The Bonnyville Bandits were not satisfied with just winning the Wheatland Bantam Football League championship Nov. 5 over the Lloydminster Mustangs, so the team packed up their gear, travelled to Edmonton and defeated the Spruce Grove Cougars 34-14 to win the Northern Provincial championship last Saturday.
And now, it all comes down to this.
The Bandits have won their way into the Bantam Football Provincial Final, where they will take on the Cochrane Lions this Saturday at Walsh Field.
“Win, lose or draw, this one's for all the marbles,” said Bandits head coach Dan Jubinville. “This is our last game of the season and we are going to go out there and give it all we got. We have nothing to lose.”
The road to the provincial final was not an easy one for the upstart Bandits, who came off a winless season in 2010.
The team finished in third place during the regular season in 2011, but went on to win the league championship on the road, before winning their first-ever provincial game on the road as well.
Jubinville said the team travelled to Edmonton earlier than normal this past weekend, to try to eliminate the slow starts that have plague the team on the road all season.
“We got them off the bus early and had rented a gym there, just to get our minds working,” explained Jubinville. “We didn't even play football before the game. It was just some basketball and dribbling games to get their minds, hands and feet going before we hit the field.”
The tactic appeared to work as the Bandits got out to an early lead and never looked back.
Jubinville added, “The boys came out hard, we had a lot of energy and they put one together and won it.”
He said the Bandits are looking to keep the momentum going against a tough Lions team.
“(The Lions) are a team that went up against the city teams from Calgary and came out on top. They will definitely be a big challenge for us,” explained the coach. “We're going to have to have one of our best games. We're going to have to come out hitting and play hard.”
Jubinville said home field advantage is always something to look forward to.
“We don't have the long bus ride like we did the last two weeks. Hopefully the boys can focus on what this is all about. It's up to them and they have the ability to win.”
Jubinville also noted the hometown support from local businesses and sponsors, including A&W, who he thanked for providing “fuel for the players,” during their amazing playoff run.
With the final game of the Bandits season at Walsh Field, the team is hoping to see a huge contingent of support in the stands and surrounding the field.
Jubinville said the support the team has seen on the road over the past two wins has been fantastic and he is looking for the provincial final to be one of the biggest football games to be played in Bonnyville.
“We gotta get these stands packed this weekend. The support has been amazing so far and we want it to continue,” Jubinville said.
“If you don't come, you're going to miss a hell of a game.”
The Bantam Football Provincial Final will be played at Walsh Field this Saturday Nov. 19. The game kicks off at 1 p.m.
