Separately, they posted a winless season and the fourth-lowest win total in franchise history.Together, the Estevan Elecs high school football team and the SJHL's Estevan Bruins are set to provide for the most intriguing fall on the Estevan sports landscape in many years.The Elecs are a feel-good story, fighting against all odds just to form a team. They did that in 2009, bringing football back to Estevan Comprehensive School for the first time in 36 years.At the time, that was victory enough and the team's inexperience showed as the Elecs finished winless in seven games.Returning for a second season has arguably proved to be even more of a challenge, but that will only make the reward that much sweeter.With the majority of the roster entering their second and third years of football, a historic win (maybe two?) is definitely on the radar.The Bruins too are full of promise, though it's not hard to understand the skepticism surrounding the club.After all, the team's pre-season promises have been coming up empty for the better part of a decade. No SJHL team has won fewer regular season games or playoff series since September 1999.Yet in spite of the Bruins' 18-win finish in 2009-10, a refusal (so far) to upgrade an average defence corps, and the club's widely-panned decision to bring head coach/general manager Karry Biette back for a sixth season, the Bruins could be poised to make some racket in the south.The malcontents in the locker room are gone.A starting goalie is in place.And, on paper, the firepower up front won't be rivaled by anyone. Barring injury, there is no reason Kyle Johnson, Dylan Smith, and Ben Findlay should not be among the league's leading scorers at year's end.At stake is Biette's job.The Bruins' executive acknowledged as much at the press conference to announce his new contract. (It wasn't the first time, but this time you get the impression they are serious.)One way or another, a new chapter has finally reached the Estevan Bruins. Either they start winning, or they start looking for a new coach.If you have not yet received your free copy of Slander For Dummies from the Brad Brown Fan Club, please call 634-2654 or e-mail sports@estevanmercury.ca. Call in the next 20 minutes and Brad reckons he'll double your order, mhm.
