The Eagle has landed for Foothills female football.
The Foothills Eagles capped a remarkable second season in the 6-a-side Southern Alberta Female Football League with the U19 playoff championship, grinding out a 31-18 victory in a bruising effort over a tough Calgary Wildcats squad on June 2 at Shouldice Park.
“I’m really impressed with these girls this year,” said Eagles two-way ace Sidanee Bowers, a Holy Trinity Academy student. “Colts and Eagles, coming together as a team is really hard when you have two different identities, but we were able to come together and form one of strength and perseverance.
“Nobody really expected us to be a top dog this year and we really came out and we showed them all. I’m really in awe of all of the girls.”
Just two weeks removed from a regular season championship victory over the Wildcats, Foothills sought to further restrict the Wildcats powerful ground game and make some adjustments in offence.
Mission accomplished on both fronts.
“Our defence has played lights out all year, they really kept us in pretty well every game this year and let the offence catch up,” said Eagles head coach Lance Kelly. “And the offence found its stroke a little bit better today than in previous games and just kept it simple with the three yards and a cloud of dust kind of football.”
Foothills scored on just its second play on offence with Bowers taking an outside run 62 yards to the house for her first of four touchdowns.
The Wildcats rallied with tailback Rehema Holaki scoring on a big run of her own. Reagan Smith then returned the ensuing kickoff for a 70 yard major with Holaki countering once again on a short yardage scamper.
The Eagles earned some separation late in the half a key Kylee Emms third down conversion teeing up a goalline run by Bowers. Foothills was in the end zone again in the final 20 seconds through Bowers after the Eagles defence forced a turnover on downs.
Foothills took a 24-18 advantage into the half.
“It was running up the middle and having our blocks, we blocked way better than in past games in the season,” said Smith, a former Wildcat. “It’s the character of the team and that we know we can beat them, that we don’t give up and keep moving our feet.
“We know we could win and just had to push.”
After a barburner first half, the script flipped to a defensive stalemate following the restart.
Bowers put the result to bed with a 20-yard meandering touchdown run, refusing to be brought down on several occasions.
“Our girls have worked hard all year and I’m proud of them,” the coach added. “We’ve come a long way from where we started. They’re a fantastic group of girls, some of them I’ve coached for six, seven years, it’s the last year for them and it’s a great way to finish.”
The Eagles and Colts programs merged for this season after Foothills made its debut in the SAFFL in 2023.
“It was a building season with a brand new team,” Bowers said. “And to come back and be where we are right now, it shows the type of team that we are and how we can come back, work as hard as we did and show up.
“And we really did show up.”
The Eagles move on to a June 8 provincial gold medal game versus the West Edmonton Raiders. The title match, the first of its kind at the U19 level, will be held in Red Deer.
“We don’t know what they’re going to be like,” Smith added. “But I think we just have to come out strong and show them what the Eagles are.”
For more information on the Eagles, visit gofa.ca.
