Coach Roby Sharpe (right), Principal Mike Haczkewicz (centre) and Athletics Director Darren Wandy (left) announcing the YRHS Raiders' move from the Regina Inter-Collegiate Football League to the Moose Jaw High School Football League.PRESS CONFERENCE AUDIO
The Raiders had been in the RIFL since 1995.
Themselves and Weyburn (who are also crossing over from the RIFL), will give the Moose Jaw League seven teams. Estevan and Swift Current to round out the rural contingent, and three Moose Jaw teams- Peacock, Vanier, Central.
Cost was a big reason. Rural teams have to cover costs for Regina teams to come play them, and Regina wasn't willing to negotiate even sharing the costs. In the Moose Jaw League, teams cover their own costs and that's it. That's a savings of roughly $1000 per game.
Coach Sharpe says the cost wasn't the biggest issue to him, but rather that all playoff games were held in Regina, regardless where you finish. In the Moose Jaw League, all the higher playoff seeds host playoff games, whether you're a Moose Jaw-based school or not.
Principal Haczkewicz said the league also made sure that Yorkton won't have to make Swift Current and Estevan trips in the same year... it will be one or the other.
Wandy said the reduction in costs will also free up more funds for the several other athletics programs that the YRHS provides.
A tentative schedule is done but nothing official yet.
2 comments:
Typical Regina, you have to pay them to leave the city limits. Good for yorkton for choosing a better route.
Sounds good to me....this would be a truly Southern Saskatchewan Football League and it should be fun!!!
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