Manitoba brings home gold at the U18 Indigenous Cup Championships

A national football championship bringing together top young Indigenous athletes from across Western Canada saw Manitoba’s U18 team rise to the occasion, as after a weekend of high-level competition, they walked away with not only a gold medal but also momentum for their careers going forward.

The Indigenous Football Canada U18 National Championship brought together youth from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Northwestern Ontario, all competing in 6-aside tackle football, and after a silver medal showing last year, Team Manitoba made sure to walk away with gold.

“I feel like our running game was the best we had. We had a five-man line, something we didn’t do against Saskatchewan, so it made a difference,” said Josh Gill, an offensive lineman with Manitoba’s U18 Indigenous High-Performance Team.

Dale Turcotte III, another offensive lineman with Manitoba’s U18 Indigenous High-Performance Team, said, “As soon as I saw our quarterback take that knee, the chin strap, the helmet comes off, it was pure excitement.”

For 17-year-old Turcotte III, the moment had deep meaning following heartbreak last season after not making the travel squad.

“I was like, man, I really want to be part of it and made sure that I balled out this season and showed them what I could do,” he explained.

However, any win comes with sacrifice and risk, which is what their leading receiver, Ethan Funk, experienced. Following a breakout tournament, and an injury in the last game halted his run, he says he was looking to get back on the field and was honoured to get the opportunity to play.

“Not a lot of people knew who I was coming into the tournament, and I feel like I opened a lot of eyes through our coaching staff and others there,” said Funk.

“There’s a lot of talent you don’t get to see because of those costs, so with the bombers sponsoring us and paying our fees, it gave athletes who had that barrier to still play the game they love and make a name for themselves.”

He added, “I was so proud of myself, the group, and coaching staff for one winning, and we were the first gold medal in a tournament for Football Manitoba in 19 years.”