Odds are good if you’re a Canadian football fan you’ve heard of the Grey Cup trophy and know of its legacy…what you probably don’t know, is that the Grey Cup has an older brother, the Canadian Bowl.
Awarded to the junior football league team that wins the national title, the Canadian Bowl is in fact one year older than the Grey Cup.
In 1909, the Earl Grey commissioned a trophy, the Grey Cup, to be given to the winner of the Canadian Dominion Football Championship, the country’s national title game.
The Canadian Bowl, only 365 days older than its little brother Grey, is in fact the oldest football trophy awarded in North America.
The first junior championship game was played in 1908 in Montreal, when the Parkland Canoe Club of Toronto defeated the Lindsay Jrs. 22-0.
Though the championship tradition has continued for 115 years, the name of the trophy has evolved over time. From 1925 to 1975 it was known as the Leader Post trophy, from 1976 to 1988, the national championship trophy was the Armadale Cup. 1989 marked the beginning of CJFL Championship being known as the Canadian Bowl.
The Okanagan Sun who face the St. Clair Saints today in Windsor, Ont., will be making their 10th appearance in the national final. The Sun have won three Canadian Bowls, 1988, 2000, and 2022.
Before becoming the St. Clair Saints, the organization was known as the Windsor AKO Fratmen who had competed in Canadian junior football since 1945. The Fratmen went to the final on eight occasions, winning three times, the last coming in 1999 with a 32-29 win over the Sun.
The Sun franchise and the city of Kelowna has hosted the Canadian Bowl three times, the first in 1984, followed by 1997, and 2000. The ’97 game, which featured the hometown Sun versus the Regina Rams, is the only national championship to be decided by overtime, 23-20 Rams. Today’s kickoff is at 4 p.m. (PT) There will be live radio coverage from Windsor on AM 1150.
In other news, several Sun players received all-star recognition from the Canadian Junior Football League.
Runninng back Elelyon Noa was named first team at his position. He also won the CJFL rushing title and set a new b.C. conference single-season record with 1,612 yards and 23 touchdowns on 216 carries, averaging 7.5 yards a carry.
Kaiden Kerntopf was named first team on the offensive line.
Punter Grady Hay also received first team honours. Hay booted 60 punts this season averaging 29.6 net yards. He also tallied a pair of singles.
Jacob Bond was named an all-star at linebacker. Bond made 49 tackles, recovered two fumbles, had six assisted tackles and had one interception this season.
Ahmed Borhot was named first all-star at defensive back. He led the CJFL with eight interceptions, had 18 tickles, seven assisted tackles, two knockdowns and one fumble recovery.
Sun players who were named second team all-Candian were: Michael Astone (offensive line) and Kenley Williams (defensive back).
