Reivers rebuild

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This article was published 24/09/2021 (1564 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the football program at Kildonan-East Collegiate are playing things safe.

“It’s not that we don’t want to get out there,” said veteran head coach Jason Hawkins. “But we want to do it safe, all around. There are so many unknowns.”

KEC and other schools that typically take part in the Winnipeg High School Football League were given the greenlight to resume full practices on Sept. 7. But with 22 of 27 students who signed up to play with the Reivers being new to organized football, Hawkins and his coaching staff, many of whom are also new to the program, decided to focus on developing a contender for 2022.

“I’m usually able to get kids interested in trying football,” Hawkins said. “But trying football and being competitive on the field is a different thing. From my perspective, I was more comfortable just getting kids back at it.”

Get back at it they have. The team, which includes many Grade 9 and 10 players, has been practicing between two and two-and-a-half hours twice a week, working on fundamentals and building confidence.

“The kids have been fantastic,” Hawkins said. “We’re working hard, we’re doing football skills, safe tackle, speed work, drills. They’re just happy to be out there. We just focus on us.”

With only a few Grade 12s on the team, Hawkins has been looking to a healthy crop of Grade 11 players to lead by example.

“It’s been cool in the sense that the players who have come back haven’t been disappointed, they’ve taken on leadership roles, and the new kids are excited to try something new,” Hawkins said. “They’re excited just to be out and doing something together, as a team.”

“Feels good to be with my teammates,” said Gavin Buckmaster,  a Grade 11 player who played receiver in his Grade 9 year with KEC. “It feels good to be practicing and moving again.”

As one of the few veterans on the team, Hawkins noted that Buckmaster is quietly assuming a leadership role with the Reivers.

“He’s stepping to the front,” Hawkins said.  “He’s a quiet kid, but learning how to take charge.”

Taking the developmental approach this season is something Buckmaster sees value in.

“I hope it gets my stamina up, and my speed,” he said. “I want to grow with the team. We’ve got a year to practice. I think we’ll come together and be ready.”

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Josh Gill, a Grade 9 student who last played football with the East Side Eagles in 2019, decided to come out and try high school football this season. As a result, he’s already stepping into a leadership role among the younger players.

“At first I was a little on edge and I’ve gotten used to it,” Gill admitted. 

“Because he’s played football before, he understands the dynamic,” Hawkins added. “He’s starting to step up and be a leader without having to say much.”

Gill believes the year of development will help the players come together and bond, on and off the field.

“I want to make the most of it, get a good season in and build a family,” he said. “I feel like everyone’s been pretty happy to get back into it.”

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112

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