Bandits Host League Championships Saturday

The Bonnyville Bantam Bandits carry an undefeated season record into Saturday’s League Championships, where they will meet The Lloydminster Chargers. The Championships will be special for the town, “Bonnyville has never hosted a League Championship,” says Head Coach of the Bandits, Dan Jubinville.

Being an undefeated team can have it’s disadvantages, says Coach Jubinville, “that’s the part that scares me. There’s tons of undefeated teams that go into the playoffs and choke. If our boys come out playing and aren’t overconfident they can beat this team. We have beat this team two times before, but the boys gotta come out and play a good game.”

“The other team’s going to come with a little bit of vengeance,” says Jubinville, “they’re going to be a force to contend with.”

The Bandits have been so successful this season that often halfway through the game Jubinville was able to put in second and third string players, “we had our second string in against the Chargers.” However, with it being the Championships Jubinville won’t hold back, “we anticipate our first line will be out most of the game. In a Championship game, there’s no way to know if the second line will play. I’d like to see a 30 point spread, if I see that spread I may put the second line in.”

That comes with challenges, explains Jubinville, “if the other team scores on our second string, they could even be down a lot, but that could be the momentum they need to get going.” Jubinville will play it on the field and make the tough decisions as he goes, but the squad understand it’s the Championships and not all the players will see the field on Saturday.

The Bonnyville Bandits host the Lloydminster Chargers for the League Championships Saturday 1:00 pm at Walsh Field, Bonnyville.