With the Muskie spring football camp wrapping up tonight at Westfort, the coaches have come away feeling the team will be much younger–and less experienced–than in past seasons.
But even though several players in key positions will be gone due to graduation, head coach Bob Swing was impressed by the number of players who turned out for the spring camp.
About 45 kids came out for the ‘A’ (senior varsity) and ‘B’ (junior varsity) practices, and Swing said there’s another 10 or 12 who weren’t able to make it due to other commitments.
Because the team is younger than in past years, Swing said more emphasis was placed on teaching proper techniques through a variety of drills.
This was the first spring camp under the new system that will see Swing and his coaching staff take over both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ programs. Rob Tysz, head coach of the “Bees” last year, will be at the reins of the new ‘C’ team this fall.
It will feature players from grades seven and eight.
Swing said the new system will give certain players the chance to play on both teams if they aren’t quite ready to make the full jump to the ‘A’ squad.
While not everyone will be able to make the trip to away games, every single one from both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams will dress for those here at home.
And that definitely will help in player development, said Swing, because players will be able to participate in more plays and will have the chance to go up against some top-level talent.
The Muskie ‘A’ team will play a six-game regular-season schedule against Kenora and Dryden, plus an additional four exhibition games (three against teams from Minnesota and one from Winnipeg).
The “Bees” will play a six-game exhibition schedule against teams from Minnesota.
The ‘C’ team’s schedule has yet to be announced but they’ll stage their spring camp June 5-6 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Westfort.