By Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

Provincial high school football semi-final match-ups set for this weekend

Nov 15, 2017 | 8:33 AM

LETHBRIDGE – The leaves have fallen from the trees, and the temperature in Alberta has plummeted and that can mean only one thing: The 2017 ASAA Provincial High School Football Playoffs are upon us.

In Tier I, Tier III and Tier IV, Southern Alberta is well represented.

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Fresh off a 28-21 overtime victory over Calgary’s Notre Dame Pride on Saturday (Nov. 11), the L.C.I. Rams will try to take down another powerhouse program from Calgary in the Tier I South Final.

The #4 seed Rams are back to the levels they’ve known in the past. For the first ten years of Provincials, they made it to the Provincial Final nine times and won six titles including one they shared with Harry Ainlay in 1985. 

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But since 1994, it’s been a little light with only three Provincial Final appearances, all losses. Since their last appearance fifteen seasons ago in 2002, the Rams have only made it to the South Final twice in 2003 and 2012 – both losses. Under Head Coach Darren Majeran, this is their first chance in a generation to return to greatness. 

Standing in their way is the two-time defending Provincial Tier I Champion, and #1 seed, the St. Francis Browns. A team that’s no stranger to success, the Browns have won six provincial titles since 1995. This year’s squad features a huge line, a running attack that a lot of Universities would envy, and a lockdown defence. Hellard Field at Shouldice Park in Calgary is the place where this showdown will take place, this Saturday at 1 p.m.

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In Tier III, the team that actually beat the Rams 16-10 back in October to capture the Southern Alberta High School Football League Championship for the first time since 2013 will go looking for more. The Cardston Cougars will head to Cochrane to take on the Cobras.

Pound for pound probably the best match-up of the weekend. The legend of Cochrane is known to all as they’ve won four of the last five Tier III Provincial Championships.

The only other team to win during that time span was Cardston. The last three meetings between these two programs have resulted in exciting shootouts with Cardston winning in 2012, 35-28, and Cochrane taking the last two in 2015 and 2016 by identical 49-42 scores.

More of the same can be expected this Saturday at 1 p.m., and with the new turf field in Cochrane providing a good playing surface it might be another classic.

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Last but certainly not least in Tier IV, a pair of standout programs from small towns do battle.

The W.R. Myers Rebels have proven they can beat anyone at the Tier IV level this year, anyone except for the Willow Creek Cobras. 

The small-town juggernaut from Claresholm has defeated the equally impressive Rebels from Taber twice so far, the most recent being two weeks ago 27-13. 

Those losses are only blemishes on the Rebels resume, which begs the question is the third time the charm? 

Willow Creek is anxious for another shot at the Tier IV title, which has eluded them for some time outside of a single title in 2006.  Like the other two games, kick-off is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday in Claresholm.

The winners of each game will advance to take on their Northern Alberta counterparts at the Alberta Bowl on Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25.