Everything – especially the football – is bigger in Texas.
Members of the Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football Association teams have been practicing with the South Selects and will be playing in Texas in February. Those players have been trying to raise money for their Pigskin Classic Tournament trip to San Antonio for three provincial teams, joining up in Moose Jaw for training every couple of weeks.
“It’s a whole other level of football,” said James Knibbs, a defensive end playing U14 football in this tournament.
“I’ve only ever played bantam football, so going straight to this calibre and level of football is kind of a jump and I am finding it challenging,” said Parker Lavoie, a 16U offensive lineman. “In the end, it’s going to be a great experience going on to the high school level and continuing in football.”
The players are working to play 11-man football. The defensive linemen don’t have to give the offence a yard off the ball, meaning the game is a whole lot faster as a lineman.
“Me, playing bantam, I’ve had that yard and in bantam I was a big fish in a small pond,” Lavoie said. “At this level, the guys are faster…. And I’m one of the smallest guys on the offensive line. I do have trouble with the speed.”
Coach Matt Sheridan, a former Canadian Football League player, is with the team and has told them that technique can beat speed and Lavoie is trying to take this to heart.
This is Knibbs’ second year with Selects and next year he intends to take his experience into the high school level with the Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs.
“Size, athleticism, we have that in the high school,” Knibbs said. “It’s technique. The new drills and hand movements, getting past the offensive linemen… (It’s) a new way of thinking of how to get past people, how to run the ball up the gut, it’s just a whole another level.”
Chayton Fornwald, a 12U defensive back, has enjoyed the camp experience so far.
“I’m one of the smaller kids, but it’s a lot of good hits and clean hits,” Fornwald said. “The intensity level is pretty high.” That includes conditioning drills, which are more intense than what he’s experienced so far.
The adjustment is tough for some of the kids who haven’t had the experience of even watching 11-man American football that much but they are excited to be going to Texas.
“We learn different plays and we’re still trying to work as a team,” said Hayden Borhot, a 12U defensive back.
“It’s way more intense than Estevan,” said Lucas Rooks, a 12U wide receiver/slotback. “It took me awhile to get used to it.”
The tournament goes Feb. 24-25 in San Antonio. But the team will be there Feb. 20-26.
