High school football season set to kick off with Bonnyville vs St. Paul matchup

Teams from Cold Lake, Bonnyville, and St. Paul ready themselves for Week 1.

The Wheatland Football League season is about to kick off with a battle between Lakeland based teams in Bonnyville and St. Paul.

The Bonnyville Voyageurs host the St. Paul Lions at 6:00pm on Friday night, while the Cold Lake Royals will begin on the road in Wainwright.

High school teams have practiced for the past couple weeks and the Voyageurs and Lions have also readied themselves with a tuneup exhibition contest as well.

The Voyageurs welcomed Sylvan Lake on Saturday, and while the result was one-sided, 47-7 in the end for the Lakers, coach Larry Godziuk was pleased. He wasn’t so much concerned about a win or a loss, it was a matter of simulating the intensity level that the regular season will provide, en route to starting the season.

“Our goal today was to give them a good experience at what a football game is. And we coached them up during the week and they got out in the field and did the best that they could,” Godziuk told Lakeland Connect. The Voyageurs are hoping to dress about 30 players, some of which are brand new to the game. 

Saturday’s game was about getting experience and putting players in positions they haven’t been in before.

“We were not ready for the physicality that that team brought. And that’s football. We talked at half about how we simply have to match that [physicality] or make it greater, we have to bring a better game. We set a goal of doing two or three things better in the second half. I think most of the players managed to do that,” he said. 

Godziuk highlighted the efforts of Titus Fagnan, who busted off a 70-yard scamper in Bonnyville’s lone touchdown drive, as well as Cooper Prybysh whose growth spurt has made him a more desirable end rusher and offensive tackle in the Voyageurs scheme, leading the team in tackles.

Nico Tremblay also moved to tackle from the center position to round out the offensive line.

Meanwhile the St. Paul Lions had a tighter affair in their tuneup against Drumheller, an opponent they could see further down the line in Tier IV playoffs.

Losing by a score of 23-13, heat and fatigue played roles in the Lions’ slower second half.

Bolstered by a dozen bantam aged players graduating to high school, the Lions will field a roster of roughly 40 players on Friday, said coach Mark Tichkowsky.

“We’re always excited. And we’re apprehensive a little bit, not sure how things are gonna roll. But we have lots of returning players from last year,” he told Lakeland Connect. 

“I think the strength of our game I’d say is our defense is pretty solid. We have a good core out there. In watching film on our last game, I’d say our team speed, we’re doing good in that area.” 

The two teams played each other twice last season, including a tight 21-6 playoff quarterfinal which went St. Paul’s way.

And while Tichkowsky kept his cards close to the vest as far who he thinks will be factors Bonnyville will have to gameplan for, it’ll all be decided on Friday night.

“The Wheatland League is often a powerhouse at all levels when you look across the province. We’re pretty lucky to play in it.”