The elusive Wolverine is one of the rarest animals on the Rocky Mountain Landscape. Sturdy mountaineers and inquisitive biologists can go a lifetime without catching a glimpse of the creature, even though its home range surrounds the Bow Valley.
The local football squad honours the species by adopting its name and usually also adopts its elusive nature come playoff time.
But this season, the Bow Valley Wolverines could offer local football fans a glimpse of playoff action on home turf for the first time ever.
The Wolverines are on the cusp of making team history, as they are one win away from hosting their first playoff game. But first, they must defeat High River on Saturday (Oct. 26) in Okotoks in Big Sky Conference playoff action.
“Once we get into Tier IV games, we’re really competitive because we’ve had the crap beaten out of us all year by these big Tier II teams. It’s good for us because it teaches us how to play,” said head coach Chad McClenaghan.
The Wolverines are a Tier IV team, which means they have less than 449 students to draw from, but their league is full of Tier II (schools with more than 1,200 students) opponents. On Friday (Oct. 18), they lost a 35-6 match against Foothills in Okotoks, the number one ranked Tier II school in the province. Zak Jantz scored the lone touchdown for the Wolverines – his fourth of the year.
Despite the lopsided score, the head coach took it as a positive.
“The last time we played them, we gave up 60–plus points,” said McClenaghan. “This time, we didn’t give up any special teams touchdowns, we didn’t give up any interceptions and we played them to a 7-6 score in the second half.
“We knew coming into this league we’d be playing against strong, strong teams. Foothills is ranked number one. They have an excellent quarterback, big offensive line and a running back who hits hard. They have the makings of a good football club.
“And then there’s us, the little team from Canmore that could. At the beginning of the year, they (players) had no idea what they were doing. They had trouble getting dressed. Now they’re reading zone defence, they’re reading man defence. They’ve come a long way.”
Quarterback Mark Grain is a big reason for the team’s success, and the entire team has improved its overall skill level, which could mean the Wolverines make some noise in the playoffs.
“Last year we won our first playoff game in 10 years. This year, to win and host our first playoff game? Let’s be honest, that’s huge. The great part about it is how young we are. All but three players will be back next season,” McClenaghan said.
“We’re gonna come in with the same amount of confidence, expecting a fight. We’ll lay a lickin,” Jantz said. “We’re hoping we can bring up the confidence of the little guys.”
Going into the season, his goal was to “survive two games,” but he’s gone on to play an integral part of the offence, racking up nearly 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
This is the wide receiver’s first full season of football, but he says the sport is in his blood. “One of my great grandparents was a coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”
The team is confident heading into the playoffs. The Wolverines have beat High River once before, and if they win, they will play on Saturday (Nov. 9) at Millenium Field.
“It would set us up to host our first game in team history,” said McClenaghan. “It could be Claresholm. They’re a strong team, so it will be nothing to slough at. They’re ranked fourth in the province for Tier IV teams. We’re not even ranked. We’re overlooked and underappreciated.”
