During the halftime at the 66th annual Sno-Bowl game, members of the Ptarmigans reminded each other their namesake are birds of a feather that fly together. The message energized the team as the Ptarmigans rallied to a hard-fought 12-6 victory in the latest edition of the storied rivalry with the Polars.
A ptarmigan is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family and the official bird for the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut. Saturday, Dec. 27, the Ptarmigans and Polars resumed their friendly rivalry featuring New Prague High School alumni in tackle football on an open field north of Memorial Park’s baseball field.
While the Polars dominated the early minutes, marching the length of the field on their opening drive behind the hard running of Nate Zweber and the precision passing of Ryan Haugen, the Ptarmigans proved they could weather the storm. Haugen capped that opening drive by scrambling to the pylon on fourth and goal, stretching the ball across the line for the game’s first score.
The Polars nearly extended their lead after a deep strike to Andy Zweber put them back in the red zone. However, the Ptarmigans’ gritty defense tightened up when it mattered most. Sacks from Gaige Giles and Jake Schoenecker, along with a key end zone pass break-up by Carter Vaughan, kept the score within reach.
The second half was a different story as the...
To see more on this story pick up the January 1, 2026 print edition of The New Prague Times.