Hafford Vikings QB, Hunter Barnstable launches a pass down field during playoff action. (Submitted photo/Tara Burletoff)

By Martin Martinson

One win from Five Straight

Hafford Vikings’ seniors relish opportunity ahead in provincial final

Nov 8, 2023 | 2:06 PM

Coming off a decisive 69-29 win over Cupar in the semifinals, the Hafford Vikings football team is off to the 1A six-aside provincial final this weekend, to play Lemberg’s North Valley High Eagles for all the marbles, in their bid for a fifth straight provincial title.

Central to the Vikings’ success this season has been the play of the team’s dynamic senior duo of quarterback Hunter Barnstable and wide receiver/safety, Koen Cherwinski.

The lone two Grade 12s on an otherwise young Vikings’ roster this season, the pair connected for two of Barnstable’s six touchdown passes in the first half alone in the semis, with Cherwinski’s third TD coming off a direct snap in the red zone to rush the ball to the house for the score.

Koen Cherwinski in action with the Hafford Vikings in their semifinal win. (Submitted photo/Tara Burletoff)

Veterans of two of the team’s last four straight provincial titles, together the pair have their eyes set on a third straight this weekend, to cap their high school football careers in an opportunity Barnstable said they have been working towards all year.

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“We’re really excited and blessed to be in another provincial championship game again, and we’re going to work really hard this week so we can go in there confident,” the quarterback remarked; adding the team just needs to continue to build off what was a strong performance last week.

“That was probably the best game we’ve played all year, honestly, and for me, that was probably the best game I’ve played in my life,” he said. “I think the key to our success there was confidence. We came in with confidence because we worked really hard in practice, and we were confident in our game plan and in our execution.”

Facing the same North Valley team they met in last year’s provincial final – fresh off a big semifinal win of their own last weekend, 62-8 over Carrot River – Cherwinski told battlefordsNOW that while nerves are expected ahead of the big game, it’s important to harness the emotion in a positive fashion, conducive to winning.

“It’s all about heart, and a lot of determination,’ Cherwinski said. “Anybody would be nervous, but we’re excited too. These are the best teams playing against each other and we’ve worked hard for this, practicing every day through the cold and all the weather. We’re prepared and we’ve played [well].”

Saturday’s provincial championship game will be played in Lemberg, with kickoff at 1 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1