There's much at stake this Saturday for the Prince George Maroon Marauders atom football team.
After finishing the Prince George Minor Football Association regular season a perfect 5-0, the Marauders defeated Quesnel 49-0 in a semifinal playoff last weekend. If they keep that undefeated streak going this weekend, they'll be packing their bags for a trip to Kamloops.
The Marauders take on the Prince George Crimson Tide Saturday at 10 a.m. at Masich Place Stadium for the right to represent Prince George at the B.C. Community Football Association provincial playoffs Nov. 22 in Kamloops. The Crimson Tide went 3-2 in the regular season, then beat Vanderhoof 28-6 in the semifinal round last Saturday.
Whichever team advances to the provincial tournament will face the champions of the Interior and Vancouver Island leagues in a three-team nine-a-side playoff at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops. The Prince George champions in atom and peewee divisions will play mini-games against both opponents. The top team in the round-robin standings advances to the final, while the second- and third-place teams square off on a CFL-style overtime shootout, with the winner of that moving on to the final.
Each team in the shootout will get one possession, starting with the ball at the opponent's 20-yard line. That possession ends when the team with the ball scores a touchdown or field goal, misses a field goal, or turns the ball over on downs.
The PGMFA peewee final Saturday at 12:15 p.m. pits the undefeated Vanderhoof Vikings against Prince George Purple. The guys in purple stopped Prince George Red 19-7 in last weekend's semifinal.
That game will be followed at at 2:30 p.m. by the Prince George Blackjacks-Vanderhoof Vikings junior bantam final. The winner of that showdown will play the Interior league champion in a one-game final, Nov. 22, also in Kamloops. The Blackjacks went 6-0 in regular season play to finish first in the three-team league and earn a bye into the final. In those six games, the Blackjacks outscored their opponents a combined 321-50.
The Vikings (3-3) needed some last-minute heroics to hold off the Quesnel Bombers 57-56 in Saturday's junior bantam semifinal at Masich Place Stadium.
