The following are the draws for the 2011 ASAA Provincial High School Football Playoffs that will lead up to the fourth Alberta Bowl. The times and locations are included as well as the provincial ranking of the teams (as determined by Football Alberta).
Last year these two teams met in the Northern Tier I Final. The selling point of that game was that these two former rivals hadn’t played a meaningful game against each other in 22 seasons. Now they can’t seem to get enough of each other. Last year the flu-ravened Sabres ran into a juggernaut from the Titans that were destined to advance to their first Provincial Tier I final since 1987 and the result was a lopsided 30-0 win for Harry Ainlay. This year the signs are for another tough road for Salisbury again as the #1 ranked Titans roll into this game 10-0, only having one game that ended with the score within a touchdown. However, the Sabres are known for creating some playoff magic from time to time. Despite having lost two games this season they were only by a grand total of six points to two powerhouses from the Metro League – Austin O’Brien and Bev Facey, so if Salisbury brings their A game it could be interesting.
What can you say about the Grande Prairie Warriors? To say their season has been a rollercoaster of emotions would be an unbelievable understatement. From the thrill of a California trip to the devastation of the loss of four teammates in a horrible accident to their ascension through the grief to claim the Mighty Peace League Championship after finishing third during the regular season. That’s a lot of emotion coming at the Edmonton Metro Champion Bev Facey Falcons as they try to advance to their fifth Northern Tier I Championship Game in the past seven seasons. The Falcons are battle tested and full measure for their triumph last week over Austin O’Brien while the Warriors continue to ride their own wave in their 2011 journey. The winner hosts next week.
Southern Semi-Finals
This game also doubles as the Calgary Division I Championship Game. Both teams survived the meat grinder that is Calgary Division I to make it to this point and find themselves facing the same team they did in last year’s Div I final, where the Pride won 13-0. The shut outs continued this season as the Pride blanked the Bobcats 28-0 in the regular season on Sept. 30, but Bishop O’Byrne has come on strong lately going 3-0-1 since that time. The Pride are two time defending Champions of Calgary and one of only two unbeaten, untied teams in Tier I this year. The winner hosts next week.
The Jasper Place Rebels are making a habit out of staying alive this year. Left for dead in the Edmonton Public Playoffs the Rebels shocked the league upsetting favoured Spruce Grove in the semi-final before bowing to Harry Ainlay last week in the Public Final. But wait, they’re still not done, with Region 4 (Central Alberta) not sending a Tier I representative the Rebels get the same deal they got last year – a second chance into Provincials. Waiting for them is quite the challenge indeed as the Raymond Comets are the three time defending Tier I Champions and will be playing at home. The Comets are a tad off their game this year going undefeated in the Southern Alberta league as usual but dropped all of their games played outside their league. Still, they are the Comets and it is November so….
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
1991 – Henry Wise Wood 1998 – Raymond Comets 2005 – Raymond Comets
1992 – L.C.I. Rams 1999 – Jasper Place Rebels 2006 – Salisbury Sabres
The last two Northern Alberta Tier II Champions meet in Grande Prairie this weekend. In fact having never faced each other on a football field until last November these two teams are getting quite familiar with each other as this game will be the third time they have tangled in the last 12 months. Last year the Celtics squeaked by the Tigers 11-10 in the first round of Provincials to begin their magical run to the Alberta Bowl and then in the early pre-season this year the Celtics defeated the Tigers again 32-8. Both teams haven’t had the season they would have liked but the Celtics have won their last three in a row and don’t be fooled by McNally’s 2-5 record as the previously unranked Tigers chose to play the majority of their season against tough Tier I opponents in the Edmonton Public’s Bright Conference.
This game will mark Austin O’Brien’s fourth consecutive appearance in Provincials but this year is a little different as it is the first time they have entered the tournament ranked #1. Playing in the tough Edmonton Metro Carr Conference and going undefeated in regular season play has sharpened their game this season like no other. The unranked Voyageurs are in tough for sure but this game marks the first ever appearance in Provincials for Bonnyville and they took out the perennial reps from their league – the Lloydminster Barons – not once, but twice on their way to qualifying for the big dance. Another bonus is that they get the game at home. Winner hosts next week.
The ultimate mismatch, right? The 8-1 Central Alberta League Champion Lakers team hosting a 1-6 and first round playoff loser in Calgary Division I, St. Mary’s Saints. Well, let’s not plan for the Saints handing in equipment yet as the key to that first sentence was that St. Mary’s plays in Calgary Division I – a veritable Murderers’ Row of top ranked Tier I opponents and while they only managed one win during the season they were competitive in every game which should be a warning to the Lakers. With their win over Hunting Hills last week the Lakers become the first team ever in Provincials to qualify in three Tiers during their history (2007 – Tier IV, 2008 – Tier III, 2011 – Tier II).
Two highly ranked teams coming off of squeaker victories last weekend to qualify for this game but via vastly different routes. While the Mohawks gutted out a tough win over the defending Provincial Champion Catholic Central Cougars the Holy Trinity Academy Knights struggled against the unranked Springbank Phoenix before taking the game 10-7. These two teams met earlier in the season on September 30[SUP]th[/SUP] with the Knights coming out on top 23-2. That game was in Okotoks while this one in on the Mohawks home turf and should be interesting considering it will be the last of four games played on the Methanex Bowl grass that day. The winner hosts next week.
