The Cochrane High School Cobras took the wraps off their new-look football team June 13 in Okotoks.
Gone are graduating senior quarterback Cody Stevens (Calgary Jr. Colts), receiver Adam Rask (U of Regina Rams), receiver Zach Deagle and lineman Brock Wiebe. But it was business as usual for the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association defending provincial Tier 3 football champs at Holy Trinity High School’s annual spring football jamboree.
It was a chance for Cobras head coach and offensive coordinator Rob McNab to work on some plays, and for the defence to bang some heads in controlled scrimmages against schools from Drumheller, Lethbridge, Edmonton and Okotoks.
“Discover some guys,” McNab said of his goal at the Knights spring jamboree, the last time Cobras suit up until fall camp in August. He knows who his starters are, he’s now looking for younger players to show they’re ready for heavier lifting in the fall.
Missing starting quarterback Tae Gordon (lacrosse), starting lineman Justin Sambu (Team Alberta camp), receiver Zach Rabe (baseball), receiver Evan Perrault (injured) and linebacker/defensive back Cole Avery (injured) at the June 13 jamboree, McNab had plenty of spots available for his taxi squad to strut its stuff. “We know the starters. The issue here is you want to have some success (at the jamboree), at the same time. With the starters off at their different events, it’s been a really tough last two days because they haven’t been practising either. Pretty much makeshift.”
In the first scrimmage against Foothills Falcons of Okotoks, Cobras managed a score on offence and create a couple of turnovers on defence.
With running back/linebacker Ethan Forrest playing quarterback, Grade 10 running back Thomas Campbell got a good look, revealing his breakaway speed on a couple of carries.
“He’s the fastest kid in the division,” McNab insisted. “We’ll coach him up. He has to play this year. And he’s going to play with his speed. We just have to keep going at it.”
To that end, Cobras have enlisted University of Calgary Dinos defensive back and former Cobras multi-sport all-star Kellen Forrest to coach Cochrane High’s running backs.
Defensive co-coordinator Ken Polson, who coaches alongside Bruce O’Neil, likes what he saw in the first scrimmage against Foothills.
“The kids are tackling well for this early. Very good,” Polson said. “The short completions? We can live with that, as long as the kids are making a nice tackle. That’s the big thing.”
At the end of the day, the Holy Trinity Academy Knights spring football jamboree is all about fielding players for some full-contact ball before breaking for summer and returning for the fall season.
“It’s just fun to be out with the kids. We have good kids,” McNab said. “I told them this is football. We’re going to be on your backs about everything because we want you to be better and our goal is to win a provincial championship at the end of November.”
