NORTH BATTLEFORD - Thursday night at Centennial Park saw a scene that had not been seen in the Battlefords in two years.
It was the return of North Battleford Vikings senior high school football in North Battleford, as they hosted the Marion Graham Falcons in their home opener. An enthusiastic group of fans were on hand to cheer the Vikings on to a 14-0 lead, but the Falcons got a field goal before halftime and then staged a second-half comeback before falling short 28-25.
The win gives the Vikings a 2-0 record on the 2021 football season. They began the season the week before at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, where they beat the Aden Bowman Bears 14-7.
The return of football is another sign of a return to more "normalcy" despite the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the province. Last year, the competitive high school football season, along with the other fall sports, was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions throughout the province.
The Vikings play again Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at home to Bishop James Mahoney, and again Oct. 7 against Evan Hardy before hitting the road to Prince Albert for a game Oct. 15 against Prince Albert St. Mary.
