NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Twenty three of the 27 2022 Rangeland Football allstars pose for photos during the RFC awards banquet Sunday afternoon at Medicine Hat High School.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Rangeland Football Conference handed out its top honours Sunday afternoon.
The four teams in the high school football league, Medicine Hat High Hawks, Crescent Heights Vikings, McCoy Colts and Brooks Buffalos gathered at Hat High for their first in-person awards banquet since the 2019 football season.
Sunday’s banquet involved the naming of league all-stars, naming of the six major league award winners (MVP, defensive player of the year, rookie of the year, lineman of the year, commissioners award and coach of the year) and the Hat High Hawks collecting their 2022 RFC league championships trophy.
“To have a full Rangeland banquet at the end of the season is pretty special,” Hawks head coach Quinn Skelton said. “To have 220 people show up in the same place to do this, to recognize our kids that had such great years and the league itself with the success that all the teams are having. It’s a pretty special night.”
“The last time we hosted one of these RFC banquets our Grade 12 athletes would have been in the ninth grade, so nobody’s ever really experienced one of these things in the blood and flesh,” Vikings head coach Scott Wendell said. “It was really fun to get the four teams together and to be able to celebrate our league here in the bottom corner of Alberta.”
Colts head coach Jole Krassman tipped his cap to Hat High for hosting after enjoying his first banquet at the McCoy helm.
“This was unbelievable, just to take it all in from the coaching side sitting at that head table, it was awesome,” Krassman said. “To see all of the parents, all of the kids and the excitement with everybody sitting together. Nothing brings a team better together than food and the spirit of sportsmanship. So fantastic and just top notch all around.”
Here are the six major league awards winners, nominees and coaches speech:
Rookie of the year
HH Owen Steinke – winner
CHHS Dawson Gartry
Brooks Jax Porfoun
MC Mason Scory
“We had a number of Grade 10 students step up and play significant roles both in practice and in games and it was a very hard decision to figure out who we’re going to nominate this year,” Hawks coach Joe Buckler said. “We had one young man separate himself by making some big plays in big situations and overcoming adversity while learning from his mistakes.
“I had the pleasure of coaching this young man since he was just eight years old, and from the very first practice he was always working hard and making the most of every opportunity that he had. This year he was a starting corner on a defence that only allowed six points in five RFC games, a special teams ace who scored two touchdowns on teams and an offensive weapon who had a single four-touchdown game.”
Lineman of the year
HH Zach Angstadt – winner
CHHS Lucas Dickson
Brooks Kyler Stein
MC Ian Gordon
“He’s a leader on our team, a real tenacious leader,” Hawks coach Joe Buckler Sr. said about Angstadt. “He led our team in tackles for a loss, sack and hurries.”
Commissioners award (top student athlete)
HH Kaedan Buckler – co-winner
MC Warren Hamill – co-winner
CCHS Tyrel Page
Brooks Ethan Short
“Hat High’s nominee really exemplifies what the commissioner award is about with academic performance and impact on the field … He’s our starting quarterback and safety and had a 98% average through 60 credits,” Hawks coach Ross Lyttle said of Buckler. “In the South finals he basically ran the first quarter and a half calling his own plays in a hurry-up offence. I’m not sure what more a player could do in terms of field impact and proficiency in the classroom.”
“I looked to this guy to be the anchor on our defence,” Krassman said of Hamill. “He was not only our play caller on defence, he played some fullback for us and was just all over the place on the field. He goes to Eagle Butte High School and he won their male Athlete of the Year, the academic leader of the year and is also big in his faith with his church. He exemplifies what it means to be a student athlete, and there was no other choice for our program.”
Coach of the year
CHHS Scott Wendell – winner
HH Quinn Skelton
CHHS Jerame Koska
“Three rookies in the Rangeland coaching position is pretty cool and it shows the future of the league with a lot of good youth coming in and some great guys, they’re going to be great coaches for our league,” Skelton said. “Wendell, being one of my guys, it’s extra special that way and I’m really proud of him. He’s had a great year and coach Krass(man) up at McCoy. He played rugby for me here at Hat High, too. So it’s special for him as one of the coaches with the RFC as well.”
Defensive player of the year
CHHS Carter McLean – winner
HH Chayse Lefler
Brooks Steven Armstrong
MC Ryker Osadczuk
“I remember coaching against him last year, he was a rookie then and I honestly thought he was a senior and thought he was the best player in the league as a Grade 10,” Wendell said about McLean. “This year we’ve had some games without him and you could really see how irreplaceable he was both physically and as a leader emotionally. The players were never as high as they were when he was on the field. I know teams have really scouted against and they make him a significant part of their game plan whether it’s running away from his or putting two or three extra blockers on him, whatever they need to do to take care of him.”
RFC Most Valuable Player
HH Clark Campbell – co-winner
CHHS Abdul Kiawen – co-winner
Brooks Levi Gibbon
MC Washington Gilberti
“This young man is proof that when you work hard to maximize your talent, you can make each and every other player on the field better than they are alone,” Buckler said about Campbell” On offence, he was our leading rusher but he was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and do the hard work on special teams. He led our team in tackles and on defence he could always be counted on to do his job physically and safely.”
“I got into coaching as soon as I finished playing and in all my years, I’ve never quite had a player this explosive or as dangerous on the football field,” Wendell said about Kiawen. “I think other coaches in the city can recognize as well that every time he touches the ball, he’s been a real threat to go all the way to the end zone. He’s contributed for us both on offence, on defence and special teams. He’s truly a leader for us and is a very special player.”
Sunday marked the end of the RFC season but the football year goes on for the Vikings and Hawks as they enter provincials.
Hat High is coming off a 12-3 South Zone finals win against Chinook High School last weekend, as they hit the road to face Holy Trinity to open their playoffs.
The Vikings are also on the road to face Strathmore, both games are on Saturday.
Allstar selections from the four RFC teams
Here are the 27 RFC all-stars selected Sunday afternoon. The number of all-stars per team is decided by regular season league standings.
Hat High Hawks
#43 SB/DB Cole Ricken, #30 RB/LB Chayse Lefler, #22 DB/SB, Maddox Zadko, #57 OL/DL Kai Bartsch, #34 MLB Ryder Cooke, #54 DE/OT Zach Angstadt, #25 RB/LB, Clark Campbell, #11 QB/S, Kaedan Buckler, #23 DE/SB, Cam Stanke and #20 P/K/WR/DB Ira Hozack
Crescent Heights Vikings
#23 RB/DB Abdul Kiawen, #44 SB/LB Carter McClean, #53 OL/DL Lucas Dickson, #22 RB/LB Hudson Stewart, #35 LB Carter Snuth, #12 SB/DB Dawson Gartry, #30 DL/LB Houston Eakins and #7 WR/DB Axxel Foley
Brooks Buffalos
#1 SB/DB Levi Gibbon, #55 OT/DE Steven Armstrong, #51 OT/DT Ethan Short, #25 RB/LB Jaxx Porfoun and #57 C/DE Kyler Stein
McCoy Colts
#30 FB/LB Warren Hamill, #32 RB/LB Carson McDonald, #50 OL/DL Owen Stodalka and #92 DL/LB Washington Gilberti
