After getting a taste the Knights are hungry for the full meal deal.
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights open the 2019 high school football campaign this week reinvigorated and looking to build off its run to the provincial final last season.
“I think it’s already shown, they’re very hungry to get back to that point,” said Knights head coach Matt Hassett. “The first day we had 46 guys, I’ve never had that many guys, usually you’re missing some guys until school starts.
“It really started on the field last year with a few players saying ‘we’re getting back here and it’s going to be a different result.’”
The appetite for the gridiron was felt at spring camp with 60 participants and about 56 on the current roster.
The Knights got into game action with a scrimmage in Cardston versus the Cougars on Aug. 24.
“On the seniors' side it went really well,” Hassett said. “It was a close battle. (The Cougars) are always really athletic and talented and we’re doing some different and new things this year so some guys made mistakes, but nothing that can’t be fixed.
“That’s why we do the scrimmage first so we find those mistakes and fix them before we get into a real game.”
On defence there is a fair bit of turnover, but also a number of key returnees.
The linebacking corps is led by Grade 12 Alex Leggett, flanked by Grade 11 standouts Michael Peloso and Jack Dutton. The latter two suited up for Team Alberta at the Canada Cup last month.
“We lost a few seniors, but there are guys that kind of learned under them that are going to step up,” the coach said. “Probably the strength is the linebackers with our returning Grade 12s, with Alex Leggett at middle anchoring the defence.”
The offence will look pretty similar to last year and that’s a promising proposition for HTA.
The two-pronged quarterback attack of Ben Leggett and Noah Gutek are back behind centre as seniors.
“It worked pretty well last year,” Hassett said of the dynamic duo. “When somebody wasn’t quite on, the other guy was. We’re really talented with Ben and Noah at quarterback and a lot of times whoever is not at quarterback will be at slot.”
Whichever quarterback is in the backfield, they have an array of options with a deep receiving core led by the likes of Nick Dielissen, Loghan Kenyon and the Gutek twins, Grade 10s Jack and Luke.
“We’ve got a lot of riches at receiver,” the coach added.
The ground game will likely be a running back by committee approach with Brad Lojstrup, Vince Barcelos, Sawyer Quinlan and freshman Gabriel Marquardt expected to split time carrying the ball.
The home and season opener with Catholic Central coincides with the first day of school at HTA on Aug. 29 with kick-off at 7 p.m.
It’s a rematch of the provincial quarterfinal from last fall which the Knights took by a 17-10 score.
“It’s a lot about what we preach, get better every day,” Hassett said. “Don’t worry about our opponent, it doesn’t matter what they do, it matters what we do and how we execute.
“If we do that we’re going to be just fine.”
