This year’s Senior Bowl will be at a different venue than in years past. The Winnipeg High School Football League’s All-Star game of seniors will be held at beautiful Investors Group Field, home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It’s the 16th year the game has been in succession and the 6th year in this format.
Two titans will meet as Team Bramwell goes head-to-head against Team Miller. Gil Bramwell was a coach at Oak Park and as league commissioner Rick Henkewich put it, “If we had coaches for each decade, Gil was coach of the 90s”. Bramwell was “honored” to be chosen and said, “Football is a great game for young men”. Gil was a 2 time Vanier Cup champion as well as a Vanier Cup MVP.
Wade Miller, a 2-time all Canadian as a Manitoba Bison and former Sturgeon Height Husky was named coach of the other team. Miller was also “honored” and told the seniors to “enjoy it”. Wade Miller was chosen in the 11th round of the 1995 draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He went on to enjoy 11 seasons with the team and remains the CFL’s Special Teams Leading Tackler with 184.
T.J Prodon from the Elmwood Giants was chosen as a running back for team Bramwell. Prodon has played on Investors Group Field before but says, “It’s an amazing experience to be honored to do it again is literally like a once in a lifetime chance”. I asked T.J if he had any goals for the big game, he replied, “Break 200 rushing yards if possible, score at least 1 touch down but I just want to do the best I can for team Bramwell.”
Sisler Spartans Reid Irwin plays on the o-line and for the Senior Bowl is able to suit up fellow lineman Bailey Pavcek. Pavcek and Irwin have been on the same team since the North Winnipeg Nomads minor bantam team. “It’s a very awesome experience to be able to play my last high school game with him on the field with me,” explained Irwin. Reid also mentioned, “I think it’s very humbling I get to play with all my friends I met through provincial teams and just playing around the league. ”
The two teams participating will play for the Gerry James Trophy. The MVP’s of each team will get a hoody. Game time is 1 o clock P.M at Investors Group Field, Saturday May 28th.
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