Montreal, April 26, 2010 – Over 100 high school football players will be at Concordia Stadium this Friday, Apr. 30 at 7 p.m. for the 26th edition of the Alouettes Classic, presented by Groupe Biscuits Leclerc.
This year’s event will feature two new and exciting elements, with a Quarterback Challenge and a high school cheerleader demonstration taking place before kickoff and at half-time. The players will also have a chance to learn from the best, with Grey Cup Champions Damon Duval and Martin Bédard helping out at practice during the week.
A Quebec tradition since 1985, the Ligue scolaire métropolitaine, a Montreal-area high school football league, gathers its best players each spring for the annual Alouettes Classic. More than 1,000 fans showed up for the 25th edition in 2009. This year, former Alouette fullback Michael Soles and former Alouette kicker and current Concordia Stingers’ head coach Gerry McGrath will serve as honourary captains.
The players from each team were selected by coaches and league directors based on their performances this season both on the field and in the classroom. In preparation for the game, the players begin practicing tonight and will continue to do so through Thursday, Apr. 29 at Concordia Stadium from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“The true test of a champion is how he acts when faced with adversity,” said Duval, who kicked the Grey Cup-winning field goal last November. “I’m looking forward to being a part of this event and hopefully one day we’ll see some of these kids in the CFL!”
Quarterback Challenge & cheerleading show
In order to feature even more talent from the Ligue scolaire métropolitaine, the pre-game and half-time shows will include a brand-new QB Challenge featuring a dozen pivots from all over the league. The quarterbacks will battle it out in three events testing their arm strength, speed, accuracy and ability to read the field. Following the QB Challenge portion of half-time, cheerleaders from the Association régionale du Sport étudiant de Montréal will take the field to demonstrate jumps and acrobatic stunts.
The biggest high school football league in Quebec, the Ligue scolaire métropolitaine is made up of 35 teams, 100 coaches and more than 1,500 players. Students playing in the Alouettes Classic come from 16 areas across the Montreal Metropolitan Region, including the city itself.
The Alouettes are proud to continue their mission in the local community and are behind all the student athletes who will represent their schools at the 26th annual Alouettes Classic.
