U18 Women’s National Tackle Championship: Day 1 Recap
Québec opened their 2025 U18 Women’s National Tackle Championship campaign with a commanding 54-0 win over the National Indigenous team, showcasing explosive offence, a ruthless ground game, and special teams excellence. The tone was set early by Québec running back Maika Hoyi, who ripped off touchdown runs of 46 and 26 yards en route to an 84-yard, two-score performance. Québec’s offence scored on nearly every possession, with contributions from a deep stable of backs and quarterbacks — while the defence stifled the National Indigenous attack, holding them to just 24 total yards and forcing multiple turnovers. Norah Rondeau’s 67-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter put an exclamation mark on an already dominant performance.
Despite the scoreline, the National Indigenous side never folded. Linebacker Justice Berens delivered one of the gutsiest efforts of the day, racking up an astonishing 18.5 total tackles while also handling punting duties. Offensively, quarterback Sienna Deschambault connected on 12 completions, with Airabella Cardinal pulling in six receptions under relentless pressure from Québec’s blitz-heavy defence. Though they were held off the scoreboard, the National Indigenous team found bright spots in a second-quarter drive that pushed deep into Québec territory, and again in the fourth with a 13-yard burst from #21 to move the chains.
Saskatchewan opened their 2025 campaign in similar fashion with a 34-0 win over Manitoba, powered by a standout performance from quarterback Ella Schenher. Schenher accounted for four touchdowns—three on the ground and two through the air—while engineering five scoring drives in her team’s first six possessions. Saskatchewan racked up 103 total yards on offence and 29 first downs, with key contributions from Kenza Dureault and Tyler Petelski in the passing game.
Defensively, Saskatchewan imposed their will throughout, limiting Manitoba to just 109 total yards and forcing two interceptions. Hailey Nordquist led the way with seven tackles and a pick, while Carmen Thies and Petelski each added a tackle for loss. Despite the loss, Manitoba’s Addison Turski delivered one of the day’s most impressive individual performances, posting 11.5 tackles, two sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss in a relentless effort.
Ontario edged Alberta 14-8 in a hard-fought defensive battle to close out Day 1. The game remained scoreless through the opening quarter as both teams traded punts and penalties. Alberta broke through early in the second quarter on a 65-yard touchdown run by Abby Vu, converted by Lacey Muth to go ahead 8-0. Ontario responded late in the quarter when Sarah Porter broke free for a 24-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 8-6 after a blocked extra point. Ontario’s defence held strong, including a blocked punt recovery by M. Justesen, helping to flip field position.
In the second half, Porter continued to carry the Ontario offence, stringing together a series of powerful runs on a 70-yard scoring drive capped by her second touchdown of the game from 8 yards out. A successful kick from A. Pistritto put Ontario ahead 14-8. Alberta’s final attempts to rally were shut down by Ontario’s defence, with key tackles from Addison Gallant and continued pressure on Alberta quarterback Oenna Bradford.
