A Bonnyville Bandit has had his hard work recognized by being named part of a national football team.
Local running back Duncan Critch has made Canada’s U16 West All-Star Team.
“It was very surprising because of my age,” Critch recalled. “It surprised me a lot because (Football Canada) told us they were going to make the announcement one day, and then they didn’t... I thought ‘oh, shoot, maybe they messed something up or screwed up some names, they changed what they wanted, maybe I had a chance, or I was taken off the team.’ I was worried about it.”
The day he heard the news, Critch said his mom “was texting me, and calling me like crazy after my lunch at school.”
But he didn’t get the message until he was called down to the office.
“My mom was standing there. I thought I was in trouble, usually when my mom says ‘you need to call me right now,’ I’m in trouble.”
Critch’s mom showed him Football Canada’s announcement confirming he’d made the national team.
Prior to being selected for Canada’s U16, Critch was one of 40 players selected to tryout to be on the provincial team.
They would face-off against teams from from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, and eventually, a select few were chosen to make-up the roster for the all-star team.
“Basically, it’s a compilation of four provinces, and the bantam program is 40,000 kids from across those four provinces,” explained Bandits head coach, Mickey Fagnan. “To be chosen in the top 35 out of 40,000 is quite an accomplishment.”
Having coached Critch since he was 10-years-old, Fagnan knew he wasn’t your average player.
“Every now and then, a player comes along that’s a generational player. In Bonnyville, we’ve had a few of these players come along that stand out right from the beginning. I’ve coached Duncan in the off-season in the gym. He’s extremely passionate about what he does and he’s willing to pay the price to get to the next level.”
While the team won’t be competing on the field as it has in previous years, Critch was honoured to be listed on the roster.
“This year, it’s just a team to be recognized... It’s still a really big honour because, once again, I can make this team next year. I’m still ‘underage’, as they would call it. I was 14 when I made the team (this year), and I can make it again because I’m only going to be 15, and it’s a U16 team,” he noted.
Fagnan said Critch’s leadership, knowledge of the game, and his passion are what make him stand out as a player.
Right now, the all-star is focusing on winning provincials with the Bandits, and working toward his bigger aspirations over time.
“My main goal right now is to get through high school, play high school football, and try to get a scholarship down in the states to go play university football, to possibly make the NFL, or play football here. I just want to go to post secondary-school to play football, and to see if I can get farther into the pro league,” expressed Critch.
During the Alberta Games, a recruiter approached the young athlete about opportunities at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
“It’s surprising because I never thought I’d have a scout this early come up and ask to keep in contact with me,” he detailed.
You can catch Critch on the field with the Bandits at their next home game at Walsh Field.
