NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
Grade 11 Piercen Meier hauls in a pass from coach Quinn Skelton during a Mohawks football practice at Hat High on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
September is just around the corner, which means another Rangeland Football Conference title defence for the Hat High Mohawks.
Hat High will be sporting a vastly different look from last season with roughly 20 players graduating from the team in the summer, but with just as many newcomers vying for starting roles, head coach Quinn Skelton says he’s feeling confident for the campaign ahead.
“I’m real happy with what’s going on right now,” said Skelton. “The biggest thing right now is everyone out here knows they can earn a starting spot. We’re not concerned with whether they’re in Grade 10, 11 or 12, we want to play the kid who earns his way on and becomes the best guy in that position. We want to make it competitive. Even the young guys coming up know that they’re not riding the bench, they can earn their way on and be a starter.”
The Mohawks return to the gridiron Friday in Lloydminster for an exhibition tilt against the Holy Rosary Raiders before kicking off their push for a sixth consecutive RFC championship on Sept. 6 against the McCoy Colts. The Colts are coming off an exhibition victory over the Chinook Coyotes, but returning running back Piercen Meier says he’s not fazed by their recent success.
“I think we’re going to beat them. That’s it. They’ve got nothing on us,” said Meier. “I think we’re ready to win the RFC championship. We’re always ready, we’re hungry.”
Even with just a few days left before kick-off, Skelton says there are still many positions up for grabs due to such a high amount of turnover in the off-season combined with a crop of around 20 provincial champions joining the team from the bantam Hawks.
“It’s a really great group to work with,” said Skelton, adding Hawks quarterback Brodie Fink is making a strong push for sustained minutes behind centre as a rookie. “The way he’s playing right now, he’s doing a great job as a Grade 10 and we could definitely see him earning a starting spot.”
Tesema Veurink is one of the nearly two dozen incoming Grade 10’s vying for a starting role on the team and says there has definitely been some fierce competition for spots.
“You have to work hard for every position. I think once we get to know the plays more and more we’ll fit,” said Veurink, adding he’s excited to pick up Hat High’s five-year championship streak. “I think we can get it again because if we keep working hard like we have for the last three years I think we’ll get there again. The pressure is on.”
The RFC will be celebrating its 40th season on the gridiron this fall, and Skelton says they’ll mark the occasion with a special alumni game on Oct. 4. Skelton is in his 30th season coaching with Hat High, and he was even a member of the Mohawks when the RFC was formed 40 years ago.
“My Grade 12 year was the first year of Rangeland in 1980,” said Skelton. “Back when we had Rangeland going we had Swift Current and Brooks, and the three Medicine Hat teams.”
The RFC will feature a three-game regular season schedule this year with each team – Hat High, McCoy, Crescent Heights and Brooks – facing each other just once before a full playoff campaign. Skelton says the new format will allow teams to schedule more “exhibition games at a level that we all want to pick up” throughout the fall.
“We’re getting four exhibition games against good quality levels of competition,” he said. “Teams can pick who they need to play against, not just play each other.”
