For the first time in the team’s history, the Regina Thunder will face a team from the Ontario Football Conference, with a berth in the Canadian Bowl on the line. The Thunder flew out to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday afternoon where they will take on the Sault College Cougars on Saturday night in the Canadian Junior Football League semifinal. The Cougars dispatched the London Beefeaters 26-21 to capture the Ontario Conference crown. The Thunder are coming off a 44 to 19 victory over the Saskatoon Hilltops in the Prairie Football Conference Final. Regina quarterback Jayden Zelionka said he took some time to settle in during the PFC final but said he has settled into his role of the starting pivot in his first full year calling the shots under centre. “I think just my composure, like my mental side has definitely taken the biggest growth. I’ve been flustered at times at the start of the year, but I think I’ve started to calm down and just play football, which is huge,” he said. The second year Thunder player also said it’s nice to have so many weapons on offense to lean on. “I can rely on them like I have no legs, like Peter Boersch holds me up whenever times are going tough, and so do guys like DI Iorio and Walz and Rapchalk and everyone else on this O-line and offensive side, everybody holds me accountable. They keep me up when times are rough,” Zelionka said. The Thunder have relied on all three phases of the ball this season, and that was prevalent in their last win. Regina scored on offense, special teams, courtesy of a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown by Carwyn Williams, and twice on defense, one thanks to a pick six by defensive back Marcus Butz. “They ran the same play multiple times in previous games before that. I even picked one off the first time they came to Regina. And I knew that slant was there, so I kind of baited it a little bit for the quarterback to throw it, and then I just made the nice read and undercut it there and took it to the house. That major marked an incredible fifth time that Butz has tallied an interception touchdown this season. Thunder Head Coach Scott MacAulay said he told the team to cherish the right to represent the City of Regina and the PFC when they head to Ontario. “It’s simple, some guys on our team have never flown anywhere before. And on Friday they’re going to get on a bus that’s going to take us right onto the tarmac, and they’re going to walk off the bus and walk right onto a plane, and we’re going fly hard, so it’s a pretty cool experience,” he said. MacAulay told CTV News the Cougars have plenty of players with size and athleticism and said the Thunder will have to be disciplined in all three phases of the game to come home with a victory. The winner will take on the British Columbia Football Conference champion in the Canadian Bowl on Nov. 8. The Westshore Rebels take on the Langley Rams on Saturday in the BCFC Championship game. The Thunder are hoping to fly back into YQR airport one win closer to their first national championship since 2013. Kickoff Saturday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sask. time.
