BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
The Sudbury District Secondary School Athletics Association (SDSSAA) will be hosting a football night in Sudbury at Cambrian College on Saturday, Sept. 13.
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It will be an opportunity for the entire football community to come together.
All eight high school football teams will be participating in the annual North versus South Classic, complete with a skills competition.
Admission is $2 for the entire affair. All proceeds go towards high school football.
Sudbury Secondary returns to the gridiron to face Lockerby in the first game at 6 pm. Confederation will tackle St. Benedict in the second game at 6:45 pm. The 3rd annual skills competition will take place at 7:30 pm. Notre Dame plays LoEllen Park at 8:30 p.m. Lasalle squares off against St. Charles in the last game, which starts at 9:15 pm.
The scores carry over from game to game. The winner will be the side that accumulates the most points. Last year, the North captured the title with a 49-6 combined-score victory.
The night of football promises some intense action.
"This will be a chance for football fans to see all the teams, at one time, in one place," said Paul Schutt, convener of the Sudbury high school football league. "It will be the only time people will get that chance."
The night of football will have a carnival like atmosphere.
"It will be a festival atmosphere at Cambrian," said Dave Makela, Rainbow District School Board athletic administrator. "It will be a celebration of the game."
The skills competition will allow fans to see a vast array of talented young football players competing in individual tests.
There will be pass, kick and punt competitions and trophies will be awarded to the winners.
The pass competition will focus on a player's accuracy and strength of their arm. They will throw a football at a target set up in the uprights. The player who nails the target from the furthest distance will lay claim to the crown.
The punt competition will focus on the raw power of the kickers. The winner will be the player who boots the longest punt.
The kick competition will focus on the player's ability to kick field goals. The winner will be the one who successfully kicks a field goal from the furthest distance.
"The skills competition is always a crowd pleaser," said Makela. "The kids get a bang out of it too."
There will be a special presentation made at the event to Russ Boettger, recognizing his outstanding dedication to high school football in the Sudbury area. Boettger was the head coach of LoEllen Park for many years.
"It's important to acknowledge people's contributions and commitment to the game," said Makela. "These people make the difference in our community and help make it a better place to live in."
