After winning the Div III provincial championships, the Tier II U13 AA Strathmore Reds will be hosting provincials from August 4-6 to try and defend their title. The tournament will be hosted in Langdon due to field maintenance in Strathmore.
Reds U13 AA coach Troy Lapohn said he and the team are really excited to host. Beyond the benefits of not having to travel and stay in hotels, Lapohn said playing in front of a hometown crowd can give the players a big boost.
"We have a really good mix of players from this local area (Wheatland County and Rockyview County), so it's great to be able to just play near home and get all the family and friends that are close to come and watch and support," he said.
A well-energized and rested Reds team could be a big problem for opposing teams, as they're coming into provincials hot. Having won their last six in a row and going 18-8-2 on the year, this Reds team is motivated to show what they can do to the home crowd.
"We won tier Tier III provincials last year and this is another great chance for our kids to win another banner and a provincial championship. Our team is super excited about trying to hold on to our provincial championship from last year and then carry it forward to this year."
The Reds enjoyed plenty of tournament success this year too, as they also won the Darin McDonald tournament in June. Lapohn credits the Reds' success to the players' ability to play as a team.
"Good teams have this good camaraderie and the players come together and that's something that I think this team has. We're a small team of 11 and all these boys play strong during the game and they practice hard."
The preliminary schedule has been provided by Lapohn, with the official schedule expected by July 27:
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