The Stettler Wildcats made history last Friday as they hosted the first high school football night game in Stettler.
And the Wildcats made it a night to remember, scoring a 54-14 victory over the Ponoka Broncs under the portable lights.
A tailgate party set the stage for the evening, and the Wildcats never looked back.
“I thought it was great,” said Wildcats coach Norbert Baharally. “When I looked across the field, the three bleachers were full of people and there were people behind us on the sidelines and lined up on the opposite side of the track.
“There was a concession going ... I think it went over well. It was a good night for the community.”
The Wildcats finish their regular season today with a 4 p.m. home game against the HJ Cody Lakers of Sylvan Lake.
The Wildcats got three touchdowns from rookie Jeremy Kirk, two from Austin Rosland and one each from Garrett Burns and Lane Lyke.
Frank van Ommeren kicked seven converts and a field goal.
VOLLEYBALL
Last Tuesday, the senior girls played volleyball at Innisfail. The Wildcats were victorious after teamwork and hard hitting brought the girls three straight wins — 25-14, 25-15 and 25-18.
This past weekend, the senior girls travelled to Calgary to compete in the Bishop O’Byrne tournament.
“The girls impressed me with their overall play and gained valuable experience from the tournament.” Said coach Rachelle Campeau. “Although the Wildcats did not finish (in the medals), they showed that they have the capability of playing up to the tougher competition. Many of the games ended with close point scores of 25-22.
“Our team faced some very tough competition. We played against larger populated schools in the Calgary area, including Bishop Grandin, St. Francis, Foothills Composite and Centennial High.
“We also had the opportunity to play against Vincent Massey, a travelling 4A school from Winnipeg. Unfortunately, the girls learned the hard way how minor mistakes can make or break the final outcome when faced with tougher competition.”
With fatigue and injuries catching up with the Wildcats, the likes of Carly Armstrong stepped up for the Wildcats, Campeau said.
The senior boys’ Wildcats also participated in the Bishop O’Byrne tourney.
“We played against some very difficult 4A schools,” said Wildcats coach Jefferson McClung. “We played good and won some sets, but in the end we lost out of the tournament.”
The senior boys played against CACHS (Central Alberta Christian High School) of Lacombe last week in a league match.
“We played good against them, winning two out of the five sets,” McClung reported. “Each set was very close, only a few points separating the teams. Even though they won, we are looking forward to playing them again.”
The senior boys will have a rematch against CACHS today in Stettler, with the senior girls playing the CACHS girls the same night, also in Stettler.
On Monday night, the JV boys travelled to Innisfail, where the Wildcats added another victory to their solid season.
“The boys played well, said Wildcats coach Brady Armstrong. “However, we still have quite a bit of work to do.”
The JV boys face HJ Cody (Sylvan Lake) today. Sylvan Lake hasn’t had a JV boys’ team in a few years.
“We don’t know what to expect,” said Armstrong. “But we will bring our A game, and hopefully come back with another big win.”
The JV girls don’t play until Oct. 17 in Stettler.
SADD NEWS
SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) has started up again at William E. Hay. The group meets on Thursdays at lunch and is always looking for new members.
CROSS-COUNTRY
The Stettler Wildcat cross-country runners compete in the zone competition today at Wetaskiwin.
Andrew Kim, Corey Garbutt, Jennifer Taylor and Aaryn Lynham of Grade 12, and Nikyta Lachowsky and Alicia Nibourg of Grade 11, are in the mix.
HONOUR ROLL
William E. Hay held its honours breakfast yesterday morning for all the students who received an honours award from last year.