New this year, Football Alberta hosted our 33rd Annual Senior Bowl on January 7th, 2024.
Team South 32 Team North 2
The Senior Bowl is an All-Star Game consisting of players from all the high schools across Alberta where the teams are split in a "North" vs. "South" fashion. The planning for each years Senior Bowl actually begins in November as the coaching staffs for both the “North” and “South” All-Star teams are picked from the ranks of the high schools throughout the province. The staff’s are filled from the provincial finalist teams in Tier I, II, III, IV and 6-Man and championship teams from leagues with no provincial final representation. In April two selection camps are held to screen the over 400 nominee players from the team leagues in Alberta and out of it two 40+ man teams were finalized. Finally over the May long weekend the teams reconvene for a three day training camp followed by an Awards Banquet and the Senior Bowl Game. Since 1990 the concept of showing off the best talent that Alberta high schools have that was dreamed of in 1968 has come true. With the continued support of its sponsors the game will continue to grow in its tradition and interest. Sometimes dreams do come true.
Team North 30 Team South 13
Game Rosters
Team South vs. Team North - May 23 - 12:00pm in Lacombe @ MEGlobal Field
North Roster 16 South Roster 13
After a three year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Senior Bowl returned with a vengance. The North and South battled it out at MEGlobal Athletic Park in Lacombe in what will become a classic. The South controlled play for most of the game but it was the North that came back twice at the end of each half to make this game a thriller. The South opened the scoring with two field goals from Jackson Shorten of Cochrane to lead 6-0 but with 11 seconds left in the half, Carter Kettlye of St. Joseph's (Grande Prairie) hauled in a TD pass to make it 7-6 for the North at the half. The second half saw several drives by both teams by the defenses held strong. Chewy Thomas from Notre Dame in Calgary put the South up 13-6 with a 42 yard TD catch in the 3rd quarter, but it didn't hold up as the North took advantage of good field position at the end of the game to tie it up on a circus catch by Bellerose's (St. Albert) Max Taylor from Harry Ainlay's Roy Tanwani. The convert was blocked and we were off to overtime. Both teams failed to score on their first series in overtime, but Austin O'Brien's Aaron Demerchant hit a 23 yard FG for the North in their second series. The South failed to convert on their second series and the North claimed their 14th victory in 31 attempts. For their efforts the Most Outstanding Linemen for the game were Kaiden Edey from St. Joseph's (Grande Prairie) for the North and Jacob Blackwater from Cardston for the South. Kettlye for the North and Thomas for the South were the respective MVP's for their teams. See the link for game statistics below:
The 30th Senior Bowl was played on May 20th under blustery May Long Weekend Conditions. It had been since 2014 that the North was victorious in this All-Star Game for Graduating Grade 12 players but the North did indeed prevail this day 23-14 at Hellard Field in Calgary before a packed house of 1246 spectators.
The South opened the scoring with 80 yard TD run from Crescent Heights (Med. Hat) tailback Kaden Wagner but it was all North from there with 23 unanswered points with touchdowns from QB Silas Fagnan from Bonnyville and a scoop and score from Holy Rosary (Lloydminster) defensive end Dominic Caco sandwiched around three field goals from Austin O’Brien’s (Edmonton) Ethan Hartman. The South made it interesting late with TD pass from Henry Wise Wood (Calgary) QB K.J. Stembridge to Medicine Hat’s Lachlan Hardiker early in the forth to pull within 9 points but the North ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
The M.V.P.’s of the game were Fagnan for the North and defensive back/kicker Jonathan Guistini from Notre Dame in Calgary for the South. In 30 years of history the South continues to lead the series 16-13-1.
Earlier in the day in the Junior Bowl for U16 players the South made a comeback capped by a 18 yard FG with 2 minutes left to take the game 14-13. As well, in the 6-Man All-Star Game held in Lacombe the South prevailed over the North 44-20.
