Mitch Calvert
Dryden Eagles’ defensive co-ordinator Neil McLeod, a former Muskie player, was honoured with the Arnie Taylor Volunteer of the Year Award in the Winnipeg High School Football League for his work this past season.
McLeod moved to Dryden in 2001 and has been with the football program at DHS ever since.
He suited up for the Muskies from 1987-91, and said the great calibre of coaching he received from Dave Montgomery and Greg Allen back then shaped the coach he is today.
“When you have two guys like that who are community-orientated, they aren’t focusing on winning every game, but are more about teaching life lessons so you can take those with you and give back later in life,” McLeod remarked.
“There are a lot of us who owe those two a lot for how we developed as youth,” he stressed.
McLeod also was quick to note the work of other former Muskies in the coaching ranks, notably the duo of Jeff Maher and Brett Watt with Sturgeon Heights in Winnipeg, Kurt Thornton and Jordy Cameron out in British Columbia, and Shane Beckett here at Fort High.
“When you’re coaching, you really gauge your success, not on wins and losses, but on how well your players turn out as people and contributing members of the community,” McLeod said. “[Dave Montgomery] was a great coach not only because we had championships under him, but you have to look at the ripple effect, and how he set up a lot of us for success through his commitment and sacrifice.
“It sounds like he [Montgomery] may be getting back into it actively, which I think is fantastic, because he had a huge influence on me and a lot of other guys.
“I hope he feels proud when he sees guys out there contributing and volunteering, as he certainly got the message through to us back then,” McLeod added.
Watt, Maher, and their staff guided the Sturgeon Heights Huskies to an undefeated season in the second-tier Kas Vidruk Division—and once again claimed the nod for outstanding coaching staff for the second time in three seasons.
Meanwhile, Thornton, a guidance counsellor at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School in Surrey, B.C., has been an integral piece to the success of that school’s football program over the last five years, which culminated this past summer when he received a community service award from the city for his commitment to coaching.
To say their early development at Fort High played a part in their current successes would be a huge understatement.
McLeod’s Eagles finished 3-4 last season, eventually bowing out in the WHSFL quarter-finals with a 21-0 loss to Tec Voc.
“Northwestern Ontario teams don’t really have the structure that a lot of Winnipeg city teams have, but we’re getting there with it,” McLeod said. “You still compete for those athletes with other sports like hockey, but we look to have a real strong team next year.
“A lot of graduating guys were our offensive key guys, but I think we only lose two guys on our defence and they are just quality, good guys.
“Everyone acknowledges [coaching is] a big time commitment, but if I wasn’t getting a lot out of it, I wouldn’t be doing it,” he reasoned.
