It’s good news, bad news for the Hunting Hills Lightning.
The newly-crowned Central Alberta High School Football League champion Lightning will open the provincial Tier II high school championships at home Saturday, but they will face the top-ranked Foothills Falcons from Okotoks.
The game is set for 4 p.m. as part of a busy day at Great Chief Park.
The Red Deer Hornets will kick action off at 11 a.m. in the Tier IV peewee semifinals against the Stony Plain Blue Bombers while the Calgary Colts and Red Deer Notre Dame Jr. Cougars meet in the Tier III bantam semifinal at 1:30 p.m.
The Lightning, who are ranked fourth, have one loss on their record this season while the Falcons, who won the Big Rock League, come in at 10--0. The Falcons have won the Tier II title three times in the last 13 years, their last coming in 2009.
The winner of the game will host the winner of the Calgary St. Mary’s Saints and Lethbridge Catholic Central game in the south final Nov. 16.
The two-time defending Tier II champion Austin O’Brien Crusaders of Edmonton meet the Lloydminster Barons and the Paul Kane Blues of St. Albert clash with St. Josephs Celtics of Grande Prairie in the north.
Meanwhile for the first time in 10 years the Lindsay Thurber Raiders will compete in the Tier I playoffs. Their reward is a meeting with the Edmonton champion, and third-ranked Salisbury Sabres of Sherwood Park. The two meet Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Foote Field in Edmonton.
The winner will host the winner of the Calgary Henry Wise Wood Warriors and the Spruce Grove Panthers contest.
The south semifinals sees the Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans clashing with the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams and the Calgary St. Francis Browns meeting the top-ranked Notre Dame Pride of Calgary.
The seventh-ranked Sylvan Lake Lakers will represent Central Alberta in the Tier III playoffs. They open on the road in St. Paul Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the third-ranked Lions.
The winner will host the winner of the Ardrossan Bisons and Peace River Pioneers game.
In the south, the Cardston Cougars face the Cochrane Cobras and the Calgary Rundle College Cobras meet the Crescent Heights Vikings of Medicine Hat.
The West Central Rebels of Rocky Mountain House, who are ranked eighth, hosts the fifth-ranked Cold Lake Royals at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Tier IV North semifinal.
The winner hosts the winner of the Sexsmith Sabres and the Lloydminster Holy Rosary Knights contest.
Down south, the top-ranked Drumheller Titans meet the Canmore Wolverines and the Bow Valley Bobcats face the Willow Creek Cobras.
Lacombe will also be busy Saturday. The peewee Tier III semifinal between the Edmonton Mustangs and the Lacombe Explosion goes at 11 a.m. with the bantam Tier II semifinal between the West Edmonton Raiders and the Lacombe Raiders is set for 1:30 p.m. The Northern 6-Man semifinal between the top-ranked and undefeated Rimbey Spartans and the Holy Redeemer Rebels of Edson goes at 4 p.m.
In Tier IV bantam semifinal play the Hunting Hills Jr. Lightning travels to Lethbridge to face Lethbridge Jr. Bulldogs.