2004 News - Sabres Football

Oct. 5-10

The Sabres Trip to California deemed a success

When the Sabres left for California last week, they knew they would be heading for many new experiences. Some had never been on a plane before, some had never been to Disneyland, and for most attending a NCAA Div 1 football game was a new thrill. However, there wasn't a single Sabre that had previous experience playing football against a US high school program. On October 8th, Sal was able to see what “Friday Night Lights” are all about when Bonita Vista High in southern California hosted the football team.

The Sabres' trip began in the evening on Tuesday, October 5th in Anaheim. After getting settled in their rooms, the players and coaches were off to explore the shops and restaurants of “Downtown Disney”. The exploration didn't last too far into the night as it was a long day of travel and many were ready to crash and prepare for the day in Disneyland the following day.

The next morning the Sabres awoke to a morning haze that would become familiar for the duration of trip. Now that there was daylight, the players were surprised to find the Disneyland's Matterhorn “looming” just over the fence adjacent to their hotel. With a quick breakfast out of the way, the Sabres were off to see the Magic Kingdome.

Those that had been to the park previously knew exactly where to head once through the gate. Since the guys were on site early, the famous Disney line-ups were non existent. With a great head start, the Sabres put in a full day of rides and over-priced food. When the time came to leave the park and head for San Diego, most had had enough of the “Magic” and were ready to go.

Bonita Vista High School is located in Chula Vista, a suburb just south of San Diego. Soon after arriving at the school, the players met their host families who kindly welcomed the Sabres into their homes.

The following morning, the players returned to the school for an early morning workout in the morning haze. Joining the Sabres at practice were some of Bonita's coaches who assisted Sal on learning more about the US rules of the game. The Sabres were also formally greeted by the principal of the high school who provided the players with words of encouragement.

After their two-hour workout, the Sabres were back on the bus and were off to a meet and greet rendezvous with San Diego Charger QB Doug Flutie. The former CFL star graciously spent part of his lunch break speaking to and posing with the Sabres at the Chargers' practice facility. Flutie was so gracious that one could almost forgive him for his time spent playing for the Stampeders... almost.

With the conclusion of the time spent with Flutie, the boys were back on the bus and heading for the border. Just north of the Mexican border, the players were turned loose in a factory outlet mall. After spending a few hours and dollars at the mall, the team was back on the bus and heading back to meet their host families back in Chula Vista.

The next morning was Friday; game day. However, before the game the team had another full day that included another morning practice followed by another bus trip into San Diego to tour the USS Ronald Regan. Once completed the nuclear powered USS Regan will be the largest ship in the US navy. While the aircraft carrier may not be completely finished, the navy welcomes tours on board to proudly show off what will be a floating military juggernaut. At the conclusion of the tour the players headed back to the high school for a few hours of rest before the game.

The game was to be played under the lights in the stadium of Southwestern College. With stands on both sides of the smaller US football field, the playing area was a bit claustrophobic. However, the players soon got used to the size of the field during their warm-up. By the time game time arrived, it was dark and floodlights lighted the field. After both national anthems were “sang”, it was time to play ball.

The Sabres kicked off to the Barons, and the intensity at which the game would be played immediately became apparent. The Barons were all athletic, fast and physical, and the return man made it back across midfield before the coverage team managed to hit him out of bounds. After getting the wake-up call, the Sabres' defense played the Barons tough and made them earn their first touchdown with a drive consisting of relatively short gains. The biggest problem presented to Sal’s defense was the 295-pound fullback whose block was very difficult to shed. Following the fullback was a very fast and elusive scat-back and while the defense managed to curtail the tailback on some plays, he proved too much for the Sabres on the first drive.

With Bonita Vista up 7-0, it was time for the Sabres offense to take the field. Again, the tenacity and agility of the Americans became apparent as multiple Barons were in the backfield before a blink of an eye and stopped the Sabres for a loss of 5 yards. With the big loss, the Sabres went to the air, but unfortunately the first pass was off the mark and was picked and returned for a touchdown. The Barons were quickly up 14-0.

