Raymond’s Sugar Bowl Basketball Tournament
Since 1968, Raymond High School has been the proud host of an annual 8-team Christmas tournament, now renowned as the Sugar Bowl. However, the roots of this event trace back to 1939 when local high school basketball teams in Southern Alberta began competing in December tournaments, vying for donated challenge trophies. The Sugar Bowl Tournament evolved from these early competitions, which featured coveted awards like the Tanner Trophy and Stone Trophy. In the inaugural year of 1968, Raymond took a leap by hosting an annual 8-team invitational tournament, extending invitations to 5 local teams and 3 teams from outside the province. The inaugural tournament lineup included The Raymond Comets (AB), Magrath Zeniths (AB), Cardston Cougars (AB), Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams (AB), Stirling Lakers (AB), Dakota Lancers (MB), Luther College Lions (SK) and Mount Baker Trojans (BC).
For the first few years it was officially referred to as the Raymond Invitational or the Raymond Interprovincial Invitational Tournament. By 1970 the Sugar Bowl name was being used, even if unofficially at first. The following teams have been crowned as Sugar Bowl champions over the years:
- 1968 – Raymond Comets
- 1969 – Raymond Comets
- 1970 – Dakota Lancers (Winnipeg)
- 1971 – Raymond Comets
- 1972 – Stirling Lakers
- 1973 – LCI Rams
- 1974 – Raymond Comets
- 1975 – Cardston Cougars
- 1976 – Sir Winson Churchill Bulldogs (Calgary)
- 1977 – Raymond Comets
- 1978 – LCI Rams
- 1979 – Sir Winson Churchill Bulldogs (Calgary)
- 1980 – Cardston Cougars
- 1981 – Raymond Comets
- 1982 – LCI Rams
- 1983 – LCI Rams
- 1984 – Wester Canada Redhawks (Calgary)
- 1985 – Wester Canada Redhawks (Calgary)
- 1986 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 1987 – Raymond Comets
- 1988 – Wester Canada Redhawks (Calgary)
- 1989 – Raymond Comets
- 1990 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 1991 – Raymond Comets
- 1992 – LCI Rams
- 1993 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 1994 – Raymond Comets
- 1995 – Raymond Comets
- 1996 – Raymond Comets
- 1997 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 1998 – Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds (Edmonton)
- 1999 – Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds (Edmonton)
- 2000 – Cardston Cougars
- 2001 – W.R. Meyers Rebels (Taber)
- 2002 – Raymond Comets
- 2003 – Raymond Comets
- 2004 – Raymond Comets
- 2005 – Cardston Cougars
- 2006 – Centennial Coyotes (Calgary)
- 2007 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 2008 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 2009 – Cardston Cougars
- 2010 – Raymond Comets
- 2011 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 2012 – Cardston Cougars
- 2013 – Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds (Edmonton)
- 2014 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 2015 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 2016 – Cardston Cougars
- 2017 – Harry Ainlay Titans (Edmonton)
- 2018 – Cardston Cougars
- 2019 – Raymond Comets
- 2020 – Tournament Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic
- 2021 – Cardston Cougars
- 2022 – Magrath Zeniths
Do you have memories from Sugar Bowl, leave a comment below to share them with us.