Oakville's Abbey Park Eagles play for the Halton high school senior football championship on Thursday, Nov. 12, in the school's first final at Tier 1, the region's top level of high school football. They face Burlington's Nelson Lords, with kickoff at 11:45 a.m. at Ron Joyce Stadium at McMaster University in Hamilton.
Abbey Park sits in the Glen Abbey neighbourhood in northwest Oakville. Nelson's team website, which announced the final, says the Eagles got here on two upsets: first over Georgetown, then over Frank Hayden in the semifinal. That semifinal was played on Hayden's field, and Abbey Park won 26-16.
Nelson is the team to beat. The Lords finished first in the regular season, clinching top spot with a win at Hayden on Friday, Oct. 30, and then shut out Georgetown in their semifinal, a game their site called their first complete one of the season. Their only loss all year came outside the Halton league, in a non-conference game against the Harry Ainlay Titans in Edmonton on Sept. 4.
| Team | Opponent | Game | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Park | Frank Hayden | Semifinal | Won 26-16 |
| Nelson | Georgetown | Semifinal | Won 45-0 |
| Nelson | Frank Hayden | Week 5, Oct. 30 | Won 41-7 |
| Nelson | Abbey Park | Week 1, Sept. 24 | Won 49-7 |
| Nelson | Harry Ainlay (Edmonton) | Non-conference, Sept. 4 | Lost 40-22 |
The two teams have already met. In Week 1 of the regular season, on Thursday, Sept. 24, Nelson came to Abbey Park and beat the Eagles 49-7 on their own field.
The final is run by the HSSAA, the athletic association for high schools in Halton. Whatever happens, Nelson's season continues: the Lords have already secured a place in the GHAC playoffs, the next regional round beyond Halton, on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Fans heading to Hamilton pay at the gate: $5 for adults and $3 for students.
