With the season beginning to turn and the leaves changing colour, that also means the return of high school football for the next several weeks. Action gets underway this afternoon.
This year's senior loop for the Simcoe County Athletic Association (SCAA) has eight teams, including all five of Barrie's public high schools: Barrie North, Bear Creek, Eastview, Innisdale and Maple Ridge. Rounding out the ranks are Banting Memorial out of Alliston, who are fielding a senior team for the first time since 2019, as well as Collingwood Collegiate and Innisfil's Nantyr Shores.
Today's SCAA regular-season schedule includes the Barrie North Vikings heading to the city's south end to take on the Maple Ridge Ravens, while the Collingwood Fighting Owls will be at Innisdale to face the Invaders. Both games start at 2 p.m.
There are also two SCAA senior games on the slate for Friday, including Bear Creek hosting Eastview at 2 p.m., and Nantyr Shores heading to Alliston to meet the Banting Marauders at 1 p.m. (After playing all of their games on the road last season, Bear Creek will return to their home field, which was reconstructed and had a new sprinkler system installed last year.)
The Bear Creek Kodiaks come into the season as senior Georgian Bay champions, after defeating rival St. Joan of Arc, 16-6, last November. The Kodiaks also went on to win their OFSAA Bowl game in Windsor, with a season-ending shutout win over North York's Chaminade Gryphons.
For more information, including scores and a full SCAA senior schedule, click here.
Meanwhile, Catholic School Athletics of Simcoe County (CSASC) will have five teams this year at the senior level, including St. Joan of Arc, St. Peter's, St. Joseph's, Orillia's Patrick Fogarty and Midland's St. Theresa's.
The CSASC season also starts today, with St. Theresa's taking on St. Joan of Arc at 2:30 p.m. at the Mapleton Avenue school. On Friday, St. Peter's will travel to the Sunshine City to face Patrick Fogarty, also at 2:30 p.m.
For more information on scores and a full CSASC senior schedule, click here.
Both the SCAA and CSASC will play six-week regular-season schedules.
The CSASC semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 1 at J.C. Massie Field in Barrie, followed by the final on Nov. 8, also on the turf field at Georgian Field. No dates have been announced for the SCAA playoffs.
However, the winners from each senior league will meet on Nov. 14 at Maple Ridge Secondary School's turf field for the Georgian Bay Secondary School Association (GBSSA) championship.
At the junior level, SCAA schedules and scores can be found here. The eight-team junior loop includes Barrie North, Bear Creek, Eastview, Innisdale, Maple Ridge, Nantyr Shores, Collingwood and Orillia.
CSASC junior schedules and scores can be found here. The four-team league includes St. Joan of Arc, St. Peter's, Patrick Fogarty and St. Theresa's.
The Collingwood Fighting Owls are the reigning Georgian Bay junior champions, having beat the St. Peter's Panthers, 39-6, in last year's title game.
