Okotoks high school football is taking steps in the right direction with the Knights and Falcons on slightly different timelines.
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights have been allowed to train since the start of the month while the Foothills Falcons are just getting back on the gridiron this week for conditioning work.
“Things are rolling with us this week, prior to that our school put a freeze on athletics based on the uncertainty and all of the restrictions,” said Falcons head coach Nathan St. Dennis. “I’m handing out equipment to our guys over the first three days, grade specific because our school is cohorted in grades right now so we’ve got to keep our grades separate.”
Later this week, Oct. 1 and 2, will mark the first practices of the season with a focus on conditioning work with social distancing guidelines in place.
“Because our school is grade cohorted right now they structured the school day in a way that a Grade 10 will never interact with a Grade 11 or Grade 12,” the coach added. “(Foothills School Division) is asking that in all of the activities we do with extra-curriculars right now that we keep them separated as well.
“Our other major restriction right now is we still have to be socially distancing so that’s why we’re limiting things right now to just conditioning.”
Across town at HTA, the defending Tier II provincial champion Knights have been fortunate enough to be practising since the first day of the month.
“At first, we had a lot of numbers I think from the success we’ve had the last few years, and (Monday) we’re starting to practice as one group of 50,” said Knights head coach Matt Hassett. “We’re looking forward to practising in one group. We’re going to have to a separate roster of the kids we had to release to get to 50.
“We’re going to do separate practices for them because we didn’t want to leave them with nothing, so they can continue to have football and get better.”
In the near future, the Knights are hoping to get in some game action in mid to late October on the form of a competitive scrimmage something tantamount to the jamboree style game played by Med Hat High and Crescent Heights earlier this month.
The first game would have somewhat of a jamboree, split field set-up due in part to the Knights not having done a ton of special teams work at this juncture.
“We might do what Medicine Hat and Crescent Heights and a couple other teams around the province have done,” Hassett said. “We’re looking for an opponent, and maybe play mini-cohorts, 25 versus 25 on a roster and play a game or two against one school.”
The practice-only set-up to this point has done little to dampen the enthusiasm from the players.
“One thing that’s been a consensus from the kids, it’s been said a few times ‘Mr. Hassett I don’t care if there’s no games, I just want to get back on the field,’” the coach said. “I think kids just want that sense of normalcy and if they’re active kids being active whatever their sport helps them, I think it’s a good thing for them physically and mentally.”
The Falcons are currently sitting around the 40-player mark with a few challenges in player recruiting at the moment being somewhat mitigated by youth seeking recreation opportunities where they can find them.
“(Monday) was our Grade 12 equipment pick-up and they were real excited to kind of be back at it,” St. Dennis said. “It’s still a little bit different, we aren’t using our changeroom, the boys have to take their equipment home and show up with what they need for each practice.
“It’s nice to be back, but it’s a little different and rightfully so, the priority is student safety.”
St. Dennis noted many of the players have taken advantage of resources outside of the school in the football world, community programs and camps, to stay sharp.
“The proposal has been brought forth to our school division through our athletics and then we’re just waiting for a decision on that,” St. Dennis said. “And then hopefully if restrictions get lessened we transition into our regular practices with the ultimate goal of hopefully being at a point where we can have some structured competition with HTA because they’re in our health zone.”
