“It’s something more than football”: Thom, Sheldon team up for Beat Cancer game
Photo credit: Tanya Elberg.
Rivals on the football field, the Thom Trojans and Sheldon-Williams Spartans are joining forces to confront a formidable opponent.
Cancer.
The Regina Intercollegiate Football League teams’ second annual Beat Cancer game is scheduled for Friday, 5:15 p.m., at Leibel Field.
“It’s something more than football,” Trojans head coach Ross Vanstone says.
“Football is a great game, but it’s also about raising good human beings. That’s what we teach the kids in our programs at Thom and Sheldon.”
The seeds for the game were planted in March of 2023, when “Beat Cancer Week” was held at Thom Collegiate.
Spartans assistant Pete Paczko took note of the event and mentioned it to Sheldon-Williams Collegiate’s head football coach, Chris Latimer.
“Chris reached out to me with an idea,” Vanstone recalls. “He said that maybe our game, since both of our coaching staffs have been hit with cancer, could be a Beat Cancer game. We kind of came up with some ideas.”
One of them was to purchase T-shirts that included the teams’ logos and one message: United Against Cancer.
The game was played on Sept. 13, 2023 at Mosaic Stadium.
“We ran out the tunnel together, which is something we don’t normally do in high school football,” Vanstone says.
“We started the game as one team and ran out together with a banner. We had that banner out the whole game.”
Thom posted an 18-17 victory in a game the Trojans dedicated to former Trojans defensive co-ordinator Gord MacQuarrie, who was gravely ill with cancer. He passed away the day after the down-to-the-wire game.
“It was a miracle finish,” Vanstone says, “and a fitting tribute to Gord.”
Those who attend Friday’s game will be able to make cash donations at the gate. Proceeds will go to cancer research.
“Even for people who might not necessarily cheer for either of our teams, if we can promote the game, maybe they just want to come out and watch some high school football and donate for a good cause,” Vanstone says.
“It would be nice to welcome some new fans and have the stadium packed, cheering us on, and raise some money for a good cause.”
The Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation supports amateur football throughout the province.
