Carlton lifts the 5A football provincial championship for the first time in school history. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

By Logan Lehmann

In the history books

Carlton wins 5A football provincial championship for first time

Nov 9, 2024 | 6:37 PM

For the first time in school history, the Carlton Crusaders are provincial champions in football.

Carlton crowned themselves kings of the gridiron on Saturday afternoon in Saskatoon, defeating the Bishop James Mahoney (BJM) Saints in a 35-34 nailbiter at SMF Field.

(Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

Tied at 21-21 at halftime, BJM took the lead early in the third quarter to up 28-21. On the ensuing drive, Carlton managed to answer back with a touchdown of their own to pull back to even.

After BJM turned the ball over on downs, Carlton was also forced to punt. Surprisingly, the ball went over the returners head, bounced into the Saints endzone and through the backside for a rouge, or a single point.

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With the Crusaders up by one with less than three minutes to play fourth, BJM managed to find the endzone with to go up 34-29. The Saints opted to go for two however, the BJM pass was picked off by the Carlton defence with 2:32 left on the clock.

Over the next 1:20, the Crusaders marched the ball down the field from deep inside their own end with Sullivan Smith-Windsor and Zane Litzenberger connecting through the air on every play. Eventually, the Carlton one-two punch found the endzone for the final time, putting the Red and Gold back up by one.

The Saints would fail to get a first down on their final possession of the game, turning the ball over to Carlton. The Cru then ran the clock with a quarterback kneel and claimed the 5A football provincial championship.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Carlton head coach Lindsay Strachan moments after the win. “It was a gutsy performance from our guys today. [I’m] so proud of their effort, the mental toughness to hang with it, the shootout, and then the defence pulls it out [with] a couple big stops at the end.”

“For me, it’s 18 years in the making and for the school, it’s 50 years in the making,” Strachan continued. “To be a part of that little piece of history and to have these guys be the ones who did it together, it’s amazing what they did today.”

Carlton’s captains accept the 5A football provincial championship trophy. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW)

Battling injuries during the final minutes and running on pure adrenaline, Litzenberger spoke on how his teammates helped him persevere through those last few plays.

“I had help from the team. They tried to pick me up when I was down, it’s a team win. BJM played tough and we overcame, this is what we’ve been working for all year.”

The grade 11 wide receiver also echoed Strachan on making school history.

“It’s great. Love the people, love the coaches, love the team – just an awesome atmosphere.”

The provincial win caps off a perfect season for Carlton, who ends the year with a flawless 8-0 record.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com