NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Monsignor McCoy Colts quarterback celebrates a rushing touchdown in the first half of the Colts' 30-14 win Friday over the Crescent Heights Vikings to capture the fourth annual Rick Boksteyn Bowl held at the Methanex Bowl.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Monsignor McCoy Colts finally brought home a long-awaited trophy.
The Colts won the fourth annual Rick Boksteyn Bowl, beating the Crescent Heights Vikings 30-14 in the memorial game Friday night at the Methanex Bowl.
Boksteyn, who passed in 2020, helped coach the Colts and the Vikings at different times over 36 years and was on the Medicine Hat Fire Department for 35 years. Crescent Heights won the first three renditions of the game before Friday’s win for McCoy.
“Our boys played one heck of a game, we asked them to come out with fire and they did,” McCoy head coach Jole Krassman said. “Defensively, they came out with fire. We had a really good game on all sides of the ball.
“My hat is off to Crescent Heights, they had one heck of a game. They battled, they’re tough, they have a good coaching staff over there and that was a gritty, hard fought football game that’s going to get both teams ready for the upcoming season.
McCoy came into the contest off a 7-3 win the week prior over the Brooks Buffaloes. The Boksteyn Bowl was the Vikings first game of the season.
Before the game, the Colts held a ceremony Thursday to officially unveil a sign erected in 2023 on the grounds of the football field behind the school, named the Rick Boksteyn Field in honour of the former coach and fireman.
Krassman – a god child of Boksteyn’s, has been chasing the honour of having the old firefighting trophy, donated to commensurate the game and further enshrine Boksteyn’s legacy with the fire department and the two teams, on display at McCoy.
Getting the win, for both football and personal reason, made Friday night an emotional one for the head coach.
“Rick is still here and his energy is rocking, he’s still a pivotal part of this team, and he’s bringing the energy even though he’s not here, he’s here in spirit,” Krassman said. “We’re using that name, we’re using the energy off of that and we’re just, we’re just going to keep riding high, but we have to keep working. We have a lot of work to do, we have a lot of things to clean up and fix up, but we’re on a good road.”
Friday’s game was ended with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter, due to an injury to a Crescent Heights player that required an ambulance as a precaution.
Vikings head coach Anthony Anderson says his player is alright and was at practice Monday. He says they will have to take a pause from football for the time being.
Anderson tipped his cap to the Colts in the win.
“They always come off for a fight in that game, which we knew they would,” Anderson said. “When it comes down to it, McCoy played really hard and they deserved that win.
The Vikings face Brooks on Friday at the Methanex Bowl. He says they have to approach that game with a desire to win.
“McCoy and Brooks played the week before and the game was really tight,” Anderson said. “So the message that I gave the players is, you have to play every single game like it’s the last game of the season.”
McCoy will look to keep their 2-0 record intact in a high-intensity, inner city matchup Friday with the Medicine Hat High Hawks. Hat High comes into the game off a 53-10 loss to Holy Trinity Academy.
Krassman says the Colts will have to trouble getting up and ready to face the No. 3 ranked 4A school.
“This is a Crosstown rivalry game, and we’re going to treat it like that,” Krassman said. “We’re going to come in as ready as we can be, we’re just going to the drawing board, and we’re just going to prepare for a tough team over there.”
