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Playoff Football

Road to the Alberta Bowl begins this weekend

Nov 11, 2021 | 5:56 PM

The following are the draws for the 2021 ASAA Provincial High School Football Playoffs that will lead up to the 13th Alberta Bowl.

Please note that the Brian Fryer (Top 4) Division of Tier I will be included next week as there are only four teams in that draw.

TIER I (School Pop. 1250+)

Northern Semi-Finals

#9 Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds at Fort McMurray Saints

Sat. Nov. 13 – 2:00 p.m., Shell Place (Fort McMurray)

A long way to go for the Thunderbirds in their first visit to Provincials in quite some while. Their last trips were in 2006 and 2007 (interestingly enough both years featured first round games against Fort McMurray). As a result of their third place finish in the Metro Edmonton Division I League; they have earned their berth and a long trip to Fort Mac. The Saints on the other hand have consolidated all of the smaller high schools in Fort McMurray into one single team at the Tier I Level. They streaked off to a 6-0 start before dropping their last three games to exit the Top 10 Rankings. Still, a pretty good season and a dangerous team in the first round. The winner hosts next week.

Grande Prairie Warriors at #10 Lindsay Thurber Raiders

Fri. Nov. 12 – 6:00 p.m., Great Chief Park (Red Deer)

Another long bus ride this weekend with the Warriors heading to Red Deer. Both teams played in Championship Games last weekend and both hope to continue the string this weekend. With the big dogs from Metro Edmonton not being on the schedule as a result of being picked for the Brian Fryer (Top 4) Division for the first round for either team, which has been the tradition of the past, both will get a chance to get their feet wet in Provincials against a similar opponent. These two teams used to have a standing date in the first-round years ago when they had to play a qualifier just to get in. It’s been since 2018 since they locked horns with the Raiders winning that North Semi-Final 55-10. Look for this game on Friday night to be a very entertaining and close game.

Southern Semi-Finals

#5 Raymond Comets at Foothills Falcons

Sat. Nov. 13 – 1:00 p.m., Falcon Field at Foothills H.S. (Okotoks)

It’s been a loooooong year for the Falcons. A traditional powerhouse at the Tier II level, their student population bump into Tier I and a very young team have seen them go winless this season in the new Southern Alberta Division I Exhibition schedule. This makes their task this weekend even more daunting as coming to town are the surging Raymond Comets. The same Comets who blasted them 52-7 two weeks ago. Raymond is on a roll indeed having been named the Wildcard in the Tier I Regional Bracket as a result of their upset win over L.C.I. last Friday that knocked the Rams out of Brian Fryer (Top 4) Tier I Division of the ASAA Playoffs. Having a very aggressive schedule of the top teams in the Province left them with a .500 record at seasons end, but all of their losses came at the hands of Top 10 teams in Tier I. They should be a handful this post season, so we’ll see what transpires in Okotoks this Saturday.

#6 L.C.I. Rams at #7 Ernest Manning Griffins

Sat. Nov. 13 – 3:00 p.m., Hellard Field at Shouldice Park (Calgary)

Welcome to the Big Dance, Ernest Manning. The Griffins have dabbled in Provincials in the past, mainly at the Tier II level for a couple of occasions in the 1990’s, but now with a Tier I sized school population and a team that was more than just competitive in Calgary Division I, they are loose in the Tier I draw with nothing but potential in front of them. Facing them will be a team that is no stranger to Provincial having a storied past and qualified three of the last four years Provincials were played – the L.C.I. Rams. Still smarting from their 31-14 loss to Raymond in the Region 1 Tier I Game last Friday, the Rams will look to right the ship this Saturday on the road. The Griffins finish 4-3 on the year but their only losses came at the hands of the two teams selected out of Calgary to go into the Brian Fryer (Top 4) Division, including last week’s 18-0 semi-final loss to the eventual Calgary Division I Champion Notre Dame Pride. A strong team who’s up against another strong team looking for redemption. A game not to be missed in Calgary.

TIER II (School Pop. 750-1249)

Northern Semi-Finals

#5 St. Josephs Celtics at #3 Austin O’Brien Crusaders

Sat. Nov. 3 – 2:30 p.m., Jasper Place Bowl (Edmonton)

Not much history here between these two teams, which is surprizing since both of these teams have qualified in the northern draw of Tier II Provincials consistently since 2010. The only three times they met though were in 2012 (a 22-2 win for AOB), 2016 (a 13-7 win for St. Joes), and 2019 (a 47-26 win of AOB) but both have also been constant participants in the Alberta Bowl over that time with the Crusaders representing the North from 2011-2013 (winning all three) as well as 2019 and the Celtics in 2010 and from 2014 -2016 (winning once). The Celtics are on an absolute roll this year with no one in the Mighty Peace coming within six touchdowns of them at any point and running the board in their exhibition games too to be the only undefeated Tier II team left in Alberta. As for the Crusaders, they are famous for lying in the weeds playing a tough schedule in Metro Edmonton Division I against nothing but Tier I teams then springing into Provincials. This year is no exception with only two wins to their credit but one vs. Bellerose that was enough to spring them into Provincials as the Region 5A rep. Their prize is a date with the Celtics.