WATCH THE SENIOR BOWL - http://icuvideo.yaretv.com
Here are the teams:
Senior Bowl North | Senior Bowl South |
Quarterbacks Silas Fagnan (Bonnyville) Dante Tabacu (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) | Quarterbacks Dominic Britton (St. Mary’s, Calgary) K.J. Stembridge (Henry Wise Wood, Calgary) |
Runningbacks Dayton Gibb (Wainwright) Nash Etson (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) David Lezama (Harry Ainlay, Edmonton) Nathan Zacharias (Lloydminster) | Runningbacks Paul Ayedegbe (Sir Winston Churchill, Calgary) Simon Degraff (St. Mary’s, Calgary) Ethan Duncalf (Drumheller) Roy Outh (Chestermere) |
Receivers Nathan Brake (Sturgeon, Sturgeon County) Tyrone de Vega (Ross Sheppard, Edmonton) Travis Heggart (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) Connor Meeks (Spruce Grove) Callum Noonan (Archbishop Jordan, Sherwood Park) Tanner Shaw (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) Ethan Wedman (Paul Kane, St. Albert) | Receivers Jamie Bacchus (W.H. Croxford, Airdrie) Mack Ginther (William Aberhart, Calgary) Lachlan Hardiker (Medicine Hat) Dylan Neis (Cochrane) Luke Nonda (Notre Dame, Calgary) Chevy Thomas (Notre Dame, Calgary) Luke Viccars (Ernest Manning, Calgary) Kade Wagner (Crescent Heights, Medicine Hat) |
Offensive Line Michael Del Pero (Strathcona, Edmonton) Jared Holliday (Archbishop Jordan, Sherwood Park) Tayler Lanigan (M.E. LaZerte, Edmonton) Petya Medvedev (Archbishop O’Leary, Edmonton) Ty Thompson (Ross Sheppard, Edmonton) Cullen Wagner (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) Tommy Walters (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) | Offensive Line Samuel Hammond (Henry Wise Wood, Calgary) Mahaz Khan (Nelson Mandela, Calgary) Chace Laprise (Henry Wise Wood, Calgary) Jon Moman (MCLA, Calgary) Spencer Odding (Crescent Heights, Calgary) Connon Taylor (Medicine Hat) Iwinosa Uwubanmwen (Notre Dame, Calgary) |
Defensive Line Dominic Caco (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) Grayson Christie (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) Eric Desilets (Notre Dame, Red Deer) William Farguson (Hunting Hills, Red Deer) Jacob Hegerfeldt (Spruce Grove) Justin Rutherford (Harry Ainlay, Edmonton) | Defensive Line Matt Bruce (Foothills, Okotoks) Steven Groves (Henry Wise Wood, Calgary) Josh Howe (Medicine Hat) Jacob Kamajian (Holy Trinity Academy, Okotoks) Cameron Michaud (Ernest Manning, Calgary) Tyler Monds (Notre Dame, Calgary) |
Linebackers Evan Eide (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) Aaron Federuik (St. Joseph’s, Grande Prairie) Dolan Hills (Hunting Hills, Red Deer) Justin Matchett (William E. Hay, Stettler) Michael Spaulding (Harry Ainlay, Edmonton) Gabriel Speerin (St. Joseph’s, Grande Prairie) Jake Taylor (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) | Linebackers Caleb Callaghan (Crescent Heights, Calgary) Austin Hillard (Notre Dame, Calgary) Trent Kehrig (Bishop Grandin, Calgary) Justin Maser (Medicine Hat) Spencer McLeod (Canmore) Taylor Viney (Catholic Central, Lethbridge) Tanner Winter (Medicine Hat) |
Defensive Backs Jared Bussier (Ponoka) Cody Charron (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) Tyler Desutter (St. Joseph’s, Grande Prairie) Turner Douglas (Lacombe) Kyle Godina (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) Josh Hoyt (Harry Ainlay, Edmonton) Joshua Piepgrass (St. Joseph’s, Grande Prairie) Skylar Saar (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) | Defensive Backs Mack Bannatyne (Ernest Manning, Calgary) Joseph Bell (Cochrane) Tyshon Blackburn (St. Francis, Calgary) Tyreese Briston (Notre Dame, Calgary) Mahamadou Diallo (Lester B. Pearson, Calgary) Jonathan Giustini (Notre Dame, Calgary) Dodjang Lual (Brooks) Tyler Turner (Brooks) |
Kicker/Punter Ethan Hartman (Austin O’Brien, Edmonton) | |
Coaches Cam Fraser (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) Mike Taylor (Salisbury, Sherwood Park) Frank Yuzyk (Archbishop Jordan, Sherwood Park) Brett Hotchkiss (Lloydminster) Jarrett Burzuk (Hunting Hills, Red Deer) Paul Schwartz (Ardrossan) Paul Hayward (Holy Rosary, Lloydminster) Bryan Noel (St. Joseph’s, Grande Prairie | Coaches David Diluzio (Notre Dame, Calgary) Frank Pellegrino (Notre Dame, Calgary) Corey Allison (Western Canada, Calgary) Quinn Skelton (Medicine Hat) Wade Buckley (Canmore) Randy Hyland (L.C.I., Lethbridge) Tom Knitter (Cochrane) Lorne Dielissen (Holy Trinity Academy, Okotoks) |
On February 10, 1968; the executive of the then Alberta Football Coaches Association (a forerunner to Football Alberta) met in Red Deer to discuss the concept of an Alberta High School Football All-Star Game to be known as the “Senior Bowl”. The proposal involved the creation of two teams in a “North” vs. “South” fashion from the 56 High School football teams in Alberta.
