The season record will say 0-7.
What it won’t say is how many players will return to their high-school football programs with more tools in their toolbox.
The Cochrane Lions bowed out of the 2013 Calgary and Area Midget Football Association season with a 35-3 opening-round playoff loss May 15 to Airdrie’s Northern Raiders. As was the case last season, player numbers were a challenge for Cochrane, which was without starting running back Scott Haigh of Bow Valley High (broken finger) and starting offensive lineman Dale Cummings of Cochrane High (sprained thumb) in the May 15 playoff.
“We played a whole season short,” head coach Ed Quillian answered when asked about his player numbers this season. He had enough guys to field a team, including three quarterbacks, but when key starters went down they were tough to replace. “Can’t take away the heart the guys played with. It’s tough. I feel bad for the players because they played 100 per cent all season long. I’m quite happy with them.”
Quillian is losing 10 players (aging-out) and is hopeful he’ll get the replacements he needs to do it all again next season.
“Every one who wants to play and get experience, they need to come out. This is a good opportunity for everyone to get a little better and play some more football.”
Cummings agrees with Quillian’s assessment of Cochrane’s spring-league midget program.
“The spring football league is just unreal,” Cummings asserted. “It just gets you ready for high-school football. It gets you motivated and wanting to win all the time.”
As for where his new players will come from: “Cochrane High, Bow Valley, St. Tim’s, Morley, Canmore,” Quillian said. “Bring them all. We’ll take them.
“It’s a good opportunity for all the players in our area to get better. We’ve got some good coaches here who have a lot of skill to pass on.”
