Mitch Calvert
The Muskie football team will have some extra company in Tier II of the Winnipeg High School Football League this season.
The Kas Vidruk Division—which was an eight-team circuit a year ago—has been expanded to include 13 teams with the additions of expansion WHSFL teams the Vincent Massey Trojans (Winnipeg), Vincent Massey Vikings (Brandon, Mb.), Crocus Plains Plainsmen (Brandon), and Neelin Spartans (Brandon).
The division will also include the Grant Park Pirates, Miles Mac Buckeyes, and River East Kodiaks, who have all been relegated from the Tier I John Potter Division for 2009.
The Portage Trojans move up from Tier III (Andy Currie Division) while the NorWOSSA-rival Dryden Eagles have subsequently dropped down to Tier III.
The Kenora Broncos, Maples Marauders, Garden City Fighting Gophers, and Tec Voc Hornets join the Muskies as the only remaining teams from last season still in the division.
Last year’s Tier II champs, the Sturgeon Heights Huskies, have moved up to Tier I.
Meanwhile, the black-and-gold will open the new campaign Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. in Kenora against the rival Broncos.
Their first home game will be the following Friday (Sept. 18) against the Winnipeg-based Vincent Massey Trojans (all home games start at 3 p.m.), and then Fort High goes on the road in Week 3 on Sept. 25 against the River East Kodiaks with a 3 p.m. start-time.
Week 4 has the Muskies on the road again versus the Maples Marauders on Oct 1. The black-and-gold beat the Marauders last season for one of their two victories.
The home team returns to host Miles Mac in Week 5 on Oct. 9, and then goes back to Winnipeg to face Tec Voc the following week on Oct. 15.
The Muskies host Portage in their season finale on Oct. 24.
The quarterfinals go the following Friday (Oct. 30), with the semifinals scheduled for the first week of November
The championship bowl games go Nov. 13 at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, with the Tier II “Free Press Bowl” set for 5 p.m.