Due to factors beyond their control the game did not occur and the idea remained dormant until it was resurrected in 1988 at a Football Alberta’s Planning Meeting. Even then it was a full two years until Rocky Mountain House’s Craig Berger kicked off for the “North” to St. Francis’s Sam Scalise of the “South” in Commonwealth Stadium on July 7, 1990 to begin what is now an annual event.
Today, the game is not much different from the proposal made in 1968. It is a contest between the best high school football players in Northern Alberta (from Red Deer north) against their counterparts in Southern Alberta selected from the 105 High Schools currently with football programs.
Since 1990 the concept of showing off the best talent that Alberta high schools have that was dreamed of in 1968 has come true. With the continued support of its sponsors the game will continue to grow in its tradition and interest. Sometimes dreams do come true.
The planning for each years Senior Bowl actually begins in November as the coaching staffs for both the “North” and “South” All-Star teams are picked from the ranks of the high schools throughout the province.
The staff’s are filled from the provincial finalist teams in Tier I, II, III, IV and 6-Man and championship teams from leagues with no provincial final representation. In April two selection camps are held to screen the over 600 nominee players from the team leagues in Alberta and out of it two 40+ man teams were finalized. Finally over the May long weekend the teams reconvene for a three day training camp followed by an Awards Banquet and the Senior Bowl Game.
On a bright, sunny, perfect day for football, the “South” All-Star team took their fourth Senior Bowl title in a row with a 38-23 win over the “North” in front of 1528 fans at Foote Field in Edmonton. John Evans of LCI was a star of the show for the South as the quarterback may have suffered in the passing category only going 3 for 11 but made up for it with his legs rushing for 181 yards (second on all time rushing list behind Ted Kubongo from Notre Dame in Calgary with 196 set in 2016) and 2 TD’s. The North also had some record breakers with QB Jonathan Ericson from Lacombe setting the all time passing mark with 278 yards and 3 TD’s surpassing Leduc’s Ben Gorniak who set the mark of 226 yards in 2008, and Bev Facey’s Jake Withrow who set the receiving mark with 142 yards and 2 TD’s passing Josh Leung from Henry Wise Wood who’s 126 yards had stood since 2006.
Other South TD’s were added from two QB sneaks from Catholic Central’s Kai Sampson, and a rushing TD from Foothill’s Payton Price. Nathan LaVigne from Hunting Hills added the last TD for the North.
For their efforts Evans for the South and Withrow for the North were the MVP’s for their respective teams while the Lineman of the Game awards went to Kyle Thiess from Lloydminster from the North and Nils Haeni from Olds for the South. The South now leads the series 16-12-1 since the inception of the Senior Bowl in 1990.
In the 6-Man All-Star Game the South also beat the North with a 41-22 victory in Lacombe. The South MVP was Hudson Scott (Rimbey) while the North MVP was Trevor Thor (JR Robson - Vermilion)
Senior Bowl All-Time Records (as of 2017)
To check out the Senior Bowl Training Camp below are the links to the schedules for both teams:
The second half saw the South get their act together and continue to stymie the North offense while scoring their first TD of the game on a 43 yard TD pass from St. Francis’ Cole Belway to Cochrane’s Zach Rabe. A successful convert and single on the kickoff plus a safety added later in the third make it 13-9 for the South going into the final quarter. Touchdowns from L.C.I.’s Tanner Sudo on a 4 yard run followed up less than a minute later with a pick six from Henry Wise Wood’s Trey Dube pushed the score to 26-9. A late TD from Holy Rosary’s (Lloydminster) Tommy Yanchuk made it 26-15 (failed 2 pt. convert) for the North was too little too late and the South hung on to win their 15 Senior Bowl title in the 28 years of the game.
