The Olds High School Spartans football team will have their hands full when they take on the Cardston Cougars this Saturday, Sept. 29, head coach George Grant says.
Grant says football in southern Alberta is played at an especially intense level, so the Spartans have to be ready for that.
"Football down in southern Alberta is played at a slightly different level than anywhere else in the province, type of thing, because of teams like Raymond and LCI (Lethbridge Collegiate Institute) and the likes.
"So we know that they're going to be well prepared. They're going to be tough. So we're just going to have to get ourselves extremely ready when we play them here on the 29th," he says.
Cardston only has about 25 players -- similar to the Spartans, who only had 24 last week -- so some players play offence and defence.
That can be a challenge, but it can also pay dividends, Grant says.
"As the season goes on and they get conditioned to that type of game, they should improve along the way."
The Spartans got off to a mixed start this season.
They were hammered 48-0 by Drumheller on Aug. 30, but rebounded at home on Sept. 7, edging the Joane Cardinal-Schubert Ravens of Calgary 9-8 at home.
On Friday, the Spartans travelled to Canmore but were thrashed 49-14.
Grant says this year's edition of the Spartans features a good mix of Grade 12s, Grade 10s and a few 11s .
He's confident the Spartans can compete against the Cougars this Friday, as long as the offensive line gives quarterback Marcus Lorenz enough time to scan the field for open receivers.
"Provided that we can give Marcus the time from the offensive line so he can set up and make his reads and his throws, we should be able to compete with most teams," Grant says.
"Now, if our offensive line isn't all running on the same page, time becomes a thing of luxury for our quarterback."
Grant says if the O-line does provide Lorenz the time he needs, the Spartans should be able to play with anybody.
"If we can get it, I think we can pass and we can really get the defence to back off a little bit," he says.
"But if we're not getting that time, the defence seems to just pin their ears back and come at us pretty hard and then we're forced to go into a sweep-type game, where we're just getting student body left, student body right, just to try and move the ball down the field as best we can."
Fortunately, Lorenz is tall, so he can see over the O-line. The Spartans also have some tall receivers as well as some who aren't quite so tall, but make up for that difference in height in other ways.
"We've got a couple of really short ones who when they get the ball they can sure duke their way across the field. So we've got a good mixture there," Grant says.
On the defensive side of the ball, Grant says the Spartans are "a work in progress."
"Defensively we're pretty good. We're just not getting as much penetration as what we've had before. But we have been improving as the season goes on," he says.
"Obviously giving up 48 points in the first game and then only giving up eight in the next game definitely shows some signs of improvement," he adds.
"But it's still a work in progress. We're still trying to get there and with the lack of bodies -- with only 24 -- we've got guys who are having to go two ways as well, just to pick up the slack that we're missing from not having more bodies out."
Attitude is key, and Grant says this team has that in spades.
"The attitude on the team is absolutely fantastic this year. (We've got) a good group of guys who are working hard and they're having lots of fun," he says.
"For the most part, I'd say we're all on the same page; we've just got to finish off our drives."
