Extreme Cold Fails To Freeze Football Fever
Story and photos by Robert Thomas
While most people were worried about bitterly cold weather and getting their vehicles started the Yara Centre problems dealt with the intricacies of four downs American style football.
From Thursday to Sunday 20 teams in four age brackets participated in the third annual Battle On The Prairies.
Teams participating came from Saskatchewan and Alberta as well as an international flair with teams coming from Boston and the Los Angeles area.
Alberta Golden Bears selects Luke Unger (left) attempts to stop Sask Selects and Moose Jaw’s Gabe Yasinski who managed to stay inbounds at Sunday’s 14U championship game
Asked how he felt about how it was to land US teams for the tournament - the first time ever - especially in January tournament organizer Zeljko Stefanovic called it “crazy”.
“It’s crazy man. We had such a mild fall and into the early winter. I was hoping it was going to stay like that for these guys so they can actually enjoy a little bit of our Prairies but of course the day they show up of course the weather turned,” Stefanovic said.
“They haven’t been outside much.”
Three members of the Alberta Golden Bears selects surround a Sask Selects ball carrier during Sunday’s 14U championship game
The purpose of the Saskatchewan Selects program was started 11 years ago as a means of teaching fundamental football skills, he said.
The program has grown past Moose Jaw.
“We started it with 12U and since then the program has expanded. We have sister programs is Alberta. We have sister programs in Manitoba.”
Sask Selects Chase Auseth (jersey 64) on the sidelines during Sunday’s 14U championship game
The Golden Bears teams - known as the Golden Bears Selects and based out of the University of Alberta in Edmonton - are a program that adopted the philosophy of the Moose Jaw based Saskatchewan Selects program.
“It’s a feeder program. A development program for them. But they follow the same concepts and objectives we’ve developed,” Stefanovic said.
Alberta Golden Bears selects Dallan Timmons (right) heads upfield with the ball during Sunday’s 14U championship game
The four day Battle On The Prairies is not a culmination or a wrap up but rather it’s a “tune up” tournament for the Sask Selects before they head to play in the United States.
The tournament draws hundreds of players and families to Moose Jaw to play or watch football indoors in the dead of winter.
Stefanovic called the tournament as good for football but also a boost for the Moose Jaw economy at a traditionally very slow time.
Sask Selects Spiro Giannoutsos (center left) breaks a tackle by Alberta Golden Bears selects Jonah Laurie during Sunday’s 14U championship game
“It’s really blown up. You know you see the crowd out here and it’s been great for the city of Moose Jaw as far as tourism and everything else associated with it,” he said.
The weather has been a factor meaning less people in the stands compared to other years but the crowds attending have still been large.
There has also been a large online viewership as the games have all been live-streamed.
An Alberta Golden Bears selects player (right) manages to get out of bounds in the dying seconds of the first half to stop the clock during Sunday’s 14U championship game
The Saskatchewan Selects program will next see itself heading south into the US to play football.
In the past they have gone to Texas to play but this year are headed off to Florida.
Sask Selects quarterback Sam Bazarkiewicz calls his own number as he heads into the end zone in Sunday’s 14U championship game
The results from championship Sunday were:
Airdrie Eclipse 26-20 defeating the Sask Selects in the 12U final, The Selects had an opportunity in the late going but could not convert.
In the 14U final the Saskatchewan Selects shutout the Golden Bears Selects in a 28-0 victory.
The California Mambas were red hot taking a a 28-14 win against the Golden Bears Selects in the Varsity B championship.
The Selects defeated the Golden Bears 21-0 in the Varsity A championship.
A full listing of tournament results are available at selectsfootball.com.