Three Bonnyville football players will be representing the region at the upcoming 2014 Alberta Summer Games after being selected to the Zone 7 bantam football team roster.
Brett Norrie, Dakota Walker and Reid Skrypichayko were among the 36 players who made the cut after participating in the Zone 7 selection camp on May 10, 11 in Lloydminster.
“Brett Norrie is a linebacker and he will fit into our linebacking group very well,” said Zone 7 head coach Darren Pawsey. “Dakota Walker is a runningback/ slot back. He is probably going to be our kick returner. Reid Skrypichayko is a talented athlete. He is very fast. He will be a runningback/slot back for the offense, plus if we need him to go on the defense he can go there. He can play just about any position on the field. We are pretty happy that those guys came and that they made the roster.”
Pawsey was impressed with the vast representation from the region as kids from Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Fort McMurray, Lloydminister, St. Paul, Vegreville, and Vermillion made the roster. Only Lac La Biche is not represented on the team.
“There was good representation from all of the areas in Zone 7, including Fort McMurray,” said Pawsey, who is coaching in the Alberta Summer Games for the first time. “There was a lot of talent at all of the positions so taking a group of 70 kids down to a roster of 36 was pretty tough.”
The team's main training camp will take place in Lloydminster on June 21 and 22. The group will practice again on the weekend of July 19 and 20 before heading to the Summer Games in Airdrie on July 24.
“If we walk into the summer games healthy, with no injuries and everybody is playing like I think they can, then we've got a chance to do something here for the first time in a lot of years. Zone 7 tends to be a weaker zone and I think this year that could all change,” said Pawsey
A couple members of Pawsey's coaching staff have prior experience at the Alberta Summer Games. He said the coaches have already sat down and watched some old game film from previous years to get a gauge on the skill level and what the competition will be like.
The team will be in for a challenge as they are scheduled to play three games in three days with games set for July 25, 26 and 27.
Pawsey isn't worried about getting the team to gel and play well together in time for the tournament, as he says it has already started to happen.
“After our second session on Saturday afternoon it was already happening,” said Pawsey. “You could see it because a lot of these kids play against each other in the Wheatland Bantam Football League so they know of each other and have played against each other.
“From what I saw at our selection camp I don't think we are going to be playing second fiddle to anybody there. I expect some good results.”
