INNISFAIL – The Innisfail Cyclones are continuing their romp towards another shot for a fourth consecutive title in the Mountain View 9 Man Football Conference.
The squad is coming off two road blowout wins. The first was in Didsbury on Sept. 16 where they mauled the combined Didsbury-Bowden team 52 – 20. A week later in Carstairs on Sept. 23 they found the hometown Tigers easy prey by crushing them 51 – 1.
“Carstairs is a pretty weak team. We weren't challenged, but the boys kind of brought things together and played a full game,” said Cyclones head coach Trevor Wooff. “We were actually holding them back and we weren't blitzing and we put in a lot of our backups and the young guys out for most of the game so they could get some reps.”
Despite the easy romps, the games down south were a chance to work on things that were not in sync at the start of the season, and perhaps an opportunity for coach Wooff to ensure his defending three-peat champs do not become too complacent or cocky.
“We got the young guys in, and we get to evaluate them in a game-like situation so we have things to work on with them to improve on,” said Wooff. “Against a better team that would not work. They got lucky. It was a good opportunity to get the young guys evaluated, and the kids who don't know how to play quite right.”
An important part of the overall game for the Cyclones that did need improvement early in the season was passing, which is being led by first-year starter Brett Fox, a Grade 11 student at Innisfail High School, who was the Cyclones' backup last year. Wooff said by the time his Cyclones began to roll over Carstairs there was definite improvement.
“It improved, but once again you are playing against a team that is not very good at defending against the task,” said Wooff. “But we did a lot of passing this game against Carstairs to work on it. I think we had at least 12 passing plays and we completed nine.”
The Cyclones got a bye last weekend and are now preparing to play two back-to-back games against the Sundre Bisons, with the first on Oct. 7 at Calgary's McMahon Stadium, and then at home on Oct. 14.
“It is basically you got two games and then you are into the playoffs. It's finishing putting in our playbook and getting better at executing, and making sure we are doing things right,” said Wooff. “At this time we are deciding what plays are working and what ones aren't, and throwing out the ones that aren't.”
And with that there is once again always a way for the defending champs to get better and better.
“There is always room for improvement,” said Wooff.
Trevor Wooff, head coach of the Innisfail Cyclones
"We got the young guys in, and we get to evaluate them in a game-like situation so we have things to work on with them to improve on. Against a better team that would not work. They got lucky."
