The Drumheller senior Titans were busy practicing at the Drumheller Valley Secondary School field late last week in preparation for their trip to Hawaii. The Titans left on Sunday, August 18, and have a few days to relax and tour Hawaii. On Friday the Titans face the St. Francis Saints in Honolulu using American rules.
The Drumheller senior Titans are enjoying the fun and sun of Hawaii this week.
The team left for Hawaii on Sunday, August 18, for a week long stay in which they will play against an American team.
However, the two year provincial champions will have to adapt to American rules when they play against the host team, the St. Francis Saints.
“They have a smaller field, which is 20 yards shorter and 10 yards thinner. The end zone is smaller and the uprights are at the end. We play three downs and they play four. There are a lot of differences, even the special teams are different,” said head coach Ken Fournier. “The learning curve isn’t too bad, it’s mostly just the little things.”
The Titans offense uses an American system, which helped the Titans adapt.
“Our base offense we ran for the past couple years, the double wing, is actually an American system, so it’s natural for us to play a team from down there. There are a few things we are going to have to adapt to. We lose one player, who we use in an effective way in the rest of our games, like doing an extra block. Most of our guys are able to adapt quick enough, so we should be fine,” said coach Ryan Hatch.
The players are also feeling confident.
“It’s pretty sweet to play with all my friends and play against an American team,” said quarterback Spencer Fournier. “It should be pretty simple for us to adapt. I played in the Alberta Bowl over the summer and that had four downs.”
While there, the team will do some sightseeing, including visiting Pearl Harbor, attend a luau, and relax on the beach. However, there are practices each day.
“It’s a pretty neat format. They keep us pretty busy while we’re there. We practice for two hours each day, then we go out and do something. There are a lot of cool things the kids will get to experience, some for the first time and maybe the last,” said Hatch.
The Titans practiced at the Drumheller Valley Secondary School field late last week to get ready.
After the game, the Titans and Saints return to Drumheller and play the second game at the DVSS field on August 31. The second game will be Canadian rules.
