Junior exhibition football game Saturday to feature Hat athletes, funds to minor football

By JAMES TUBB on July 24, 2024.

Medicine Hat will get a look at some top junior football talent Saturday at the Methanex Bowl.

Two Canadian Junior Football League teams, the Calgary Colts and Regina Thunder of the Prairie conference, will be holding an exhibition matchup Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Methanex Bowl.

While it’s an opportunity for Medicine Hat football fans to see high level junior talent, it’s also a homecoming for some local athletes such as Colby Schneider with the Thunder and Xavier Bueuckert and Ashton Mackin with the Colts. Bueuckert played for the Monsignor McCoy Colts and both Schneider and Mackin played for the Crescent Heights Vikings.

Michael Baker, the president of the Medicine Hat Tackle Football Association, says it’s an exciting game to have that level of football on display and the local talent involved as well.

“To see this kind of quality and calibre football to be played here in Medicine Hat is always really special,” Baker said. “Our football community is growing, over the last few years coming out of COVID our numbers keep going up. This year in the high schools, at spring camps, every high school had over 40 kids at spring camp, which is something I can’t ever remember happening.”

Saturday’s game is a ticketed event, $18 for adults, $2 for kids aged 12 and under, and students will be $10. All proceeds will go to Medicine Hat Minor Football.

Baker says the funds will help grow the local football organization as the interest continues to grow and local talents has more options to rise.

“There’s more and more opportunity for kids who are playing in Medicine Hat to go on and play the sport at different levels and different locations,” Baker said. “We’re just really excited.

“Any time we get an opportunity like this we feel a lot of gratitude for the chance to host a game like this.”

The CJFL is just getting its season underway, with the Thunder holding the first day of main camp July 18 and the Colts getting things tarted on July 20.

The Colts get their season officially started when they host the Edmonton Wildcats on Aug. 11 at Shouldice Athletic Park. The Thunder’s first game on the calendar is also Aug. 11, when they head to Manitoba to face the Winnipeg Rifles.

The two teams will meet up in October, with the Thunder hosting the Colts on Oct. 6.

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