Receiver Hunter Thompson is among the six Cochrane football players seeing action this weekend in the quarterfinals of the Alberta Summer Games.

He's part of the Calgary Metro Dinos team facing the Southern Alberta Knights on Monday in Red Deer and is joined on the team by Cochrane player Jackson Hughes.

Thompson, 15, is dedicated to developing his football skills year-round. He's entering his second season with the Bow Valley Bobcats and is currently playing for the Calgary Mavericks' spring league team. He's also with the Alberta International Selects.

The 6'1" receiver saw action in Moose Jaw, then San Antonio, TX with the International Selects. In early June, he'll be participating in a large northwest showcase in Washington, expected to attract 15 to 30 NCAA Div. 1 scouts.

Thompson has been playing football for eight years and was first attracted to the sport when watching his brother play.

"My brother played football at Bow Valley and I came to his games," says Thompson. "I fell with the sport, and I've been playing ever since."

The grade 11 student aspires to play at a post-secondary level.

"I'm very dedicated to it," he says. "I'm playing a lot of ball to further develop my skills."

Getting a taste of the passion for the sport in the States added fuel to the fire.

"It was a different experience, different football there. It's very aggressive, but it's fun."

His play with the Bobcats was limited last season after being injured in the first game, but he likes what he sees at the team's spring camp. They expect to have upward of 50 players on the roster, something rarely seen in the past.

He says the team's goal is to win a championship and right now players are focusing on improving their skills and their execution to help achieve that goal.

This weekend is a huge pivoting point for Football Alberta in both Red Deer and Lacombe. 

Other Cochrane players seeing action in the quarterfinal of the Alberta Summer Games are Tyler Clazie and Mason Fischer-Lynn, who are on the Calgary Metro Colts, and Cooper Barden and Dawson Rodney with the Metro Stampeders.

Six Cochrane Cobras are also vying for positions on either the U18 Team Alberta, which will represent the province at nationals, or Team Blue which will compete in a Western showcase. One hundred players from across the province are attending the Red Deer camp. Final team rosters are expected to be made shortly.

Four Cochrane Cobras are also playing in the 33rd annual Senior Bowl All-Star Game being staged in Lacombe on Monday. It's a game featuring some of the best graduating high school players in the province in a north vs south game.