St. Mary's (#3) Griffin Johns runs the ball down the sidelines after receiving a kick during last year's Canadian Tire Classic. (Susan McNeil/paNOW staff)

By Logan Lehmann

High School Football

Marauders, Crusaders set to embark on inaugural season of North Sask. Football League

Aug 31, 2023 | 6:00 AM

When the days get shorter and the leaves begin to fall, it symbolizes that the season of pumpkin spice and Halloween have begun. For others, it signifies the beginning of an exciting new football season.

The same can be said in Prince Albert for St. Mary’s and Carlton high schools as their football teams are set to play in the newly formed North Saskatchewan Football League (NSFL). This means that the Marauders and Crusaders will no longer compete in the Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate (SSSAD) and will move from 6A to the 5A level.

“It’s going to be fun to establish some new rivalries as well as rekindle some old ones,” said Marauders head coach Curt Hundeby. “The opportunities in this new league for all the teams are going to be fantastic to be able to compete at a 5A level so we’re really excited.”

The league will consist of five teams: the St. Mary Marauders, Carlton Crusaders, North Battleford Comprehensive Vikings, Lloydminster Comprehensive Barons, and the Martensville Royals.

All schools will play one exhibition game against a Saskatoon school, with St. Mary squaring off against Walter Murray on Sept. 15, and Carlton facing Bishop James Mahoney (BJM) on Sept. 28. Each game will be played in Prince Albert.

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“I feel like the level of competitiveness will be greater,” said Crusaders head coach Lindsay Strachan. “I think we’ve got a good group of programs and the week-to-week competitiveness of this league will be much better than [SSSAD].”

St. Mary and Carlton will be hitting the gridiron on Friday along with Martensville in a three-team scrimmage against one another.

The Crusaders get their regular season underway against Martensville on Sept. 14. The Marauders will do the same on Sept. 22 against Carlton during the eleventh annual Canadian Tire Classic in Prince Albert.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com