BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
With the spring thaw going full tilt, the
Sudbury Northerners football club also has the petal to the
metal, gearing up for their third season of Ontario Varsity
Football League (OVFL) action.
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The Northerners are running indoor camps in
the B gym of Sudbury Secondary every Tuesday night from 7 to 9
pm.
Anyone interested in playing can show up and
register for a shot at making the 2005 roster.
Â"There are many roster spots open,Â" said
Mike Davey, Northerners president. Â"We have a team policy that
no one is guaranteed a roster spot.Â"
The club will also hold an outdoor training
camp from April 30 to May 1 at Sudbury Secondary from 10 am to
5 pm each day. The 2005 squad will be selected from this
outdoor camp.
Â"That's the important one because the
coaching staff will be going through all the systems,Â" said
Davey. Â"Our team will be finalized that weekend.Â"
The Northerners will play an exhibition game
in Cambridge on May 15, and the first regular season home game
is slated for May 28 at Queen's Athletic Field against the
Oshawa Hawkeyes.
Davey has assembled a crack team of
experienced and passionate local football men to coach the
Northerners, which he hopes will result in a few victories this
season.
Back for his second term as head coach is
Roger Sauve.
Â"We're happy with Roger and sure he can
do the job,Â" said Davey.
The offensive co-ordinator will be Geoff
Richer, who's also in his second year with the team.
Â"Geoff proved himself in high school, and I
was pleased with the way he ran the offence last year.Â"
Joining Richer on the offensive duties as an
assistant is former Sudbury Spartans great John Larsen.
Â"John comes from the Joe MacDonald Youth
Football League and he has 30 years experience in
football.Â"
Davey himself will also help out with the
offensive chores.
On the defence, Adrian Garbiuo is back for
his third season as defensive co-ordinator.
Â"He can get the job done,Â" said
Davey.
Garbiuo is joined by Kevin White, Ossie
Wilson and former Sudbury Spartans head coach John
McLean.
Â"White is a former Spartan and has more
knowledge about football than anyone in this city. Wilson also
has great experience, as he played in the CFL and university.
McLean brings a wealth of knowledge and will make a huge
difference for us.Â"
The specialty teams will be run by Sauve, who
will be helped by Mike Strickland, John Filo and Mike
Collin.
Â"If you have the right coaches with the
right knowledge, then we can fix all the problems on the
team,Â" said Davey. Â"We have about 200 years of football
experience on our coaching staff.Â"
Despite a winless (0-8) 2004 season,
there's room for optimism.
Â"We are much more organized this year,Â"
said Richer. Â"We're prepared for what awaits us. We have
added a few top quality coaches such as Larsen and White. We
will be competitive. A lot of our core players have been with
the team since they were 16, and now they are 18 and aren't
'babies' of the league any more.Â"
The Northerners are committed to building a
strong program.
Â"The OVFL is a tough league,Â" said Davey.
Â"We have vets coming back with three years experience, and
most of the teams that win in this league are doing it with
third and fourth year players. Everyone wants to play on a
winning team, but you have to build it first. We are built for
the long-term, and want to be the bridge between the Spartans
and high school football.Â"
