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City high schools join together for rugby team

Apr 26, 2018 | 4:36 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Last year, high school rugby was transformed in Medicine Hat.

Students from Eagle Butte High School, Monsignor McCoy High School and Crescent Heights High School banded together under the Talons name during the season.

The tradition continues this year, only this time, the makeup of the teams has changed.

This year, Monsignor McCoy and Crescent Heights have joined forces with Medicine Hat High School, and are competing under the Mohawks name.

Head coach Quinn Skelton says the decision to combine the three city schools came during the off-season last year.

“I proposed that if we combined out coaching resources and out athletes, we could do a great team and make things work, and it’s looking that way so far,” he said.

The Mohawks, which has 40 players on the roster, have split their first two games of the season. The Mohawks shut out Chinook High School 40-0 last week, but fell 40-31 to Sir Winston Churchill High School on Wednesday.

Bretton Labash, who plays with the Vikings during the football season, is among the players on the rugby team this season. He says it is a little strange to wear the same colours as Crescent Heights’ inner-city rivals on the football field.

“It’s kind of weird to say that I’m a Mohawk, but at the same time, I’ll represent who I’m playing for,” he said. “I went to school in my Mohawks jersey at Crescent Heights, and everyone was looking at me funny.”

Labash adds he is impressed with how the team is developing together.

“I think, joining up really unites us in a way that we can overcome the different obstacles from the other teams,” he said.

The Mohawks have a number of busy weekends over the next two months, including an out of town tournament. The team is hoping to qualify for the South Zone Championship and Alberta Rugby Provincials next month.