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Voyageurs say goodbye to 2016

The Bonnyville Voyageurs said goodbye to the 2016 season during their 32nd annual recognition evening. The Dec. 7 event, celebrated a year where the Voyageurs saw some success, but the season finished short of the team's goal of a championship.
Silas Fagnan received the 2016 Offensive player of the Year award from coach Larry Godziuk. Fagna set a Voyageurs record with 1520 passing yards this season.
Silas Fagnan received the 2016 Offensive player of the Year award from coach Larry Godziuk. Fagna set a Voyageurs record with 1520 passing yards this season.

The Bonnyville Voyageurs said goodbye to the 2016 season during their 32nd annual recognition evening.

The Dec. 7 event, celebrated a year where the Voyageurs saw some success, but the season finished short of the team's goal of a championship.

The Voyageurs closed 2016 with a record of six wins and two losses, including a playoff loss to the Lloydminster Comprehensive Barons.

“In 23 years of coaching, and I remember almost all of our wins and losses, our season ending loss is one that will stick for quite a long time,” said coach Larry Godziuk. “A week ago I was at the league meetings and everybody was surprised that we didn't go to the league final.”

During the championship game the team held a seven-point lead at the half, and fell apart in the second to lose 21-14.

This season proved to be one that wasn't for the Voyaguers. A team that was expected to go all the way to the championship fell in their first playoff game.

They pushed that aside for an evening, as the team celebrated their accomplishments, which included record-breaking numbers from Silas Fagnan.

Fagnan, who is only in Grade 10, was first in the Wheatland Football League (WFL) in passing yards. Fagnan also broke a number of Voyageurs long standing records. A new record in touchdown passes in the season with 20 and in a single game with five, along with the new record for completions in a season with 79.

“He crushed (the passing record) by 300 yards. It's not just like he passed it. He crushed the touchdown record by nine. That is a huge accomplishment,” added Godziuk.

Fagnan received the 2016 Voyageurs Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Other records that were set by the Voyageurs included punt return touchdowns in a game set by Reid Skrypichayko, as well as two other records for interceptions in a game and in a career for Zach Hesson. Skrypichayko won the 2016 Offensive Most Valuable Player Award and Hesson won the 2016 Special Teams Award.

“We've never scored points like that ever. We've never had a defence play that well. We've never had these kind of individual successes.”

Skrypichayko was also fourth in the WFL in receiving yards and sixth in the league in rushing yards.

“I pride myself on being the best player I can be. Everybody else helps me out. I contribute a lot of my successes to the team around me and the system that coach has us in. I don't get to do what I can do or want to do and like to do if people don't set it up around me,” said Skrypichayko.

Next season the team will lose eight starters, which is a big hole to fill. The coaching staff hopes that the younger players will step up and fill those gaps in the coming years.

“There is some excitement for next year. We're only losing eight guys and carrying through 26 guys, which is huge. We have an opportunity with the incoming guys to have just as good of a year next year.”

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