Hat High Hawks embracing new league

By James Tubb on September 8, 2021.

The Hat High Hawks are off to a great start this season against their new competition.

The Hawks announced earlier in the year they would be among seven teams joining the Southern Alberta Division I league next season. As a result, they are playing exhibition games between the seven teams while also playing in their current Rangeland league. For head coach Quinn Skelton, these new opponents provide a welcomed challenge.

“All seven teams involved with it are great high competition teams in Alberta, matter of fact this weekend out of the three games being featured by Football Alberta, four out of the seven teams are playing in those games. So we’re definitely putting ourselves into a position with some tough competition,” Skelton said.

The Hawks started their season 2-0, with wins at both levels. They beat Holy Trinity Academy 20-8 Aug. 27 and walked over Brooks 36-6 on Thursday. Both wins were great for Skelton but each brought the Hawks different positives.
“At this point in the season, picking up that win against Holy Trinity was fantastic for us. Holy Trinity is a great measuring stick in the province since they won provincials in 2019 … that was a great win for us, Skelton said.”

“Last week with our opening Rangeland game, Brooks is always a tough, feisty team to play. You never know what you’re going to get there, they have great athletes. So, I think our boys did great against Brooks that day.”

Even though the Hawks are preparing to play at a Tier one level next season, Skelton says the inter city games are just exciting and challenging because all of the emotions involved. The Hawks hope to keep a team in the Rangeland league, players permitting, while also playing in the SA Div I league. Skelton says his guys have no problem ‘getting up’ for games against Rangeland teams due to all of the chirps they hear throughout the week.

“The intercity games aren’t anything we have to work up to, all of our kids are excited to play those games. There’s enough chatter that goes around town, people shooting their mouth off, that we have no problem getting up for big games,” he said.

As the season progresses, Skelton says they the games at the Division I level will be humbling as they go up against tough competition.
“It will be more than a challenge and it’s gonna show us how hard we are going to have to work to continue to become a tier one team.

For grade 12 player Tesema Veurink, the challenge of playing division I is welcoming.

“It creates more competition for us, that’s how we get better, playing against tougher teams. It’s fun,” Veurink said.

His goal for the season is a simple one, he wants to win.
“Come out on top. There’s like 22 seniors on our team right now so we just want to have fun and hopefully take the trophy home at the end,” he said.

The Hawks next game is against the Division I Cardston High School, Friday night at 5 p.m. here in Medicine Hat.

Editors note: An earlier version of the story stated the Hat High Hawks were leaving the Rangeland conference. They do not plan on leaving the conference and hope to keep a team in the league.

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