A rookie season to remember is now one for the record books.
Freshman runningback Seth Poelzer took home MVP and Rookie of the Year honours at the Holy Trinity Academy Knights’ Football Awards on May 18, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since legendary alumnus Jeff Hassler in 2006, as the team celebrated its remarkable 2022 season punctuated with its second Tier II Provincial Championship.
“He scored 27 touchdowns, 1,800 yards, he never missed a practice, the one he sat out with (an injury) he was there,” said Knights offensive co-ordinator Bill McConkey during the awards presentation. “He asked amazing questions, if he wasn’t sure, he asked.
“I see so many similarities with what Jeff Hassler did, great career at HTA, great career starting with football and finishing with rugby...”
Poelzer was quick to deflect praise to everyone that played a leading role in his success, from the terrific coaching staff to the linemen creating running lanes and receivers making blocks downfield.
Being put in the same sentence as Hassler, who Seth’s dad Mark coached at HTA in the mid 2000s, is a huge honour to the freshman tailback.
“It really helps when you have such a great coaching staff and great O-line and all of the other supporting players around me, they made it so much easier for me,” Poelzer said. “It’s really cool to get compared to him because my dad (Mark) always talks about what a great player he was when he coached him.”
Poelzer said his development with the Foothills Eagles provided a platform for him to make the leap to the high school level.
“I got a lot of good coaching from there and made a lot of progress where I could jump right in when I got to HTA,” he said. “My first big run against Medicine Hat (week one), that’s kind of when I knew that I belonged (here).
“We’ve got a lot of good Grade 10s from the rookie class that are going to be good for a lot of years.”
Grade 12 quarterback Ryan Petersen earned the Offensive Player of the Year nod with defensive back Carter Smith earning Defensive Player of the Year and dynamite returner Chris McLarty taking home Special Teams Player of the Year honours.
The evening also put a bow on the career of a lifelong Knight.
Grade 12 Adam Hassett, who grew up on the gridiron as the son of stalwart HTA head Matt Hassett, was recognized as one of two Heart of a Knight award winners along with defensive back Payton Burgardt.
“I have a lot of appreciation for my dad, everything he’s done, coaching me in every sport I’ve ever played,” said Adam. “And the team that surrounds us and the coaching staff, I would say it’s the best high school coaching staff in the country.
“The team was one of a kind, very talented, and it will definitely leave a mark on this school for many years to come and we’ll definitely be a brotherhood for life.”
The defensive ace is moving to the U Sports ranks as a University of Calgary Dinos commit where the longtime rush end is expecting to adapt to a new position.
“I picked close to home out of all of my schools and I think the program has a lot to offer,” Adam said. “It’s been one of the top programs for a long time, it’s won lots of Vanier Cups and that’s what I’m hoping to do as well.
“After the season, I was talking to a couple of schools and they wanted to make me a linebacker because they’ve done that in the past with some of their other linebackers who played defensive end in high school.”
The old axiom is team success breeds individual success and the HTA team is a shining example of that. Seven players are moving onto the U Sports level next season with another, Logan Riemann, playing junior football with the Calgary Colts.
The receiving duo of Thomas Rodehutskors and McLarty will be plying their trade with the Guelph Gryphons, defensive backs Carter Smith and Tyson Sopp are bound for the University of Regina, two-way lineman Lukas Smith is joining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies with Hassett and Soul Sahoo headed to the Dinos.
Knights Football Award Winners
Knightly Warrior – Kade Wood, Ashton Ramsay
Rookie of the Year – Seth Poelzer
Student Athletes – Grade 12: Carter Smith; Grade 11: Xavier Krueger; Grade 10: Jack Bjorge
Heart of a Knight – Adam Hassett, Payton Burgardt
Lineman of the Year – Lukas Smith, Ted Tell
Nick Beaulieu Memorial Award – Soul Sahoo
Iron Knight Award – Marshall Hartwell, Lukas Smith
Leadership and Dedication Award – Grade 12: Thomas Rodehutskors; Grade 11: Xavier Krueger; Grade 10: Jack Bjorge
Most Improved Player – Gavin Speers, Logan Riemann
Workout/Get Ripped Award – Grade 12: Thomas Rodehutskors, Grade 11: Wyatt Danard; Grade 10: Matt Callahan
Special Teams Player of the Year – Chris McLarty
Defensive Player of the Year – Carter Smith
Offensive Player of the Year – Ryan Petersen
MVP – Seth Poelzer