Hill Country Elite finishes 2nd at Canadian event

The Hill Country Elite was the runner-up at the Battle on the Prairies tournament in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, Canada Jan. 11-14.

The Elite defeated 14U Manitoba Selects 19-6 in its opener and 13U Saskatchewan Selects 20-0 and lost to the Alberta Golden Bears A 24-8 in the championship.

Down 16-8, the Elite reached the Golden Bears’ six-yard line. A dropped pass on the four-yard line ended the drive.

With less than a minute remaining and needing another possession, the Elite called for a blitz that didn’t work.

“Every game was competitive,” head coach Ray Gurley said. “I was very impressed with the teams and the organization. There were no cheap shots or dirty players. You don’t want to get hurt or injured over something dumb.”

The Elite played up an age group against teams that had players as old as 16 years old.

“Shockingly, everybody there stops the run,” Gurley said. “We throw the ball. Their linebackers were reading run. They will not read pass. They didn’t move anybody out at all.”

Quarterback Gabe Gurley, who was a unanimous all-tournament selection, completed 51 of 74 passes for 608 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. Also selected all-tournament were receiver Kayden Van Pelt with 26 catches for 289 yards and 3 scores, receiver Ruger Tekulve with 8 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown, offensive linemen Leo Bedford, defensive end Richard Downing, linebacker Jaxon Meyer, free safety Clayton Thompson and cornerback Kellan Black. The offensive players were unanimous selections.

Before each contest, players were introduced.

The indoor facility, which had a low ceiling, didn’t have goal posts. So there were no special teams.

The tournament served as a learning experience for the players on and away from the field. When the Elite arrived at the Yara Centre in Moose Jaw, the first thing the players noticed about the other teams were sizes of their athletes.

“They said, ‘Coach, these guys are very big,'” Gurley recalled hearing. “They were big, strong kids.”

The tournament had more than 300 athletes on 24 teams that represented Canada, Mexico, California, Massachusetts and Texas.

“They had cameras everywhere,” the coach said. “They’d do instant replay. That’s the way to play the game. (The indoor facility) helped our passing game.”

When they weren’t playing, the Elite enjoyed the sights and activities in the city. One was ice fishing.

“When we got there, we got lots of team bonding,” Gurley said.

But the temperatures were much colder than what these Texans normally experience.

“I can’t even explain how cold it was,” Gurley said. “I could only stay outside for 10 minutes.”