REGINA – The Regina Thunder returned home Sunday night as Canadian Junior Football League champions for the first time in 13 years.
The Thunder put together a dominant second-half performance Sunday afternoon in Langford, B.C., rolling past the Westshore Rebels 42-21 to capture the 2026 Canadian Bowl and bring the national championship back to Saskatchewan.
"Just such an amazing experience," running back Peter Boersch said after the team’s plane landed in Regina.
"So glad that we get to bring it back to the city where all of our coaches are, all of our family and support systems. At 18 to 22 (years old), none of us could do this alone, and we do it with each other and everyone else in the city."
After a tightly contested opening half that saw the teams tied 14-14, Regina took control in the third quarter before erupting for 21 points in the final 15 minutes to secure the franchise's second Canadian Bowl championship. The Thunder last won in 2013.
It was a championship built on the strength of a powerful running game, timely plays from a young quarterback and a defence that delivered when it mattered most.
Boersch was at the centre of it all, putting together a historic afternoon with 281 rushing yards on 39 carries and a touchdown. His performance was the second-highest rushing total in Canadian Bowl history. Naturally, he was named the game's top offensive player.
Boersch credited the Thunder's patience and commitment to the running game for helping them take control.
"The run game is an investment," he explained. "You start early, and you get five, six yards and then maybe you're stalling a couple times, but it starts taking away and now you're gashing, you're slicing them. It's an investment.
"We got no problem taking our time because we know that when it comes down to it, we're ready to go."
And when it came down to it, the Thunder were ready.
Regina quarterback Jayden Zelionka also delivered a memorable performance in his first season as the team's starting quarterback. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 283 yards while adding 32 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
All three of Zelionka's rushing touchdowns came from inside the five-yard line, as the Thunder repeatedly leaned on their offensive line to finish drives.
For the young quarterback, the championship capped a journey that included a difficult setback from an injury.
"Missing Grade 12 was probably the hardest thing mentally I could have gone through," Zelionka said. "And then to be able to bounce back and then win a game like this in my first year starting and a shootout game at that, not just a dominant game, it means so, so much to me."
Zelionka was particularly appreciative of the confidence head coach Scott MacAulay and the coaching staff showed in him.
With the game still within reach late in the fourth quarter, Regina didn't simply turn to Boersch to grind out the clock. The coaching staff trusted its young quarterback to make plays through the air, helping the Thunder move down the field and put the game away.
"It means a lot to me to be able to trust me in that situation," Zelionka said. "We're only up by a score, but to be able to throw the ball like that and not just give it to our superstar running back, it means a lot to me."
MacAulay said the team's belief in Zelionka never wavered.
"He's a stud," the head coach said. "He's a leader among men, and he's a guy that can play at a high level. Nothing really fazes him, and he's just one of those guys, you know, he's going to win the games for you when it matters the most."
The championship victory was particularly rewarding for MacAulay considering the expectations surrounding the Thunder entering the season.
Questions lingered about the team's youth and the loss of several key players. Some viewed Regina as a rebuilding team, but MacAulay believed the group could become something special.
The Thunder spent months building toward that opportunity, beginning with offseason workouts in December and January.
"We're not into bringing guys in from Ontario and Quebec and all that kind of stuff," MacAulay explained. "We're about taking guys from Saskatchewan or guys who came to commit to us from the get-go and helping them develop as football players and keeping them around as long as we possibly can and having them be a part of something special."
He believes Sunday's championship reflected that philosophy.
"They're a bunch of guys that just put the time and effort in and built it into it. They're home built, and they all understand that you need to buy into what's going on."
The first half certainly wasn't perfect for the Thunder. Westshore quarterback Anthony Cancellare found Zion Brown for two 38-yard touchdown passes, using the Rebels' passing attack to keep Regina on its heels.
The Rebels opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, while Regina responded with two field goals from kicker Harry Case.
Zelionka gave the Thunder their first touchdown with a two-yard plunge early in the second quarter. After Westshore answered with its second touchdown connection between Cancellare and Brown, Regina added a safety when Case's missed 43-yard field goal resulted in a single point.
The teams went to the dressing rooms tied 14-14.
MacAulay wasn't overly concerned about his team's performance. He felt Regina was making too many uncharacteristic mistakes, including offside penalties and early movement, that were preventing the offence from finding its rhythm.
"I was going into halftime like I was not worried," MacAulay said. "Just get out of the way, get out of our own way and good things will happen."
They certainly did.
Zelionka scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on another two-yard run midway through the third quarter, giving Regina a 21-14 advantage heading into the final frame.
Westshore answered early in the fourth when Cancellare connected with Kwame Franklin for a two-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21. But the Thunder responded immediately.
Boersch broke through for a 33-yard touchdown run, restoring Regina's 28-21 lead. Zelionka added his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon with a one-yard plunge, before Matthew Morris put the finishing touches on the championship with a 10-yard touchdown run.
The Thunder scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter, turning a close championship game into a convincing victory.
While the offence drew plenty of attention, Regina's defence was equally important.
Westshore managed just 36 rushing yards on seven attempts, forcing the Rebels to rely almost exclusively on Cancellare's arm. He finished 18-for-36 for 387 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted twice in the second half.
Marcus Butz and Owen Effa came up with the interceptions, helping shut down the Rebels' offence when the championship was on the line.
MacAulay praised defensive coordinator Paul Dawson and the entire defensive coaching staff.
"They've been great all year," MacAulay said. "They work their asses off. They'll prepare these guys, and they've done a great job doing that weekend in, weekend out."
The head coach also highlighted Effa's contribution, noting the linebacker had battled through a significant hand injury just two weeks earlier before returning to make a crucial play in the championship game.
For Boersch, the defensive effort was no surprise.
"Absolutely not," he said when asked if he thought the Thunder defence could be beaten. "I'm just glad I didn't have to play the defence. They are an amazing team, and they work as a unit with a ton of faith in each other to just do their job and let everyone else take care of their jobs."
Regina finished the afternoon with 607 yards of net offence, including 329 rushing yards and 283 through the air. The Thunder also controlled possession for nearly 39 minutes, compared to just over 21 minutes for Westshore.
Case was named the game’s top special teams player after connecting on two field goals, adding five converts and contributing a single.
Boersch, meanwhile, was quick to share the credit for his record-setting afternoon with the players around him.
"It's still a pretty special day and obviously, yes, individually, but something that we share in with all of the offence and everyone working hard to get me downfield," he said.
The 2026 Regina Thunder will now be remembered as a championship team, one that overcame questions about its experience and delivered when the opportunity arrived.
For MacAulay, the satisfaction came from watching a group of Saskatchewan-developed players believe in one another and see their work rewarded.
For Zelionka, it was the end of a difficult personal journey and the beginning of what could be a special career.
For Boersch and the rest of the Thunder, it was a chance to bring the Canadian Bowl trophy home to Regina.
