The 3rd annual ‘Battle of the Prairies’ tackle football tournament is taking place at the Yara Centre in Moose Jaw in their biggest turnout since beginning the event.
The Sask Selects are hosting teams from the prairie provinces and the United States as well for the first time.
“This year we have about 20 teams in the tournament and they’re from all over. For the first time on Canadian soil, we have a team from California and also a team from Boston, Massachusetts. So we’re really excited to bring some US football to Saskatchewan,” said Zeljko Stefanovic, Sask Selects director of operations.
The competitive tournament features players in the 10U, 12U, 14U, and Varsity categories.
“The vibe in here is crazy. There’s tons of people here and you get to watch some amazing football over the course of the next few days. I would love for people to come out and support these kids. We have kids from 58 different communities in Saskatchewan,” said Stefanovic ecstatically.
The players from Saskatchewan and the Canadian prairies are used to the cold weather snaps, including the one we are currently experiencing. However, the players from California, who have never been to Canada, said it has been a big adjustment this week but remain positive.
“Beautiful, very beautiful! Different than California, we’ve got mountains and terrain. It’s very flat and cold. Its’ funny the first day we went to Walmart, everybody at the checkout bought gloves. I think they missed the memo on gloves,” laughed Damien Mahoney, California Mambas head coach.
“I was worried, I didn’t want to play in the snow,” said Mambas receiver, Darien Mahoney on when he first learned they would be playing in this tournament. “(But) we’re having a blast so far. Coach Z (Zeljko) is taking care of us back at the hotel and he’s just really provided for us.”
“I did not know about Saskatchewan until last year. Very, very cold. I didn’t think it was going to be this cold,” said Mambas linebacker, Ezekiel Escalante. “The exposure in this tournament and us getting into the competition with Saskatchewan is great [though].”
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The team from Boston had a travel nightmare trying to get to Saskatchewan. On Monday, only eight kids and two coaches showed up after hundreds of flights were cancelled on the east coast. The team rented vans and drove across the country to North Dakota where busses from Saskatchewan met them to help the team cross the border according to the Sask Selects Facebook Page.
The games are played under ‘American’ rules with four downs and 11 players on the field, similar to the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA standards.
“I’m most excited about the ability to put my name on the map. I think it’s a good thing because it lets us understand the level of competition there is around the world especially if someone wants to play American football someday. It’s good to know how to play they game they place,” said Sask Selects Varsity Black free Safety, Ibrahim Osman.
“The competition [with the American teams] will be another step up. I can’t wait to play them! I love meeting the new guys, it’s just great to connect with other teams and just a chance to have fun,” said David Goudy, a running back for Sask Selects Varsity Red.
Games are running all weekend with the championships beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