It was a very long first half for the Sabres. The defense had problems stopping the Barons and the Sabres had a tough time moving the ball. However, after Vista had a 21-0 lead, the Sabres sent their tailback deep on one-on-one coverage on the backside and he came down with a 55-yard long bomb. That great play was followed by the same tailback running the ball in from around the Baron’s 5 yard line. The Sabres managed to cut the lead 21-7 but that would be all the scoring for the Sabres. By the time half time arrived, Sal was in a 42-7 deficit. What was worse was the Sabres loss their tailback to an injury that was minor but enough to keep him out of the second half.

The second half was something from which the Sabres could take away many positives. Even though the Barons kept most of their starters in (including their starting QB who played the entire game), the defense only gave up one more touchdown. Offensively, things also went much better (except for the second pick for a touchdown). Despite no being able to score again, the offense moved the ball well both on the ground and in the air. It may have been a case of finally figuring out how to attack the US defense, but it was also due to the fantastic running of Sal’s other tailback who became a challenge for the Baron defense to bring down.

All in all, the Sabres will take away many lessons from their experience playing the Barons. The biggest lesson is that the game can be played at an entirely different level of intensity. When the Barons hit a player out of bounds, they made sure the player was 20 yards out of bounds. When the Barons made a tackle there was at least 4 players making the tackle and the remaining 7 players joined the pile soon after. The Barons were more physical than any team the Sabres have ever come across and the only team that has come close to their execution may have been the Raymond team that the Sabres faced in the ’96 provincial final. A benefit for the Sabres was that during the game the Sabres intensity had to grow to match that of the Barons and if they bring the same passion back to Alberta, it will take them a long way.

After shaking hands, the head coach of the Barons came across to the Sabres’ sideline and gave a classy speech to the players about how well they played and that the result of the game is meaningless as long as there were lessons learned and the guys bonded as a team during the trip. Then the foes became friends again as the Barons welcomed the Sabres back to their homes that night. Sound sleep was met by those that didn’t have to take ice bags to bed.

The last full day in southern California would be spent in northern Los Angeles. The Sabres made a brief stop in Hollywood to check out the old Mann’s Chinese Theatre and the new Kodak Theatre. After lunch, it was back on the bus and a short trip out to Pasadena where their destination was the Rose Bowl as the Arizona Wildcats were in town to play the UCLA Bruins. After parking the bus and walking through a couple of miles of tailgate parties, the guys arrived at the gates of the legendary stadium. The Sabres were treated to an offense filled game where both the Bruins and Wildcats both moved the ball well. In the end the hometown Bruins were able to put more points on the board and walked away with a 37-17 victory that pleased the 60,000 fans in attendance.

The last night in southern California was spent back in Anaheim where the guys had one last chance to hang out in Downtown Disney and get that last minute souvenir or go for a late night swim. The morning brought the team’s last travel day with most of the day spent in airplanes and airports. By 6 pm, the Sabres were back in Edmonton relating their many stories to their families that were waiting for them at the airport.

What a great experience for the 2004 Sabre squad. It was a chance to travel, a chance to play football against a US high school, and a chance to explore southern California. It gave the Sabres experience with travelling as a team and allowed the team to bond as the end of the regular season approaches. Despite the intensity of the game, the Sabres return relatively unscathed and can now prepare for the big game against the rival Bev Facey. With their first big trip under their belts, the program can now start to plan the next one! Stay tuned!

Sept 5, 04

ME Lazerte... fun had by all.

If this is pre-season play, mid-season form will be scary. The Sabres had little trouble with their assigned opponents at the 2004 ME Lazerte Jamboree.

The day started well as it only took three plays to move the ball into McNally's endzone. The Tigers were hard-pressed to respond, but their gifted back managed to slip away on a long pass and run on their second possession. However, that was largely the only weak moment for the Sabres D. Offensively, two more touchdowns were added with one coming from the air and another added along the ground.

Ross Shep turned out to be weaker than McNally. The Thunderbirds managed only a few first downs and were never really a threat to score. The Sabres took advantage of the 'Birds secondary moving the ball down the field through the air and occasionally along the ground mainly with the use of their option-play.

