts. On the other side of the ball, the Golden Bears were able to take advantage of an injured and tired NACI defence by using the running back sweep to gain big yardage. That allowed Virden to tie the game at 20-20 after three quarters and eventually add two more touchdowns in the final quarter to secure the 34-20 victory.
Neepawa coach Dave Clark said heading into this matchup, they knew it would be a real battle against the surging Golden Bears. He said that despite the final result on the scoreboard, the Tiger players should be proud of what they accomplished during the game and the season as a whole.
“We battled and competed hard. These guys never even quit and that’s not just today. That was the entire season. I’m proud of what they did out there. The entire coaching staff is. We have a lot of younger players who gained some valuable experience this season and that bodes well for the program in the future,” stressed Clark.
Neepawa quarterback Dylan Oshanyk ended the game 5-for-18 for 115 yards and one interception, while running back Dillan Neufeld added four carries for 56 total yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, in the Doug Steeves Cup for the league championship, the Dauphin Clippers ended Swan Valley’s run for a perfect season, with a 17-16 win in overtime.
