Already at an all-time high of 25 teams, the Winnipeg High School Football League will expand by at least one team for the 2009 season.
Rick Martin, principal of Vincent Massey Collegiate, said his school will make its formal application to the WHSFL by Sept. 30 and hit the gridiron for the 2009 season.
"I've got a letter ready to go to the Winnipeg High School Football League to seek admission for our school for a year from now," Martin said.
He said the Vincent Massey group has had discussions with representatives from the Fort Garry Lions community football club and both groups agree the priority is to offer young players as many opportunities as possible. The only WHSFL team in the Pembina Trails School Division, which includes Vincent Massey, are the ANAVETS Bowl champion Oak Park Raiders.
"I've been asked every year about a football program, it's my 11th year in the school, and the time is just right," said Martin, who played in the league when he was a student at Grant Park. "We know we still have a lot of work ahead of us but we believe it's going to be positive for our school, a great opportunity to build character and integrity and focus on developing young student athletes and citizens."
WHSFL teams compete in three divisions based on level of play. The eight-team Potter division is the top division (AAA level), which includes Oak Park. The eight-team Vidruk (AA) and nine-team Currie (A) divisions play for the Free Press Bowl and Canad Inns Bowl during the championship games in November.
WHSFL commissioner Ron Gustafson, in his 10th year, said there's no limit on the number of teams the league could accommodate as the availability of fields and officials is closely monitored.
"There's lots of room for expansion," said Gustafson, noting 12 games are being played per week, usually on Thursdays and Fridays. "I would like to get to a situation where we have an even number of teams in all our divisions. With our Currie division now, every week somebody has a bye and I would prefer to keep everyone playing. If we expanded by one and they wanted to be in the Currie division, that would give us 10, eight and eight which would give us 26. If more teams come in, we'll fit them in where they see fit as far as what they think their abilities will be."
Gustafson said representatives from any new groups would be invited to make a presentation to the WHSFL sport body, which includes the coaches, at the December year-end meeting. The sport body will also assist any new groups with insight into setting up the team and program around it.
"We want teams that come into our league to be successful, we don't want them to struggle, and with our three divisions, we've got a place for any team to play at this point," Gustafson said.
Superintendent Terry Borys confirmed there have been discussions about establishing a team in the Louis Riel School Division, the city's third largest, which does not have a team in the WHSFL.
"We are studying this and we have not yet made any formal announcement," he said.
Growing By Leaps and Bounds:
The Winnipeg High School Football League is expected to expand by at least one team after this season, its 75th. Here's a look at the growth of the league in recent years:
2001: League divides into AA and A divisions for the first time, expands to 14 teams adding three from northern Ontario communities including Kenora, Dryden and Fort Frances.
2003: St. Pau's and Sisler add second teams.
2005: Names are assigned to the two divisions, Vidruk and Currie; second team is added from Churchill.
2006: Expansion continues to 21 teams as Kildonan East Collegiate joins. Elmwood and Daniel McIntyre field teams again, Churchill drops its second team and Oak Park adds a second team. Three divisions are created - Potter (AAA), Vidruk (AA) and Currie (A).
2007: Teams from Portage la Prairie, Murdoch MacKay, West Kildonan and Garden City bring the league to an all-time high of 25 teams.
2008: League remains at 25 teams and three divisions with confirmed expansion plans to include Vincent Massey Collegiate and talk of expansion to one of the seven high schools in the Louis Riel School Division.
ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca