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Vegreville News Advertiser - Sports
Local Football Players Contribute to Trophy Title for Wheatland Football League
Jennifer Cheremshynski - Submitted
Nov. 3, 2023, was a beautiful, fall day for a Friday night football game and for these six boys, it couldn’t have ended any better.
The St. Paul Lions High School football team played off against the Holy Rosary Raiders in Lloydminster for the league championship.
It was a hard fought, close game that ended in St. Paul winning by a score of 19-15. After two quarters, St. Paul was down by a score of 3-10. Keeping the game close was the key to pulling off the victory.
A group of six boys travelled every day from Vegreville to go to school and play football in St. Paul. Thank you to Principal and Head Coach, Mark Tichkowsky for welcoming the ‘Vegreville Boys’ to your school and allowing them to be a part of your team.
This is the third year in a row that these boys have faced off against the Raiders for the Wheatland Championship. The last time the Lions won was 10 years ago.
The football career began for two of the six boys when they were Pee Wee age (Grades 4 to 6) and their parents drove them to Sherwood Park to play with the Wolverines. Then when they were Bantam age (Grades 7 to 9), the group of 6 played here in Vegreville with the Vortex. During that time, Vegreville had a thriving football program and were able to field a 12 man team for kids in Grades 7 to 9.
Starting a Bantam program was challenging but the businesses, town council, and the community of Vegreville were very supportive. As the core of the group was moving up into Grade 10, both St. Mary's and Vegreville Composite were not willing to work together and register a 12 man team. The Vegreville Football Association merely needed both schools to allow their students to play on the community team and for one school to register the team with ASAA. The Association was looking after everything else, including the registration fees and insurance for the team.
Disappointed with both school systems, the parents had to seek other options. A call was made to St. Paul and the rest is history for the group of 6. There are other boys and families who have also left Vegreville to go play 12 man high school football in other communities.
Five of the six boys live in Vegreville or the surrounding rural area and the 6th lives in Two Hills. The boys are up most mornings at 6:30 am and travel to Two Hills with one of the parents. They are then picked up in Two Hills by one of the grandparents, who drives them to the St. Paul Regional High School.
The football team practices every Monday to Thursday, from 4:00-6:30, starting in the middle of August, and games are typically played on Fridays. "Aunty Gisele brings us a snack every day before practice."
The parent that brought the boys to Two Hills in the morning, drives to St. Paul for the practices at 4:00, takes the boys for a meal after practice, and then they journey home, arriving back in Vegreville around 8:30. There is a lot of driving, a lot of people involved, and a huge time commitment, but the boys and the families involved said they would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
As coach Tichkowsky has said, "It takes a community."
Rangers Host Future Prospects Game
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Members of the Vegreville Wranglers U9 Major and Minor teams faced off against each other during the first intermission of the Nov. 12 Rangers game to showcase their skills.
Vegreville Rangers President Laine Stefan said this was the third future prospects game. “We like to bring them out, so they feel important while connecting to the Rangers. We hope that one day those kids will play for the Jr B Rangers.”
U9 Coaches Owen Bergley and Neil Stefiuk said the future prospects game is a good experience for the first and second year novice players. “The kids like it and the fans enjoyed it.”
Afterwards each player received a treat bag and Rangers toque as token of appreciation from the club.
