Anyone looking to get an idea of the level of prestige the Battle on the Prairies football tournament has built in the short time it’s been running just had to look at the roster of teams this time around.
In addition to the usual opposition from Alberta, the draw also featured three teams from the United States -- and not from the usual border states that one would expect.
No, the Battle has officially gone full international, thanks to three teams from Boston and another from California taking part in the four-day event at YaraCentre.
The Boston Rebels football program sent a trio of crews to participate in the Varsity ‘A’, Varsity ‘B’ and 13U divisions, and right off the hop, coach Andre Hughes was in awe of what his players were experiencing.
“This is the most well-put-together tournament we’ve ever been a part of, and we’ve travelled to Ohio, Florida, all over the eastern seaboard,” Hughes said prior to the 13U Rebels’ game against the 14U Sask Selects on Friday afternoon. “What Coach Z (Selects founder Zeljko Stefanovic) has done here is awesome. The kids are enjoying it, they feel like NFL players with the screen and everything.
"A lot of these kids don’t get an opportunity like this, they don’t get a chance to say ‘I played football up in Canada’ and get a chance to experience your culture while they experience ours. it’s just a great way to have everyone come together.”
The tournament presentation is absolutely top notch, with IKS Media providing the aforementioned giant video screen with live action and replays being shown for each game. That’s on top of Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football president Bryan Boys providing running commentary for every match, offering a big-game feel to the proceedings.
Teams have been playing in front of solid crowds, too, with well over 100 fans taking in each contest.
And that makes for one heck of a special event, especially when you’ve travelled thousands of miles to be a part of it.
“It’s really good, and it’s a great experience,” Hughes said. “We have quite a few kids who couldn’t make it, but now that they see what’s going on, it just makes them want to come back next year.”
So how did a team from Greater Boston end up in Moose Jaw?
“I was looking for different tournaments and stuff since we’re always looking to compete in different places, and someone mentioned Coach Z, so I e-mailed him and that’s how it started,” Hughes said. “Probably for a year now we’ve been talking back and forth, and he came up with the idea of having us come down. It’s been great.”
Once word got out that the Rebels were heading to the Battle, players began catching up with one another on social media, and that led to some rather eye-opening moments when the Boston crews hit the field.
“The most important thing is building bonds and before we even got here some of these kids were on IG with other kids, and when we played our first game, they already knew some of our players,” Hughes said.
“We have one kid we call Chinese Food, he’s 300 pounds and usually our tight end or running back, and as soon as he came in they were yelling his name and things like that. It was just awesome, and even now the friendship has been incredible… The kids, their parents, everyone has been great and we really appreciate it.”
The competition has been stiff for the Rebels this week as their shortstaffed crews have been unable to hit the win column, but regardless of how things finish up, it’ll go down as an experience of a lifetime.
“We’ll do what we can to win a game and head back home and tell everyone how great this is,” Hughes said. “We’ll just make sure we leave the cold weather behind.”
The Battle on the Prairies continues Sunday, with the 14U consolation game at 9 a.m., 12U championship at 10:30 a.m., 14U championship at 12 p.m., Varsity B title game at 1:30 p.m. and Varsity A gold medal game at 3 p.m.
All action is at YaraCentre.
