Cage Koch of the JPII Crusaders shares a smile between drills at football practice this week. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Return to the gridiron

Crusaders relishing return of football season

Sep 1, 2022 | 5:31 PM

The start of the football season sits just around the corner for the John Paul II Collegiate (JPII) Crusaders.

The team is now in its second week of practices in preparation for the fall season, in lead up to their first game, Sept. 9 in Delisle.

JPII senior, Caden Fullerton, who will be heavily relied upon this year as both defensive end and offensive lineman, has been a member of the school team since Grade 8 and said he’s looking forward to getting the season going again this year.

“It feels amazing to be back and I’m ready to play some football this year and see how far it takes us,” Fullerton said. “There’s a lot of young guys on the team, so I’m just hoping to grow as a team and hopefully make it all the way.”

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The Crusaders opted out of conference play last year due to the pandemic, playing just a single exhibition game in Unity, otherwise spending the full season dedicated to strictly skill development, through practices, intrasquad scrimmages and added attention towards working on the fundamentals of the game.

Head coach of the Crusaders, Paul Fransoo said heading into this season the team is hungry to get back on the field and play.

“It’s a fresh start,” Fransoo said. “We’ve got a good group of kids here, some we had out last year and in the spring, and lots of them have returned, so we’re not starting at zero but we are starting with a fresh group of guys, and these guys want to play games.”

While it looks to be a largely young team this year with a wealth of Grade 8-10s, the Crusaders do also feature a strong veteran core of returning seniors.

Included in that leadership group is Eric Senger, another senior who has played with the Crusaders since Grade 8, and is expected to be a mainstay on the field again this season, both from his primary running back position, while also holding a prominent role wherever needed on the defensive side of the ball.

Senger said he’s relishing the opportunity ahead to return to competitive gameplay again this year, in his final year of high school football.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how the competition is this year, just because having not played [league] since 2019,” Senger said. “It could be quite a difference, but it’s nice to get back on the field, we have a decent group of guys this year, and coming in as a senior is going to be a lot of fun.”

Quarterback, Adam Vanstone echoed his longtime teammate’s sentiment, as another senior who has been with the team since Grade 8, and who has been awaiting a return to the gridiron for competitive games following the adversity of the last two years with the pandemic.

“We’re looking to have a good year this year after we were rebuilding a bit [though COVID], and now hoping to get back into it again and in the mix,” Vanstone said. “Just to see everyone again is great; it’s been awesome to be back out on the field and I’m just happy to have a season again.”

The Crusaders will play their first game of the season on Sept. 9 at Delisle, with their first home game on Sept. 15 against Martensville.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1