Lots of talent; just one team

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/03/2010 (6023 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Recruiting for the University of Manitoba Bisons football team has changed drastically during the time of Brian Dobie, who is heading into his 15th season as the head coach.

Tuesday, Dobie paraded five Winnipeg High School Football League graduates in front of a gaggle of sports writers, who witnessed as each one signed a letter of intent to play at the U of M next year.

Putting their names on the dotted line were: Anthony Coombs, a running/defensive back with the AA champion Sturgeon Heights Huskies; Brett Macfarlane, a running/defensive back with the AA finalist Grant Park Pirates; Kurt Goodrich, a receiver with the A champion West Kildonan Wolverines; Ryan Green, a defensive tackle with the AAA finalist Oak Park Raiders; Dustin Herda, a defensive back/receiver with the Miles Macdonell Buckeyes.

"When I started here in the mid-’90s, I was coaching high school football at the time, but there were only 12-14 teams, and no junior football," explained Dobie. "The only way to survive was to go national in recruiting, which we did in a big way. As that was happening you could see the work that was being done in the WHSFL. High school is up to 33 teams now, and with that has come greater competition, which means the coaches have to step up and work harder, which provides better programming, and the players have to step up. In all sincerity, this is the deepest talent pool I have seen in my 36 years of coaching (high school and university)."

Macfarlane said he was humbled by what Dobie had said about the groundswell of talent of which he was part. He also believes he’ll have his work cut out for him when training camp opens. "I think it will be a task, The difference between high school and university is the guys are bigger, stronger and faster. I think I can make an early impact. I work hard, I do everything I can to be the best player I can be. This is my life. This is what I do, and who I am, so I’ll try my best to make sure I get done what needs to be done."

Both Herda and Goodrich agreed. "I like to see the competitiveness in Manitoba," said Herda, "and it’s exciting to be competing with the best."

"I know it’s going to be a big leap," said Goodrich, "but I’ll do it."

This summer, when 5-10 Coombs steps onto the Bison practice field, he says he’ll be ready. "I’m excited. It’s pretty cool. Since basketball has just finished, I’ve started going to the gym for football training more often."

Green, who said he had offers from all over Canada, had his heart set on playing only for the Bisons. "They have a great program, and they could offer something that nobody else could, which was to play in front of family and friends. That is very important to me."

Now, if only Dobie could recruit someone to plant a shovel into the ground and begin building the proposed new stadium at the U of M campus.

"I’ve got every digit crossed," Dobie said. "I only know what I hear in the media, but you know how optimistic I am. When David Asper says the Bombers and Bisons will be playing here in 2012, I’m a David Asper fan."

allan.besson@freepress.mb.ca