The Lacombe Explosion captured their third straight peewee tier 3 football provincial championship Saturday in Calgary, downing the Cochrane Lions 35-7.
The Lions opened the scoring in the first minute with a touchdown on a Lacombe kickoff fumble, but the Explosion replied on the ensuing kickoff as Richard Jans returned the ball 82 yards for a touchdown.
The eventual champs never looked back from there as Jans ran 109 yards for another touchdown and scored his third major of the afternoon on a 68-yard run. Jans led all rushers with 349 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Quarterback Simon Gray sprinted in for a fourth Lacombe touchdown and Josh Green ran eight yards for a major. Gray passed to Brett Sletton for a one-point conversion and added a pair of two-point converts.
The Explosion finished the season with a perfect 11-0 record.
Meanwhile, the Lacombe Raiders dropped a 34-7 decision to the Calgary Bulldogs in the bantam Tier II final.
The Rimbey Spartans won the provincial 6-man title with a 55-52 win over Millwoods Christian.
In other provincial high school play, Calgary Notre Dame defeated Henry Wise Wood of Calgary 65-11 in the Tier I final while Austin O’Brien of Edmonton stopped Foothills of Okotoks 28-7 in the Tier II division.
The Tier III title went to Cardston with a 56-12 win over Ardrossan while Drumheller defeated Holy Rosary of Lloydminster 42-18 in the Tier IV final.
In other bantam play, the Calgary Colts downed the Millwoods Grizzlies 64-0 in Tier III play.