Lloydminster Barons at #3 Leduc Tigers

Sat. Nov. 13 – 12:00 p.m., Jasper Place Bowl (Edmonton)

A 4-1 regular season record and loss in the Wheatland Championship Game is impressive for the Barons but in a strong year for Tier II teams provincially it was hard for them to crack the Top-10 Rankings. Still, they are an impressive program only three years removed from a Provincial Championship at Tier II, and will be facing a team in Leduc who will be playing their third game in 7 days. The Tigers ran roughshod over their competition in Metro Edmonton Division II going undefeated and winning by an average score of 49-6 plus shut out Paul Kane in their league final 36-0. However, with Tier II teams in Division I, the Tigers had to play Bellerose in a special play-in game on Tuesday to determine the Region 5B rep. With a 26-14 win in that game they can focus on the Barons for what should be an exciting game on Saturday.

Southern Semi-Finals

#7 Our Lady of the Rockies Ghosts at #9 Lacombe Rams

Sat. Nov. 13 – 1:30 p.m., MEGlobal Athletic Park (Lacombe)

Our Lady of the Rockies may sound like a new program but it’s not. Formerly known as Bishop Grandin High School, the Ghosts and a strong tradition of football and now with a Tier II sized student population, they are also Provincials bound. Plus, the Ghosts are undefeated in Calgary Division II, which is the good news, but the bad news for them is that those league playoffs are still going, so they have a date with Sir Winston Churchill on Wednesday in the Div. II semi’s along with their game in Lacombe on Saturday. Waiting for them in Lacombe are the Rams who have put together a tidy 5-2 record and are coming on strong, having won the Central Alberta City Division last week. Lacombe has not represented Region 4 at Provincials since 2004 and the Ghosts have never been to Provincials so this game has a lot of unknowns to it.

#4 Holy Trinity Academy Knights at #2 Medicine Hat Hawks

Sat. Nov. 13 – 2:30 p.m., Methanex Bowl (Medicine Hat)

The defacto defending Tier II Provincial Champion Knights (due to no season in 2020) are a force to be reckoned with at this point. The Knights started slow losing their first two games of the year and struggling to get above .500 as late as September 30. However, October brought a new attitude to the Knights going 3-1-1 down the stretch. On the other side are the consistently good Hawks whose two losses have come at the hands of Raymond and LCI. They are full measure for their 10 wins playing in both the Rangeland League and the Southern Alberta Division I Exhibition schedule which included a 20-8 win over these same Knights on August 27th. The Hawks played a nail biter last weekend, defeating Cardston 27-26 in the Region 1 Tier II Qualifier game, while the Knights blew out the previously #2 ranked George McDougall Mustangs 39-0 in the Region 2 Tier II Qualifier game. Either way it should be fun in the Hat on Saturday.

TIER III (School Pop. 450-749)

Northern Semi-Finals

#9 Peace River Pioneers at #6 Sturgeon Spirits

Sat. Nov. 13 – 2:30 p.m., Riel Park (St. Albert)

Good teams that have had a rough time in their respective playoffs, both Peace River and Sturgeon are hoping to start a new run in Provincials. The Spirits continue their high level of play that they have exhibited in the short three years of their program’s existence. Losing the Division III Final in Metro Edmonton hurt, but they live to play another day and hope to get back to their winning ways. The last year Provincials were held in 2019, they won their first-round game 27-13 over Whitecourt. As for the Pioneers, there was some doubt as to their school population at the end of September which put them in Tier II briefly, but that was quickly resolved and they are coming off a solid season which saw them qualify for the upper level of league playoffs in the Mighty Peace. The Spirits are literally at home having played five of their seven regular season games plus one playoff game at Riel Park so the Pioneers have a lot of work cut out for them.

#1 Holy Rosary Raiders at #3 Sylvan Lake Lakers

Fri. Nov. 12 – 6:00 p.m., MEGlobal Athletic Park (Lacombe)

These two programs know each other very well having played in this game in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, all wins for the Raiders, and both have a long history of Provincial experience. It’s been smooth sailing for the Raiders this year as they have yet to lose a game and won the Wheatland League with little struggle, averaging 47 points a game and giving up only a single touchdown all season. The same can’t be said for the Lakers who saw four of their league opponents unable to field 12 man teams this season due to complications from the COVID break. This left them with only two regular season games and a scramble to find exhibitions where they could. A huge challenge for sure but they won every game or scrimmage they played and will be a stiff test for the #1 ranked Raiders. Under the lights on Friday night in Lacombe may be the best game of the weekend.

