Crazy comeback clinches CanWest playoff spot for Regina Rams

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Down 18 points early in the third quarter of their regular-season finale, the University of Regina Rams changed their woebegone narrative against the University of Alberta Golden Bears by scoring three converted touchdowns and two safeties to win 29-22 and earn a berth in the Canada West football playoffs.

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“We have a chance to be a great story,” said fifth-year defensive back Jackson Sombach, one of four brothers on the Rams, amid postgame celebrations at Leibel Field. “Three-and-five (regular-season) record, win to get in, come back from a 20-point deficit. Everybody believes in each other, believes in this team and good things can happen.

“It can be a crazy story for us!”

Regina dropped Alberta to 2-6 and placed fourth in the conference at 5-3, earning a semifinal berth against the first-place team this coming weekend.

Manitoba (6-1) and UBC (5-2) were scheduled for their finale Saturday, with the winning team placing first and the loser dropping to second to await a semifinal visit from the third-place Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3). Calgary (2-5) finishes its season against the Huskies on Saturday..

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It truly looked like a Rams tragedy was unfolding Friday night, as the Golden Bears blocked a field goal and Mack Bannatyne returned it 82 yards for a touchdown, followed by a two-point convert. Regina’s Isaac Wegner missed another field goal before Alberta’s Jaxon Hume caught a 39-yard touchdown pass to expand the visitors’ lead to 15-1. Wegner’s 17-yard field goal pulled Regina within 15-4 at halftime.

“At halftime the boys just rallied together,” said Regina’s Chistian Katende, a little-used running back who scored second-half majors of 15 and seven yards while surprisingly exploding for a game-high 228 yards on 26 carries.

“I was just standing behind my guys and everybody was telling me, ‘Let’s keep running it!’ We trusted the process and the five (offensive line) guys up front were absolute bulldogs.”

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Katende averaged only 35 rushing yards per game during the regular season.

Rams quarterback Noah Pelletier also plunged for a touchdown during the comeback, which featured two-point safety touches from defensive end Tarick Polius, who sacked Bears quarterback Cade Labrecque in the end zone, and when a high snapped sailed into the end zone before being kicked out by Alberta punter Jonathan Giustini.

Pelletier, who was occasionally spelled in short-yardage situations by Trey Jones or Emmett Steadman, completed 20 of 32 passes for 224 yards with one interception, which was returned 32 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter. That gave Alberta a 22-4 lead, which looked insurmountable.

“It was us being tested,” said Katende. “Every single day, all this adversity and we had to overcome all these obstacles. Everything happens for a reason and this is the tide turning. We roll from here.”

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The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Rams, who had started the season with back-to-back victories, Included in the skid was a 30-6 loss in Alberta.

“There’s literally no quit in this team,” said Sombach. “It was a matter of time before our team clicked and we did something special.  After five games of losing it clicked at halftime and the boys got it done. Our guys love each other and we don’t want this season to die.”

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