In this file photo from 2021, members of the Crescent Heights Vikings (blue) and McCoy Colts line up together for the national anthem and a moment of silence in honour of the late Rick Boksteyn, who spent time coaching with both of the local high school programs and passed away in 2020.-NEWS FILE PHOTO
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Crescent Heights Vikings and McCoy Colts are gearing up for the second annual Rick Boksteyn Bowl.
The Vikings and Colts are the two teams Boksteyn helped coach at different times over 36 years and they started their football seasons last year with the inaugural Boksteyn Bowl – a once-per-season game put in place to honour the memory of Boksteyn, who passed away in 2020.
Crescent Heights took the first contest by a score of 14-3 and look to hold onto the old firefighting trophy as winners of the bowl game in memory of Boksteyn’s 35 years with the Medicine Hat Fire Department. Vikings head coach Scott Wendell said it’s an important game to all students involved and adds another layer of motivation to an already important game.
“That’s something that’s really important to the students and the athletes here that we have at the school,” Wendell said. “Rick was a big part of the football community and I think for both teams, when there’s something like that on the line, it adds just that extra layer of excitement and that element of competition that I think the student athletes on both sides are looking forward to playing for.”
Colts head coach Jole Krassman said he can’t wait to experience the atmosphere of the game and is excited to kick off the Rangeland season with such an important contest.
“This is probably the most important game in terms of starting off on the right foot with this program. I’d like to bring that Boksteyn bowl back to McCoy because that’s just the whole fullness that I have for that,” Krassman said. “The most important thing of course, is whatever game you’re prepping for at the time and this just happens to be the first one. Just want us to have a good game and have a real good performance.”
It will be the first Boksteyn Bowl for both Wendell and Krassman at the helm of their programs after each taking over the reins to start this season. Thursday’s Boksteyn Bowl has an even more special meaning for Krassman, who was a God child of Boksteyn’s, and he hopes people come out to show their support.
“Hopefully everybody comes out and supports a great cause and just keep the Boksteyn Bowl, the tradition, the name of that great man that gave so much of his time and legacy to football, doesn’t get forgotten,” Krassman said. “That’s just such a beautiful thing and a beautiful tribute to the man himself and we know he’ll be watching.”
Thursday’s contest will be the Vikings first game of their 2022 football season. On the other side of the ball, the Colts got their season underway last Friday in Strathmore with a 57-0 loss to the Spartans in exhibition action.
Krassman called the game a learning experience for his young team.
“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot early and just gave up a few big, big plays that just really cost us our momentum and we just really couldn’t get out of that slump; we spotted them 14 points within the first five minutes,” Krassman said. “Just some things that we need to look at it as a team that I didn’t address, that I didn’t know I had to address. But just basically the growing pains and things presenting themselves as they’re coming.”
Thursday’s Boksteyn Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at the Methanex Bowl.