Defenses ruled the day at the 2017 Senior Bowl as they both racked up a pick-six TD and held the respective offenses in check until the fourth quarter. The North opened the scoring in the first quarter with a safety that was quickly followed by a 37 yard FG from Jaden Sheilan of the South from St. Francis (Calgary) making it 3-2 for the South at the end of the 1st. The second quarter was all North as the defense stood tall and added a pick six from Notre Dame’s (Red Deer) Payton LaGrange who took it 44 yards to the house making it 9-3 at the half for the North.
Post game honors went to Notre Dame’s (Red Deer) Jacob Plamondon and Henry Wise Wood’s Tyrese Best who were the North and South Linemen of the Game respectively. The North MVP was Payton LaGrange from Red Deer’s Notre Dame H.S. who had a pick-six interception, two knockdowns, and was a demon on special teams. The South’s MVP was Henry Wise Wood’s defensive back Trey Dube who had a busy day with a pick-six interception, one knock down, and a blocked punt.
In the 6-Man All-Star Game the final score was South 39 North 22.
Special thanks to the Calgary Colts coaching staff for their assistance in running the camp.
Linemen of the Game:The 27th Annual Senior Bowl was all “South” Team as they rambled for 574 yards of offense on their way to a 39-6 win over the “North” on Monday, May 23 in Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium. Ted Kubongo from Calgary’s Notre Dame H.S. was the big star of the game with a new Senior Bowl record 196 yards rushing and one TD. Quarterback, Trey Kellogg from Okotok’s Foothills H.S. added two TD’s of his own. Austin Daisy from Calgary’s St. Francis H.S., a converted linebacker forced into action at runningback with two injuried to Avery McCuaig and Landon Rose, powered his way to the other TD and Clareholm’s Lee Fielded rounded out the scoring with a FG and two singles. The lone score for the “North” came on a 29 yard TD pass from Paul Kane’s Brendan Guy to Holy Rosary’s Garrett Kryzanowski. The convert failed.
Linemen of the Game:
NORTH - Julian Pawlychka, Paul Kane (St. Albert)
SOUTH - Tyshon Rosas, Notre Dame (Calgary)
Most Valuable Players:
NORTH - Isaiah Brown, Bev Facey (Sherwood Park)
SOUTH - Ted Kubongo, Notre Dame (Calgary)
Watch live online at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju7IYXjxcsE5oonm8QZAYA/live
In the annual all-star game for Graduating Grade 12’s held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. In a defensive tussle early on the South lead 2-0 at the end of the first quarter on a safety. The North finally broke the scoring drought at 11:32 of s. The South answered back on the next series with a 27 yard TD pass by Notre Dame’s Colton Hunchak to Duane Neustaeder from Olds at 8:40. Two series later Davies struck again for the North with a 10 yard dart to his Facey teammate Nolan Fleming. Three plays later Hunchak struck again for the South this time on the receiving end of a 73 yard TD pass from Cochrane’s Cody Stevens. With 48 second’s left in the half, Notre Dame’s Joe Cant added a 27 yard FG for the South to stake them to a 19-15 lead at the half. The South opened the scoring in the second half on a one yard plunge by Hunchak. Two series later the lead was extended to 29-15 South on Cant’s second FG of the day from 15 yards. The South kept the peddle down in the fourth with a nice ten play drive engineered by Stevens who finished it off with a one yard plunge to make it 36-15 with 11:26 remaining in the game. That wound up as the final score with the South now leading in the series 13-12-1. Thomas Eidsvik from Lloydminster and Lane Raposo from Notre Dame (Calgary) were the linemen of the game for the North and South respectively while the MVP’s were Talyn Davies for the North and Colton Hunchak for the South.
Senior Bowl Defensive Stats
For DVD’s of the Senior Bowl contact info@icuvideo.ca .