PAST TIER II CHAMPIONS
1986 – Stettler Wildcats 1992 – Cardston Cougars 1998 – Cochrane Cobras 2004 – Foothills Falcons
1987 – Cardston Cougars 1993 – Cardston Cougars 1999 – George McDougall 2005 – St. Mary’s Saints
1988 – Salisbury Sabres 1994 – Lloydminster Barons 2000 – Foothills Falcons 2006 – Foothills Falcons
1989 – Archbishop Jordan Scots 1995 – Brooks Buffalos 2001 – Med. Hat Mohawks 2007 – Notre Dame Pride
1990 – Cardston Cougars 1996 – Cochrane Cobras 2002 – Arch. Jordan Scots 2008 – Notre Dame Pride
1991 – Cardston Cougars 1997 – Brook Buffalos 2003 – Arch. Jordan Scots 2009 – Foothills Falcons
2010 – Catholic Central Cougars
It’s been 11 years between Provincial appearances for the Skyhawks. In 2000, they streaked all the way to the Northern Tier I Semi-Final before bowing to the eventual Provincial Champion Strathcona Lords 31-21. Since then its been an uphill battle for the ‘Hawks trying to unseat the Sherwood Park powers of Salisbury and Bev Facey for a return engagement until this year when Paul Kane High School started its own program thus reducing St. Albert’s overall combined school population to Tier III levels. 3-6 may not be the best record to come to the dance with but the Skyhawks’ losses have all come to teams ranked in Tier I or II and one vs. Cochrane in August. For the Pioneers it is business as usual as they are the two-time defending Northern Tier III Champs and loaded for bear once again with the dream of finally completing the job after two unsuccessful Alberta Bowl final attempts over the past two seasons alive once again.
Same dance partners for the first round only a different location. Last year in Stettler the Wildcats took out the Royals in a 35-32 thriller. Both teams have been top four in their leagues all season long and sport nearly identical records so there is not much to choose between the two. The Wildcats come into the game winning the Division II Central Alberta crown with a 27-12 win over Lindsay Thurber while the Royals are still smarting from their 29-23 loss in the Wheatland Championship game to Holy Rosary. The winner hosts next weekend.
Many times in Provincials past these two teams have clashed dating back to their epic Tier II clashes in the 1990’s. However, it has been a while as though both teams have qualified for Provincials consistently it’s been since 2005 since they last met and the results were not pretty for the Bulldogs as the Cobras crushed them 63-6 in the Southern Tier III final that year. What that means to today’s players who were in Elementary School at that time no one knows but both teams are having great years so this should be a tough contest in a tough place to win a game for the visiting squad.
Welcome to Tier III Rundle College! The two time defending Tier IV Champion Cobras took in a few players from other small schools to bump their total population above the Tier III line with no ill effects as they raced to the next level of Provincials on the strength of a win over Olds two weeks ago. Waiting for them are the Crescent Height Vikings who quietly have been putting together a quality winning season but haven’t qualified for Provincials since 2004 so this is pretty much all new to the coaches and players. The winner hosts next week.
1986 – Cochrane Cobras 1992 – Raymond Comets 1998 – McCoy Colts 2004 – Cochrane Cobras
1987 – Cochrane Cobras 1993 – Bert Church Chargers 1999 – W.R. Myers Rebels 2005 – Cochrane Cobras
1988 – Medicine Hat Mohawks 1994 – Wainwright Commandos 2000 – W.R. Myers Rebels 2006 – Wetaskiwin Sabres
1989 – Will Sinclair Rebels 1995 – Kate Andrews Spartans 2001 – W.R. Myers Rebels 2007 – Cochrane Cobras
1990 – Raymond Comets 1996 – Sexsmith Sabres 2002 – Cochrane Cobras 2008 – Cochrane Cobras
1991 – Raymond Comets 1997 – Springbank Phoenix 2003 – Cochrane Cobras 2009 – Brooks Buffalos
2010 – Cardston Cougars
Alberta’s most prolific dance partners at the Tier IV level get it on again at Foote Field. These two teams met in some classic first round bouts in 2001, 2004 & 2005, and after a couple of years break, when Ardrossan’s population exceeded 450, renewed hostilities for the last three seasons with the first two being Bison victories before last years 20-16 upset by the Sabres on home turf. It might be hard for the Sabres to repeat that feat with a five hour bus ride and the fact that the Bisons won the Edmonton Metro Miles Conference last weekend in convincing fashion, but as they proved last year – anything can happen in the playoffs.
For the third year running, these teams have met in the opening game of Provincials with the previous two being Raiders victory. This year it’s the Raiders with the long drive but have the #1 ranking and their first ever Wheatland League Championship in their back pocket to boot. The Rebels have put up a 3-6 record but have been very competitive in all of their losses in the tough Central Alberta league and on home field have been particularly stingy. The winner hosts next week.
Third time lucky for one team as this game will be the third time these teams have met this year. Both small schools from Cochrane, Bow Valley took the first game of the year while St. Timothy’s won the last one a few weeks ago. Neither team has done much damage in their respective leagues but the strong football hothouse that is Cochrane means these teams will have the talent and coaching to make a run if they get on a roll this time of year.
Rematch anyone? Last year in this same game with the contest in Claresholm and the Cobras holding down the #1 Ranking, the Titans gave them all they could handle before eventually bowing 29-22. This year the shoe is on the other foot as the Titans are hosting in Drumheller and have the higher rank. It’s been an up and down season for the Cobras but it looks as though they have finally righted the ship with a big 42-14 win over Pincher Creek last week to claim the Southern Alberta League’s Tier IV berth in Provincials. The Titans haven’t played for a couple of weeks so will be well rested when the Cobras come to town. The winner hosts next weekend.
1999 – Oilfields Drillers 2005 – Ardrossan Bisons
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
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