After a great season on the gridiron, the Athabasca Pacers celebrated with a windup dinner last Thursday at Edwin Parr Composite.
The players, coaches, parents and other friends of the team attended the event, which served as one final gathering before bringing the season to an end. Each player received words of thanks and recognition from head coach Pete Burden.
“It’s a good way to finish the year, and to do it on a high note so they’re all looking forward to coming back,” said the coach.
The team lost just two of their games on the way to becoming the Wheatland Football League’s Tier Two champions.
“It was a great success,” said Burden of the season. “Our goal going in was to be the tier two champions and that’s what we did.”
Though most of the Pacers will return for next season, a handful of them are graduating and will not be back. That made the dinner fairly emotional as the graduates said farewell to their teammates, coaches and the football program.
“I’ve been doing this for 11 years, and it doesn’t get any easier to say goodbye to these young men. They come in as young boys and they leave as grown men.”
Burden had nothing but positive things to say about the group of graduates.
“You can’t ask for a guy with a bigger heart, or more of a work ethic. He did a great job on our run game. He’s hampered a bit by his size, but he has the ability to play at the next level.”
“He has really good speed, good hands, and he kicks the ball well.”
“He’s a phenomenal athlete; I’ve never seen anyone in the shape he’s in. In lots of games, he’s only off the field for one or two plays. He keeps going and going.”
“He did a great job this year at middle linebacker. He’s a great competitor. He did a good job as quarterback when we needed to put him in there.”
“He’s very eager. He actually started watching practice in Grade 7. He’s a good receiver and punter. He’s definitely got a good chance of playing at the next level.”
“He was a first-year player for us. He had some good speed.”
“She really caught on and became a good trainer. She bought right into the program. She did a great job and made my job so much easier.”
“He actually played in Grade 8, but he broke his arm and couldn’t play anymore. He came back and helped coach, and did a good job. He knows the game very well.”
The coach also offered thanks to his wife Carol Burden, who mended the equipment and made hand warmers for the team.
The Pacers have a couple more projects this winter including their Festival of Trees and the Moonlight Madness parade. They reconvene in February for indoor workouts at the Multiplex. As well, the coach is putting out the call for volunteers to hope coach next year.
“Working with these kids definitely makes you a better person.”