In a defensive thriller the “North” Alberta All-Stars defeated the “South” Alberta All-Stars 14-10 in the 25th Senior Bowl High School Football All-Star Game. Things started off with a bang, literally, as after forcing a two and out on the first series, the “South” defense opened the scoring as defensive back Aaron Statz from Notre Dame in Calgary, blocked the punt attempt then recovered the ball in endzone to go up 7-0. Two series later Kyle Bryne from Western Canada in Calgary put the “South” up 10-0 with a 34 yard FG to make it 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. The defenses took over from there and the “North” capitalized on a 59 yard Daniel Loggale, from W.P. Wagner in Edmonton, interception that took the ball down to the 10 yard line. From there Jasper Place’s Patrick O’Neill hit Harry’s Ainlay’s Davie Abedeyo for a 10 yard score with 45 seconds left in the half. The score remained 10-7 at the half. The second half was a defensive gem for both sides as drives were routinely stopped in their tracks by outstanding coverage’s and defensive surge. Capitalizing on another “South” turnover, Abedeyo took it over from seven yards out to put the “North” up 14-10 late in the third quarter and that score held up the remainder of the way. The “South” had their chances but a missed FG by Byrne from 43 yards out with 10 minutes left and an apparent TD pass to Kyle Moortgat from Cochrane which was called back on a holding penalty with 2:27 left in the game were a close as they came. For their efforts, Jack Hanna from Bellerose in St. Albert and Anthony Crowshoe from St. Mary’s in Calgary where named the Linemen of the Game for the “North” and “South” respectively. The Most Valuable Players were Daniel Loggale for the “North” with an interception, a fumble recovery, and a game high six tackles and Aaron Statz for the “South” with two blocked kicks and a touchdown. With the win the “North” ties up the series 12-12-1 after 25 games.
Football Alberta would like to thank the staff and administration at Commonwealth Stadium for their cooperation and leadership in hosting this game in the Big House. Them along with the promotion assistance from the Edmonton Eskimos drew in a Senior Bowl record crowd of 2,160. Football Alberta would also like to thank ICU Video for the professional job they did of the Senior Bowl webcast. See you next year in Calgary!
Click here to find the game statistics.
The link for the webcast will be http://www.ustream.tv/channel/icu-video-productions .
Linked also is the Game Program.
It was a well-rounded effort for the South All-Stars in the 24th Annual Senior Bowl as eight different players contributed with double digits in either rushing or pass receiving. That, combined with a solid effort from their three QB’s and their defense paced them to a 31-19 victory over the North. The North opened the scoring at 5:56 of the first quarter on a 12 yard passing TD from Hunting Hills QB Scott Pearson to St. Albert’s Brandon Thera-Plamondon. The South countered quickly less than a minute later at 6:37 of the first with a 30 yard TD pass from Notre Dames’ Brett Hunchak to Springbank’s Kevin Natenstedt, then Hunchak struck again at 9:05 of the first with a 16 yard TD pass to Holy Trinity Academy’s Ryder Stone. St. Francis QB Boston Rowe took over from there in the first half leading a drive down the field then taking it over himself for a TD at 12:59 of the second quarter. That combined with a single off a punt left the score 22-7 at the half for the South. The second half became a defensive struggle with Bowness linebacker, Jakob Jakoubec leading the way with five unassisted tackles to hold the North to a single 42 yard field goal by Harry Ainlay’s Daniel Ellis in the third. Both teams exchanged safety touches as well in the third to give the South a 24-12 lead with one quarter to go. In the fourth, both teams exchanged touchdowns with L.C.I’s Brock Ramius taking it in from 5 yards out at 13:34 and Ardrossan’s Jimmy Airey setting a new Senior Bowl single rush record with a 102 yard TD run at 14:03 making the final 31-19. For their efforts, Spruce Groves Nik Palek and Henry Wise Wood’s Justin Keys were named their respective teams Lineman of the Game and the Most Valuable Player Awards went to Ryder Stone for the South and Jasper Place’s linebacker Brad Friesen for the North. The series now stands at 12-11-1 for the South with next years 25th anniversary game scheduled for Edmonton.
