U18 Women’s National Tackle Championship: Day 2 Recap
Manitoba opened Day 2 of the U18 Women’s National Tackle Championship with a convincing 20–0 shutout over National Indigenous, bouncing back from their Day 1 loss in dominant fashion. The defence set the tone early and never relented, keeping Indigenous off the scoreboard through all four quarters and capitalising on turnovers and field position to build their lead. Manitoba’s ability to control the pace and finish drives was evident on the scoreboard.
Ontario pulled off a second-half surge to defeat Saskatchewan 43–26 in a game that was much closer than the final score suggests. Saskatchewan controlled the tempo early, with quarterback Ella Schenher punching in two short-yardage touchdowns and leading an 84-yard scoring drive to give her squad a 14–6 lead. Ontario answered with a 73-yard touchdown run by Maelie Parthenais late in the second quarter, but Saskatchewan entered the half with the edge in possession time, total plays, and first downs—thanks in large part to Schenher’s dual-threat effort and a stifling defensive front that forced multiple three-and-outs.
But Ontario’s response was immediate and explosive. Katie Foley erased Saskatchewan’s third-quarter touchdown with an 88-yard kickoff return, and on the following drive, Sarah Porter gashed the defence for a 98-yard major that flipped the momentum for good. Porter and Lopez would each add long touchdown runs in the final frame—Lopez from 93 yards and Porter with her third score of the day—to cap off a barrage of 31 unanswered Ontario points. Though Saskatchewan outgained Ontario 405 to 406 in total yardage and held the ball for nearly triple the time (35:51 to 12:09), two costly fumbles, two interceptions, and a lopsided 169-124 return yardage battle swung the game in Ontario’s favour. The win moves Ontario to 2–0, while Saskatchewan drops to 1–1 heading into Day 3.
Alberta bounced back in a big way on Day 2 with a commanding 24–6 win over Quebec, using a dominant second quarter to seize control. After a scoreless first frame, Alberta’s offence came alive with back-to-back touchdown drives capped off by rushing majors from Oenna Bradford and Alivia Trudeau. The real highlight came in the third quarter when Alyssa Graham ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run—stretching the lead to 24–0 and effectively putting the game out of reach. Despite holding the ball for over 30 minutes and piling up 12 first downs, Quebec couldn’t find the end zone until late in the fourth quarter.
Quebec struggled with consistency throughout the game, hampered by penalties, sacks, and missed opportunities. A 71-yard touchdown in the first quarter was wiped out by a costly illegal procedure, and three separate drives stalled deep in Alberta territory due to offensive miscues. Eliane Dallaire eventually punched in a six-yard touchdown midway through the final quarter, but by then, Alberta’s defence—led by Erikka Kumpula’s two sacks and Alaxis Pierson’s forced fumble—had already shut the door.