Bantam
Chargers Bantam Football
The Chargers Bantam team had a very memorable year for many players and coaches in 1988. After a near perfect season, they won the Edmonton and District Bantam Football Association Championship in a blinding snowstorm.
In 1989, the Bantam team underwent a year of major rebuilding with a large number of rookies. The team did not a score a point until the final game of the regular season, when a late touchdown moved points for from zero to seven. In the first game of the playoffs, the team managed to defeat the first place bantam team in the League, the Leduc Ticats, who had not lost a game all season. However, the luck ran out in game two when they lost to the St. Albert Palmer 49ers’.
The 1993 season was very exciting ending up with the team winning the Tier II Championship of the Capital District Bantam Football Association.
The various minor leagues in Edmonton and much of the surrounding area merged in 1996. Football at the atom, peewee and bantam levels amalgamated to form the Capital District Minor Football Association. The Chargers Bantam Football team had an incredible season in 1996, gong undefeated. The team had 376 points for and only 32 points against in the regular season. They won all of the playoff games to become CDMFA Bantam League Champions. On November 16, 1996 they defeated the Raymond Comets 28 to 26 in one of the most exciting Bantam Provincial Championship games ever held in Alberta.
The Bantam team were the Tier II Champions of the Capital District Minor Football Association in 2000.
The Chargers Bantam Football team had another successful season in 2001, ending up with only one regular season loss.
In 2002, the Bantam team had a record of 7 - 1 - 1 with 286 points for and only 27 points against. They were successful in League playoff games to become the CDMFA Bantam League Champions. The team beat out the Strathmore Spartans thereby winning the Northern Alberta Championship and the right to advance to the Football Alberta Provincial Championship. Although there was wonderful weather in Lethbridge, the team ended up loosing to the Raymond Jr. Comets. This was a great season for a group of average players who worked hard to become a team.
The Chargers Bantam Team had a major change in 2003. Dale Manko, the bantam head coach since 1981 took the year off. Chetan Gosavi became head coach for the year and the team ended up in second place in the John Bright Division of the Bantam League. The team had many exciting regular season and playoff games. They ended up winning the Tier II Championships of the Capital District Minor Football Association.
The 2005 season was a very successful one for the Chargers Bantam team, they finished the year with a record of 7-1-1. While many of the web site commentators saw an early demise for the team, they went to the CDMFA Tier I Championship against the Sherwood Park Rams. The Rams squeaked out a win 16 - 14 in the only close game they had to becoming Provincial Champions.
The Bantam team lost many key players from the 2005 team. However, returning players and players new to the game made a great effort to take the team on to become the 2006 Football Alberta Tier II Provincial Champions.
The team got a new head coach in 2007 when James Devine assumed the position. The most memorable event of the season was a trip to Brooks which resulted in the Chargers winning the Football Alberta Tier III Championship game.
In 2008, with a significant number of players back from 2007's team, the Bantam team returned to their accostomed place near the top of the league. With an explosive offense the team made it to the league championship, unfortunately falling just short of another trophy.
The Chargers struggled with low enrollment in 2009, fielding a team of only 30 players. The highlight of the season came in the first round of the playoffs when they knocked off the crosstown rival Millwoods Grizzlies after losing to them 3 times during the course of the season.
After a slow start in 2010 which saw the Chargers finish with a record of only 2 and 5, the team found it's winning ways in the playoffs as they won their final 4 games to win the Football Alberta Tier II Provinicial title.
Bantam Team Championships
1978
Edmonton and District Bantam Football Association League Champions
1982
Edmonton and District Bantam Football Association McNabb Division Champions
1988
Edmonton and District Bantam Football Association League Champions
1993
Capital District Bantam Football Association Tier II Champions
1996
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier I Champions
Football Alberta Provincial Champions
2000
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier II Champions
2002
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier I Champions
Football Alberta Northern Alberta Champions
2003
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier II Champions
2006
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier II Champions
Football Alberta Tier II Provincial Champions
2007
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier III Champions
Football Alberta Tier III Provincial Champions
2010
Capital District Minor Football Association Tier II Champions
Football Alberta Tier II Provincial Champions
