New words are entering the vocabulary of students and parents in the community of Watson this fall.
These words are all about football as Watson School is home to a brand-new football team this year, the Lakeside Bombers, which includes students from Watson, Quill Lake, and Rose Valley schools.
According to Lindsay Perry, school principal and coach/manager of the team, this is the first time ever that Watson has fielded a football team.
"Some kids were interested and there was a push from some community members who were interested in coaching, so last spring when they said they would coach, we started organizing a team," Perry explained.
The team, which plays in the Six-Man football league in Conference 1, includes 12 players from Watson, four from Quill Lake, and two from Rose Valley, he noted. All are in Grades 9-12.
Watson will be playing against teams from Porcupine Plain, Preeceville, Hudson Bay, and Canora in their conference.
Quill Lake has had a football team in the past, but it folded eight or 10 years ago, Perry said. But the school kept the equipment, so that's what the team is using.
"That really helped, that we did not have to go out and buy new equipment," Perry stated.
The team started practising two weeks ago, before school started. They took to the field every night, Monday to Friday, to get ready for their first game on September 7, Perry said.
"The kids are excited," he said. "We had a few missing when we started practices, but since school started, they've all been showing up every night."
The practices have been going well, Perry noted, with much of the focus on the fundamentals of the game.
"Most of the players have never played a game of football before, so we've been focusing on technique, like how to tackle," Perry explained. "We've also been deciding who is playing what position."
As the year goes on, Perry expects the team to get better and move into more complex plays, but right now the fundamentals take precedent.
"Realistically, it will take us a couple of years before we are really competitive," he admitted. "We hope to keep the games close and maybe win one."
Watson is the only new team in the league, while Canora had been playing nine-man football, but dropped to six-man this year, Perry said.
Watson's next home game is on October 8 against Porcupine Plain.
