Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association’s
Road to the Alberta Bowl Concludes this Weekend!
The “Road to the Alberta Bowl” ends on all fronts this weekend as we are down to 10 high school football teams that will compete in the four 12-Man and one 6-Man Tier Finals at the fifth Alberta Bowl held at Edmonton’s Foote Field on November 23-24.
TIER I (School Pop. 1250+)
Provincial Final
#2 Notre Dame Pride at #1 Spruce Grove Panthers
Sat., Nov. 24 – 6:00 p.m., Foote Field (Edmonton)
This is the big one! The one we’ve all been waiting for since it became apparent that no one in their respective regions could lay a glove on either of them. The unstoppable offense against the unbeatable defense.
The Northern Alberta Champions Spruce Grove Panthers are a true powerhouse this year in every sense of the word having blasted all comers with a quick strike offense that scores an average of 58.7 points per game, the Panthers are roaring into their first Provincial Tier I Final ever. From humble beginnings in the 1980’s through some lean years when they barely were able to field a team, the Panther program (formerly known as the Parkland Predators) has risen through the 1990’s and 2000’s to become one of Alberta’s premier high school football programs. To get to this level they finished the regular season as Edmonton Public Bright Conference Champions then beat the Grande Prairie Warriors 80-21 in the Northern Semi-Finals and the #3 Bev Facey Falcons 53-34 in the Northern Final.
The Southern Alberta Champion Notre Dame Pride were once Alberta’s premier Tier II team winning back to back Provincial Titles at that level in 2007 and 2008, but now it’s time for the Pride to shoot for the top in Tier I. A solid program ever since they moved up to Tier I in 2009 it’s not like they haven’t had their chances qualifying for Provincials their first two years only to have their dreams die in the Southern Final at the hands of the Raymond Comets. This year they have kicked down the door with a dominating defense that Alberta hasn’t seen since L.C.I.’s 1990 team that only gave up a single point all year. The Pride are not quite at that level but in 10 games so far this year they have given up 25 points. That’s less than a field goal per game on average. To get to the Alberta Bowl they finished the regular season as Calgary Division I Champions and defeated the #5 L.C.I. Rams 47-15 in the Southern Final.
PAST TIER I CHAMPIONS
1986 – Salibury Sabres 1993 – L.C.I Rams 2000 – Strathcona Lords 2007 – St. Francis Browns
1987 – Harry Ainlay Titans 1994 – L.C.I Rams 2001 – Strathcona Lords 2008 – Raymond Comets
1988 – L.C.I. Rams 1995 – St. Francis Browns 2002 – Bev Facey Falcons 2009 – Raymond Comets
1989 – L.C.I. Rams 1996 – Raymond Comets 2003 – St. Francis Browns 2010 – Raymond Comets
1990 – L.C.I Rams 1997 – Raymond Comets 2004 – St. Francis Browns 2011 – Harry Ainlay Titans
1991 – Henry Wise Wood 1998 – Raymond Comets 2005 – Raymond Comets
1992 – L.C.I. Rams 1999 – Jasper Place Rebels 2006 – Salisbury Sabres
TIER II (School Pop. 750-1249)
Provincial Final
#1 Catholic Central Cougars at #6 Austin O’Brien Crusaders
Fri. Nov. 23 – 7:00 p.m., Foote Field (Edmonton)
The last two Provincial Tier II Champions meet to decide this year’s title holder in the feature game on Friday night at the Alberta Bowl.
After decades of trying the powerful Austin O’Brien Crusaders finally struck gold last season with their schools first ever Provincial Tier II Title. The greatness however didn’t seem to take as in early October this year, the defending champs were barely over .500 and spinning their wheels in the Edmonton Metro Carr Conference. From there the Crusaders seemed to spring to life going 4-1 in their last five games with their only loss being to Tier I Bev Facey in the Carr Conference playoffs. Well rested and seemingly back on track Austin O’Brien has wasted no time getting back to the Alberta Bowl to defend their title defeating the #2 ranked St. Josephs Celtics from Grande Prairie 22-2 in the Northern Semi-Final and the #8 ranked McNally Tiger 48-0 in the Northern Final.
