Prairie Sky Conference providing a new outlook for six high schools

By Lethbridge Herald on October 9, 2024.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Heralds

Six local high schools began the new athletic season in the inaugural Prairie Sky Conference league.

The participating high school teams of Cardston, Catholic Central, LCI, Magrath, Medicine Hat and Raymond are competing in volleyball and basketball this year, while football will be joining the new-look conference next year because  their schedule was already complete for this season.

Prairie Sky Conference was established for those schools after the disbanding of  Southern Alberta Interscholastic Administrative Council (SAIAC) last June.

“The move to shift away from SAIAC to our new Conference was probably a long time coming,” said  Darryl Salmon, Prairie Skye Conference chair.

SAIAC, over the years, had several schools that were members in only one sport. This made for leagues that had schools pulling in different directions. This was not anyone’s fault, but when schools have teams competing in different leagues for various sports, it didn’t seem conducive to working towards a unified vision.

Salmon thinks it’s a good reset moving forward.

“I think it was kind of time and I think people within the new conference felt like it was time also to kind of  have a bit of a reset,” said Salmon.

Salmon sees the competition being good.

“It’s ebbs and flows,” said Salmon.

“Some teams are stronger than others and this year.  we have obviously some strong teams and some that are struggling but I think that’s kind of part of it.”

The hope is for closer and competitive games.

“I think the main thing is that every school that’s involved in the conference is pulling  in the same direction and they’re offering teams in all those sports,” said Salmon.

Other interested schools in joining the conference can go through an application process.

“I’m excited to see what we can do to make athletics even better in the south than they have been,” said Salmon.

“So that would be our goal is to continue to compete as a conference and win provincial championships.”

A Deep South Volleyball League was formed for eight smaller high schools in the area as well as a result of the disband.