Football Alberta Announces Award Winners for the 2010 Season

Football Alberta is pleased to announce the following winners of their annual awards for the past 2010 season. These awards will be presented at the Football Alberta Annual Awards Banquet scheduled for this Saturday, March 12 at 12:15 p.m. at the Dining Centre on campus at the University of Calgary. All media is welcome to attend. This is in conjunction with the Football Alberta/University of Calgary Coaches Clinic, which is the largest of its kind in Canada, annually drawing over 300 coaches from across the province and country.

Here are the winners for 2010:

Gary Hobson Award
(for behind the scenes excellence)
Chris Friskie – Peace River Pioneers High School Football Association
Normally this award does not go to an active coach or especially a head coach of a team but when you hear the contribution Chris puts into his program you understand why he is a very worthy winner of the Gary Hobson Award. During his 8 years with the Pioneer program, Chris has developed two game fields in the community and numerous practice facilities for the sport. The facility at Glenmary High School now features a scoreclock and bleachers and sits as one of the top game sites in the Mighty Peace League. Off the field he has worked tirelessly to continue the development of the bantam association in town as well as serve as MPFL President, Vice-President, and District Representative to Football Alberta. Peace River is a powerful high school football team having advanced to the Tier III Provincial Championship the last two seasons, but make no mistake that the success of the program has as much to do with the off-field dedication of Chris Friskie as it does with his on-field coaching.

Harold Ferguson Official of the Year
Bill Shaw – Calgary Football Officials Association
Since 1974, Bill Shaw has been a quality official in our sport. Starting out with stops in Prince George, Vancouver, and Saskatoon, Bill finally arrived in Calgary in 1991 and has spent the last 20 years actively working games at all levels. Always looking to improve, Bill reached Level 4 certification and officiated at the CIS and CJFL levels before retiring from active on-field duty to serve as the timer for the U of C Dinosaurs and Calgary Colts. Bill continues to serve the game as a certified course instructor for officials at level 1 through 4 and is a member of the CFOA’s Training and Rating Committee. For all of his on-field contribution over the years and his continued excellence as a mentor, we are proud to award the Harold Ferguson Official of the Year Award to Bill Shaw.

Novice Coach of the Year
Seth Henderson – Head Coach, St. Paul Bengals Bantam
In 2009 Seth Henderson started his coaching career as the defensive line coach for the St. Paul Bantam Bengals. This past year he stepped into the role as Head Coach as work commitments limited the time of his co-head coach. What transpired was truly remarkable as this young man in his third year of coaching guided the Bengals to an 8-1 regular season record, a Wheatland Bantam Championship, a Northern Alberta Tier III Championship, and a spot in the Tier III Provincial Championship Game. Even though the Bengals lost that game it was the first time a team from St. Paul had advanced to a Provincial Championship game in 27 years of football in that town. A great job by a great young coach with a lot of potential and this years winner of the Novice Coach of the Year – Seth Henderson.

Atom/Pee-Wee Coach of the Year
Greg Thompson – Red Deer Steelers Pee-Wee
For the second straight year in 2010, Greg Thompson lead the Red Deer Steelers to the Provincial Tier III Championship not only becoming the first coach ever from Red Deer to win a Provincial Title at any level but now the first to repeat as well. Known as a great team builder who instils a good work ethic and respect for the game in his team, Greg also took the Steelers to the Provincial Tier IV final in 2009 before finishing the job at the Tier III level in 2010. This year was especially sweet in that the team started off with a 1-2 record but kept having fun and learning and went on from that point featuring a defence that did not give up a point the rest of the season until the Provincial Final. Quite a job by a very dedicated man and a great ambassador for minor football, our Atom/Pee-Wee Coach of the Year for 2010 – Greg Thompson.

Bantam Coach of the Year
Aaron Hodges – Grande Prairie Raiders
After 17 years of football coaching at all levels, Aaron Hodges, in 2010 added a Provincial Championship to his resume. Being a long time head coach of the Grande Prairie Raiders, Aaron, has contributed greatly to his community by not only keeping the Raiders at a high level of excellence but also assisting in the development of Atom and Pee-Wee football over the years. This past season saw the Raiders win the Grande Prairie Minor League Championship then sweep their two Provincial games to win their first ever title at the Tier IV level. A man who is dedicated to the continual improvement of football in his area and a truly deserving winner of the Bantam Coach of the Year – Aaron Hodges.

