Crusaders upset rivals to win Div III title
In what was already a historic night on Max Clunie Field, the Carlton Crusaders senior football team added the cherry on top.
For the first time in at least seven years, the Crusaders beat their crosstown rivals, the St. Mary Marauders, 25-22 Thursday to capture their second consecutive Saskatoon High School Football Division III championship. This is the first time the Crusaders have met the Marauders in the playoffs in Prince Albert.
The Marauders came into the game having won every regular season game against the Crusaders each year since the Canadian Tire Classic was formed in 2012. The Crusaders picked a good time to buck the trend.
“It’s big. I mean… I’m at a loss for words right now,” Crusaders head coach Lindsay Strachan said before regathering himself. “I’m just really excited for these guys. Our journey this year has taken us on different roads than we foresaw at the start of the season. I think as a group, we emerged stronger here in the last little bit.”