Cougars, Coyotes battle for zone title

By Lethbridge Herald on November 7, 2025.

Herald File photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Catholic Central Cougars Kingston Freedman runs through the tackle of Winston ChurchillÕs Ethan Heseltine during the annual Battle of the Pet Dish game earlier this season. The Cougars are set to battle the Chinook Coyotes today for the 4A South Zone banner.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Catholic Central Cougars varsity football team hits the gridiron this afternoon to battle against their cross-town rival Chinook Coyotes for the School Sport  Alberta 4A South Zone banner.

Catholic Central is coming off a 38-28  win over McCoy High School and Chinook is coming off a nail-biting 43-42 overtime win over Medicine Hat High School in the semifinals on Tuesday.

That was the Cougars first playoff win since 2019.

“That was really (good) for the boys to be able to win an elimination game and it allows us to be confident moving forward into (today),” said Joey Cavilla, Cougars head coach.

Showing resiliency in coming back from being down  in the second half of their semifinal game and playing through the conditions is what the Cougars want to build on.

“To be able to run  the ball in the cold is something that we’re really proud of,” said Cavilla.

Film sessions and three on-field sessions, which included one in the morning before the big game,  has been the preparation approach taken by the Cougars.

“If it feels a little bit crammed, it’s  because it is ,” said Cavilla.

Where the Cougars will find success is with play execution and winning the positional mismatch battles.

“Our plan is to get the ball to our guys fast … and make them make tackles,” said Cavilla.

Cavilla anticipates the game to be close.

“I really think that they’ve got some really good athletes,” said Cavilla.

“They got a good quarterback, good receivers, good running back, so I expect them to be ready to go and it’ll be a tough one.”

Cougar player Cohen Ross sees the team’s run defence as being their biggest strength in the game.

Consistency will be a big component for the Cougars.

“We’re gonna have to show up every play and every guy’s gonna have to win their rep … if we want to win ,” said Ross.

The Herald reached out to Chinook Coyotes head coach Nick Straat  to preview their side for the final but he did not respond by deadline.

The 4A South Zone Final kicks off at 2 p.m. today at University of Lethbridge Community Sports Stadium.

The LCI Rams and Raymond Comets battled for the 5A South Zone banner in Raymond on Friday night, in which the Comets earned with a 22-18 victory.

Both teams advance to provincial quarterfinals next weekend.