Photo by Devin Hind – Martensville Royals Football Club
The Martensville Royals delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Friday afternoon, cruising to a commanding 31–6 victory over the Lloydminster Barons in enemy territory.
The Royals wasted no time getting on the board, as running back Austin Adamus broke free for a 66-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter to set the tone. Quarterback Hawkley Dereniwski kept the momentum rolling, connecting on two first-half touchdown passes — one to Cooper Ogden and another to D’Shawn Lewis — giving Martensville a comfortable lead heading into the break.
While the offence clicked, the Royals’ defence was dominant, pitching a shutout through the first three quarters and holding the Barons scoreless until a late touchdown in the final minutes of the game. Martensville’s defensive unit also forced three turnovers, shutting down Lloydminster’s offence and giving their own team multiple short fields to work with.
Kicker Owen Kroeker added a field goal, while Lewis delivered the exclamation point late in the fourth quarter, taking a fake punt 50 yards to the house for his second touchdown of the day.
The victory is all the more impressive considering the Royals were missing several starters on both sides of the ball due to injury. The offensive line stepped up in a big way, showing significant improvement from last week and providing solid protection for Dereniwski while opening up lanes for the run game.
With the win, the Royals build momentum heading into a critical showdown this Friday at 4:15 p.m. against the undefeated, reigning provincial champions — the P.A. Carlton Crusaders. The game will be played on Warman High School’s field and will determine first place in the league.
Fans are encouraged to make the short trip and cheer on the Royals in what promises to be one of the season’s biggest matchups.
