Joey Payeur
It’s a fair question–considering it’s regarding a team that went 0-7 last season and has had trouble getting even 20 players out for training camp practices so far.
Can the Muskie football team win a game this season?
The new starting quarterback’s eye instantly took on a glint of steely determination when confronted with the query.
“Definitely,” Grade 10 pivot Brady Meeks said emphatically.
“We’ll win at least a couple. I guarantee you that.”
Confidence is high among both the coaches and players for the 2017 Muskie gridiron crew, which looks to blast out of the starting gate in its WHSFL Currie Division (‘A’) season-opener this Friday against the host Maples Marauders.
Head coach Mike Cuzzolino enters his fourth season at the helm with a total of 34 players signed up–something that looked unlikely on the first day of camp Aug. 21 when only a dozen were on board.
“Our numbers have been steadily growing,” noted Cuzzolino, who had to play all of last season with a roster that maxed out at 25, with injuries and departures sometimes leaving the squad with as few as 20 players for game days.
“So we’re really pleased with our numbers situation right now,” he remarked.
“Now we just need to focus on getting them out to practice every day.”
Cuzzolino is heartened by the positive attitude he’s seen out of the rookies so far.
“I’m very impressed with the kids that have come out to camp thus far,” he lauded.
“Football isn’t an easy sport and these are really coachable kids, and it takes a lot of courage to pick up a new sport like this, especially one as tough as football,” he added.
“But these kids are eager to learn and want to be contributors on this team.”
The returnees also earned accolades from Cuzzolino.
“I’m also really proud of our veteran players,” he stressed. “They’re showing great leadership and they have been the ones leading the recruiting charge.
“Our veteran kids are really passionate about this team and it’s really nice to see.
“The returning players I have make it so much easier to coach.
“I am really lucky to have the group of veteran guys I do,” Cuzzolino admitted.
“They are committed, dedicated, love to learn and get better, and have the desire to win and are willing to compete and hold their teammates accountable.
“So we will definitely be better than we were last year, no doubt,” he pledged.
“And it’s because of our veteran guys and their desire to be better that we will.”
With a young quarterback to protect and some good experience in the backfield, Cuzzolino plans to enact a ground-and-pound philosophy on offence.
“We’re going to start off pretty run-heavy,” he revealed.
“With Graeme Anderson at fullback and a healthy Sekina Scheibler at running back, we’re going to come at teams hard with the run,” he vowed.
“We will eventually change things up and balance things out but for now, it will be a heavy dose of power-I and run to set up the play-action pass.”
Scheibler will be looking to bounce back from a difficult season health-wise, which saw him miss most of the year with a foot injury.
“The foot has healed up perfectly,” he noted. “I’ve been hitting the gym and working out hard to be ready for camp.
“There’s lots of skill and size on the is team,” Scheibler added.
“Our motto is ‘All in, all the time’ and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”
As for Meeks, Cuzzolino didn’t bat an eyelash about putting him behind centre in place of graduated starter Brandon Whitecrow.
“I have complete faith in Meeks at quarterback,” he insisted. “He is so passionate about the sport and works really hard in practice every day.
“He’s great with the receivers, not afraid to step up and correct them if they made a mistake, and he takes responsibility for his own mistakes also,” added Cuzzolino.
“He’s really developing well.”
Cuzzolino is pleased with how the rest of his offensive personnel look, as well.
“We have a solid group of receivers, good athletes, and we’re excited about our offensive line,” he enthused.
“They’re young but they’re aggressive and understand how important their role is on this team.
“It’s just important that we get those kids out to practice every day so we can get our timing down,” he reiterated.
The Muskies will run a 3-4 alignment as their base defence, but over the course of the season don’t plan to be a simple book for opposing offences to read.
“We will progress to be able to play multiple fronts and run multiple coverages,” said Cuzzolino.
“We’re going to be pretty vanilla at the start but we plan to mix up coverages, fronts, and have a healthy mix of blitzes,” he noted.
“Our primary goal is to contain the run and limit big plays.”
Special teams, an area many teams don’t get much time to practice before the season gets going, is still up in the air for the Muskies.
“To tell you that truth, we don’t have a place-kicker yet,” Cuzzolino admitted.
“If [Sean] Huziak wants to punt, we will allow it, otherwise we’ll let guys compete,” he explained.
“Downfield coverage is our biggest concern,” he added. “Our big goal on punts is to limit the return to less than 10 yards and kick-offs to less than 10.
“So downfield coverage is hugely important.”
The Muskies’ first home game is slated for Friday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m. versus the Kenora Broncos.
