The Great Falls Chargers last saw the Lethbridge Elks in Centene Stadium in 2019. Now, both teams have made up for lost time with Lethbridge being able to cross the border back into Montana.
American Legion Baseball doesn't just include American teams. Canada also has representation on the diamond, partly thanks Lethbridge as well as Medicine Hat. Last weekend, they played the Great Falls Chargers for the first time in three years. They hadn't been able to cross the border due to the pandemic.
But with eased restrictions, the rivalry has been renewed and fans got a taste of both teams with each winning a game in their double header. Elks Head coach Scott Oikawa has been with Lethbridge for 35 years and has seen a lot with his team, especially the last few years. They were forced to stay in Canada, scratching off most of the games on their normal schedule.
Being able to cross the border again means a lot for them.
"It's been tough. You know, we've been working on the last couple of years just some developmental stuff and playing a few games up north. But it's not competitive and it's been difficult the last few years. Coming across the border this year, we're pretty happy about it."
There's always two teams to a rivalry and the Chargers are thrilled to see their Canadian counterparts as well.
Coach Tony Forster has been part of it since he played Legion Ball and agrees that playing them is good for everyone: "I played for the Great Falls Stallions and played against these coaches that are still coaching for Lethbridge now. And so it's just fun to see those guys and I'm glad to have them back. They're always real competitive. Just excited to have them back."
The last two years we've played with seven teams in the in the air, so it's nice to have a few more teams with Medhat and Lethbridge.
The Chargers and Elks split their doubleheader from the weekend and now they can look forward to the next matchup.
