Sports NACI Tigers defeat Transcona to win Murray Black Cup

If this were the script for a movie, you wouldn’t believe it. From multiple winless seasons and a football program hanging on by a thread, to a monumental turnaround capped off with the ultimate last minute triumph… Yeah, that does sound just a little too far-fetched to be believable.  

But, the players and coaches for the Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute (NACI) Tigers believed and that’s why  they have earned the right to call themselves champions.

The Neepawa Tigers closed out their Rural Manitoba Football League (RMFL) season with an incredible 27-20 win over the Transcona Nationals in the Murray Black Cup on Sunday, Oct. 26. 

This showdown at Neepawa Collegiate Field was a tremendous back and forth battle and the type of game where both sides honestly deserved the victory.

At half, Neepawa held on to a 13-12 lead, and would be tied with Transcona at 20-20 going into the fourth quarter. A field goal attempt early in the fourth for the Tigers would be blocked, keeping the game tied and giving the Nationals a chance to take the lead. The Tigers defence held strong however, providing another opportunity for the offence. With only a few minutes left in regulation, they’d grab that opportunity, as running back Daxton Brock broke through the Transcona coverage to score a touchdown. This was Brock’s second TD of the game, as he accumulated 203 yards rushing on the day.

The Nationals would have one last chance though to tie things up in the last three minutes of regulation. Transcona drove the ball down the field and eventually tossed a touchdown pass in the last minute…or so it seemed. The Nationals were called on a holding penalty, taking the points off the board and giving Neepawa another chance to hold the line. That is exactly what would happen, as the Tiger defence kept Transcona from gaining any more yardage, and forcing a turnover on downs. Neepawa took the victory formation to run out the clock and secure the Murray Black Championship, their first banner since 2022.

A true team victory

Along with Daxton’s amazing effort, Neepawa was lead on offence by Quarterback E.J. Clark, who was 12-for-26 on the day for 128 passing yards and a touchdown. The one TD through the air was caught by Jesse Whitlaw, who collected four catches for 69 yards. He also had one rush for 27 yards. Other receivers included Keegan Dyke (three receptions - 31 yards) and Zack Morrison (four catches - 19 yds). The offensive line deserves credit as well, as Dylan Fleury, Wyatt Amyotte, and Jhonoelle Tayag were able to open running lanes for Daxton Brock, and give E.J. Clark the time he needed to find his receivers.

This win was earned on both sides of the ball, as the Neepawa defence came up big when it mattered most. T he defensive line of Charli Mignault, Seth Minkus and Grayson Pearson kept heavy pressure on the Transcona QB all day, combining for three total sacks and multiple knockdowns and pressures. Kane Lapointe (seven tackles) helped lead the secondary, with Tyson Selby and Lenin Lexiin Amyotte also adding four tackles each. Ben Hulley (two tackles), Jack Cinco, Jesse Whitlaw and Calix Sopoco (one tackle each), also stepped up when it was needed.

This season has been a huge step forward for the Neepawa Tigers, who had been winless in their previous two seasons. This year saw the squad go 5-1 in the RMFL regular season, and then win a pair of playoff games to close out the impressive turnaround.

Tigers Head Coach Lucas Clark said the players were committed to the program and that they deserved this outcome.

“It took us a couple years to get this going, but now that we’ve set a culture here of putting in the work, leading by example and working towards the goal together. I think we’ll see a sustained [football] program at this level for quite a while yet,” said Clark. “This took a lot of hard work, [and] no going backwards. Whether it was in practice or in game, they committed to the goal and that lead us to where we are today.”

Clark was also quick to salute the Transcona football program, noting they were the only team to defeat them this season. He added that all three of their games against the Nationals were a challenge.

Congratulations to Coach Clark, along with Mike Weisgerber, Marshall Dunn, Stefan Brock, Austin Lewis and Melanie Clark on the victory.