November 26, 2022

Alberta Bowl: EE alumnus guides Royals to six-a-side title

Call it the comeback to go back-to-back.

In the opening game of Alberta Bowl 2022 at Shouldice Park in Calgary on Friday afternoon, the Millwoods Christian Royals rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat the J.C. Charyk Hawks 60-56 and capture the Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) six-a-side championship for a second straight year and a third time in team history.

Trailing 40-30 late in the first half, Millwoods Christian scored 24 unanswered points and would not relinquish the lead after going ahead in the third quarter. J.C. Charyk scored a touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to pull within four points, but Millwoods Christian recovered the ensuing kickoff and was able to run the clock out.

Rob Harrod, an EE alumnus who played receiver for the Green and Gold from 200o to 2002, launched Millwoods Christian’s varsity football program in 2008. The Royals won their first six-a-side provincial title in 2011. The second championship came a decade later, when Millwoods Christian beat the Hawks 60-48 in last year’s ASAA final.

The Royals are the fourth team to win consecutive six-a-side championship games at the Alberta Bowl. With three ASAA six-a-side titles, Millwoods Christian now shares the all-time record with Rimbey, a remarkable accomplishment for the K-12 southeast Edmonton school with an enrolment of around just over 200 students in Grades 10 to 12.

ASAA PROVINCIAL PLAYOFF SCORES

In other action at Shouldice Park on Friday, the Drumheller Titans defeated the St. Paul Lions 22-21 for the Tier IV title, while the Tier III final saw the Holy Rosary Raiders blank the Strathmore Spartans 44-0.

Alberta Bowl 2022 wraps up Saturday at Shouldice Park with three more championship games. Austin O’Brien faces Holy Trinity Academy for the Tier II title (kickoff at 11:00 a.m.), while Tier 1 competition sees Spruce Grove take on All Saints in the Larry Wilson Division final (2:30 p.m.) and Harry Ainlay meets Raymond in the Brian Fryer Division final (6:00 p.m.).