NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat High Hawk Cole Ricken (in blue #77) covers his man in day two of practices ahead of Friday's CFC prospect game in Ottawa.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Cole Ricken is excited to perform on the big stage this week.
The Grade 11 student from Hat High is one of 70 football players taking part in the Canada Football Chat top prospects game Friday at TD Stadium in Ottawa. The game is broadcasted on TSN the following Monday and Ricken said he’s not only excited, but he’s honoured to be the first athlete from Medicine Hat to compete at that game.
“It’s just an honour,” Ricken said. “I know my team’s behind me and representing Hat High and Medicine Hat.”
The prospect game Friday is the first since 2019 due to a two-year COVID-19 hiatus. Ricken said he tried out in March with low expectations of being one of the 70 kids to play on the big stage. When he found out via a late night email, Ricken said he was surprised and raced to wake up and tell his parents.
“I had just gotten out of the shower and was checking my email like I always do,” Ricken said. “There was one important email that was like, ‘congratulations you made the CFC and I was not expecting to make this team, I was just going for the combine.”
Ricken’s dad Monty said he was more receptive than his wife to the late-night wakeup. He said they are both proud of what Ricken has been able to do early in his football career.
“We were watching Cole enter high school during COVID years where they were lucky enough to have a little bit of a season, but it was still a fraction of the season. And then everything being on and off and open and closed. It’s just, it’s been stressful,” Monty Ricken said. “Now to see all of this success happen, this year has been overwhelming. The whole family has been so busy at different types of trials and different games and the recognition he’s getting, it’s just, it’s surreal. I’m so proud of this kid, the realization that he’s going to be playing past high school, it’s just so gratifying to know all this work went into developing his skills in this sport and it’s paying off.”
Ricken told the News his son had been offered a scholarship from the University of Alberta ahead of his Grade 12 season at Hat High. He can’t accept any offers until September but said the recognition shows why hard work is important.
“It just shows how much someone can improve in a year and if you believe you can do it, you can do it. Just put in the hard work and anything can happen,” Ricken said.
His approach on the defensive side of the ball as a corner safety for Friday’s prospect game is a simple one that reflects a lot of confidence in his abilities.
“There’s going to be no catches on the offence is what I am thinking,” Ricken said.
That confidence he says is learned from those he looks up to like his coaches and his dad. It’s also what has helped him play on higher level teams such as the Alberta Selects and try out for the Alberta U18 team. Ricken said he will learn if he made the province’s team Friday, in which case he will play in the Canada Cup hosted in Kelowna the second week of July.
Ricken said he enjoyed the challenge of the tryouts leading up to the prospect game and was humbled during the 40 yard dash combine. He finished second by 0.1 seconds and called it a wakeup call.
The 70 kids in attendance had five practices ahead of Friday’s game to get to know one another and develop some chemistry. Ricken said getting to know other top football talent was one of the things he was excited for.
“I love making friends on all these like different teams and tryouts. I’m going to be getting to know people, getting to know coaches, it’s really great.”
