Carlton quarterback Sullivan Smith-Windsor (left) evades a tackle versus Walter Murray while St. Mary quarterback Liam Martin (right) gets set to take a snap under centre versus Centennial. (Gordie Howe Sports Complex/Facebook)

By Logan Lehmann

Go big or go home

High school football: A look into the final four

Oct 28, 2022 | 8:00 AM

The St. Mary Marauders and Carlton Crusaders senior football teams are still standing among the final four in the 2022 SSSAD 6A Football Playoffs.

But do they each have what it takes to survive the night and make it to the championship? Is it possible that we can see an all-Prince Albert final?

Before jumping to conclusions, let’s look at how each team got to the semis.

St. Mary had their work cut out for them in the quarter-finals where they played the role of the underdogs and took down the football powerhouse that is the Centennial Chargers, coming away with the 22-13 win in Saskatoon last week.

They held Centennial to just one first down in the first half alone, while also limiting their offense to just 219 combined rushing and passing yards. As for the offense, the run game is what propelled the Marauders to the win where seven different ball carriers combined for an incredible 376 rushing yards.

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And that wasn’t just a one-time performance from the offense.

In their last four games, St. Mary rushed for an astonishing 1,393 yards, something that no other 6A team has accomplished this year.

But their opponents won’t be easy. The undefeated St. Joseph Guardians steamrolled the competition this past season by outscoring their opponents 219-39, becoming the only school to score 200+ points in the season. If that’s not intimidating enough, according to CanadaFootballChat.com, St. Joe’s is ranked as the 14^th best football high school team in the country while being ranked 2^nd in the province, only behind the Miller Marauders from Regina.

St. Mary will look to pull off the upset yet again to secure a spot in the 6A championship. Kickoff is slated for 5:15 at SMF Field in Saskatoon.

A look at the 2022 6A Division 1 playoff bracket as of Oct. 27. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW staff)

Unlike St. Mary in the quarter-finals, Carlton surprisingly struggled in round one against Walter Murray.

Although the Crusaders shut out Murray in the regular season, they found themselves down 15-7 at the half to the same Marauders team. Eventually, the Cru found their footing and managed to come back and win 20-15.

Despite the ugly win, the Crusaders posted stellar numbers in the contest. The offense combined for 402 yards while the defense limited Murray to less than 200 yards.

Going back to the regular season, Carlton finished in a tie for second with a 4-1 record while outscoring the opposition 187-85 over that span.

But standing in their way for a spot in the championship is their Saskatoon counterpart, the Holy Cross Crusaders. Finishing in second place in the standings, Holy Cross also posted a 4-1 record over the regular season while putting up a 186-44 point differential.

Like St. Joes, the Crusaders are also a nationally ranked football team according to CanadaFootballChat.com. While the Guardians sit at 14^th on the list, Cross comes in just three spots behind at 17^th.

Kickoff for the semi-final heavyweight bout is scheduled for 7:30 at SMF Field in Saskatoon.

—

logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann