And now, they wait.
After working hard on the gridiron for most of May, the Edwin Parr Composite Pacers football team will now hand in their helmets and cleats for the summer.
The team’s annual spring camp came to a conclusion last Friday when they hit the field for an inter-squad scrimmage. Teammates faced off against each other as the offense tried to pick apart the defense, and vice versa.
It was one last opportunity to gain some experience and learn the ins and outs of the game before the team takes a mandated break for the summer. The real season will resume in early September.
When considering the spring camp, Pacers head coach Pete Burden was generally pleased with the progress his players had made, even if there weren’t as many of those players as he would like.
“We started with lots, but some of them don’t seem to last. We’ll definitely need more bodies in the fall,” said the coach. He did note, however, that some players that will very likely suit up in the fall couldn’t take part in spring camp due to other committments.
Still, he’d like to see the program become more popular. This fall, anyone in grade nine and over can play, while grade eight students can only practice with the team.
As for the collection of Pacers that were put to the test this spring, Burden sees plenty of potential in the group, even if they still have a lot to learn.
“I think we have a chance to be competitive (this season). Improving as the season goes on is our goal. We should get better with every game,” he said.
And that includes inter-squad scrimmages.
“We had some positive stuff on both sides of the ball,” he said of Friday’s workout. “It was a good test for everyone. I think they gained some confidence to make some plays.”
It will be a long summer without football for the Pacers. Though they can’t practice as a team, Burden hopes his athletes will keep in shape and keep trying to learn the game.
“I hope they’ll at least watch some football, and not just watch the game but watch their position. That’s how you understand the bigger picture of the game.”