It was all North in the 23rd Annual Football Alberta Senior Bowl High School Football All-Star Game. Paul Kane’s Ideen Samadi paced the North with three field goals to lead the North in scoring on their way to a 23-15 win. After trading punts for most of the first quarter the North struck paydirt using the Austin O’Brien connection with runningback Leonardo Mantuila scampering for 42 yards down to the South’s 15 yard line which was immediately followed by fellow Crusaders QB Jesse Schneider and SB Rick LeMoignan hooking up for the 15 yard TD pass in the first quarter. The next North possession saw Salisbury QB Matt Bonaca bootleg 62 yards setting up a 24 yard FG from Ideen Samadi out of Paul Kane at 13:54 of the second quarter.The South responded late in the second as Bishop O’Byrne’s Jarvis James plunged over for the TD to make it 10-7. In the third the North extended their lead to 20-7 with a Samadi FG and a three yard run from Bev Facey’s Jordan Samoil The South threatened early in the fourth but a 3rd and one gamble at the North 10 yard line was shut down by Austin O’Brien linebacker Aidan Panchyshyn. From there the North was unable to move the ball and on the ensuing South drive St. Timothy QB Aaron Elock Colye hooked up with Notre Dame’s Coel Bazinet three times before taking it over for the one yard QB sneak himself to make it 20-15 (the convert failed) with 8:03 left in the game. With 1:33 left in the game the North iced it with a 40 yard FG from Samadi making it 23-15 which was the final score. The series is once again tied at 11 wins a piece with one tie. For their efforts, Panchyshyn was named the North MVP and Taylor Brooks, a wide receiver from Foothills with four tough catches in the game was named the South MVP.
The North opened the scoring early in the first with 42 and a 37 yard FG’s from Camrose’s Jonathan Heidebrecht. The South responded prior to the end of the first with a 17 yard TD run by Cameron Mundle from E.P. Scarlett. Raymond’s Jimmy Ralph added a 6 yard TD reception from Highwood’s Mark Black at 7:53 of the second quarter. Marshall Broom from Notre Dame added a 39 yard FG to end the half with the South up 17-6. Jeff Schidlowski from Western Canada opened the scoring five minutes into the second half with a 8 yard TD run to open up a 24-6 lead. Jimmy Ralph and Mark Black hooked up again three minutes later for an 8 yard TD to make it 31-6. In the 4th, Marshal Broom added his second FG of the day from 38 yards to make it 34-6 to round out the scoring. For their efforts Jimmy Ralph for the South with136 yards rushing and34 yards receiving and two touchdowns and Jonathan Heidebrecht for the North with two FG’s and a stellar day punting the ball away from Jimmy Ralph were named MVP’s for their respective teams. Spencer Maisonneave from Salisbury and Daniel Lamola from Notre Dame were named Most Outstanding Lineman for the North and South respectively.
After 21 years the Senior Bowl record of wins and losses was finally tied up by the “North” with a convincing 24-17 win over the “South” to make the series 10-10-1 since 1990. The “South” made it interesting early sprinting out to a 10-0 lead on the strength of a 27 yard field goal by Henry Wise Wood’s Steven McCaffrey and a 19 yard TD pass from Foothill’s Brad Karl to Central Memorial’s Adam Osterling. The “North” then roared back in the second quarter to tie the game at the half on the strength of a fake field goal TD pass from Harry Ainlay’s Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren to Mallan Roberts out of M.E. LaZerte and a 27 yard field goal from St. Albert’s Jean-Luc Budgeaud. The “North” scored twice in the second half again with trickery on a third down gamble pass from Gilbert-Knorren to St. Albert’s Keaton Hoddinott and a bootleg by Gilbert-Knorren. The “South” came back late on a 14 yard TD pass from Karl to Braden Heffernan from Central Memorial but that’s as close as they came. For their efforts both Gilbert-Knorren and Karl were named MVP’s for their respective teams.
At Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on a cold, wet holiday Monday, the “North” streaked to a 23-7 first quarter lead on the strength of two Danny Sawchuk touchdowns and two Andrew Jevne field goals. The Peace River receiver scored on one pass reception from Bev Facey’s Adam Seniuk and one fumble recovery in the end zone while the Sylvan Lake receiver/kicker was good from 17, 24, and 32. The “South” countered back right before the half on a one yard plunge by Raymond’s Storm Bartsoff (the convert failed). The “North” opened the second half with a touchdown pass from Garrett Gleisner to St. Albert’s Aaron Watkins which was answered later in the quarter by the “South” with Bartsoff’s second touchdown of the day (2 point convert attempt failed). Jevne added his fourth field goal of the game early in the fourth to push the score to 32-19 and defensive lineman Joel Seutter from Salisbury scored on a short yardage offensive play with less than a minute left (convert failed) to make the final 38-19. Seniuk took the MVP for the “North” while Bartsoff was named the “South” MVP.
