Quarterback Isaac Neufeld and his Vikings' teammates will take to their home field Thursday night to open the playoffs against Martensville. (Submitted photo/Mark Kotchorek)

By Martin Martinson

Home Playoff Game

NBCHS Vikings host Martensville as football playoffs begin

Oct 19, 2023 | 2:01 PM

For just the second time since 1995, the North Battleford Comprehensive High School (NBCHS) Vikings football team will host a home playoff game Thursday night at Beaver Lions Stadium, as the team opens their post-season against the Martensville Royals.

The Vikings and Royals met once during the regular season, with NBCHS taking home a 32-9 victory back in week two of the season. Despite that, Vikings’ head coach Mike Humenny is quick to point out that the team will need to bring their best to find success against the Royal again.

“They’re a gritty football team and they’ve found many different ways to win their last couple of games to get into the playoffs, so by no means are we taking this lightly at all,” he said.

“They’re a well-coached team, they’re very athletic, and they really rally quite aggressively to the ball, so we’re going to go right at them tonight offensively, and it’s going to come down to making sure we take care of the football on offense and create turnovers on defense; those are the things that are going to help us out tonight.”

After having spent close to a decade as part of Saskatoon’s 12-aside high school football league, where all games that weren’t SHSAA provincials were played exclusively in Saskatoon, the Vikings have made the most of their realignment this season to the new ‘North Sask Football League.’

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Comprised of five teams from North Battleford, Prince Albert, Martensville, and Lloydminster, finishing second at the end of the regular season has awarded the Vikings a chance to hold home-field advantage for the semi-finals, and perhaps finals after that.

“The Grade 12s are pretty amped up for it and they’re going to lead the way tonight, so we’re expecting some big things from that group, and all 44 guys tonight,” Humenny said of the added excitement that comes with the home atmosphere.

Kickoff at Beaver Lions Stadium on Thursday will be at 6:30 p.m. The stadium is located right next to the Access Communications Centre (Civic Centre) in North Battleford.

In other semi-final action around the North Sask Football League Thursday, the two Prince Albert teams will also play each other, as P.A. Carlton host P.A. St. Mary’s. The winner of each game will advance to the league finals, played next week at the higher seed’s home field.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1