ESTEVAN — The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs football team is looking forward to the start of the 2023 season, and they could still use a few more players and coaches.
The Elecs were scheduled to hand out equipment to players on Tuesday afternoon, and their first practice will be Thursday at the field south of the Estevan Comprehensive School.
Coach Mark Schott said the Elecs have approximately 35 players who have committed to this year's team, including some who will be moving up from Brandt Truck & Trailer Estevan Minor Football. They also have 26 or 27 players who are expected to return from last year's team, a number that Schott said is quite high.
Only one player from last year's team was in Grade 12. After a couple of years of young teams, the Elecs boast a large contingent of Grade 11s and 12s.
"Coming right out of COVID, most of our players were right in that Grade 9 and 10 age group," said Schott. "So, then this year, that same group is now Grades 11 and 12. Hopefully, two years of experience at high school football, some physical maturation, having a chance to learn the high school game for the past two years, that will allow them to have some bigger, stronger, faster players on the field, and lead to some more success on the field," said Schott.
He's particularly looking forward to watching the offensive line. The entire line from last year's team is expected to return. Last year the Elecs didn't allow what Schott called a true sack – a loss of yards of a passing play due to pressure rather than a bad snap – until the final game of the season.
"They were phenomenal last year in the passing game," said Schott.
The Elecs' offensive line is big and physical, and Schott hopes that can lead to success passing and running the ball.
ECS will open with a preseason game on Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. at the Dana Quewezance Memorial Field at Woodlawn Athletic Park, when they will host Regina Archbishop M.C. O'Neill High School.
Their first regular season game is Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. against the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles, also at Woodlawn.
Schott said the Elecs are always looking for players at all positions. Anyone from Grades 9-12 can join the team. The Elecs will accept players from schools in rural communities in the southeast, and the athletes can be new to football.
As for coaches, they need people to help out on both sides of the ball, and they can reach out to Schott or drop by the practice field if they want to join the staff.
