Alberta teams claim double gold in U18 football, winning in Calgary and Nova Scotia

Alberta’s U18 football teams are the top teams in the country in 2025.

Calgary hosted the girls’ U18 nationals tournament at Shouldice Athletic Park, while St. Francis Xavier University hosted the U18 boys in the Football Canada Cup, with both gold medal games coming right down to the final play.

The province’s U18 boys went to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, where they met Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario in their three tournament games.

The opener saw the white and blue start their tournament with a dominating 52-7 victory over Manitoba.

Alberta scored 37 points in the first quarter and never looked back.

In their semi-final game, Alberta battled back from a 12-0 second quarter and a 27-11 fourth quarter deficit to Quebec.

Alberta’s fourth-quarter rally started with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Clazie to Harrison Hyndman. A team safety and a one-yard rushing touchdown from Hyndman levelled the game with just over a minute remaining.

With seconds remaining in the game, Quebec punted on a third down, and Aaron Oboh returned the punt for a 55-yard touchdown, giving Alberta a 34-27 victory.

Alberta took on Ontario in both tournaments a week prior, on July 20. Calgary hosted the opening feature match for the U18 women–a rematch of the 2024 final–while Nova Scotia hosted the U18 boys in the gold medal game of the 2025 Football Canada Cup.

In Calgary, tensions were high as the pre-game started with some jersey issues between Ontario and Alberta, which ultimately led to the host province wearing black uniforms for the first time in their history.

A slow start to the game saw Alberta take the lead in the second quarter on a 65-yard rushing touchdown from Abby Vu; however, the hosts couldn’t find the scoreboard again and ended up losing the opening game 21-10.

Meanwhile, across the country, the U18 boys found themselves down 21-0 late in the second quarter against Ontario, when Hyndman would cap a 13-play drive with a rushing touchdown to get Alberta on the board just before halftime.

Alberta would continue scoring in the second half, with a pair of rushing TDs from Joel Thorpe midway through the third quarter and at the start of the fourth.

Ontario would add another touchdown before Alberta would kick a field goal, bringing the game to 31-24 in favour of Ontario.

With all the other provincial teams gathered behind an endzone, cheering on Alberta, Thorpe would level the game at 31 on a rushing touchdown, ultimately forcing overtime.

With each team getting one drive starting at the 35-yard line and going into the endzone, Ontario started the extra quarter. Alberta’s defence stood their ground, forcing Ontario to lose four yards and settle for a field goal.

Alberta’s drive took four plays, and the game was ended when Thorpe was handed the ball on Ontario’s four-yard line, running it around the line and into the endzone, capturing gold.

The win marked the first time that Alberta has claimed the Football Canada Cup, according to Football Canada’s website, which dates back to 2010.

???? Instant classic in Antigonish! Alberta comes out on top at the Canada Cup U18 with a gritty win and is heading home as CHAMPS! ???????????? #CanadaCupChamps #TeamAlberta #U18Football pic.twitter.com/sYsuD33w1p

— Football Alberta (@FootballAlberta) July 21, 2025

Back in Calgary, the women hosted Quebec in a semi-final game on Wednesday.

Another slow start saw another scoreless first quarter, before Alberta opened the scoring on a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Oenna Bradford.

Alberta would go on to add a six-yard rushing touchdown from Alivia Trudeau and a 75-yard rushing touchdown from Alyssa Graham, beating Quebec 24-6.

With an Ontario victory over Saskatchewan in the other semi-final, a rematch was set for the gold medal game.

In the final to claim the main prize, Ontario opened the scoring on a punt return touchdown midway through the first quarter; however, they missed the convert attempt and only led 6-0.

Alberta was able to rally back and take the lead with a rushing touchdown from Trudeau. Adding the extra two points from the conversion, Alberta was up 8-6.

This lead was very short-lived, however, as Ontario returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Braylynn Hawthorn-Harper tightrope walked the sideline during her return before finding the endzone. Ontario would miss the convert again and led 12-8.

Midway through the second quarter, Alberta would bring the score to within one off a field goal, and the score would remain that way until the third.

Halfway through the third quarter, Alberta would retake the lead after Trudeau capped off an eight-play, 70-yard drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown. A good two-point conversion would make it 19-12 for the western province.

With 46 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Alberta’s Isabelle McFaul would intercept a pass, giving the white and blue possession, hoping to kill off the remainder of the clock.n However, two knees later, Ontario would call a timeout with 26 seconds remaining.

On the third down, Alberta punted, which would be deflected before being scooped up by Ontario’s Katy Foley. With time running out, Foley would find a hole and return the kick to the endzone with three seconds remaining, scoring her second major of the game. Ontario would add the one-point convert, forcing overtime.

In overtime, opposite to the boys, the Alberta girls would start things off.

Moving the ball up the field, setting up a first and 10 just outside the 10-yard line, Trudeau would call her own number, scrambling to the sideline before breaking a tackle and getting into the endzone. Alberta would add the two-point convert, forcing Ontario to get all eight points to keep the game going.

Ontario’s drive lasted three plays and ended with McFaul covering her receiver to perfection, batting down the pass attempt, giving Alberta the 27-19 win.

The win gives Alberta its third crown in four years, keeping them the most successful team in women’s U18 nationals history.