It seems like milestones are becoming almost a weekly occurrence for the Estevan Elecs football program these days.
The latest came last week when graduating Elec linebacker Michael Bittman was named to the Â鶹´«Ã½AV roster for the 27th annual Ed Henick Senior Bowl.
The game is designed as a showcase of the top graduating high school football players in Saskatchewan from 12-man, nine-man and - in theory - six-man programs.
The Senior Bowl will be played May 23 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
Bittman is the first ECS player ever to be selected for the prestigious contest.
"I'm just really excited to represent Estevan as a linebacker coming from our program, and show them what we've learned in Estevan through our coaching and all our hard work we've put into the football program."
Initial tryouts for the Â鶹´«Ã½AV team were held April 3 at Mosaic, with 80 players being invited to take part in a second, full-contact camp on April 17. The final North and Â鶹´«Ã½AV rosters are comprised of 45 players each.
Elecs defensive linemen Zach Rensby and Kohl Peterson also made it to the second tryout, along with receiver Logan Senchuk, but they were unsuccessful in their bid to play in the game.
"You get two days to show them what you've got and if you don't have a good two days, you don't make the team," Elecs coach Marco Ricci pointed out.
Bittman will anchor the Â鶹´«Ã½AV defence in the middle of the linebacking corps, a role he relishes.
"They saw me as one of the bigger guys who could play in the middle. I like playing middle linebacker and I'm glad they recognized my potential to play the middle."
Ricci added that Bittman has a skill set that allows him to defend against the pass or the run.
"Michael's got size, speed, strength and I think right away the coaches noticed that and those are attributes that have gotten him lots of success in our Moose Jaw league," said the coach.
"The Senior Bowl is the ultimate event held in the summer where the best football players in our province are playing. It's an amazing accomplishment."
After seeing Rensby join the Regina Rams, the Senior Bowl selection is another step forward for Estevan's fledgling football programs, something that isn't lost on Bittman.
"As we were growing up, our coaches would always tell us things that seemed like dreams, and (now) we're making them reality," he said.
"The younger kids who look up to the football program can see that it's actually possible to go to the next level. It's actually possible to play in university leagues and make teams you never thought you could before."
Ricci noted that the events of the past month are "why we believe football is an incredible thing to happen in Estevan."
Meanwhile, Bittman will attend tryouts for the Regina Thunder of the Prairie Football Conference this weekend.
"They're very excited about him," said Ricci, who believes Senchuk also has a good shot at cracking the junior team.
"It'll be exciting if we can have three guys move on to play at the next level."
The Rams have told Bittman he is welcome to try out for them again in future years and he hopes to make the Canadian Interuniversity Sport squad after a year or two of junior football.
