Cougars get another crack at Raiders

By Lethbridge Herald on November 27, 2025.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Cardston Cougars football team pose after winning the 3A South Zone banner last weekend.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The  #3 provincially ranked Cardston Cougars varsity football team get their second crack in three years at #1 ranked Holy Rosary Raiders of Lloydminster in the School Sport Alberta 3A Alberta Bowl final tomorrow morning in Edmonton.

Cardston lost 28-6  to the Raiders in the 2023 3A Alberta Bowl Championship.

Cardston is facing a Raider team that  is making its fifth consecutive appearance in the 3A Alberta Bowl game and have won three of the last four 3A Alberta Bowls coming in.

“They’re a dominant program,” said Jeff Bevans, Cougars head coach.

“We know it’s David vs. Goliath but we believe in each other (and) we’ll see what happens.”

Despite facing a juggernaut team for the championship, the Cougars feel the belief is there to perhaps pull out a win.

“We believe that  we can defeat a giant like them and we’re just really  excited for the opportunity to maybe come up with the biggest upset Football Alberta’s ever seen and that’s our goal,” said Bevans.

Cardston is facing a well-coached Raider team.

“They say this is the best team that they’ve ever had,” said Bevans.

Speed will be key in Cardston’s attack.

“We know we’re gonna have to get to the edge,” said Bevans.

“If we can get to the outside edge we feel like we have a chance.”

The Cardston High School football program learned from that 2023 defeat

“I would say this time we’re just more focused on us instead of them,” said Bevans.

Cardston have been practicing basics ahead of the provincial championship game.

“We just stuck to the basics, the fundamental drills and we didn’t wanna change too much,” said Bevans.

The Cougars hoped arriving in Edmonton on Thursday will help them in their prep.

“We hope that is an advantage for at least field preparation,” said Bevans.

Kickoff for the 3A provincial high school football championship game is at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Edmonton’s Jasper Place Bowl.

Cardston is coming into the provincial championship having beat the  Willow Creek Cobras 41-0 for the South  Zone championship and the Raiders beat the St. Paul Lions 44-15  for the North title last weekend.

Cardston started the provincial playoffs with a 59-20 quarterfinal win over Drumheller a couple weeks ago, while the Raiders beat Stettler 48-9.

What helped the Cougars grow this season  was playing tougher opponents from the Prairie Sky Conference in  Raymond, Medicine Hat High School and Chinook.

“We came into playoffs 2-2-1 but we are undefeated against 3A opponents this year,” said Bevans.

 “But the tougher games really helped us grow. I feel like we learned the most in a loss and we learnt the most two years ago in a loss”