Second place is up for grabs Thursday in metro Edmonton high school football between the Bellerose Bulldogs and Salisbury Sabres. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Riel Park field.
It's the last game before the Carr conference playoffs for the Bulldogs (2-1-1), last year's Miles conference semifinalists, and the Sabres (3-1 league, 4-2 overall), listed ninth in the 4A (school population 1,250-plus) provincial rankings.
All six teams in the conference make the playoffs and the top two earn first round byes. The playoffs start Tuesday. Semifinals are Oct. 29 and the final is Nov. 6.
In the race for second place the Bulldogs trail the Sabres by one point.
"I don't believe many people would've thought that we would be in this type of position," said head coach Chad Hill, who piloted the Bulldogs to second place in the Miles standings and an overall 6-2-1 record in 2009. "We said right from the start of the year, if you believe in your abilities, you believe in the coaches and you believe in your teammates, when you combine that with self confidence the sky is the limit for our team."
Devin Kondro leads the Bulldogs in rushing with 255 yards on a conference-leading 46 carries. Grayson Baker (150 yards on 39 carries) and Tayler White (141 yards on 26 carries) also give the ground game some juice.
In the passing department, White is 15-for-35 with one touchdown and four interceptions. White is also the top punter in the conference with 904 yards on 29 kicks.
Baker is the leading Bulldogs' pass catcher with six for 68 yards and one TD. Adam Anderson (5-for-95 yards) and Kondro (5-for-51 yards) have also contributed to the passing attack.
The defence is anchored by Kieran Fraser (25 tackles, 11 assists, two sacks), Cody Andresen (18 tackles, 15 assists, two sacks), Lewis Biamonte (17 tackles, nine assists, two sacks), Kondro (10 tackles, 10 assists, one sack) and rookie Ben Graunke (13 tackles, seven assists).
White and rookie Nathan Anderson have two picks apiece.
Rugby player Robert Blunden is 3-for-3 kicking field goals.
Skyhawks vs. Facey
Leading up to Thursday's main event is the 5 p.m. match between the St. Albert High Skyhawks (2-2 league, 3-3 overall) and Bev Facey Falcons (4-0 league, 7-0 overall), winners of three straight Carr championships and last year's tier I provincial finalists. Facey is ranked second in tier I, behind the perennial provincial champion Raymond Comets (6-0).
Last week the Skyhawks gave up 22 unanswered points in the second half against the Sabres and lost 25-3 in Sherwood Park.
The previous week the Skyhawks suffered a shocking 7-0 loss to the Bulldogs in the Battle of St. Albert. A 30-yard TD reception by Andresen from White on a fake field goal with 7:24 left in the first half was the difference as the Bulldogs defeated the rival Skyhawks for the first time in team history after seven losses.
If the Skyhawks fall to Facey, they will finish fourth and will play the Archbishop Jordan Scots (0-3-1) or the winless Austin O'Brien Crusaders in the first round. The winner will be in tough against Facey in the semifinals.
The Scots and Crusaders huddle up Thursday to see who places fifth and sixth in the conference.
THIRD DOWN: Gate admission for Thursday's doubleheader in St. Albert is $5.
The last non-Sherwood Park team to win the Carr championship was the Skyhawks in 2000.
The Skyhawks are the only Carr team not have their stats posted on the metro league's website.
