The drive to the playoffs goes through a familiar foe for the Falcons this weekend.
The Foothills Falcons play their final scheduled game of the season on Friday versus the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (L.C.I.) Rams with an opportunity to climb into the Football Alberta 5A provincial rankings and secure a provincial playoff berth.
“It’s a big game,” said Falcons head coach Nathan St. Dennis. “Everyone is trying to navigate this 5A system that ASAA has created, it’s a tough one for sure.
“It’s all based on rankings and the top-eight in the province end up making the provincial playoffs and you don’t know what that ranking will be until Nov. 3 after the final games of that week.”
Foothills, which plays an exhibition schedule and is not part of a league, doesn’t have that extra week of games to play in a league playoff and potentially up its ranking.
In anticipation of having an idle week, the Falcons and two Red Deer schools have discussed the possibility of playing an exhibition game in early-November, St. Dennis said.
“We’ve made a tentative agreement,” St. Dennis said. “So at least at that point we know our boys would be able to finish their season with a game rather than just practising randomly.”
This week, the Comp will be preparing for a challenging opponent always in the mix come postseason football.
The Rams are the sixth-ranked team among 5A schools entering the weekend and boast a 6-2 record.
“They’re a very strong team this year so it’s a good opportunity for us to dictate things and give ourselves an opportunity to be ranked in 5A,” St. Dennis said. “We’ve had a great relationship with them over the years, schedule with them all of the time, it’s a great opportunity for us to have that measuring stick.”
The Rams will be looking for a measure of revenge as Foothills took it to L.C.I. in the provincial semifinals last November.
“We’re excited about playing them and after last year I’m sure they’re excited to play us,” St. Dennis said. “It’s turning into a nice, fun rivalry with a very good 5A football team.”
Foothills (4-3) enters the contest on a two-game win streak.
The Falcons scored a 40-2 victory over the Strathmore Spartans on Oct. 18 in Okotoks in the school’s annual Blackout Game, a night to recognize the senior players.
“I was really happy for the boys to have success, especially on a special night,” St. Dennis said. “We were really happy with it from the start. We came out how we wanted to, physical and getting after it which has been a really good progression for us the last few weeks in having that as a theme and making sure we dictate things from the start.”
Emerson Liepert, a three-year quarterback and one of just a handful of seniors on the team, led the Falcons on the ground and through the air.
“On both sides of the ball it was nice to see it come together,” St. Dennis said. “Emerson as a Grade 12, led the team, he dictated things, he threw the ball and ran the ball really well and put up a bunch of points for us.
“He’s an outstanding football player and did a great job of really dominating on the field.”
The Falcons and Rams kickoff at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 in Lethbridge.
