Brock Potratz pictured here in action with the Vikings this season. (Submitted photo/Mark Kotchorek)

By Martin Martinson

5A Football Rushing Leader

Vikings’ Potratz reflects on memorable senior year

Dec 9, 2022 | 5:00 AM

It was a senior year to remember on the gridiron, for North Battleford Comprehensive High School’s Brock Potratz.

A senior standout with the NBCHS Vikings football team, the 17-year-old led the entire SSSAD (Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate) 5A Football League with 89 carries for 796 yards and seven touchdowns.

For context, Potratz’s 89 carries were 34 more than the rest of the field (Mount Royal’s Cain Maton was second with 55), while his 796 yards were a staggering 408 more than second-place Brody Komarnicki of Bishop Mahoney who had 388.

His seven TDs were two more than a three-way tie for second with five by Komarnicki, Bedford Road’s Zamran Faiz, and Marion Graham’s Ben Lang.

Potratz was recognized for his outstanding season at the Vikings Football Awards Banquet, where he was awarded Team MVP. (Submitted photo/Brock Potratz)

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However, while brash and belligerent in his play on the field, when asked about his accomplishments, Potratz is quick to shine a light on the rest of his team’s contributions.

“We had a pretty strong core of senior guys this year, and it starts with the O-line,” Potratz said.

“As a running back, it’s not really just a personal stat line when you’re running the ball. You’ve got five offensive linemen in front of you, so you’re kind of counting on those big guys in front to get a good push. That, and our coaches putting us in positions to succeed week in and week out is the biggest thing.”

Potratz was a big part of what was a strong season for the Vikings. The team finished the regular season 4-2, before ultimately falling to Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman in a heavyweight showdown in the playoffs.

His senior year capped a successful high school football career for Potratz, who won a championship in 2017 with the pewee BMF Bucks, before again topping the mountain with the NBCHS Junior Vikings for a Bantam championship the following year.

That junior championship year was Potratz’s first at running back, a position he would stick with heading into his years with the Vikings’ senior program, in addition to his added versatility also playing a number of other positions in his senior year.

From defensive back and a little bit of linebacker on the defensive side of the ball, to receiver, and his role as a fixture on special teams, there was no shortage of action for #33.

Brock Potratz pictured here in action with the Vikings. (Submitted photos/Mark Kotchorek)

Potratz earned his stripes with the Vikings senior team as a support piece to the team’s attack out of the backfield in his Grade 11 year. It is an experience he credits in part for taking his offseason training to the next level over the summer, in preparation for his increased role on the team this year.

“I think I developed into a stronger and smarter player, and my summer going into Grade 12 I just worked hard and tried to stay in shape as much as I could to get ready for this Grade 12 year,” he said. “It paid off for me as I was more utilized in a lot of different positions.”

While the championships are memories Potratz will always be able to cherish, he said perhaps what stands out most about his time playing high school football are the relationships formed.

“I think just those Thursday nights where you’re in the [locker]-room with the boys at home just getting ready to go out in front of your home crowd,” he said, following a moment of reflection. “I played with these guys a lot of years and we had a lot of road trips too with some great memories.

“You only get to do high school football once, so you just go out there and try to make the most of it every Thursday night.”

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1