TREENA MIELKE/Rimbey Review
The Rimbey Spartans are back on the field preparing for the upcoming fall season.
The Spartans’ first official practice was held last Thursday and head coach Bill Bramfield said players, all high school students from grades nine to 12, are raring to go.
“Our season is short and many of the players are new to football so it’s good to get them out on the field. Our actual season begins in September.”
In preparation for the fall season, which begins in mid-August and runs until November, the Spartans will practise Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Sat., May 28 they will take their newly acquired skills to the football field in Ponoka where they will complete in a football jamboree.
“This will consist of a series of small exhibition games,” said Bramfield. “There will be no kicking.”
On June 3 an exhibition game will held at Buck Mountain Central School.
The Spartans belong to the Western Alberta 6-Man Football League that encompasses 16 teams and includes the area as far north as Fort McMurray, south to Brooks, east to Sedgewick and west to Hinton.
This year will mark the Spartans’ fifth season as a six-man football club and during their time in the league they have left an impressive track record.
They came close to winning the league championship twice, losing in the final game of playoffs. The third year they won the Ruby Cup. Last year, they came second in league play, losing in the semifinal game.
Bramfield said six-man football is well suited to small schools such as Rimbey.
“It allows us to be competitive with other small schools,” he said.
The Western Alberta 6-Man Football League has four divisions. The Rimbey Spartans are in the Hunter South Division with teams including the Breton Cougars, Buck Mountain Central Mustangs and Frank Maddock Warriors (Drayton Valley). The Victory Christian Crimson Knights, the Millwoods Christian Royals, the L. Y. Carins Horsey Symbol and the Hinton Wolfpack are in the Oiler North Division.
In the Eskimo North Division are the Father Mercredi Trappers, the Composite Miners, the Westwood Trojans and the Lac la Biche Huskies.
In the Cowboy South Division are the Ponoka Broncs, the Caroline Cougars, the Sedgewick Rams and the St. Joeseph’s Collegiate (Brooks).