SASKATOON - The University of Regina Rams rode four interceptions, including the game-winning pick-six from Carson Sombach, to beat the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 19-14 to win their .
In front of a packed house at Griffiths Stadium, the Rams rallied from a 14-1 second quarter deficit to beat the Huskies for the Hardy Cup in what is turning out to be a Cinderella run for the ages.
It was a dominant Rams defensive performance against the Huskies highest-powered offence. Jackson Sombach, who had one of the interceptions and never beat the Huskies at all in his first four seasons with the Rams, said this makes his return for his senior year so worth it.
“The first time I had beat them was this year and I had never beat them at Griffiths, so I got to check that one off the box in the biggest game of my life. There couldn’t be a better way to do it than to celebrate a Hardy Cup win on this field versus the Saskatchewan Huskies,” Sombach explained.
The real moment for him was to see little brother Carson run an Anton Amundrud interception back 45 yards to the Huskies end zone in the third quarter for what turned out to be game-winning score.
“I’ve had two picks here the past two games, I can’t score and he scores on his first one,” Sombach said with a laugh. “I was super pumped for him.”
Carson, himself, had no idea the pick would be cemented forever into Regina Ram football lore.
“They put me in low coverage and I saw him throw it to [Huskies receiver] Jesse Kuntz, it tipped off his hands right into mine and I didn’t see the goal-line until I saw Anton right in front of us,” Carson Sombach said.
“It was surreal -- I didn’t realize it was going to be the game-winner. I thought there’d be much more to come. I was too tired to celebrate.”
After a couple first quarter fumbles, the Rams used their overpowering pass rush and star-studded secondary to slam the door shut over the final 42 minutes while forcing turnovers and helping their linebackers limit Saskatchewan running back Ryker Frank to under four yards per carry.
After going 3-5 during the regular season, the Rams are the first team ever to win a Hardy Cup after finishing the season with a losing record -- in the 87-year history of the trophy. Three weeks after seeing his team nearly wiped out of the playoffs on the same field, an emotional Rams head coach Mark McConkey felt like someone was watching over his team.
“Someone’s looking down on us,” McConkey said. “I like to think it’s my mom who passed away from COVID, Alzheimer’s. “You can make a movie about this. To come back and win here is one that I will never forget.”
The win could come at a cost for the Rams. Quarterback Noah Pelletier left the game in the final minutes after appearing to injure his left non-throwing shoulder holding on a botched field goal try. Backup Trey Jones finished the game in his absence.
“I gave him a hug after and he said: ‘I’ll be ready for next week,” McConkey said.
Pelletier’s status and that of starting left tackle Ethan Graham, who was on crutches before halftime from a lower body injury, are both uncertain for next week.
The win puts the Rams into their first ever Mitchell Bowl against the Laval Rouge Et Or at Mosaic Stadium Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m. That game can be heard live on the 620 CKRM radio network.
