*Did Smalls Snap YKW Championship Streak?

[iseedoug]

Today the Yellowknife community is mourning a 1 point loss to Colorado in the NSFC Championship, breaking a 4 year streak of Yellowknife representing the NSFC in the Ultimus.

This game was neck and neck throughout, with Colorado taking the early lead. At the halfway point, Colorado lead the game 14 to 10, but that score could have been tightened to a 13 to 14 point game. With seconds left in the half, the Yellowknife offense drove into field goal range, setting one of the most accurate regular season kickers in the league with a 54 yard try, 2 yards less than his regular season long. And, you guessed it, Dougie Smalls missed it. Now, at the time it was sad for fans, but everyone still had hope. After all, a whole half of football was left, and Yellowknife started with the ball in the 2nd half.

That hope would slowly turn to disappointment. With 6:43 left in the 3rd, the Wraiths had taken the lead for the first time in the game, 16 to 14. Ironically, this lead would be taken on the back of two Field Goals from Dougie Smalls. The rest of the quarter and for most of the 4th quarter, the teams would engage in a battle of punts, putting back and forth for what seemed like forever for fans on the edge of their seat. Then the Northern Canadian fans worst nightmare happened, Colorado's Silver Banana nails a 41 yard Field Goal set up by McDummy led drive. Colorado is up by 1 with 9 minutes left in the game. But as has been seen in the past, the Yellowknife stacked offense struggled to move. Again, the teams would engage in a battle of punts until the game was over. And just like that, the 11-2 Canadian powerhouse's streak of championship appearances was done; reminiscent of the NFL's 1990's Buffalo Bills.

While many think this loss can't all be put on Smalls, many fans are begging the question, what if he hit that 54 yarder in the 2nd? Maybe an even bigger question for fans looking towards the future, will this Wraiths team turn the fate of the NFL's 1990's Buffalo Bills and never see a championship again? or Will they pick up next season where they left off this season with a weak NSFC?

I guess we will just have to watch the Yellowknife front office this off-season to see how they feel about the team? Is it still win now? or is it over?

Words: 422

(out of the journalist voice and to iseedoug's voice: We are coming for a ring next season, just watch).