High School Tier IV Coach of the Year
Vince Orieux – Holy Rosary Raiders
Over the past three seasons there hasn’t been a better story in high school football than the rise of the Holy Rosary Raiders from Lloydminster. After years of playing 9 man football in Saskatchewan the Raiders decided to take the plunge in the 12 man game against the strong established teams in the Wheatland League on this side of the border. Not only were they competitive but they reeled off three outstanding seasons that saw them not only compete in the Wheatland Championship game in 2008 and 2009 but also advance to Provincials each year of their existence. 2010 saw the Raiders climb all the way to the Provincial Alberta Bowl Tier IV Final only to lose to powerful Rundle College. Still, and amazing accomplishment of excellence right from the beginning and mainly due to the only head coach they have ever known on this side of the border – the Tier IV Coach of the Year, Vince Orieux.

High School Tier III Coach of the Year
Byron Pierson – Cardston Cougars
2010 for the Cardston Cougars was an interesting year. Entering Tier III play for the first time in their history, they started slow out of the gates going 1-2 including a 42-3 shelling from perennially powerful Cochrane. After that it seemed like a new team took the field as the Cougars streaked to 11 wins after that including a 23-12 victory in the South Tier III Final over Cochrane before defeating Peace River 8-6 in a tight Alberta Bowl Tier III Championship Game. Overseeing all of this was their first year Head Coach Bryon Pierson whose passion for the game and attention to detail delivered Cardston’s sixth Provincial title and first at the Tier III level. A great young coach with a big future who has delivered big results – the Tier III Coach of the Year, Byron Pierson.

Laurie Robertson High School Tier II Coach of the Year
Mike Nightingale – Catholic Central Cougars
Described as the classiest coach in the Southern Alberta League, Mike Nightingale, finally lead his Catholic Central Cougars to glory in 2010. The Cougars have always been a top flight program but always seemed to run into walls when it came to advancing to Provincial play. This year looked no different as the Cougars sat below .500 as late as October 15. However, from that point they never lost again running the toughest board of anyone to get to the promised land defeating powerful teams from Holy Trinity Academy, Foothills, and St. Mary’s to advance to the Alberta Bowl Tier II Championship Game where they shutout the St. Josephs Celtics 25-0. “Finish Strong” was the motto of the Cougars for 2010 and lead by Tier II Coach of the Year, Mike Nightingale, that’s just what they did.

Frank Morris High School Tier I Coach of the Year
& Norm Kimball Coach of the Year
Dustin Ralph – Raymond Comets
Why does Dustin Ralph keep winning these awards? Let’s first consider the fact that since he took over as head coach of the Raymond Comets program in 2007, his team has only lost once on Alberta soil. Four years and three consecutive Alberta Bowl Tier I Championships in 2008, 2009, and 2010 with a 98% win percentage is quite a resume, but also add in there that all of this is being done out of a school of 250 which is 1/5 the size of what a Tier I school team should be and you have most of the reason. However, what is also there is a man of great quality who works hard with a great bunch of assistant coaches in a great community. To say this honour is richly deserved is an understatement but it is with great privilege that we present the Norm Kimball Coach of the Year and Frank Morris Tier I Coach of the Year Awards to Dustin Ralph.

Life Membership Award
Jim Donlevy – Retired Head Coach, University of Alberta Golden Bears
As the winningest coach in Golden Bear football history, Jim Donlevy is now enshrined as a Life Member of Football Alberta. In 18 years at the helm of the Bears, Coach Donlevy compiled an 80-59-3 record which included 5 Hardy Cup Championships in 1971, 1972, 1979, 1980, & 1981, and two Vanier Cup Titles in 1972 and 1980. That is only part of the story for Coach Donlevy as he has been an active contributor to the development of the game for over 50 years.
Starting out coaching at the bantam level in the 1960’s, Coach Donlevy moved on through the high school and Junior ranks and served as an assistant coach on the Golden Bears first Vanier Cup victory in 1967. After that as well as being appointed head coach of the Bears in 1971, he was also on the original National Committee that created the NCCP for football, and served in many capacities, including as President, of the Alberta Amateur Football Association – the forerunner to Football Alberta. Nationally, he was on the Tackle Rules Committee for Football Canada and still serves as the Commissioner of the Canada West Football League in the CIS.
His most lasting legacy is the dozens of coaches in the province who have come from his tutelage at the University of Alberta and continue his passion for details and enthusiasm for the game. A great ambassador for football and now duly recognized for his commitment and excellence it is out pleasure to present the Life Membership Award for 2010 to Jim Donlevy.