Badgers end year with player awards

Justin SewarD
Times Reporter

 

The Strathmore Community Football Association wrapped up their season with the players’ banquet on Friday night, providing a chance for the teams to gather and celebrate their accomplishments.
The Strathmore Badgers peewee team had a lot of players they could turn to all season long with their 42-man roster, which consisted of many new players.
Adam Spiedel, who earned Rookie of the Year, was one of those individuals new to the league.
“It felt good,” said the first-year linebacker and safety. “If I ever play professional football, that’s the award I want to win just because it’s your rising star. In two or three years you’re going to be one of the best in the league. That’s what I figured out it meant. It’s good to have this award.”
The most important thing he learned throughout the season was working hard to keep up with the pace of the game.
Peewee head coach Clinton Bean said Spiedel would ask a lot of questions and wasn’t afraid to put himself in any position. By the end of the season, he added, he wasn’t really worried about it because he was doing his job all the time.
“When we moved him around, if someone got hurt, he was the first guy we grabbed him to put in that situation in that spot,” said Bean.
Second-year bantam Makel Holloway took home the Defensive Lineman of the Year award and was honoured to be recognized by his team. He said he improved greatly in his position this season.
“I feel like I improved a lot,” said Holloway. “Some of the players made me a whole lot better than I was and turned out to be one of the best on the team.”
Holloway’s defensive coordinator coach David Kemps found that Holloway’s game had strong leadership qualities.
“He was a cornerstone and leader at that position,” said Kemps.
“He had good poise during tough parts of the game. He stepped up and made big plays when we needed it. His skill improved every game, every practice.”
Kemps added that Holloway had the effect of making players better around him through his play.
Senior Badgers quarterback Riley Bahan took home team MVP and credits the experience with his teammates for the award.
“I’m honoured,” said Bahan.
“I’ll remember it as a good year, a great experience with all my teammates. I felt good knowing you can be a leader and show support for them.”
Head coach Brad Middlemiss said it was a difficult decision to choose his MVP, but the choice to go with Bahan was because of him being a multi-dimensional player.
“He’s such a quick learner,” said Middlemiss.
“He learned and picked up the position. When we were in a jam, we’d put him in other positions on the field. He’s the first guy to make the tackle and it was just unbelievable. He’s a very good, gifted athlete.”
The other MVP’s were Brayden Langley in peewee, and for the second year in row Reid Jensen took it home in bantam.
In the peewee category the other award winners were: Offensive Lineman: Jack Warrack; Defensive Lineman: Dominic Atkinson; Defensive Back: Dawson Jensen; Offensive Back: Cooper Nelson; Most Improved: Cyrus Shaw.
The rest of the bantam award winners included: Rookie of the Year: Luke Henry; Defensive Back: Riley Southern; Offensive Back: Noah Dejardins; Offensive Lineman: Zach Palardy; Most Improved: Austin Smith.
Seniors winners: Rookie of the Year: Kila Price; Offensive Lineman: Josh Gigantelli; Defensive Lineman: Josh Middlemiss; Offensive back: Steven Soers; Defensive back: Marshall Biskup; Most Improved: Jordan Sangster.