The Strathmore Spartans had a jamboree last Saturday, which is a chance for several teams to come together and compete. With the exception of no special teams, Head Coach Danny Warrack explained “It’s basically as close to a real game as you can get without being in one.” Facing off against Drumheller, WH Croxford from Airdrie, and Claresholm, this was the first game experience many of the new grade 10 Spartans had, and Warrack was impressed with their performance.
“They held their own pretty good for the most part, I thought they got stronger as the games went on, obviously they’re probably a little nervous the first game being out there, which is understandable, but they held their own and did ok,” he said.
Regarding returning players, Warrack emphasized for these players that they had to take the offseason seriously and train hard to get where they want to be. In their first game action since last season’s incredible run, Warrack saw that the players took his message to heart, as the team looked stronger than before despite having to shake off some rust initially.
“I thought they looked really good, they’ve definitely improved since last year. On offense they were crisp, they played fast, they did a good job blocking, and then on defense, they were their usual selves, lots of pressure on the quarterbacks, linebackers did a good job cleaning up the run game and whatnot. The returning players all definitely took a step forward.”
Seeing the returning players train hard during the offseason is great for Warrack and the team, as it comes with the obvious benefit of having stronger players but also goes a long way toward building a consistent winning culture.
“We’re pretty excited about this year, got eight weeks to continue to work to get better. Some of the young guys, they kind of understand now where they need to be.
The Spartans will continue to train and work hard before their first official practice on August 16, and their first game on August 26.
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