The May long weekend capped off an exciting high school football career for three athletes who started playing for the Yorkton Junior Saints football program. Nathan Cochrane, Austin Walkington and Mathew Todos were selected to represent their high school football teams in Saskatoon in the Senior Bowl game at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Monday, May 22.
Cochrane, a wide receiver, and Walkington, a running back, represented Yorkton Sacred Heart Saints by playing for the 9-man All-Star South Team. Both players had an excellent high school season as the Sacred Heart Saints were once again contenders in their respective 9-man league. Todos, a middle linebacker, represented the Saskatoon Bishop James Mahoney Saints playing for the 12-man All-Star North Team. Todos had an excellent high school season in his respective 12-man league, helping the BJM Saints win the 3A Provincial SHSAA Championship.
Passionate about football, the three boys began playing football together at age 12 with the Sacred Heart Junior Saints. During their high school careers, they have taken advantage of opportunities within Saskatchewan to extend their development and their potential to play beyond high school through camps with Regina Thunder, Saskatoon Hilltops and U of S Huskies. Cochrane and Todos also played in the Roughrider Bowl last year, a game highlighting the top 100 grade 9-11 players in the province.
Senior Bowl results for the 9-man game were 19-15 for the South with both Walkington and Cochrane scoring a touchdown. Walkington’s touchdown came off of a rushing play and Cochrane had the game-winning touchdown in the last play of the game. The North won the 12-man game 34-29 with Todos taking home the Outstanding Linebacker North Team award for the Senior Bowl.
