Giants focused on success, on and off field

Elmwood

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This article was published 09/10/2024 (678 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Elmwood Giants are towering over the opposition so far this high school football season.

Undefeated through the first three weeks of play, the Giants are 4-1 after five games, sitting safely at the top of the North West division in Winnipeg High School Football League AAAA competition.

“We’ve been having a great year,” said longtime head coach John Kiesman. “We got a great group of guys who are doing great work on the field and in the community.”

The Giants got off to a solid start to the season, beating the Garden City Gophers 40-0 on Sept. 6. That was followed by wins over the Miles Macdonell Buckeyes, 40-21 on Sept. 12, and the Maples Marauders, 41-7 on Sept. 20, before they finally fell 33-3 to St. Paul’s on Sept. 28.

While Elmwood and West Kildonan went into their Oct. 3 game with identical 3-1 records, the Giants earned top spot in the division with a commanding 42-0 win and with only two games remaining in the regular season — a match against the defending-champion Dakota Lancers on Oct. 11, then the Sisler Spartans, who were 0-4 at press time, on Oct. 18.

“We’re working on mental and physical toughness,” Kiesman said ahead of the West Kildonan matchup. “What are the three things we do every day? Be present. Don’t hurt the team. Be your best.”

“If you’re a little banged up or not feeling the greatest at times, it’s about working through that and being mentally and physically tough,” said Lochlin Martens, a Grade 12 offensive lineman. “We’re trying to make a decent push here in the second half and, like everyone else, we’re trying to win the championship. We gotta go hard.”

Following the 42-0 win over West K, Elmwood had scored 166 points for and only 61 against, a +105 point differential that was third in the league, trailing only the Dakota Lancers’ +215 and Oak Park Raiders’ +189.

“We have been doing really good running the ball on first downs, getting chunk plays in every time, which really sets up the pass really well,” said Hayden Carriere, the team’s Grade 11 quarterback.

“The mentality (defensively) is to not allow any big plays, always work for that first down,” added Ryan Bride, a Grade 12 linebacker. “If we lose that first down, it kind of sets them up for that second play. Our mindset is hit them hard.”

Both Carriere and Bride played for Team Manitoba at the Alberta Indigenous Games in Edmonton in August. Kiesman noted that among the 40-odd players on Elmwood roster, over 15 different cultures are represented, with about half the Giants being born outside of Canada.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Kiesman said. “We want to encourage more of our students to come out and play. Our numbers have grown over the years. When I started here we had maybe 18, 20 guys playing football. These guys do a great job of being great role models in the building and having the young kids in both the junior high and high school wanting to participate.”

Kiesman recently won Sport Manitoba’s Peter Dick Award for school system coaches, which recognizes coaches who excel in extracurricular sports across all grade levels. According to organizers, Kiesman’s “inclusive approach includes a female flag football program and support for at-risk youth, integrating First Nations teachings into his coaching philosophy. Recognized as the 2021 WHSFL coach of the year, his impact is evident in both the athletic and personal growth of his students.”

“The award is an honour, but the top honour is getting to work with these kids every day,” Kiesman said.

Part of the philosophy Kiesman and his volunteer coaching staff try to instill in the team is the mantra “Be a G.”

“Be a Giant,” Kiesman explained. “Be your best. They’re modelling that everyday.”

“To be a G off the field means attending classes, making sure we’re keeping our grades up,” Carriere said. “It also means making sure that other people in the school and our community are doing the right things, making sure there’s no fights happening, no nothing like that. It also means to, off the field, get in the playbook, watch film if it’s available, and always make sure you’re locked in and ready to go.”

“Work hard and have fun. That’s the most important thing,” Kiesman said. “These guys have done a great job this year. A lot of the success we have is because of the guys in the room taking our message and philosophy and making sure that they’re getting it done.”