Cochrane receiver Jack Tocher took his sticky hands to Nova Scotia this weekend to showcase his skills and represent Alberta in the Football Canada Cup.
“Just the environment – it’s on a different level,” said the Cochrane Cobras football player of the elite annual tournament. “It’s really preparing you for university football.”
The Canada Cup is an opportunity for the country’s top youth football players to take the field together, while scores of scouts get a good look at the up and coming gridiron talent.
Throughout the spring, more than 400 youth from across the province tried out for just 110 spots on Team Alberta’s U18 and U17 squads, coached by staff from University of Alberta, University of Calgary and more.
When final selections were made, Tocher was the only player from Cochrane to crack the U18 roster.
This year, the U18 team travelled for the big weekend Wolfville, Nova Scotia, after a mini-camp in Red Deer to get to know each other.
“I played in Okotoks … so I knew a couple of the guys already,” said Tocher. “Everyone just built stronger bonds between us.”
Tocher’s dad, Dan, and brother DJ watched from the stands as Team Alberta won its first game handily against Team Manitoba with a score of 36-10.
“Our practices were very crisp, very fast. Everybody knew what they were doing,” Tocher said. “We just executed really well.”
The second match pitted the provincial team against the reigning Canada Cup champs from Quebec, and while Alberta performed, it wasn’t quite enough to push them to a win.
“We sadly lost that game by one point,” Tocher recalled. “They kicked a field goal in the last 15 seconds of the game to take the lead.”
The final bronze medal game saw the Alberta ballers bested by Team Ontario 34-29.
“We sort of lost focus at halftime,” said Tocher. “We just started to doubt ourselves and we didn’t need to do that.”
In addition to the pressures of playing a higher level of football during the tournament, the youth also came face-to-face with their futures, as scouts from most university teams in Canada kept a close eye on all positions throughout the week.
“They would come to our games and practices – they would talk to us after,” Tocher said. “I think everybody really was just focused on their highlights and what they could do to get noticed by each scout.”
Despite the ups and downs of the team’s games, Tocher said he did his best and learned a ton that he will carry forward into his final season with the Cochrane Cobras when he hits the high school’s training camp next month.
“Just to give 110 per cent effort on every play and don’t give up … it can affect the outcome of the play that’s happening,” said the Grade 12 student, adding he’s anticipating his own future with football after experiencing the thrill of Team Alberta.
“It’s coming more clearly to me every day,” he said. “I’m excited – it’s going to be good.”
