Moose Jaw’s Biggest Weekend Of Football And A Family Movie This Friday And Saturday
By Robert Thomas
There’s going to be more than a few tackles this weekend at Elks Athletic Field - 1600 Caribou Street West - as the local football community is putting on five football games, raising awareness and food for Moose Jaw’s hungry and even tossing in a family movie.
“It’s going to be a full weekend at Elks Field this weekend,” Bryan Boys president of the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football League told MJ Independent.
“There’s going to be five football games over Friday and Saturday which is really exciting for the community. There is going to be an outdoor family movie and we are going to raise food to help others…it’s big,” he said.
“We are really looking forward to this,” Boys said about the two days of gridiron action planned for Friday and Saturday.
Games at Elks Field don’t usually charge admission but the League is billing the weekend as “Tackling Hunger In Moose Jaw.” Boys said they are asking fans to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank.
FRIDAY
On Friday evening the Vanier Vikings play their first ever regular season 9-aside game against the visiting Lumsden Devils. Kick off is at 6:15 pm.
Last Friday evening the Vikings played an exhibition game versus the visiting Gull Lake Lions. The Vikings won the 60 minute exhibition game 40 - 13 as they move from 12-aside to 9-aside league play.
VANIER VIKINGS TALLON HUDSON (LEFT) EVADES A GULL LAKE LIONS TACKLER IN LAST FRIDAY EVENING’S EXHIBITION MATCHUP - MJ INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO
The Vikings playing all of their home games this season under the lights on Friday nights is a perfect music for the Minor Football League who would like to see Friday evening football become a local tradition.
“Fridays were built for high school football. It’s a better football atmosphere” and something Minor Football’s board is working towards.
In the United States Friday evening high school football games have become the norm and it’s something Boys would like to start here in Moose Jaw.
Immediately following the Vikings - Devils matchup the biggest rivalry in local high school football will square off as the Central Cyclones and Peacock Tornadoes will square off in a 12-aside league game.
The Central Cyclones will face the Peacock Tornadoes under the lights at 8:15 pm.
ACTION FROM LAST SATURDAY’S MATCHUP BETWEEN THE SWIFT CURRENT COLTS (IN WHITE UNIFORMS) AND THE CENTRAL CYCLONES (IN BLACK UNIFORMS) - MJ INDEPENDENT PHOTO
Despite the Cyclones handing out a drubbing to Swift Current last Saturday and the Tornadoes on the receiving end of a drubbing by Yorkton the matchup is expected to be a good game.
Boys expected the classic matchup between the two local teams to see a large crowd as it is Moose Jaw’s largest and longest running football rivalry.
For Boys having all three high school teams play this Friday evening is not only a step towards making Friday Night Lights a reality at Elks Field but it’s also an opportunity for Minor Football alumni and their parents re-visit the field many once played on.
“We are having a big weekend and it’s an opportunity to create buzz and get more people out to games,” he said.
Boys said with the planned upgrades to Elks Athletic Field that the ultimate goal was to move all football games to the facility.
“We are creating a football paradise at Elks Field,” he said.
“Let’s try it up here and see how it goes.”
SATURDAY
Saturday will feature three games in the U12 and U14 divisions with the teams not only going head to head on the field but the rivalries also extending to collecting non-perishable food for the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank.
“We are challenging teams and their fans to bring in as much non-perishable food as they can in this rivalry on and off the field,” Boys said.
At 3 pm the Estevan Chargers will face the undefeated Moose Jaw Spartans in U12 action.
The U12 action continues at 5 pm as the Moose Jaw Bulldogs will face last year’s champions the Moose Jaw Lions.
ACTION FROM A MOOSE JAW LIONS GAME - MJ INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO
The 7 pm matchup will be a local U14 affair as the two undefeated teams the Moose Jaw Raiders will take on the Moose Jaw Vikings.
“It will be a good matchup between the two undefeated U14 teams,” Boys said.
Following the games there will be the final outdoor movie of the year put on by the Kinsmen Club of Moose Jaw.
Halfway through the U14 game the donations to the Moose Jaw and District and Food Bank will end and mon-perishable food donations will go to the Kinsmen’s designated charity Hunger In Moose Jaw.
OUTDOOR MOVIE
Immediately following the U14 matchup between the Raiders and the Vikings the Kinsmen will be showing the animated movie Strange World.
The movie start time is 9:15 pm.
Strange World is a 2022 movie produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and it is about a legendary family of explorers who have to set aside their differences as they embark on a journey to a mysterious subterranean land.
Admission to the movie is by a non-perishable donation to Hunger In Moose Jaw.
“We are encouraging families to come out to this family film,” Boys said.
People coming to watch the movie are asked to bring their lawn chairs, a blanket and bug spray as they will be seated on the field facing the tower and bleachers.
The concession closes after the final football game so Boys said if you want something to drink or eat you will have to grab it from the concession quickly or bring it from home.
There are no dogs or other animals - except service animals - allowed at Elks Field so Boys asks people to leave their pets at home. Not just because of the bylaw but for safety of everyone.
Additionally since this is a family event there will be no smoking, no vaping, no cannabis, no alcohol or drugs allowed for the football games or the movie.
“We ask people be respectful as this a family and child friendly event.”
Other than the few basic rules Boys asks people to have fun and enjoy themselves at Moose Jaw’s biggest weekend of football.