Staff
The time to put preparation into practice has arrived.
Gridiron fever is back as the Muskie football team opens its WHSFL season here tomorrow at 3 p.m. against the Tec Voc Hornets.
With the squad hoping to pack its newly-constructed bleachers for the contest, Fort High will look to take advantage of having a bye last week, which gave them extra time to fine tune their game.
“Starting 1-0 is of huge importance,” stressed Muskie head coach Mike Cuzzolino on the eve of his second season at the helm as he looks to improve on last season’s 2-5 record, which left Fort High one win short of the playoffs in the Currie Division (‘A’).
“It helps us build our confidence and set the tone for the season,” he reasoned.
“The boys I coach are incredible,” Cuzzolino added. “I’ve put them through the wringer, pushing them, challenging them to reach higher and push further and dig deeper than they could even think and they’ve responded brilliantly.
“They didn’t quit,” he lauded. “They battled and persevered, and now they are ready to play.
“I’m extremely proud of these boys.”
The spectator area won’t be the only new thing present this football season. The Muskies will sport the school’s revamped logo featuring an ornery-looking musky draped over top of the traditional golden ‘M.’
The fresh take on the Fort High symbol won’t be ready in time for tomorrow’s game, but Cuzzolino was to the point about the change and its meaning to the team.
“New logo, new Muskies,” he said bluntly.
Meanwhile, Tec Voc (0-1) won’t be in the most pleasant of moods after getting dumped 40-14 by the St. Norbert Celtics in their first game last Friday.
Cuzzolino has been proactive in guarding his team against believing the Hornets will be easy pickings.
“We addressed that Tec Voc is going to be better than they were last week,” he remarked.
“We need to stick to our game plan and make sure we play hard all four quarters,” he added.
“We talked about the importance of everyone doing their jobs and being competent with doing their assignments.”