William Murray high school out of Saskatoon turned out to be a bit of a surprise. While small, they played the Sabres intensely and managed to answer the Sabres touchdowns with their own. The game ended on a Sabres passing play that went into the endzone for the winning score of 3-2.

Finally, the day ended against the Sabres from Sexsmith. Billed as the "Game for the Name" looked like it may be close, but turned out to be rather one-sided. Sal scored on a 50 scamper up the middle on their first drive. But Sexsmith would eventually tie the game with a sustained drive. However, Sal took the game away soon after with three touchowns through the air and another via an interception by one of Sal's rookie linebackers. The final score of this game was 5-1, and the original owners of the Sabre logo can continue to wear it with pride.

All in all it was an impressive day. With touchdowns being scored by 6 different players both in the air and on the ground, and the defense grabbing fumbles, picking off passes and wreaking havoc with sacks, the Sabres seem set to start the season on Thursday. While they may be ready, many mistakes need to be corrected as many lessons were learned on the day. That said, they look ready to take on those who would challenge the Sabres in the Metro League in 2004.

August 18, 04

A letter from Head Coach Fraser

In June, we held our Spring Camp which was a very positive step for our program in 2004. This camp gave us an opportunity to teach the fundamentals of football and evaluate the quality of athletes we will have for the upcoming year. I hope that it also gave you an idea of where you fit in with our football team and what work you will need to do on a personal level to be successful in the fall. With your attendance you have proven your commitment to the program and earned an invitation to our summer camp. If you did not attend spring camp, this is your formal invitation to summer camp in August. At this time I would like to formally introduce my senior coaching staff for the fall. On defense, Coach Kenton Martz will return as our defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Brad Duxbury and Doug Joy (D-Line), Mike Hildebrandt (Db’s). On offense, I will be our offensive coordinator. I will be assisted by Blake Dermott and Dave McKinnen (O-Line), Jeff Van Beek (quarterbacks), Jason Duxbury (Receivers) and Mike Lastiwka (Running Backs). The junior program will have Mike Lastiwka and Brad Duxbury as our junior Co Coaches. The rest of the junior staff will be announced in the fall.

Summer Camp News

Summer camp will start on Monday, August 23. There will be no charge for the camp; it is included in the fall fees.

The practice schedule is as follows:
(Fitness Testing will be at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 23rd)
Practices are from Monday, August 23rd to Friday, August 27th at Salisbury (4:30-6:30)

The Red and Black Booster club will be hosting the 2nd Annual Sabres Football Alumni Golf Tournament on August 28th at Legends Golf Course. For additional information please contact Ian Martin at 467-2898. Our first senior game is Thursday, September 9th versus Bellrose. We have also entered our senior and junior teams in the M.E. Lazerte Tournament scheduled for Saturday, September 4th and 11th.

As a coaching staff, we have made changes both on offense and defense to help put our athletes in the best situation possible. If anyone is interested in continuing their speed training during the summer can contact Robin Joy at 922-6468 (Home) and 951-1709 (cell). These are not mandatory sessions, so go there to work and do not waste her time! The fitness center will be open if there is enough interest by the players, e-mail me at camnjen@shaw.ca, if you wish to workout this summer. If there are any questions or concerns you can contact me at 416-6328.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to seeing you on August 23rd.

Sincerely,

Cam Fraser
Head Coach
Salisbury Sabres Football Program

June 13. 2004

Spring Showers for Spring Camp

After enduring wet practices, it was fitting that the spring camp tournament was a soggy affair. Muddy fields and slippery balls made crisp execution of play rather impossible for all teams. However, some good football was seen and coaches were able to evaluate their teams and players.

Up for the tournament to join Sal and St. Albert was Lethbridge's LCI, and down for the tournament was Grande Prairie. On paper, Grande Prairie looked to be the team to beat at the tournament. They had only lost a handful of players from their Northern Semi-final team from last year. They had also already played in a tournament the weekend before. LCI is a perennial powerhouse and are always seen as a good measuring stick to play against. Nothing was known about St. Albert, but they are always a threat due to good coaching.

