AUBURN, NS - West Kings is starting to gain momentum as the high school football season begins to unfold.
The Wolverines bested the Avon View Avalanche in Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation high school football action in Auburn on Sept. 23. The 30-6 win improved the Wolverines’ season record to one and two while the Avalanche is still looking for its first win, having suffered three loses to date.
West Kings assistant coach Mark Gordon said the team played really well and it looked like they finally came together in terms of defence. The offence started to move the ball, going north and south instead of running the ball east and west.
“I saw a lot of nice key blocks out there, which we weren’t getting two weeks ago,” Gordon said. “We’ve got so many new kids, I think they’re finally starting to get it.”
He said the team’s biggest problem is that they don’t have a minor football program in the area. They have kids coming in who want to play football but they’re just starting to understand the game by mid-season, which makes things more difficult. However, this year’s team may be getting a better handle on things.
“More guys and girls are actually getting the game, so I think that’s a little bit ahead of where we’ve normally been in the past, so that’s a big positive for us I believe,” Gordon said.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that they want their players to have fun. He likes seeing kids out playing football, getting exercise and enjoying themselves. Winning is one thing but he likes to see the players gaining valuable life skills and a positive attitude through their high school football experience.
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Avon View co-head coach and offensive co-ordinator R.J. Moulton said he sees the team’s play on Sept. 23 as a step in the right direction. He said they have to concentrate on the fundamentals now and get the team together.
“I’m sure you’ve seen today, there are some exceptional athletes on this team and a lot of kids that just really want to play and they’ll go on any role in defence,” Moulton said.
He said the Avon View players have a great football I.Q. They’re very coachable kids and instructions resonate with them. Moulton said they would revisit the fundamentals this week and hopefully be able to turn things around quickly.
The current Avon View roster is young, including several dedicated Grade 9 players. Moulton believes the team will be “stacked” a few years down the road because the coaching staff will have had so much time to invest in player development. He said most of their Grade 12 players are new to the team as well but they’re natural leaders.
The Avon View coaches are working to instill a sense of family among the players so they’ll pick each other up in tough situations and so that they’ll all progress together.
