Hatters clean up RFC awards

By JAMES TUBB on November 11, 2021.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

Medicine Hat football players cleaned up in this year’s Rangeland Football Conference awards ceremony.

Due to COVID-19, the awards and all star selections were presented virtually in a video prepared by Crescent Heights Vikings head coach Sean Davis. Five of the six RFC awards went to players on the three Medicine Hat high school teams: the Hat High Hawks, Crescent Heights Vikings and McCoy Colts.

The RFC awards were all voted on by the coaches around the league. The league MVP was awarded to Waylon Becker from the Brooks Buffalos, the fourth-place team in the RFC.

Xavier Bueckert of the McCoy Colts was named the most outstanding linesman in the RFC this season. He says it’s a position that doesn’t always get recognized and welcomes the praise.

“It’s nice, to get a little recognition,” Bueckert said. “As lineman we don’t get it a lot, so every once in a while it’s nice to get a little bit.”

The Vikings had two award winners, with Colby Schneider being named the RFC’s defensive player of the year and Carter Maclean picking up rookie of the year.

Schneider says it feels great to receive his defensive award from the league and gives credit to his teammates and coaches.

“I’m really honoured, Schneider said.” It’s awesome to be recognized by so many people. Put in a lot of work in the off season and during the season too. It’s really a great feeling.”

Maclean, who has served as starting quarterback and linebacker for the Vikings in his rookie year, says he was grateful to be named the league’s top rookie.

“To be able to achieve that in my first year,” Maclean said. “I appreciate all the coaches that voted for me and my teammates that helped me get it.”

The Hat High Hawks also had two award winners on their team with defensive coordinator Warren Buckler winning coach of the year and Kai Noon taking home the commissioners trophy – awarded to the player who best combines academic success, character, leadership, representation of the commissioner and all-star-level playing abilities.

Buckler says it’s nice to break recognized for the time put into the game, but he says he owes the success to his other coaches.

“You work so much to go as an unit and then to recognize just one person, it’s very appreciated but it’s difficult and certainly a team effort,” Buckler said.

Noon says it was a big honour to be recognized for something other than playing football.

“Working hard in the classroom is a big part of being a student athlete so it was cool,” Noon said. “You have to really manage your time well, make some sacrifices in order to spend extra time doing school… as well as being on the field.”

Each school’s coaches picked their team’s all stars and the higher a team finished in the standings, the more selections they could make.

The all-stars from the Brooks Buffalos were: Declan Ring, Waylon Becker and Nicholas Sirleaf.

The third place Colts all-stars were: David Domba, Colton Robinsons, Logan Schlosser, Rylan Hodgson and Kia Kukurudza.

The Vikings, who finished their RFC season in second selected the following all-stars: Carter Schneider, Carter Maclean, Hudson Stewart, Abdul Kiawen, Colby Schneider, Lucas Semrau and Ashton Mackin.

Hat High, who remained perfect in the RFC this season, named nine all-stars: Aayden Callan, Dylon Callan, Logan Wells, Aaron Kruger, Kai Noon, Blaze Noble, Tesema Veurink, Cole Ricken and Walker Entz.

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