Lucas Punkari
If the early numbers are any indication, the future of the Muskie football team is looking bright.
A number of new faces and returning players were on the field at Fort High last week for the team’s annual spring mini-camp, with as many as 65 taking part on Wednesday evening.
“I’m really happy with the amount of kids that we’ve had out, especially those that are currently in Grades 6, 7, and 8,” enthused Muskie head coach Chad Canfield.
“We’ve been telling these kids to stick it out and to keep on learning, especially with the youth football program that’s being put together here, and it’s going to be phenomenal in a few years when they are all in high school,” he noted.
“I would have liked to have seen a few more of the high schoolers come out, but we got our leaders here who have been helping out the youngsters and that had been good to see.”
With so many turning out, the players were split into a number of different groups, where they got to learn about different aspects of the game from the Muskie coaching staff.
“[Mike] Cuzzolino is an excellent line coach, and he’s been busy teaching the kids the skills that need on both the offensive and defensive lines,” Canfield said.
“The running backs and linebackers have been working with Coach [Greg] Allen and Coach [Bob] Whitburn all week long, I’ve been working with the quarterbacks and the wide receivers, and coach [Ken] Matthews has been working with the defensive backs,” he added.
“The guys have all been doing good in their various drills. And while things will obviously change when the pads go on, I think things are looking good as we go forward.”
Due to a league-wide mandate, all teams in the Winnipeg High School Football League are not allowed to hold any formal practices until just before school begins, with the Muskies looking to hold their first near the end of August.
However, that doesn’t mean players won’t have a chance to work on their skills prior to then.
“We will be holding our flag football league once again here at the football field ever Sunday at noon,” Canfield noted.
“For us as a coaching staff, it’s a good way for the guys to keep their work up for the game, and to also try and build up some teamwork between the members,” he reasoned.