Lead by the record breaking performance of Leduc quarterback Ben Gorniak, the “North” defeated the “South” 31-21 in front of 1,425 fans at Edmonton’s Foote Field on Monday, May19, 2008.
The “South” started off strong taking their first drive the distance with Springbank’s Tom Shaw hauling in a 53 yard bomb from Cochrane’s Brent Serhyenko. The “North” then fired back immediately with Harry Ainlay’s David Berg taking the ensuing kickoff 76 yards for the first ever kickoff return for a touchdown in the Senior Bowl to make it 7-7. The “North” then controlled the rest of the first half adding a 7 yard TD run by St. Albert’s Chris Dobko and a 37 yard fieldgoal from Strathcona’s Billy Harvey to make it 17-7 at the break.
At the beginning of the third quarter it was all “South” again as Highwood’s Bryce Brandford hooked up with St. Francis’s Taylor Nill for a 13 yard score to draw to within 3 points on their first drive. The “North” answered later in the quarter with a 21 yard strike from Gorniak to Nicholas Ross from Salisbury to up the lead to 10 once again. On the last play of the third the “South” struck again on a one yard sneak by Serhyenko and that cut the lead to a field goal again and it stayed that way until 30 seconds left in the game when Gorniak hooked up with Ross again for a 17 yard TD on a gutsy 3rd and 5 call to seal the deal for the “North”.
With 9 seconds left in the game Lord Beaverbrook’s Braeden George hauled in a 37 yard touchdown pass from his schoolmate Trent Peterson for the winning score for the “South” in a tightly played game in front of 1,123 fans at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium. This was definitely a defensive struggle as both high powered offenses had a hard time getting on track. St. Francis’s Anthony DeZorzi lead the way for the “South” as the linebacker recorded seven solo tackles, a quarterback sack, and a fumble recovery on his way to being named his teams Most Valuable Player while St. Francis Xavier safety Rhys Coppens won the M.V.P. honors for the “North with two interceptions along with 124 yards in kickoff return yardage. Other scorers in the game included George again with a first quarter major again from Peterson and a first quarter field goal from Henry Wise Wood’s Karim Ould Hamouda for the “South” while Ross Sheppards Hugh O’Neill kicked two field goals and added two singles to go with Salisbury’s Duncan Hankinson’s second quarter major for the “North”.
On the strength of two first half touchdowns the “North” held off a late “South” rally to win the 17th Annual Senior Bowl High School All-Star Game 16-9 in front of 1,437 fans at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton. Strathcona quarterback Corbin Sharun opened the scoring on the opening play of the second quarter with a six yard TD run that was followed up 13 minutes later with a Sharun to Bev Facey receiver Kevin Wuthrich touchdown pass to put the “North” up 14-0 at the half.
The “South” opened the second half with a single on the kickoff then made it interesting late after the “North” could only muster two singles in the second half with a late TD from Henry Wise Wood’s Josh Leung on 22 yard TD pass from his schoolmate Graham Kelba with 55 seconds left. A fumble on the next “North” possession made it interesting as the “South” moved the ball down deep into “North” territory before turning it over on downs with 8 seconds left. For their efforts the linemen of the game were Bishop O’Byrnes Josh Symons for the “South” and Lac La Biche’s Brett Waine for the “North”. The Most Valuable Players of the Game were Wuthrich for the “North” and Bowness linebacker Nickalas Blevins for the “South”
Several records fell at McMahon Stadium on Monday, May 23rd as the South ran up the largest point total of any team beating the old record by 17 points. One major reason was the play of St. Francis receiver Marco Ianuzzi who recorded 282 total yards including 169 yards rushing and three TD’s on seven carries to set a new Senior Bowl record.
The first ever overtime game in Senior Bowl history saw a flurry of scoring in the 1st quarter followed by a defensive struggle in the 2nd and 3rd which was finally capped off by another barrage of scoring in the 4th. The “South” leapt out to an early 14-0 lead on the strength of a 73 yard interception return by St. Francis’ Mike Viani and a 45 yard strike from Bowness’ Jason Borodenko to Henry Wise Wood receiver Ahmad Borhot. The “North” countered with a 6 yard run by St. Albert’s Devon Jones to end the first.