As for the Southern Alberta Champions, the Catholic Central Cougars are the only undefeated team left in Tier II. The Cougars have been ranked #1 since Week 3 and have held the spot firmly ever since. The long history of coming up short in their quest for Provincial glory is a distant memory now and the Cougars have clawed their way back to their second Provincial Tier II Final in three seasons. In 2010 Catholic Central fought through to their first Tier II final appearance in 24 years and promptly won the title with a 25-0 shutout of St. Josephs. To get to this year’s Alberta Bowl the Cougars finished the regular season as Division A Champions for the first time since 1991, then defeated the #3 St. Mary’s Saints 22-7 in the Southern Semi-Final then the #4 Hunting Hills Lightning 46-20 in the Southern Final.
PAST TIER II CHAMPIONS
1986 – Stettler Wildcats 1992 – Cardston Cougars 1998 – Cochrane Cobras 2005 – St. Mary’s Saints
1987 – Cardston Cougars 1993 – Cardston Cougars 1999 – George McDougall 2006 – Foothills Falcons
1988 – Salisbury Sabres 1994 – Lloydminster Barons 2000 – Foothills Falcons 2007 – Notre Dame Pride
1989 – Archbishop Jordan Scots 1995 – Brooks Buffalos 2001 – Med. Hat Mohawks 2008 – Notre Dame Pride
1990 – Cardston Cougars 1996 – Cochrane Cobras 2002 – Arch. Jordan Scots 2009 – Foothills Falcons
1991 – Cardston Cougars 1997 – Brook Buffalos 2003 – Arch. Jordan Scots 2010 – Catholic Central Cougars
2004 – Foothills Falcons 2011 – Austin O’Brien Crusaders
TIER III (School Pop. 450-749)
Provincial Final
#2 Cochrane Cobras at #6 St. Albert Skyhawks
Sat. Nov. 24 – 2:30 p.m., Foote Field (Edmonton)
Something old and something new, something red and something blue this Saturday in the Tier III Final.
The high flying Northern Alberta Champion St. Albert Skyhawks burst into a Provincial Final for the first time in their schools history and represent the first St. Albert school to do so since 1997 when the old St. Albert Storm lost in the Provincial Tier I Final 39-0 to Raymond. This year’s version of the Skyhawks are peaking at the right time. A surprise second place finisher in the tough Edmonton Metro Carr Conference the Skyhawks advanced to their first league championship game since 2000 bowing to the powerful Bev Facey Falcons in that game before running the board with gusto in the Tier III Northern playoffs to get to this point. To get to the Alberta Bowl, St. Albert defeated the #7 Peace River Pioneers 49-21 in the Northern Semi-Finals then the #3 St. Paul Lions 52-10 in the Northern Final.
The Southern Alberta Champions are the most prolific team in Tier III history and are back to a place they are very familiar with. Since 2000, the Cochrane Cobras have gone to the Provincial Tier III Championship game eight times winning it all six times. Throw in their Tier II experiences before the numbers got reset in 1999 and the Cobras have qualified for Provincials for 22 straight seasons. A pretty experienced bunch no doubt and eager to erase the memories of last year’s surprising 55-15 blowout loss to the Cinderella Stettler Wildcats in the Tier III Final. True, they have an uncharacteristic 55-14 loss on their leger this year but that was back on September 8th at the hands of the #1 ranked Tier I team, the Spruce Grove Panthers.
To get to this point the Cobras defeated #1 ranked Crescent Heights Vikings 32-16 in the Southern Semi-Final and the #8 Winston Churchill Bulldogs 35-7 in the Southern Final.
