Stettler football teams have shifted to top gear their preparations for the forthcoming season with all coaches expressing confidence in their ability to win this summer.
Wm. E Hay Wildcats, bantam Cougars and peewee Panthers have been practising regularly at the Waverly field since the beginning of May and practice sessions appear to reflect great willingness for good team work.
Wildcats head coach Norbert Baharally admitted that it was proving to be difficult to gather all the players for all practice sessions as some of them are engaged in other sports activities like baseball or soccer while some players have to work after school hours.
“This is one of the best days we’ve had so far, “ said Baharally referring to the 22 players out of 32 on the roster who joined the practice on Thursday, May 27.
But both Baharally and defensive coach Mark Siemens expressed confidence that this would be a good season for the Wildcats.
“We have top bantam players joining Wildcats this year,” said Baharally referring to players coming from last year’s division champions Cougars.
“Our whole backfield is back this year, including our quarterback, and we have a good core of players to start with.
“This is a group we can work with, this is a team that can improve a lot,” said Siemens.
“I can definitely promise a better record than last year,” said Baharally.
Cougars’ coach Mike Roach was equally optimistic.
“We have a great bunch of boys,” Roach said of his roster of 35 players, of whom 12 are returnees from last year, 16 joining from the Panthers of last season and seven rookies.
He said practice sessions were going quite well and that his team, which he described as “good-sized”, would be put to test during a “football jamboree” in Lacombe on June 5, when several area teams will play a series of short games during a one-day tournament.
“I am pretty sure we will have a good season,” concluded Roach.
As for Panthers, head coach Gary Sorenson said he was pleasantly surprised to have so many enthusiastic kids on his team this year.
“They are putting in a lot of effort during the practices,” said Sorenson.
“At the beginning we thought some of the kids had registered to be with their friends only, but now it seems they are all in there to play on the team.”
And unlike the previous years, not many players quit after a few practice sessions.
Panthers manager Brandi Ropper said, of the 52 players that signed up, only four had returned their equipment with 48 still remaining on the roster.
Ropper also announced that the Panthers would have an extra week of practices in their spring camp, a decision taken upon a request by the coaches.
Sorenson believes he may have to conduct a selection process before the league play begins next August to finalize the team line-up.
A scrimmage game planned for June 12 in Camrose could help that selection process get an early start.