The games would be simple 10 play series for each team. Down and distances were not tracked and touchdowns and turnovers simply meant you started over again. After 10 plays the other team's offense took their turn. The first game for Sal was against the unknown St. Albert. The first two series for the seniors led to nothing but dirty uniforms for both teams. For the subsequent two series, the teams used American rules in preparation for their trips to California in the fall. During their possession, St. Albert managed to drive for one touchdown to take the lead. However, when Sal's offense took their turn, the scored two rushing touchdowns and added a deep TD reception during their 10 plays. The junior squads both scored a touchdown apiece.

The second game was against LCI. What the Rams lacked in size they made up in speed. During LCI's first possession, they managed to score off a wide receiver screen that went for 30 yards for a score. The Rams held the Sabres scoreless on their first possession. During the Rams' second possession, the Sal defense stepped up and shut LCI down, allowing for the Sabres' offense to even the score. The Sabres took advantage of the Rams' pass coverage, throwing a ball up the middle to their tightend for a touchdown. The juniors were edged 2 touchdowns to 1.

In the final game, the Sabres came up against Grande Prairie. GP easily matched the Sabres' size on the the line and a tough battle was the result. Neither team could put together successful drives and the game ended scoreless. The juniors had a bit more success with both teams able to score a touchdown.

The final analysis of the Sabres was that many aspects appear to be solid. The senior runningbacks look to have a successful season behind a very powerful offensive line. The pass attack was a little more difficult to analyze since the what will likely be the starting quarterback come the fall was on the sidelines watching the games. The Sabres' back-up QB (normally a receiver) showed some promise especially on a 30 yard TD scamper off an option play and also threw for 2 touchdowns. Defensively, the senior Sabres are young. Very few vets are left for next year and yet the inexperienced younger players were some of the most dominant on the day. In the end, the Sabres will have to work hard to defend their championship. However, they have the tools to compete again and should be in the thick of things come the playoffs next fall.

Sabre Alumnus Chad Rempel was the Edmonton Eskimos 5th selection in today's Canadian College Draft. Rempel, the Sabres star quarterback of 1997 and 1998, has been a University of Saskatchewan Husky for the past four seasons. Unfortunately, an injury prevented him from playing in the 2003 season. Rempel was the Sabres' QB the last time they competed for the Provincial title in 1998. He was also selected as the Senior Bowl MVP after leading the North to victory as QB. His natural athletic ability allowed him to switch to wide-receiver where he could take better advantage of his speed and mobility.

Rempel becomes the third Sabre to be drafted by the Eskimos after Rob Adam and Blake Bunting. Now it will be up to Rempel to make the squad at training camp this summer. It is suspected that he will have a large home-town support group.

From the www.Esks.com:

"Chad Rempel
WR (Non-import)
Saskatchewan
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210
Born: 1981 – Sherwood Park, AB
Acquired: Edmonton's fifth selection (35th overall) in the 2004 CFL Canadian College Draft.
College/Personal: Played three seasons at the University of Saskatchewan. Missed 2003 season with broken foot. Voted a Canada West All-Star in 2001and 2002. Racked-up 89 career receptions for 1691 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Huskies. Also competes with U of S track team and owns a Booster Juice franchise in Saskatoon.

Described as “One of the best drafts I’ve been involved with.” by Edmonton Eskimo Offensive Coordinator, Danny Maciocia, the Green and Gold continued to stockpile offensive weapons with their third, fourth and fifth picks (17th, 26th and 35th overall) in the 2004 CFL Canadian College Draft before adding to the defense with their sixth selection (44th overall). "

Post-script: Rempel was released with a week left in training camp. A foot injury prevented a complete evaluation. Rempel will return to the University of Saskatchewan and complete his final year. While Rempel will be a free agent next year, the Esks have asked him to return and try out again next year.

The 2004 version of Team North is dominated by players from the Metro League. Out of a roster of 42 players, the Metro League supplied 23. Twelve players from the Public League, and another 7 came from various other leagues across the northern half of Alberta. Of the 23 Metro League players, 19 are products of the Strathcona County area.

Making the team this year are Brock Dermott at quarterback who will be handing the ball of to Tyler Budinski. Dermott will also have a familiar target to throw to with slotback Mike Whattam also making the team. In front of Dermott will be offensive lineman, Peter Vander-Meulen. The lone defensive player to make Team North was Sal's linebacker Levi Laseur.

