NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Monsignor McCoy Colts quarterback Carlin Messmer unleashes a pass in the second quarter of the fifth annual Rick Boksteyn Bowl held Friday at the Methanex Bowl. The Colts beat the Crescent Heights Vikings 31-27 in the annual memorial game for the late football coach.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Boksteyn Bowl Cup will remain at Monsignor McCoy High School for another year.
The McCoy Colts beat the Crescent Heights Vikings 31-27 on Friday in the fifth annual Rick Boksteyn Bowl dedicated to the former football coach.
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. Friday’s win at the Methanex Bowl was the second straight for McCoy after Crescent Heights won the first three renditions of the memorial game.
The game was kicked off with a speech celebrating Boksteyn and his contributions to the game, as well as his mantras, ‘play to your potential with tenacity’, ‘do your job’ and ‘never give up.’
“Those lines that he not only said, but lived by,” McCoy head coach Jole Krassman said. “Play with tenacity, both teams played with tenacity. Never give up, neither team gave up there, it was great until the end and we did our job. I’m happy, hats off to Crescent Heights, what a great football game.”
Crescent Heights opened the scoring on a first-quarter rouge. They had a pick-six touchdown called back before McCoy struck.
Colts’ Fisher Harvey had a pick six of his own and McCoy followed it up with a passing touchdown from Carlin Messmer to Keagan Surovy.
Exacucet Lendo, who had the called-back pick six early in the game, scored a second interception touchdown later in the second quarter to make it a 14-8 score at the half.
Coltyn Lebel had a rushing touchdown for Crescent Heights in the third quarter to give them a 15-14 lead.
The two teams traded scores in the fourth quarter. Vikings quarterback Austin Connauton passed to Brady Kostrub for an early Vikings’ lead. Messmer rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the quarter and the Colts knocked a field goal for a 31-21 lead.
Crescent Heights made it interesting late as Jayden James returned a kickoff for a score to make it a 31-27 game after a blocked point after cementing the score.
“For us there’s a few things that we can clean up and there’s always things that we can work on but that was good game,” Vikings’ head coach Anthony Anderson said. “I can’t deny it that both teams played very fantastic, even though the outcome wasn’t what we wanted, still happy with the game.”
With the win, McCoy pushes their record to 2-0 to start the 2025 season, the Vikings sit 1-1. The Colts finish the week as the No. 8 ranked 4A school, Crescent Heights the No. 8 ranked 3A school.
Both teams are at home next week, with McCoy hosting the No. 4 ranked Catholic Central Cougars for Football Alberta’s 4A game of the week. It’s an exhibition matchup for the Colts, one Krassman says will be a challenge he hopes they rise to.
“We had some good battles with them last year, with a good, strong number of returners for them, they’re going to be good,” Krassman said. “We just have to take it play by play, we gotta get to the film and just gotta execute.”
Crescent Heights hosts the Brooks Buffaloes in Southland League action. Anderson says the loss Friday is a motivator heading into the contest.
“I just told the guys, whatever emotions you have right now, you feel them and turn them into fuel for next week,” Anderson said. “We’re excited, we’re still feeling good.”
Both games are at the Methanex Bowl. The Vikings hosts Brooks at 5 p.m., McCoy and Catholic Central face off at 7 p.m.
