November 19, 2016
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[UPDATED – Nov. 19] PLAYOFF Preview (AB): Round 2 has strong matchups

This past weekend was an exciting one in the ASAA High School and Football Alberta Minor Football Provincial Games. There were some blowouts, some close ones, and then a few upsets. Below are the matchups for this week as we go into the regional finals for all four tiers.
 
2016 Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association Provincials

Tier I (School Pop. 1250+)
Regional Finals, November 19th

On the road to the #asaa #football #north #final #itsalifestyle #livinthedream

A photo posted by NDRDFootball (@ndrdfootball) on

NORTH – #8 Notre Dame Cougars at #1 Bev Facey Falcons
Sat., Nov. 19 – 2:30 p.m., Clarke Stadium (Edmonton)
We’re used to having a school named Notre Dame go deep into Provincial play, but their address is usually from Calgary. This bunch comes from Red Deer and they have shattered a 21-year-old glass ceiling as Central Alberta’s first Tier I sized school to advance out of the first round of playoffs since Lindsay Thurber in 1995. And this is no accident either as they handled the powerful #4 Harry Ainlay Titans this past Saturday in style with a 27-8 victory. Their reward for all of this? A date with the #1 ranked team in Alberta, the Bev Facey Falcons. The Falcons put it in cruise control last week coasting to a 38-6 win over the #9 Bellerose Bulldogs and were probably anticipating a return date with the Titans who they defeated 33-0 two weeks ago in their last regular season game. Instead they are facing the great unknown in the Cougars. Still, the Falcons aren’t a one trick pony. Even if you shut down the amazing Chuba Hubbard (which no one has done yet) you still have to deal with two of Alberta’s best slotbacks in Joshiah Schakel and Jake Withrow and a defence that is one of the best in Canada. Is this as far as Cinderella goes or is there still time before midnight? We’ll find out Saturday.

SOUTH – #3 St. Francis Browns at #6 Raymond Comets
Sat. Nov. 19 – 3:00 p.m., Comet Stadium (Raymond)
That these two teams are in the Southern Final is nothing new. Both the Browns and Comets have been the most consistent participants in this event since 2000. What will be different this year is the venue. Brand new Comet Stadium in Raymond is a fitting testament to Alberta’s Home of Friday Night Lights and a brutal place to play for any opponent as the locals come out in droves and bring a Texas-style fervour for high school football that you won’t find anywhere else in the Province. Just ask the #2 ranked Henry Wise Wood Warriors who ran into that passion last Saturday and were upset 26-16 by the home town Comets. The Browns come in as defending Tier I Provincial Champions and have a laundry list of Team Alberta and even Team Canada grade players, most notably linebacker Joe Dutton and slotback Jacob Izquiredo, and have a passionate fan base of their own, but will have to have all hands on deck this upcoming Saturday as they are headed into choppy waters to say the least. Wouldn’t be late for this kick-off if I wanted to find a seat on Saturday.

Alberta Bowl Provincial Final – Hellard Field, Calgary
Saturday, November 26th, 6:00 p.m.
SOUTH winner at NORTH winner

Tier II (School Population 750-1249)
Regional Finals, November 19th

NORTH – #7 Lloydminster Barons at #1 St. Joseph’s Celtics
Sat. Nov. 19 – 2:30 p.m., CKC Field (Grande Prairie)
A looooong way to go for the Barons, but a trip they’ll be happy to make for a chance at a rematch with the Celtics who defeated them 53-13 in last year’s Northern Tier II Final. These teams have one thing in common – the only team either has lost to is the Holy Rosary Raiders from Lloydminster. The Celtics dropped their opening exhibition game to the Raiders on August 27, but have run off 11 straight wins since then. The Barons have defeated all comers this season with the exception of their cross-town rivals in both the regular season and Wheatland Championship game. Still, both these teams should be razor sharp as the Tier II Northern Draw was the tightest in the Province last Saturday with the Barons coming behind on a late TD to defeat the #10 Paul Kane Blues 22-15 and the Celtics holding on to a 13-7 victory over the #5 Austin O’Brien Crusaders. The Celtics are hoping to advance to their third straight Alberta Bowl, while the Barons haven’t been to the title game since 1999. The winner faces another long trip to Calgary next weekend but I don’t think either of them would complain.

