It started as a way to facilitate recruitment, but now itās more of a parting gift.
This weekend, the best high school football players in the province are gathering in preparation for the 21st annual Football Alberta Senior Bowl.
The game, which traditionally alternates between Edmonton and Calgary, takes place at Foote Field (noon) on Monday.
Read More: [url]http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/football/2010/05/21/14042501.html
āItās really evolved over time,ā said Football Alberta technical director Tim Enger. āIt used to be something to showcase kids so they could be recruited to move on. Now the recruiting in Canada has gotten to the point where theyāre starting to look at these kids as bantams.
āSo then it evolved in how we pick our provincial team. But then we dialled that down to include Grade 10 and 11s too. The rational behind that is that universities want to see kids in their Grade 10 and 11 years. Theyāll come to this, but the vast majority of them know whoās who.ā
The majority of players taking part in the game who plan on moving on to the next level have already committed to either junior or university squads.
However, there is a chance someone participating in the contest may have been overlooked.
āThere still is the diamond in the rough coming in from places like Lac La Biche, and Wainwright or something like that, who universities honestly couldnāt see throughout the year,ā said Enger. āSo theyāll still come out and watch and do some recruiting.ā
The two squads are selected from a pool of about 160 players in each half of the province. The seniors are nominated by their respective high school coaches to take part in a weekend tryout.
At one time the provincial team was made up of seniors who took part in the contest. However, since the age of the provincial squads have been lowered, many of the seniors are no longer eligible.
āItās come full circle to what it was when it started,ā Enger said. āItās an opportunity to reward the top graduating players in the province. Theyāre going to play this game and then get on with their lives. Theyāre going to be come Golden Bears, Dinos or whatever. Itās a chance for them to play one more game of high school football.ā
Early on, the South dominated the encounter, winning six of the first seven games. Since then things have evened out, with the North holding a one-win advantage over their southern counterparts, with one game ending up in a tie.
āNow weāre in the 21st game and itās 10 wins for the South, nine for the North and one tie,ā Enger said. āSo itās really turned around, and this game has the potential to tie it all up.ā
The format features the South team donning Calgary Stampeders colours while the North wears the Green and Gold of the Edmonton Eskimos.
āItās a good format,ā Enger said. āThe players love it, the coaches love it and at the end of the game, you get to move on. This is their graduation from high school football.ā
[email][email protected]
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.