PAST TIER III CHAMPIONS
1986 – Cochrane Cobras 1992 – Raymond Comets 1998 – McCoy Colts 2005 – Cochrane Cobras
1987 – Cochrane Cobras 1993 – Bert Church Chargers 1999 – W.R. Myers Rebels 2006 – Wetaskiwin Sabres
1988 – Medicine Hat Mohawks 1994 – Wainwright Commandos 2000 – W.R. Myers Rebels 2007 – Cochrane Cobras
1989 – Will Sinclair Rebels 1995 – Kate Andrews Spartans 2001 – W.R. Myers Rebels 2008 – Cochrane Cobras
1990 – Raymond Comets 1996 – Sexsmith Sabres 2002 – Cochrane Cobras 2009 – Brooks Buffalos
1991 – Raymond Comets 1997 – Springbank Phoenix 2003 – Cochrane Cobras 2010 – Cardston Cougars
2004 – Cochrane Cobras 2011 – Stettler Wildcats
TIER IV (School Pop. 449 or less)
Provincial Final
#1 Drumheller Titans at #2 Ardrossan Bisons
Sat. Nov. 24 – 11:00 a.m., Foote Field (Edmonton)
A rematch of arguably the most exciting Provincial Final in Alberta Bowl history in last year’s 41-34 overtime victory by the Titans awaits us as the first game of the day on Saturday at the 2012 Alberta Bowl.
The Northern Alberta Champion Ardrossan Bisons represent the most successful team at the Tier IV level in Alberta high school history and are once again knocking on the door at the Alberta Bowl. 2012 will mark the eighth time in 14 seasons that the Bisons have competed in the Tier IV Championship game with four victories in their previous seven appearances including last year’s heartbreaking overtime loss to their opponent once again this year. This season saw the Bisons challenge themselves at a higher level by moving up to the tough Edmonton Metro Carr Conference and going .500 which was quite an accomplishment considering every single team in that Conference is in a higher Tier. They finished tied for the last playoff spot but lost out on points for and against so were well rested when Provincials rolled around. To get to the Alberta Bowl the Bisons defeated the #8 Sexsmith Sabres 27-14 in the Northern Semi-Finals and the #5 Cold Lake Royals 49-33 in the Northern Final.
On the other side of the ball are the defending Tier IV Champs and once again Southern Alberta Champions Drumheller Titans. In a funny year at Tier IV in Alberta the Titans have twice lost the #1 ranking only to regain it weeks later showing the best consistency of any team at that level. This marks their third ever appearance in the Tier IV playoffs with both previous times ending in a berth in the Provincial Final. In 2007 they lost to the Sylvan Lake Lakers and last season they won their first ever title with the overtime win over Ardrossan. To get to this point the Titans finished the regular season as Big Sky League Champions and defeated the #3 ranked Pincher Creek Mustangs 21-7 in the Southern Semi-Finals and the #4 ranked Willow Creek Cobras 47-7 in the Southern Final.
PAST TIER IV CHAMPIONS
1999 – Oilfields Drillers 2005 – Ardrossan Bisons 2011 – Drumheller Titans
2000 – Oilfields Drillers 2006 – Willow Creek Cobras
2001 – Ardrossan Bisons 2007 – Sylvan Lake Lakers
2002 – Bow Valley Bobcats 2008 – Ardrossan Bisons
2003 – Bow Valley Bobcats 2009 – Rundle College Cobras
2004 – Ardrossan Bisons 2010 – Rundle College Cobras
6-MAN
Provincial Final
Rimbey Spartans vs. Millwoods Christian Royals
Fri., Nov. 23 – 4:00 p.m., Foote Field (Edmonton)
The second ever Provincial 6-Man Championship Game will kick-off the 2012 Alberta Bowl.
The Northern Alberta Champion Millwoods Christian Royals are a founding member of the 6-Man movement in Alberta and cruise to their first ever Alberta Bowl on the strength of a Northern Semi-Final win over the defending champion Father Mercredi Trappers 28-16 and a 34-26 win over the Westwood Trojans in the North Final.
Their opponent, the Rimbey Spartans are an example of the benefit 6-Man football has had in Alberta and are on the verge of their first ever title in football. Having slugged it out in the Big Sky League at the 12 Man level as the smallest school in the league for years, the Spartans regrouped at the 6-Man level and have soared ever since. To get to the Alberta Bowl the Spartans defeated the J.C. Charyk Hawks 48-6 in the Southern Semi-Final and the Frank Maddock Warriors 34-22 in the Southern Final.
PAST 6-MAN CHAMPIONS
2011 – Father Mercredi Trappers
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