The fireworks came again in the 4th quarter as a “South” TD from Foothills Mark Vandal was followed by two field goals from Fort Saskatchewan’s Tyler Mariacci and a TD from Cameron Thomas out of Eastglen (followed by a 2 pt. Convert completion to Archbishop O’Leary’s Damon Fraietta) to tie the score for the “North” and sent the game to overtime where Salisbury’s Tyler Budinski rambled 17 yards for the winning TD.
The MVP’s were Borodenko for the “South” and David Raborn out of Bev Facey for the “North” who set a new mark for receiving yards with 7 catches for 129 yards.
The 14th annual game featured two distinctly different halfs of football as the “North” completely dominated the first half only to see the “South” put together a furious rally in the second half to win their first game since 1998.
Strathcona tailback Tyler O’Gorman was the star of the show in the first half as he racked up all 26 points for the “North” which included three touchdowns, three converts, a field goal and two singles to set a new record for points scored in a Senior Bowl (almost doubling the old record of 15). Then things took a complete turnaround as the “South”, lead by Henry Wise Wood QB Mark Stinson and L.C.I.’s multi-talented linebacker/tight-end Andrew Patzer, scored four unanswered TD’s in the second half to vault them pas the “North” and win the game.
For their efforts, O’Gorman took the M.V.P. honors for the “North” while Patzer was named M.V.P. for the “South”.
With the “North” clinging to a one point lead late in the third quarter defensive back Adam Skitsko out of Archbishop Jordan reached into the sky and put the game away as he returned an interception 25 yards for the TD that put his team up 21-13 in front of a new record crowd of 1,435.
This marked the third time in four years that the “North” had been victorious and the fourth year in a row that the “South” has gone home from the game they had dominated in the 90’s empty handed.
Things looked good for the “South” early as they opened the scoring on a 27 yard FG only to see the “North” score twice on a 90 yard run by Archbishop Jordan QB Jay Meraw and a 14 yard TD reception by Bellerose slotback T.J. Warren by the end of the 1st quarter. The “South” made in interesting with a 12 yard TD reception by Bishop McNally’s Jermaine Campbell late in the half and a 17 yard FG from L.J. Wall out of Ernest Manning early in the third but Skitsko’s intereception sealed the day for the “North”.
L.C.I. offensive lineman Jeff Perrett was named the “South” M.V.P. while linebacker Brad Leier out of Whitecourt with almost twice as many tackles as anyone else took home “North” M.V.P. honors.
The first ever tie in Senior Bowl history as the “North” lead 14-4 with 4 minutes to go only to be caught by a furious “South” rally that tied it up with 1:36 seconds to go on Father Lacombe’s Michael Giacalone’s 41 yard run after a screen pass.
The “South” opened the scoring in the first half with a 24 yard FG off the foot of Winston Churchill’s Matt McDonald. He also added a single later in the half after the “North” went ahead on an amazing 92 yard TD run from Grande Prairie’s Jeff Halvorson.
The second half was quiet until Strathcona’s Cam Linke hit his teammate Mark Rogers for a 29 yard TD pass with 6 minutes to go in the game to put the “North” up 14-4. This was followed by a 35 yard FG from McDonald then Giacalone’s run to tie it up. The “North” had a final chance with 7 seconds left but Sir Winston Churchill’s Derek van den Brink blocked the FG attempt from the 22 yard line to preserve the tie.
Linebacker Jason Bobst was named the “North” M.V.P. while quarterback Charles Guedo was the M.V.P for the “South”.
A thriller as for the first time in the history of the Senior Bowl the game was decided on the last play.
The game started off with a bang as Lord Beaverbrook’s Morgan Alexander hauled in an Senior Bowl record 82 yard pass from Bowness’ Brian Hill to take the lead on the first play of the game. That was quickly followed by two TD’s from the “North’s” Willie Shulba out of Archbishop Jordan with a 5 yard run and a 63 yard punt return. Lloydminster’s Brad Ollen added a FG and the “North” lead at the half 17-8.
The second half saw the “South” pull ahead with two rushing TD’s from Foothills’ Kyle Maclean and Luke Mayer out of L.C.I. but the drive of the game came late as Jasper Place’s Matt Burrows hauled in two clutch catches on 3rd down to keep the “North’s” final drive alive. Sexsmith QB Darrell Moe finished it off with a one yard plunge for the TD on the final play to win 23-22.
For their efforts Burrow’s was named the “North” M.V.P. and Mayer was named the “South” M.V.P.