The St. Albert Storm are forecasting a fast start this year in spring league football.
The six-team tier I round-robin schedule kicks off the second week of April, but unlike previous years there are no playoffs in the Capital District Minor Football Association’s midget division.
“There is no time to get off to a slow start,” said head coach Chad Hill, prior to the start of the Storm’s first practice Wednesday at the Karl Weidle Indoor Centre. “This year the best record wins it all. We’re telling the kids it’s a tournament and if you run the table, you’re the champ.”
About 60 players in Grades 9, 10 and 11 are trying out for 45 spots. Teams can carry a maximum of 25 Grade 11s and a minimum of 10 Grade 9s.
“We did a scouting combine [Tuesday] night and there are some very good athletes here right now. As long as that translates onto the football field, we’re looking good,” said Hill, who coached the Storm to a tier II championship last year. “We’re a little bit bigger on the line this year compared to last year. We’re also pretty stacked at the skill positions this year. There is only one football to go around but we’ve got some playmakers and we can spread the ball out to a number of guys.”
Last year’s overall 4-2-1 record surpassed the Storm’s 3-4 showing in 2009 as tier III champions.
After a shaky start, the Storm regrouped to win their last four games in 2010, including two shutouts in a row prior to the final to place fourth out of seven teams in the regular season.
In the tier II final between the third and fourth teams in the tier I standings, the Storm prevailed 29-22 in the overtime shootout against the Edmonton Chargers.
The Storm finished the season with only 23 players on the bench.
“Last year we ran into some injuries. We got off to a bit of a slow start and then the young guys got their confidence level up and we finished very strong,” Hill said. “There is no time this season to just finish strong. We need to be strong right out of the gates.”
Player representation includes graduating bantams from the Fury and 49ers, as well as players from the Bellerose Bulldogs, St. Albert Skyhawks and the new Paul Kane Blues football team
“This year, more so than ever, the whole fact that players from all the schools get to play together is probably more significant now than before. We mentioned to the boys [Tuesday] night that this is a pretty special opportunity they have, especially for these kids that are in Grade 11 right now because this is their last time to be all together and that means something to them,” said Hill, the Bellerose junior coach since 2005 and the senior Bulldogs’ field general since 2008. “Coach [Sam] Johnson is out here from St. Albert High and coach [Steve] Day from PK will be joining us as well so we’ve got representation from all the schools and I think that is important for spring league as well.”
This is the Storm’s sixth year playing football in the spring.
“You hear a lot of complaints from different high schools about spring league but in St. Albert we’re approaching it in the right way. This is not about having a high school team and a high school program running an extra season in the spring. This is about having players and coaches from all over the area come together. We learn from each other, we have a lot of fun and we develop.”
Leading up to the season opener for the Storm is the April 2 jamboree.
