The future looks bright.
That’s the message delivered by Cochrane Midget Lions head coach Jud Graham in the wake of his team’s 76-1 Calgary Area Midget Football League loss to Prairie Fire (Red Deer) on May 1.
With no wins to show in five regular-season contests, and one to go before their opening-round playoff appearance, Graham is grooming his team pick up its level of play in the postseason. Every CAMFA team receives an automatic berth into the playoffs for at least a game.
The strategy worked last season as Lions entered the postseason winless before claiming a pair of playoff victories.
“When we’re in the Div. 2 playoffs, we’re playing teams that are more evenly matched,” Graham related. “That’ll be important.”
Just as important is the overall health of his team. Starting quarterback Des Catellier dressed for the May 1 loss to Red Deer, seeing duty as the team’s punter/place-kicker. His long punt into Fire’s endzone scored Cochrane its lone point of the contest. Even as a bit player, Catellier’s presence is recognizable.
“I think that’s all we’re going to have, is him kicking,” Graham said of his starting quarterback, who returned from an ankle injury to kick in the May 1 game. “That’s OK. He adds a new dimension to the game we didn’t have before.”
Graham anticipates using Catellier sparingly to the end, opting to protect the lanky Grade 11 offensive threat from further injury risk.
“His ankle is still sore. I don’t want him hurting himself when he has an opportunity to play (Team Alberta) U18s this year,” Graham said.
“He has his senior high school season to think about. He’s in his recruiting cycle.”
Sitting his starting QB allows Graham to continue developing Grade 9 QB Grady Munro, who’s standing up to the pressure of midget ball. With pass protection hit and miss, and a running game struggling to gain ground, Munro is taking a lot of heat in the pocket. But he’s manning up, and the reps are starting to show. He hit some passes in the Red Deer tilt, not the least of which was a nice first-down completion to Kale Starnino.
“By the time he’s (Munro) in Grade 11, he’s going to be scary,” Graham speculated.
Thurs., May 7
Lions vs. Calgary Cowboys
Shouldice Park, Stampeder Field, Calgary, 6:15 p.m. kickoff
