The Sacred Heart Saints have lofty goals for the 2015 SHSAA Nine-man season.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to finish in first place in the league,鈥� Saints head coach Trent Senger told Yorkton This Week in an interview Monday afternoon. 鈥淥ur league is split into two groups so we鈥檙e hoping to finish first in our league so we get that first playoff game at home here in the provincial round and I think we have the kids to do it.鈥�
Leading the way for the Saints will be fourth year senior Brody Kormos, who has started at the middle linebacker position for his entire career. 鈥淭his will be his fourth year as our middle linebacker and he鈥檚 a solid football player. He really improved over the summer,鈥� offered Senger on his veteran linebacker. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 expect it, but he鈥檚 been in Regina working with Fred Perry and he鈥檚 really brought his game up so we鈥檙e looking at him to be our leader.
鈥淗e鈥檒l do his job and he鈥檒l do it well.鈥�
Helping Kormos on the defensive side of the ball will be new Sacred Heart recruit Joseph Fulawka, who Sengers expects will keep the opposing teams honest when it comes to the air attack. 鈥淗e (Fulawka) is going to be a nice added feature for us for sure,鈥� said Senger, continuing, 鈥淗e鈥檒l be our strong side defensive back and he鈥檒l give us the depth we really didn鈥檛 have before.鈥�
Offensively the Saints will be without last year鈥檚 starting quarterback Tannum Wyonzek, as well as running backs Caleb Sutter and Christian Flaman, however Senger believes the replacements will be every bit as effective. 鈥淚 really think our two brand new rookie running backs are going to be strong for us. Bode Kormos and Austin Walkington have shown really well in practice and kind of a great surprise for us. Bode is a big, strong runner and Austin is a little lighter and a little quicker. That combination we put together in the spring and they鈥檝e looked really good so far,鈥� mentioned Senger, before turning his attention to the quarterback position. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have that one starter, we鈥檙e more quarterback by consensus.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got Zawatsky who is kind of going to be our guy and Austin Walkington plays quarterback in one of our package sets and we鈥檙e hoping to get Grady Hawkins back and he鈥檚 got the most experience at the position so hopefully when he gets back he鈥檒l be our guy as well.鈥�
Senger also says that while this year鈥檚 Saints team will once again be young, it will also have that veteran presence that has been lacking in recent seasons and that the success of the season will hinge on whether or not the youthful exuberance and veteran stoicism can jell. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be how fast we can bring those two together,鈥� mentioned Senger. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got the youth that just want to get out there and do something and the veterans who are trying to rein them in and do the right thing.
鈥淭he quicker we can get those two groups together and on the same page the better we鈥檒l be.鈥�
According to the SHSAA website, the Sacred Heart Saints kick off their season on Friday with a road game against the Melville Cobras. Their first home game will take place Thursday, September 10, when the Foam Lake Panthers visit Sacred Heart at 4:00p.m.