The Sabres program is proud to be well represented and wishes all five players good luck in the Senior Bowl. The game will be played at Foote Field, May 24 at noon.

Another piece of the puzzle falls into place for the California trip. It has been decided that the Sabres will take in the UCLA / Arizona game on Oct 9 at the Rose Bowl. Last season UCLA beat the Wildcats in their own stadium by a field-goal 24-21. This year, the Cats will try and return the favour in the Bruins' backyard. Both teams had disappointing season last year so both will be trying to turn things around in 2004.

Thank you very much for showing interest in our program and attending our open house. We are planning to have our spring football camp from Tuesday, June 1st to Saturday June 12th. This camp is open for any students from Grade 9 to 11 interested in playing football for Salisbury in 2004. The whole purpose for our camp is to develop some fundamental skills needed for athletes to become successful in the fall. Practice times during the week are 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The cost of the camp is $40.00. The camp will consist of eight practice sessions and each athlete will receive a camp T-shirt.

The camp practice times are as follows:

Tuesday, June 1st to Friday, June 4th: 4:30 – 6:30 PM.
Tuesday, June 8th to Friday, June 11th: 4:30-6:30 PM.
Saturday, June 12th: Tournament: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

The top 40-50 players will play in a four-team tournament on Saturday, June 12th at Strathcona Athletic Park. Teams joining in on the tournament this year will be L.C.I, St. Albert, and Grande Prairie. In preparation of the trip to California, American rules will be used for the tournament. L.C.I. plays US teams each year and will provide Sal valuable experience with the unique rules of the US game.

All players interested in attending the camp should fill in the attached form and return it to the main office at Salisbury. If you have any question or concerns please contact me at the school (467-8816). I hope you can attend.

More information on Bonita Vista has been found on the web. They are a Div 1 high school who were 5-5 last year. More interesting is that they played an exhibition game in Cuba last fall. This was the first football game played in Cuba in 45 years. Check out their photos here and a write-up here.

The dates for the excursion to California have now changed so that the trip can take place over Thanksgiving, taking advantage of the extra days off.

The trip will now take place from October 5th through the 10th, 2004. The itinerary remains mostly unchanged and will still include a trip to Disneyland, a tour of the Coronado Naval Base and an NCAA football game (Both UCLA and USC have home games during the Sabres’ visit, so there will have to be a choice made!).

Another change is that the Sabres will now be playing their billeting host Bonita Vista.

"Hey Sabres... you just won the Carr Conference Championship...
What are you going to do now?"
"We're going to Disneyland!"

It has take a few years of discussion, but the wait may have been worth it. As of this week, the Sabres are grateful to have received clearance from Salisbury Composite and the school board that allows them to take a dream trip to San Diego and Anaheim.

The Sabres are now scheduled to be in California for 6 days in early September with an itinerary that includes a visit to Mickey Mouse. The bulk of the time will be spent in the San Diego area. The team will be billeted out to players from Bonita Vista High School in San Diego. Their hosts have plans to

show the the Sabres around town and graciously organize a visit to see the San Diego Chargers practice facility, and a trip to see a NCAA Div 1 football game. While down there, the Sabres will gain experience playing American rules football against local high school athletes.

Sal is looking for players who make a commitment to improve themselves during the off-season. Players seen in the weight room and out running will have the best chance for playing during the trip. Junior and future Sabres are also welcome to come on the trip to take in the experience. It is hoped that we will be establishing a long term relationship with teams in California so that trips can be made every other year.

SabresFootball.com gets updated look
With January temperatures in Sherwood Park dropping to -45 degrees celsius with the wind chill, what better time to give the official web site of the Salisbury Sabres Football Program a new look. Now the entire site is standardized and the navigation bar will make wandering through the 60 pages of nostalgia, stats, news, game summaries and photos much easier.

One area of the site that requires more research is the alumni page. If you or you know someone who played for Sal and went on to play Junior and/or University, please contact me with the information (webmaster@sabresfootball.com).

Now that the site is ready for the 2004 season... we just need spring to arrive!