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Kelly “Biff” Bowers, the former Kinsmen Football League president and a fixture at the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament, has died.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon, Saskatoon Minor Football (SMF) shared the tragic news.
“The football community is lost with a massive hole today as we mourn the loss of Kelly ‘Biff’ Bowers,” the post read.
SMF Commissioner Brian Guebert described Bowers as a force to be reckoned with.
“The No. 1 priority for Kelly was always the kids and making sure they had a great experience and they had great coaches,” Guebert said.
Guebert told 650 CKOM that Bowers’ passion for sports was infectious.
“He texted in all caps and he was always the loudest guy around but he always had the best intentions with everything,” Guebert said about Bowers’ presence. “He’s going to be really missed.”
Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant worked with Bowers over the years, including having him as a coach.
“It’s a shock, it’s a loss and (there’s) not a lot of words right now. Everyone is pretty numb,” he said.
Sargeant spoke highly of Bowers and his dedication to sports in Saskatoon, whether it was football, basketball or wrestling.
“He just made everyone around him better,” Sargeant said. “He challenged you, he motivated you and he knew what to do and how to get you going.”
In January 2018, Bowers marked the 50th anniversary of BRIT by reffing the bronze-medal game between Regina’s Dr. Martin LeBoldus Golden Suns and Ottawa’s Notre Dame Eagles.
At the time he reflected on how the quality of play had changed since he reffed at the first tournament and looked toward the future.
“The people want to come out and see it. It’s just so much different being at BRIT than going to a conventional high school basketball game,” Bowers said.