The Hunting Hills Lightning are hoping this year is finally the one they break through.
In eight of the past 10 seasons, they’ve won the city division title and collected a Football Alberta Tier II south division semi-final win in each of the last four years. That’s where it’s ended for the Lightning, losing in all four south finals.
This year, they’ll have an unfamiliar opponent, as they’ll take on the Bert Church Chargers of Airdrie in the south semis at 1 p.m. at Great Chief Park on Saturday.
Hunting Hills is ranked sixth in Tier II play, while the Chargers are ninth. Bert Church only had two losses this year, both to the Cochrane Cobras. The Chargers haven’t been on the doorstep of provincials since 1997.
The Sylvan Lake Lakers are the highest-ranked Central Alberta school in the high school playoffs, yet they will hit the road to take on the Holy Rosary Raiders in Lloydminster on Friday.
Sylvan Lake is undefeated heading into the Tier III Northern semifinal and is ranked second in the province. The Raiders are ranked fourth with a 7-3 mark on the year.
Sylvan Lake knocked off Stettler 30-15 to win the rural Central Alberta division title.
History is on the side of Holy Rosary, who knocked off Sylvan Lake in 2015, 2016 and 2018. They’ve also been the north representative at provincials in each of the last four years.
At the Tier IV level, the Wm. E. Hay Wildcats host the Ardrossan Bisons at MEGlobal Athletic Park in Lacombe at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Stettler finished 7-2 on the season, with a tough loss in the rural division final under some extremely harsh weather conditions.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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