UNITY - The Regina Thunder football team, part of the Prairie Football Conference, earned a bye to the league semi finals Nov. 6 from their undefeated season up to that point, and faced off against the Winnipeg Rifles on home turf. The November game had the same result as the eight games before resulting in another victory for the Thunder, who will now face the long-time Prairie Football Conference Champs, the Saskatoon Hilltops. The only difference is, the Thunder has beaten the Toppers in both matchups this season.
Zenon Orobko had some success at the helm of his hometown Warriors winning a league title but never able to capture a provincial one. The Thunder have had Orobko in every game of the regular season for this year.
Former UCHS Warrior quarterback Orobko now plays with the Regina Thunder and tells the Press-Herald/SASKTODAY.ca a little about his remarkable season.
Orobko says, “My first year has come as a bit of a surprise honestly. I expected to compete to travel, and I expected that we would be successful, but everything that has happened has blown that out of the water. Having an 8-0 regular season for the first time in Thunder history is a pretty cool feeling, and yet nobody on the team feels satisfied with what we have accomplished so far as we are all just thinking about the next game. “
“For me personally, I have had some pretty sweet memories, but I still have a lot to learn and grow with and the entire team is on the same page in that journey.”
Orobko also talks about his season saying, “The 6-to-12-man transition was difficult but with the number of rural players on the Thunder, our coaches do a good job of setting us up for success. It was initially strange to see as many players directly in front of me as were on the field in high school, but the more repetitions I get in practice and games the easier it becomes.”
Orobko says the biggest similarity from high school to the PJFL Thunder is the togetherness of the team.
“Coming from different backgrounds and pursuing different careers strangely brings people together because football is the ultimate team game, and you need that sense of 'unity' to succeed. The other huge similarity is just how much support from our parents and the community we have. In high school, there would often be parents that would take care of so many details so the players could play, and the coaches could coach, and the Thunder is the same. We have a strong parent group and a strong football community here in Regina and in Saskatchewan as a whole and that makes the experience so welcoming.”
One of the unique parts of Orobko’s junior football experience was seeing pictures from his hometown of Unity where some creative trick or treaters dressed up as him for Halloween. He says he can’t quite describe the feeling of incurring an almost celebrity status in his own community.
“I had a great year working with these kids my last year and coaching them in basketball the previous year. That was a shock to see on Halloween night, but I'm glad they went all out and filled in the mustaches. “
Following the Nov. 6 win that puts them in the Prairie football conference for a chance to advance to the Canada Bowl, Orobko says, “Winnipeg got much better from the beginning of the season, but we had an unbelievable week of practice and played a great game to defeat the 45-20 and advance to the PFC final, where for the third time this year we will play the Saskatoon Hilltops."
While Orobko did not see any game action Nov. 6 he says he was still excited to be on the sidelines and cheer everyone on during the game as the environment was amazing and the culture was no doubt, special.
Football fans can watch this game on Access Communications Cable, and it is already being dubbed as an epic matchup between these top two Saskatchewan junior football teams.
