It pays to work hard at practice — you never know who is going to be watching. Who knows, someday that guest coach at a Bantam Eagles football practice might be the head coach of the U-18 Team Alberta which will play in the Canada Cup of Football in London, Ontario in July.
Jordan Rae, a defensive back for the Holy Trinity Academy Knights, was selected by coach Bryan Brandford for Team Alberta after the final camp on May 12.
Ryder Stone, the Knights MVP running back, was selected for Team Alberta for the second-straight year.
Brandford said Rae showed well at the tryouts.
“I wasn’t too surprised that Jordan made it,” Brandford said. “He looked really good at the Team Alberta ID camp early in the year. He has great feet, and great size. He is going to be a great corner in the future.”
He said Rae is similar to former Foothills Falcon Bryn Roy when he was in high school.
Roy was recently drafted by the Montreal Alouettes.
“Jordan has a similar body and hits like Bryn,” Brandford said. “He’s not as big as Bryn yet, but he will get there.”
Brandford had first seen Rae, the Knights rookie of the year, when he was a guest coach with the Bantam Eagles two years ago.
“I saw him a little bit at Bantam and a couple of games with HTA this year,” said Brandford, the president of the Greater Okotoks Football Association. “I knew about him. I was coaching the DB’s at the Team Alberta camp and I saw his movement and athleticism — he stuck out right away.”
He said for Rae to make Team Alberta as a Grade 10 student will help him in the future.
“This will be a great experience for Jordan because he is only a Grade 10 kid,” Brandford said. “Jordan has terrific cover skills and that will allow us to blitz and do some other things because we are so confident in his cover skills.”
He said Rae held his own at the Team Alberta tryouts against some of the best young receivers in Alberta.
Brandford said it is too early to tell whether Rae or Stone will start.
Rae said HTA Knights coach Matt Hassett recommended he tryout for Team Alberta — despite the fact he was only in Grade 10.
“I was really nervous because I got cut for a Calgary Selects team last year,” Rae said.
“But at the first cuts I got some recognition from Brandford for how I played, so I felt I did pretty good.”
He said having a year of high school football under his belt has improved him as a player.
“I was kind of scared to tackle at the start of the year because I was only in Grade 10, but I felt I got more aggressive as the year went on.”
He said the highlight of his year was the chance to play for the Tier II high school provincial championship.
Rae didn’t want to speculate as to how much he will play in London, but it will only make him a better football player.
“It already has because there are so many great coaches and players,” he said.
Stone, a Grade 11 student, is making his second trip to the Football Canada Cup with Team Alberta. He’s hoping to carry the rock more this year.
“I definitely think I will see more action — last year I just went in on goal-line situations,” Stone said.
“I was back-up last year to Kellen Forrest from Cochrane, and he is going to U of C next year. I am looking to get a lot more carries this year.”
Stone said he thinks Team Alberta is even stronger than the one that lost in the Football Canada Cup final last year.
“I definitely think we can win gold this year,” he said.
Brandford wouldn’t comment on Stone’s role, but did admit the Knights’ MVP will carry the pigskin more.
“He is phenomenal — he can catch the ball, run inside and run outside too,” Brandford said. “He is so powerful — he can run through guys.”
Stone also has speed. He was second in the intermediate boys’ 100m at the divisional high school track meet at HTA on May 15.
Brandford said Stone will likely split time with another back.
“They will both see a lot of action and we will determine who we will go to when it comes to crunch time,” said Brandford. “But Ryder will be right there.”
The Canada Cup runs from July 15-21 in London, Ont.
