Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs receiver Shanelle Rioux is an absolute Riot.
Or, at least, she hopes to soon be.
Rioux went to a camp with the Regina Riot of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League a couple of weeks ago. The Riot have won three of the last four league championships but are always on the hunt for new blood.
“It was super good and the coaches are amazing,” Rioux said of her camp experience. “I had a good time and I learned a lot. The team was fun.”
Rioux would love to be a quarterback at some point, and took a few snaps late in a game last week against Swift Current. Her experience on offence has primarily been as a receiver but she has carried the ball a few times and has played on special teams as a punt returner.
“I’m hopefully trying to get into running back and maybe a few plays at wide receiver,” said Rioux, who has lined up as both with the Elecs over the past couple of years. Through the first four games, she’s carried the ball three times for three yards and caught two passes for 24 yards.
Her experience this year in those positions will help but also her occasional stints under centre at quarterback are invaluable.
“I was a quarterback before I was a receiver so it just took a couple of seconds to get back in,” said Rioux. “I like quarterback because it gives a lot more of a view of all the positions and a lot more IQ for football, which is really beneficial when you do get moved to all the positions, especially on defence and being able to read different types of defences.”
She may be able to play on the Riot next season in the spring.
“Maybe if I get a chance to play for the Riot, hopefully I’d be excelling there and maybe pick up another team after I’m finished with high school, and going to a higher team like that,” she said.
The Riot’s season goes from May to June and doesn’t conflict at all with most high school football activities – with the exception of the provincial Senior Bowl – so Rioux would be able to play as soon as this spring if she makes the cut. There is a bit of a southeast flavour on the team as this year, the Riot had players like Amery Deren from Lampman and Baillie Jo Koszman from Weyburn.
“I played against a girl when I was younger and she played on the team in her Grade 11 year,” she said.
The offseason after high school football won’t be very long for Rioux but in the meantime she could acquit herself well by following the training.
“There’s a lot of indoor practices (in the offseason), classtime and learning plays,” Rioux said. “There’s a free a gym membership for a gym in Regina and there’s a lot of working out in the offtime.”
Although the Riot have had her in a camp, her post-secondary schooling and football options may include Calgary as well.