Southern Semi-Finals

Winston Churchill Bulldogs at #2 Cochrane Cobras

Fri. Nov. 12 – 4:00 p.m., Spray Lakes Athletic Park (Cochrane)

The consistency of the Cochrane Cobras is a wonder to behold and sometimes taken for granted. 30 straight years (not counting the COVID break last season) advancing to Provincials, 40 straight wins in a row (that was set in 2018), and winners of 13 of the last 18 Tier III Provincial Championships (including the last six in a row and the only program ever to accomplish that at any Tier). Still, this year they have looked mortal, dropping a regular season game to George McDougall and then having to hang on and win in OT against the same Mustangs in the Rockyview Championship Game. Their opponent in this game is no slouch and is well schooled this season having to face a murderer’s row of opposition in the Southern Alberta League, most of it from teams at a higher Tier, however the Bulldogs have had a tough year and it isn’t getting any easier having to travel to Cochrane this Friday.

#5 Stettler Wildcats at #4 Crescent Heights Vikings

Sat., Nov. 13 – 12:00 p.m., Methanex Bowl (Medicine Hat)

With no second team to come out of Region 2, the Central Alberta Rural League Finalist Wildcats have gamely jumped into the fray. The Wildcats also suffered due to lack of regular season opponents but found enough games to keep their axe sharp and gave Sylvan Lake a solid push in their league final two weeks ago before losing 41-21. Waiting for them are the strong Vikings who have been in this spot before qualifying for Provincials from 2011-2015 and 2019 in this past decade and have been undefeated in regular season and exhibition play to everyone except Medicine Hat who were responsible for their only two losses

TIER IV (School Pop. 449 or less)

Northern Semi-Finals

#3 St. Paul Lions at #1 Sexsmith Sabres

Sat. Nov. 13 – 1:00 p.m., CKC Field (Grande Prairie)

Possibly the farthest anyone has to travel this weekend. Clear across the Province from the far east to far west go the Lions to take on one of the most consistent Provincial qualifiers in any Tier. Despite having qualified for Provincials at the Tier IV level for 17 consecutive seasons, Sexsmith has not hit pay dirt since the creation of the Tier IV level of play in 1999 but are hoping this might be the year having recorded a solid season in the Mighty Peace league finishing second to the juggernaut from St. Joseph’s. On the flip side of this match-up are the Lions who were the Provincial Tier IV runners-up in both 2018 and 2019 with their own magical run through Provincials to the Alberta Bowl. Don’t let the barely above .500 record fool you. These Lions can play, just as the Sabres found out the last season of play in 2019 with a 39-13 St. Paul win in that game.

#4 High Prairie Renegades at #8 Ardrossan Bisons

Sat. Nov. 13 – 12:00 p.m., Riel Park (St. Albert)

Welcome to Provincials High Prairie. The four-year-old program which entered the Mighty Peace League in 2017 has been on a losing trend ever since its inception. The Mighty Peace League has seen teams come and go over the past two decades so the fear was that the Renegades would be next. Not so fast. Not only are they surviving but they are thriving. True, they finished under .500 but just barely. With big wins along the way, the Renegades won four times and advanced to the Athabasca Conference Final where they dropped a close one 36-28 to Grande Prairie. A team to be reckoned with indeed. Facing them are the most storied of all Tier IV teams, the Ardrossan Bisons. It’s been a challenging year for the Bisons as they come into Provincials with a 1-6 record, but all but one of those losses were by 10 points or less, including a last second loss to eventual Metro Edmonton Division III Champion Lillian Osborne. This team can play but doesn’t have much of a resume to date, so we’ll see how they do against Cinderella on Saturday.

Southern Semi-Finals

#9 Willow Creek Cobras at #2 Drumheller Titans

Sat. Nov. 13 – 2:30 p.m., Drumheller High School (Drumheller)

Usually meeting Willow Creek in the first round meant a quick ending to your Provincials experience. The last Provincials contested in 2019 saw the Cobras win their three games on the way to their second Title ever, 53-0, 48-7, and 47-0 respectively. Two years later they will be hard pressed to match that feat as the Cobras have only won a single game this year and come into Provincials as the second team out of Region 1. The Drumheller Titans on the other hand are experiencing a business-as-usual season and finished second in the Big Sky Conference with a seven-win season making them one of only three Tier IV teams with winning records. Should be interesting in the Valley of the Dinosaurs this Saturday.