SOUTH – #4 Hunting Hills Lightning at #2 Foothills Falcons
Sat. Nov. 19 – 1:00 p.m., Foothills High School (Okotoks)
Another Tier II Regional Championship rematch from last year. This however, isn’t a fond memory for the Lightning as they were shutout 45-0 by the eventual Tier II Provincial Champion Falcons. A trip to Okotoks isn’t going to make it any easier for Hunting Hills as well. The Falcons have to be admired as they graduated out some nuclear grade talent last year only to re-load and find themselves on the doorstep of another trip to the Alberta Bowl. They’ve been building steadily all year after losing their first two games then rattling off a streak of eight straight wins, which coincidentally started with a 17-14 exhibition win over Hunting Hills on September 10th. The Lightning’s only losses of the years came against Foothills in that exhibition game and twice to Notre Dame (RD) (who are currently in the Tier I North Final) in the regular season and Central Alberta City Championship Game so their resume is pretty solid as well. Should be a fun one in Okotoks this Saturday.

Alberta Bowl Provincial Final – Hellard Field, Calgary
Friday, November 25th, 7:00 p.m.
SOUTH winner at NORTH winner

Tier III (School Population 450-749)
Regional Finals, November 19th

NORTH – #2 Holy Rosary Raiders at #7 St. Albert Skyhawks
Sat. Nov. 19 – 12:00 p.m., Clarke Stadium (Edmonton)
The St. Albert Skyhawks continue to impress. For the second straight year, they have turned a middle of the road Metro Edmonton Division II season into an appearance in the Northern Alberta Tier III Final. With all three St. Albert high schools advancing to Provincials this year in three different Tiers, the Skyhawks were the only one to win their first round game, but the jubilation might be short lived as they take on the powerful Holy Rosary Raiders this Saturday. The Raiders defeated the Skyhawks last year 28-0 in this same game and have only one loss on their record over the past three seasons and that is the 55-0 thumping they took at the hands of the Cochrane Cobras in last year’s Alberta Bowl. They are anxious to return to the scene of that crime to have a shot at rectifying things, and with Team Alberta QB Tommy Yanchuk hitting on all cylinders, they have a very good chance of doing just that.

SOUTH – #1 Cochrane Cobras at #4 Cardston Cougars
Sat. Nov. 19 – 3:00 p.m., University of Lethbridge Community Stadium (Lethbridge)
If there were ever any two juggernauts headed right at each other it would be these two. A bit of a hidden rivalry in Alberta high school lore, things heat up quite nicely when Cochrane and Cardston get together. Last year’s 49-42 track meet won by the Cobras in the Southern Semi-Finals is testament to that. With both teams coming off huge wins last weekend (Cochrane 71-14 over Strathmore and Cardston 69-14 over Rundle College) this promises to be another barn burner. Cardston waited until Monday of this week to decide on their venue for the game (which is their right to do so). The decision to play on the fast track at the artificial turf field at the University of Lethbridge was a hard one, as they have one of the most passionate fan bases in Alberta at Walker Field in Cardston, but they’re banking on the consistent artificial turf surface to bring out the best in their game.

Alberta Bowl Provincial Final – Hellard Field, Calgary
Saturday, November 26th, 2:30 p.m.
SOUTH winner at NORTH winner

Tier IV (School Population 449 or less)
Regional Finals, November 19th

NORTH – #5 Stettler Wildcats at #4 Sexsmith Sabres
Sat. Nov. 19 – 12:00 p.m., CKC Field (Grande Prairie)
Stettler’s inaugural tour through Tier IV continues this weekend with the long trip to Grande Prairie to take on one of Tier IV’s traditional powers – the Sexsmith Sabres. With the decrease in their school population, the Wildcats, who have always been in the hunt at the Tier III level for the past decade, now find themselves on the doorstep of another trip to the Alberta Bowl where they won the Tier III title in 2011. Standing in their way are the proud Sabres who’s only two losses of the season have come to the powerful Tier II St. Joes Celtics. Sexsmith has reached this game the past two seasons only to be turned away so they’re in high hopes a home game this Saturday will do the trick.

SOUTH – #6 Bow Valley Bobcats at #3 W.R. Myers Rebels
Sat. Nov. 19 – 1:00 p.m., Ken McDonald Athletic Park (Taber)
Living in the shadow of the powerful Cochrane Cobras can’t be much fun, but Cochrane’s other high school football team handles it quite well with Bow Valley annually putting out competitive teams and sometimes creating a monster of their own witnessed by their two straight Tier IV titles in 2002 & 2003. This year the Bobcats are doing more than just being competitive. Putting together a tidy 8-2 record isn’t easy considering all of the teams in the Rockyview League they play in come from bigger schools. Their convincing 17-1 win over last year’s Southern Tier IV Champion Willow Creek Cobras also indicates they’re on a mission this year. On the other side are the W.R. Myers Rebels. Absent from Provincial play for a few years they are the highest remaining ranked team left in the draw and with only one loss on their resume hope to return to the height of 1999-2001 when the Rebels won three straight Provincial Tier III titles.

Alberta Bowl Provincial Final – Hellard Field, Calgary
Saturday, November 26th, 11:00 a.m.
SOUTH winner at NORTH winner

Source: Football Alberta

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