By TERRY PUGH
September is here, and that means football season has arrived.
Both the Kinsmen Football League (KFL) and Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association (SHSAA) football programs are well underway, and area teams are in the competitive mix.
On the high school front, the Martensville Royals are one of five teams in the 5A 12-A-Side North Saskatchewan Football League., along with North Battleford, Prince Albert Carlton, Prince Albert St. Mary, and Lloydminster.
The Royals earned a 31-24 victory over Lloydminster in an exhibition game on Friday, September 5. The win marked a solid turnaround for the team, which dropped a close 16-12 decision to Aden Bowman in an earlier pre-season contest.
The Royals are hoping to build on last year’s success, when they finished the season second in the North Saskatchewan Football League standings at 3-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of Prince Albert Carlton, 24-0. The Royals outscored their opponents 97-66 and made it to the finals by downing North Battleford 28-7 in their semifinal matchup. The Royals lost 40-22 to the first-place PA Carlton in the northern league final last fall.
The Royals take on Prince Albert St. Mary in Martensville on Friday, September 12. They hit the road for a game in Lloydminster on September 19.
The Delisle Rebels are the only area school in the 4A 9-A-Side SHSAA football program. They’re one of five teams in Conference 4, along with North Battleford John Paul II, Humboldt, Meadow Lake and Kindersley. The Rebels have a long winning record, and they hope to keep that tradition alive when they open their season on the road against Humboldt in a Friday Night Lights game on September 12 starting at 7 p.m.
Rosthern has two teams in Conference 2 of the 1A 6-A-Side SHSAA football program. Rosthern Junior College and Rosthern Community School are in the same conference, along with Hafford and Big River. The two Rosthern teams go head-to-head in the opening game of the season on September 11 with a night game starting at 7 p.m.
The Clavet Cougars are in Conference 2 of the 2A 6-A-Side football program. They’ll face Watrous, Assiniboia, Briercrest and Davidson in the regular season.
Hague and Wakaw are in Conference 4 of the 2A 6-A-Side program. They have some long road trips to Creighton this season, and shorter trips to Shellbrook.
The Kinsmen Football League has two area teams in both the Hilltops (peewee) and Huskies (bantam) divisions. The Clavet Cougars and Maddogs take on Saskatoon teams during league play. The Maddogs have rebranded this year and have moved their home field from Martensville to the Warman High School field. The bantam Maddogs won their first game, while the peewee Maddogs dropped their opening game decision. Both teams have home games on Sunday, September 14 at WHS field in Warman.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULES
5A 12-A-SIDE
September 12: PA St. Mary’s @ Martensville
September 19: Martensville @ Lloydminster
September 26: PA Carlton @ Martensville 4 p.m.
October 3: Bishop Mahoney @ Martensville 4 p.m.
October 9: Martensville @ North Battleford Comprehensive 7 p.m.
4A 9-A-SIDE
September 12: Delisle @ Humboldt 7 p.m.
September 19: Delisle @ Kindersley
September 26: Delisle @ Meadow Lake
October 2: NB JP II @ Delisle 4 p.m.
October 10: Humboldt @ Delisle 7 p.m.
1A 6-A-SIDE
September 11: Rosthern Junior College @ Rosthern Community School 7 p.m.
September 18: Hafford @ Rosthern Junior College 4 p.m.
September 23: Hafford at Rosthern Community School 4 p.m.
October 2: Rosthern Community School @ Rosthern Junior College 4 p.m.
October 9: Rosthern Community School @ Hafford 4 p.m.
October 17: Rosthern Junior College @ Hafford 4 p.m.
2A 6-A-SIDE
September 11: Hague @ Creighton
September 11: Shellbrook @ Wakaw 4 p.m.
September 18: Wakaw @ Hague 4 p.m.
September 25: Hague @ Shellbrook
September 25: Wakaw @ Creighton
October 2: Wakaw @ Shellbrook
October 2: Creighton @ Hague 4 p.m.
October 9: Hague @ Wakaw 4 p.m.
October 16: Shellbrook @ Hague 4 p.m.
October 16: Wakaw @ Creighton
KFL HILLTOPS DIVISION
September 14: PA River RIders @ Clavet Cougars (SMF)
September 14: Tinkler Raiders @ Maddogs (WHS)
September 20: Tinkler Raiders @ Clavet Cougars (Clavet)
September 27: Clavet Cougars @ Schoenals Titans (SMF)
September 28: Maddogs @ Babienau Warriors (SMF)
October 4: Clavet Cougars @ Babienau Warriors (SMF)
October 5: PA River Riders @ Maddogs (WHS)
October 13: Maddogs @ Babineau Warriors (Clavet)
October 13: Clavet @ Ledingham Steelers (Clavet)
October 18: Maddogs @ Clavet Cougars (Clavet)
KFL HUSKIES DIVISION
September 14: Tinkler Raiders @ Maddogs (WHS)
September 14: Lloydminster @ Clavet (SMF)
September 21: Clavet Cougars @ Tinkler Raiders (SMF)
September 28: Maddogs @ Babineau Warriors (SMF)
September 28: Clavet Cougars @ Schoenals Titans (SMF)
October 4: Clavet Cougars @ Babineau Warriors (SMF)
October 5: Lloydminster @ Maddogs (WHS)
October 13: Maddogs @ Schoenals Titans (SMF)
October 13: Clavet Cougars @ Ledingham Steelers (SMF)
October 18: Maddogs @ Clavet Cougars (SMF)