#6 Canmore Wolverines at #5 W.R. Myers Rebels

Sat. Nov. 13 – 1:00 p.m., Ken McDonald Sports Complex (Taber)

It’s been a year of ups and downs for both programs and they both sport losing records as a result. Still, they can both give teams fits when hitting on all cylinders. The Wolverines are only two years removed from their one and only Tier IV Provincial Championship and the Rebels have been a solid participant for decades. The winner of this game will advance to the Semi-Finals and be on the road.

6-MAN

Quarter-Finals

Vermilions Marauders at #1 J.C. Charyk Hawks
Sat. Nov. 13, 1:00 p.m., J.C. Charyk High School (Hanna)

The high flyers from Hanna have been on a roll that extends back over three years to Oct. 5, 2018 which was the last time they lost a game. The two-time defending 6-Man Provincial Champion Hawks look to kick things off in style vs. Vermilion. The Marauders are no slouch and can score in bunches, so J.C. Charyk’s quest for a third straight (not counting the COVID break in 2020) title will face a good challenge this Saturday.

Our Lady of Mount Pleasant Royals at #2 Millwoods Christian Royals

Wednesday. Nov. 10 – 5:00 p.m., Millwoods Turf (Edmonton)

A “royal” game indeed. Despite both teams sharing the same name, they are both on different tracks. The OLMP Royals have struggled through the season while the MC Royals have cruised – putting up an undefeated record. At home and on the fast track of artificial turf the MC Royals will be a handful in this quarterfinal game. Note the game is on Wednesday instead of the usual weekend games.

#5 Buck Mountain Mustangs at. #4 Holy Redeemer Rebels
Fri. Nov. 12 – 12:00 p.m., Holy Redeemer H.S. Field (Edson)

Welcome back Buck Mountain! The finalist in the first ever ASAA 6-Man Championship game in 2011, the Mustangs are an enigma at that level of play. Some years they have a team and some years they don’t. That is not uncommon in the world of schools with very small student populations but this year they are back and doing fine with a 3-3 record. As for the Rebels their upset win on Monday over Breton shook things up and gave them a home playoff date. Noon on Friday in Edson should be interesting to see who moves on.

Breton Cougars at #3 Rimbey Spartans
Sat. Nov. 13 – 11:00 a.m., MEGlobal Athletic Park (Lacombe)

A short trip for both the Cougars and the Spartans to play in Lacombe. Rimbey is nothing to be trifled with in Provincials as they have qualified for Provincials each year since 6-Man entered ASAA Provincials in 2011. They have also won their first-round game every year except for 2018 and won back-to-back championships in 2013-2014. Their opponent, the Breton Cougars have a strong history in this game qualifying for the last five Provincial tournaments themselves and making it to the final in 2017 and 2019.

Football Alberta Minor Provincials Kick-off this Weekend!

Along with all the high school fun, the Minor Provincials for Bantam (age 13-15 * not in high school) and Pee-Wee (age 11-12) start this weekend as well. Unlike high school, they are only a two week event so all listed games are Provincial Semi-Finals.

2021 Bantam Minor Provincial Schedule

Tier I Semi-Finals

St. Albert 49ers at Calgary Cowboys – Nov. 13 @ 12m on Stampeder Field Shouldice Park, Calgary

Calgary Stampeders at Raymond Comets – Nov. 13 @ 1pm at Victoria Sports Park, Raymond

Tier II Semi-Finals

Notre Dame Jr. Cougars at Lloydminster Junior Red Dogs – Nov. 14 @ 1pm at Holy Rosary Field, Lloydminster

Medicine Hat Hawks at Lindsay Thurber Jr. Raiders – Nov. 13 @ 1:30pm at Great Chief Park, Red Deer

9-A-Side Tier I Semi-Finals

Grande Prairie Broncos at Leduc Ti-Cats – Nov. 13 @ 11:00am at Taurus Field, Fort Saskatchewan

Claresholm Cobras at Sylvan Lake Lions – Nov. 13 @ 4pm at Great Chief Park, Red Deer

9-A-Side Tier II Finals

Edmonton Seahawks at Drumheller Titans – Nov. 13 @ 12pm at Drumheller High School, Drumheller

2021 Peewee Minor Provincial Schedule

Saturday, November 13

12-A-Side Tier III Final

Wainwright Guard Dogs at Red Deer Hornets – Nov. 13 @ 11:00am at Great Chief Park, Red Deer

9-A-Side Tier 1 Finals

Sylvan Lake Bears at Fort Saskatchewan Falcons Nov. 13 @ 1:30pm at Taurus Field, Fort Saskatchewan