The true test of greatness is not to just achieve, but replicate that achievement time and time again. That is the challenge for this year’s edition of the Drumheller Titans.
The Bantam and Senior football squads began training this week for the upcoming season. The seniors are coming off their best season ever with a provincial title. Their season opens on Friday, August 31 against Lacombe.
Head coach Ken Fournier said the championship the team earned has inspired his players. He said many have taken up training regimes through the summer and also attended camps to improve their skills. While the team has lost a strong contingent of players as they have graduated, there is some great talent coming up through the ranks.
“We had a big graduating class but we had depth with all the grades,” said Fournier.
The team has decided to continue to play in the Big Sky Conference. This is despite a few teams deciding to look elsewhere to play, leaving only Drumheller, Olds and Canmore in the league to battle. Fournier said with only three teams there will be lots of time for the Titans to schedule exhibition games with teams from other conferences to get a look on how the competition shakes down.
“We talked about it but decided it was best to stay in Big Sky and use our exhibition games to get a feel for other leagues in case of a possible move in the future,” said Fournier.
He adds it wasn’t hard to schedule exhibition games, with many teams wanting to know how they stacked up against the reigning champions. This even includes Bowness from Calgary, Cardston and Brooks.
The Bantam Titans are also coming off their best season ever. This is their third year in the Central Alberta Bantam Football Association, and the change has brought better parity, allowing the Bantams to pay like teams and improve.
Bantam head coach Paul Redmond said he has a good core of players back this season and excitement of their success helps them motivate players to develop. The teams are on the field for practice this week, although it is not too late to get in the action.
Redmond says interested players can go to www.titansfootball.com to learn more and to download a registration form.
