St. Paul’s Crusaders aiming to peak at right time

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This article was published 24/10/2016 (3611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With playoffs just around the corner, the St. Paul’s High School AAA football team is forging a path to Investors Group Field.

At press time and heading into its last regular season game against third-place Oak Park, the Crusaders were undefeated in the Winnipeg High School Football League’s John Potter Division.

Head coach Stacy Dainard said his team has adopted the perspective of not looking too far ahead and approaching each game and practice as an opportunity to get better.

“We remind the guys all the time of how many days left. We’ve made the playoffs, we’ve qualified for quarter-finals but we haven’t qualified for anything beyond that,” Dainard said.

The team, primarily composed of Grade 12 athletes, runs a quick, aggressive defence and is bolstered by an experienced and talented offensive line, Dainard said.

Three starting players from last year’s team returned to the offensive line this season: Wyatt Edmonds, Andrei Mastin, and Kyle Willfer (who’s still only in Grade 11). All three bring great leadership and a desire to be the best, Dainard said.

“Andrei in particular has taken on a real leadership role in the school. He works with a group that’s selected by their peers and teachers to model leadership in the school,” he said.

“It’s a cliche in football, but it’s a cliche I think because it’s true, that games are won and lost in the trenches. So we’re fortunate to have a fair bit of experience there and some talent there. They really help us out.”

On the defensive side, Dainard points to captains Brody Williams and Noah Lalama as two athletes who bring passion and skill to their positions.

Williams, a linebacker, was recently selected by the league as special teams player of the week for his performance against Kelvin High School. In the Crusaders’ 38-0 win, Williams had 5.5 special teams tackles.

Dainard said his players are aiming to reach their full potential and are consistently working to achieve their goals. He expects their efforts will soon pay off.

“We want to be one of the top teams in the Winnipeg High School Football League each year and with these guys that desire is no different. They want to be able to compete with the best and I think they’re capable of doing that,” he said.

The playoff schedule for the John Potter Division was not available at press time. For more information, go to whsfl.ca

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