Playoff seasons abound
Football and volleyball teams will garner plenty of laurels over the next week, with even more to be mined on the foreseeable horizon. ••• The Region 1 Alberta Schools Athletic Association Tier I football final hits Comet Stadium turf in Raymond Thursday when LCI Rams visit the Sons of Raymond. Raymond won the regular season contest 17-16 in Lethbridge, overcoming a 16-1 deficit. That gave Raymond the right to host this tilt. This certainly looks like a wonderful pick-em rematch.
In Tier II, Catholic Central Cougars entertain Medicine Hat High Mohawks Friday night at U of L. It’s an 8 p.m. kickoff. These two are building quite the rivalry. They don’t play in the regular season, so there’s always an extra level of intrigue to the post-season showdown.
Cardston Cougars have already clinched a berth in the Tier III final eight and have a bye this week.
Claresholm Willow Creek Cobras and Taber W.R. Myers Rebels are both off to the Tier IV quarter-finals next week, too. However, it’s Myers at Willow Creek this Friday to determine seeding and home-field advantage on the provincial trail. Willow Creek were the regularseason victors. Cardston already has a South Zone banner. The Hat High-CCH and and Myers-Willow Creek conquerers will proudly hoist banners, too.
As per usual, LCI and Raymond have mutually agreed not to play for a visible zone championship designation.
The provincial trail concludes Nov. 24-25 in Lacombe. Why Lacombe you ask? Well, that Region (4) now has a suitable facility, replete with field turf, which qualifies them for the Alberta Bowl hosting rotation.
In terms of Football Alberta provincial rankings, our league is represented thusly this week: Tier I — Raymond (7), LCI (9). Tier III — Cardston (1). Tier IV — Willow Creek (1), W.R. Myers (2).
Alas, these rankings have nothing to do with qualifying for provincials, or the draws within provincials. As you can imagine, I hear from people regularly about the entire ASAA football playoff format. Multiple times daily at this time of year, in fact.
There is only one way to change it, or any ASAA process, for 2018-19. Notices of Motion are due by April 1. ••• Congratulations to the Catholic Central varsity boys, Chinook junior varsity girls and Cardston junior varsity boys who have all clinched Southern Alberta High School Volleyball League regular season titles since my last column appeared in this space.
As for varsity girls it will be decided tonight, the last of the regular season, when 9-1 Catholic Central visits 10-0 Chinook. Sounds like fun.
As well, 9-1 LCI, who are at Taber St. Mary’s this evening, could still emerge victorious in a tiebreaker.
The SAHSVL takes a very brief respite between the end of the regular slate and playoffs. How brief? Exactly one day actually.
Yes, the 10-team JV girls playoff tourney goes this Friday and Saturday at Catholic Central Campus West. The eight-team JV boys finale is set for Saturday in Cardston.
As for varsity playoffs, my figurative hat is off to Picture Butte for stepping up and hosting a massive 12-team girls extravaganza Nov. 9-11. What an undertaking for a small school! The 10team boys varsity playoffs are presented at LCI Nov. 10-11.
Zone championships will be completed by Nov. 18, with provincials Nov. 23-25. ••• I was happy to see the LCI cross-country team’s picture in these pages on Saturday, acknowledging their Alberta Schools Athletic Association 3A Cross Country team title earned recently in Edmonton. I note Raymond was third in 2A and Pincher Creek St. Michael’s finished third in 1A.
As well, Mathias Gelber from St. Mike’s was a junior boys bronze medallist against competitors from schools of all sizes and designations.
Chinook’s Solen Wood captured overall gold in intermediate boys. My triathlon consultant (not a high-paying gig) Dave Adams (an avid and quite successful globe-bounding amateur age-group triathlete, in addition to a happy U of L women’s basketball head coach this week) has told me numerous times the Wood lad absolutely has the physical potential to be a top-level triathlete. Seemingly someone to take note of for the perennial bird dogs out there.
WELLSIE’S WORLD — I’m utterly pleased to see the Canadian University (U Sports) Women’s Rugby Championship in Lethbridge this week. Last time they were here, I had the pleasure of watching the University of Lethbridge win one of their three national titles in an “instant classic” final.
There are so many connections to local high school rugby on the U of L squad it’s hard to know where to begin. Head coach Neil
Langevin, associate head coach Ashley Steacy, manager Toby Boulet and by my rough count 19 players on the roster, all have SAHSRL backgrounds.
Go Horns!