Beginning tomorrow, the pedal will be slammed to the metal as the high school football season kicks off with two games.
Eight teams overall will take to the gridirons across Greater Sudbury over the next two months as they hunt for the city crown and bragging rights. (Younger kids in elementary school also supply buzz by playing in the Joe MacDonald Youth Football League during the two months as well.)
It's a great time of the year since it really shows how
vibrant and deep Sudbury's football scene is.
And it's needed right now.
This past summer was full of forgettable football follies.
There was the Sudbury Spartans franchise, the local senior
squad, who were forced to take a one year absence from the
Northern Football Conference due to poor practice attendance.
It ended a 53-year history, but the team has since rebounded
with a new executive and vision for 2008.
Then there were the Sudbury Northerners senior and junior
teams. They combined for just two wins in 2007 and there were
plenty of headaches off the field with low player turn out and
fee issues.
The high school league kicks off with plenty of optimism for
many of the teams. Low player numbers hasn't plagued any squad
as many of them are seeing between 40 and 50 kids out for
practices who are eager and willing.
The league did lose Sudbury Secondary, but gained Lively.
It's been 17 years since Lively had a team, but they're back now and ready to prove they belong in the league and can be competitive against any team.
It will be tough for the new team as the other seven squads
are stacked and solid as concrete.
The league was blessed with many young stars last season who
stepped up and took control of games. Many of these stars have
returned and are intent on helping their respective clubs win
the city title.
There are numerous prolific offensive talents who will shine this season.
The race to become the rushing leader will be fierce.
The league's top rusher and co-offensive MVP from 2006,
Confederation's Mike Switzer, is back and looking to stomp his
way into the end zone over and over again. He led with 677
yards, averaging 9.2 yards-per-rush (YPR).  
So too are the league's second and third best rushers -
Lockerby's Adam Legault and Lo-Ellen's Kyle Cooper. Legault ran
for 591 yards, while Cooper rumbled for 578 yards.
A dark horse candidate for this year's top rusher will be Lasalle's Graham MacRae. He played on a losing team, yet still managed to rush for 344 yards on 27 carries. He averaged 12.7 YPR, which was the highest mark in the league.
He will be handed the ball non-stop.
The league also welcomes back top receivers such as Confederation's Matt Mott and John Beeson, Lockerby's Pat Truskoski and Lo-Ellen's Jordyn Andric. Mott led in 2006 with 381 yards.
Watch out for Truskoski and Andric. These two guys have the two top returning quarterbacks throwing them the ball. Big years from both are all but guaranteed.
The two quarterbacks I'm talking about are Brett Walter (Lo-Ellen) and Chris Sampson (Lockerby). Combined, these two pivots threw for over 1,300 yards.
These offensive weapons can eat up defensives and will be worth missing your wedding for when they go head-to-head.
Another reason which makes the local league compelling are
the coaching staffs. Every team has strong football leadership
on the coaching staff and deep knowledge. The coaches have
experience in professional, university, senior and high school
football. They're competitive men and it reflects in their
teams and the wild action on the fields.
Last year was an amazing season of football. It was highlighted
with St. Benedict winning their first ever city football
championship banner by beating Lo-Ellen. The image of hundreds
of St. Benedict fans pouring onto the field to celebrate the
big win was something right out of a movie.
Cheering, screaming, tears, hugging, laughing and flashes from cameras engulfed the scene.
I expect the end of the local season to have just as much excitement and intrigue.
Much to the chagrin of local fans, St. Benedict moved onto to play in the NOSSA final game and was blown out 73-0 by the St. Mary's Knights of Sault Ste. Marie.
This year, the NOSSA semi final game will be hosted in Sudbury, pitting a local squad against the beast that comes out of Sault Ste. Marie. The Lock City has totally dominated the Nickel City in recent memory when it comes to high school football. It hasn't been close.
It will be interesting to see if home field advantage plays
a role in turning the tide against the Soo squads.
Here's a couple of key games in the first two weeks fans should
mark on their calendars.
Tomorrow, Confederation hosts Lo-Ellen at 7:30 pm in a battle of two of the most offensive-minded teams in the loop. Fans can see Switzer, Mott, Walter, Cooper and Andric all in one crazy show. This is one not to miss.
On Friday, Lively hosts Lockerby at 7:30 pm. This is the first game for Lively in 17 years. It could be a rout, but who knows?
On Friday, Sept. 21 Lo-Ellen clashes with St. Benedict in a rematch from last year's championship final. It's also the first time Lo-Ellen has hosted a game at their school in over four seasons. (They had problems with the sod on the field.) The school spirit, for both clubs, should make for an electrifying environment.
