The Sacred Heart Saints have lofty goals for the 2015 SHSAA Nine-man season.
“We’re hoping to finish in first place in the league,” Saints head coach Trent Senger told Yorkton This Week in an interview Monday afternoon. “Our league is split into two groups so we’re 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.”
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. “This will be his fourth year as our middle linebacker and he’s a solid football player. He really improved over the summer,” offered Senger on his veteran linebacker. “We didn’t expect it, but he’s been in Regina working with Fred Perry and he’s really brought his game up so we’re looking at him to be our leader.
“He’ll do his job and he’ll do it well.”
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. “He (Fulawka) is going to be a nice added feature for us for sure,” said Senger, continuing, “He’ll be our strong side defensive back and he’ll give us the depth we really didn’t have before.”
Offensively the Saints will be without last year’s 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. “I 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’ve looked really good so far,” mentioned Senger, before turning his attention to the quarterback position. “We don’t have that one starter, we’re more quarterback by consensus.
“We’ve got Zawatsky who is kind of going to be our guy and Austin Walkington plays quarterback in one of our package sets and we’re hoping to get Grady Hawkins back and he’s got the most experience at the position so hopefully when he gets back he’ll be our guy as well.”
Senger also says that while this year’s 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. “It’s going to be how fast we can bring those two together,” mentioned Senger. “You’ve 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.
“The quicker we can get those two groups together and on the same page the better we’ll be.”
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.