This past Thursday, September 5th, Churchbridge Public School was the host of a senior football game held under the lights. The Senior Warriors played the Broadview Bandits at the alternative location as the field at Esterhazy High School is still under repair.
Coach Metz wanted to stress that Good Spirit School Division and the local contractor Norenda Construction are doing everything in their power to make the field happen on time. All groups involved with the EHS field renovations are making agreed on deadlines, but issues with water from the recent weather caused the dirt underneath the turf to become soft. If the teams played on it, the action would cause low and high spots that would never go away. After discussions with all groups involved, the decision was made to move the game to Churchbridge.
A decision to move a football game is more than a simple arrangement through email or by a phone call. The field at CPS did not have lights to host the game at the scheduled 7pm time slot. Some might suggest moving the game to an earlier time. This was not possible as referees were already scheduled and it was not possible to re-arrange everyone’s schedule.
Since the time could not be moved, the lights would be brought to Churchbridge.
Lights were brought by United Rentals, Norenda Construction and Yellowhead Traders. CPS set up a concession, organized by Shauna Wirl to help offset the costs of high school sport registrations. Coaches and parents hauled equipment from Esterhazy with an excited outlook and positive attitude. Broadview was very understanding and were willing to travel the extra distance to Churchbridge versus the scheduled location of EHS. Skills Carpentry gave a hand with the transportation of the lights and SaskPro halted a lot of their business in order to facilitate the event. Audio equipment was even provided and Joel Blair’s familiar voice was able to describe the game details for the crowd. Talk about a team effort from local people to make this home game possible!
The Warriors made many improvements from their exhibition the previous week. Exhibition week was filled with distractions including field repair and making a seperate practice field. The team has many new players learning from fundamentals from scratch. The veterans have taken the initiative to teach the new players about Warrior culture and football fundamentals. The Coaches have been phenomenal rolling with the punches and making things work.
The players came out pumped up to play the first ever game “under the lights” in Churchbridge. According to some of the parents, there had only been one senior game held in Churchbridge previously.
After the whistle blew for the opening kickoff, the teams were off to battle. Throughout the first half the Warriors battled hard, focusing on blocking and timing on offence. The defence focused on creating pressure as “owning the line of scrimmage”. Things the team worked on translated into the game and now they face new challenges which they’ll look to overcome before the next game.
According to the coaches, a big focus they will have to work on is handling the excitement of a football game and managing that excitement. Undisciplined penalties were an issue from players who knew better; the coach admitted playing at such an intense level can make it difficult for players to handle their emotions. Since it was the first regular season game for many players, they will look to use this experience to settle down for next week.
All in all, the Thursday night football game under the lights was a huge success. From the young football fans playing their own mini-game next to the new CPS playground, to the supportive crowd who cheered throughout the game, everyone seemed to highly enjoy themselves. The game in Churchbridge “under the lights” will be remembered and the effort it took to make the game a reality will not be forgotten.
Fall Camp Notes from Coach Metz
The fall camp was a success for both Junior and Senior programs. The Juniors have a record number of players while the Seniors are above average in that category. There is a lot of positivity surrounding both teams and the Coaches and Volunteers are excited to see both programs coming together. Please see the schedules and see if you can get a crew together and come out and cheer on your Warrior Football team! The new field is taking shape and we are hoping to play a majority of our home games there(stay tuned for details).
Further details regarding our team are on our website www.esterhazywarriors.ca
Thanks to the Communities involved, as well as Player & Parents for their commitment… Also a huge thanks to Esterhazy, Langenburg, Churchbridge and Stockholm Schools and their Staff for their continued support!
O Pictures of the game and the amazing fans who supported it. (Comments to follow)
MR. MC: Joel Blair announces the game details for the crowd. Mr. Blair also provided a wide range of upbeat songs for the players and fans in between stoppages in the game.
FUTURE WARRIORS: Tishen Ebern, Alex Chomos, Cohen Lambie, Carson Wowchuk, Jayden Ronn, Andrew Werle, and other future football players scrimmage a bit near the new playground at CPS.
HUT, HUT: Fans turned out from all around the area to see the Senior Warriors play the Broadview Bandits.
CONCESSIONS FOR A FEE: Melanie Ricketson & Shauna Wirl work the concession stand to help off-set the fees associated with high school sports.
MEET THEM HALFWAY: Coach Metz meets the players on the field to congratulate them after a great series.
REFEREES ARE A TEAM TOO: The team of referees go over some notes during a break in the game. Getting on the same page with others in the officiating crew is vital for good reffing; this crew was on the same page and called an even game.
HALF-TIME STRATEGY: The Warrior coaches discuss their game plan at halftime.
HALF-TIME HUDDLE: The Warriors gather in the endzone at half-time to go over what went right and what they have to work on before the start of the second half.
KEEPIN’ EM’ HYDRATED: Chase Z, Damien H, and Josh Blair