More than 30 Olds High School students came out last week for the first practices of the 2013 Spartan football season, a turnout coach George Grant said was a positive sign.
“Usually the first couple of days, because this is still their summertime, you don't usually see a turnout like this, but to see our numbers in the mid 30s is absolutely fantastic. I'm seeing a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of hustle and desire to be here,” he said.
Currently, the players are close to evenly split between offence and defence, with a good mix of established Grade 12 players and newcomers in grades 10 and 11.
With the withdrawal of the Canmore Collegiate High School Wolverines and the Drumheller Composite High School Titans from the Big Sky Football Conference – to which the Spartans belong – after the conclusion of the 2012 season, the Spartans were left without a league to play in. As a result, Grant has had to scramble to put together eight exhibition games this season to keep the program going for players interested in competing.
“Right now we've got eight scheduled games and we're still looking to fill in one, possibly two more games to (give) the guys something to play for. It's important that they're working towards a goal every week,” Grant said, noting that three of the games will be at home and he is trying to secure a fourth.
Grant said he is also making inquiries about possibly having the Spartans move into a few different leagues closer to Central Alberta for the 2014 season. He said while the school was invited to join the Rangeland Football League last spring when it was determined the Big Sky Football Conference would be folding, Grant determined that travelling to Brooks and Medicine Hat would be too taxing on the players.
“That (wasn't) a good fit for us. I think that (would have hindered) the program because of the amount of time we would be spending on a bus, as opposed to being on a field. We need to look into leagues that are closer geographically to us,” he said.
“We need to try and be competitive this year.”
