Wolverines football starts strong

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This article was published 15/10/2021 (1509 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After winning its first two games, the West Kildonan Wolverines football team was feeling good.

“The first two games, from a score standpoint, went really well… and in terms of us growing as a team, I think it’s even better,” said head coach Russell Wallace.

Wallace is entering his sixth year as coach of the Wolverines, and the veteran bench boss said the growth he’s seen in his team since playing exhibition games has been great to see.

After a school year in which the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the entire season, Wallace said the return to football has been promising at West Kildonan Collegiate.

“Things have been going great in terms of our numbers. We’ve had so much interest. We’ve had the most players sign up on our roster since I’ve been here,” Wallace said.

With a roster of 47 kids, the team is fully stocked and ready to focus on sharpening its skills. But with the long layoff, patience is key, Wallace said.

“There’s been no high school football in our province for 22 months, so there was definitely a learning curve. We’re taking things slow,” he said.

Wallace said he has one particular focus in his training.

“My philosophy always revolves around tackling,” he said. “I think to be a good football team in the Winnipeg High School Football League, you have to be good at tackling.”

Good tackling means proper form and “taking the head out of the tackling.” When players lead with their helmets, that’s when people get hurt. That’s why football leagues around North America, all the way up to the professionals, are making a concerted effort to remove that kind of tackling from the game.

Wallace said his team’s greatest strength is its dynamism on offence. It can throw the ball and pick up yards through the air, or it can play an old-fashioned ground-and-pound style by running the football.

As a former running back himself, Wallace said running the ball is particularly important in Winnipeg football. Cold weather can harden the ball and put a kink in the passing game.

“You have to be able to play in all the conditions later on in the season, so I think being able to run the ball gives us the best opportunity,” Wallace said, before adding, perhaps so as not to give away his game plan, “But being able to sprinkle in a little bit of passing is never a bad thing as well.”

While Wallace said his defence doesn’t slouch either, the group still has work to do.

“I think we’re very strong defensively. We have some younger players, so I feel like that’s going to take a little bit more work,” he said. “I think things are going to come together. I look forward to the playoffs.”

At press time, the Wolverines had three more games to go in this year’s five-game regular season before making their bid for a championship.