The Sounders high school football team takes to the Howe Sound Secondary field today (Sept. 10) for their first exhibition game of the season, and it's a good opportunity to do some necessary tinkering before the season starts, said head coach Rob Ryan.
A number of injuries to key linemen have left the team a little thin at both ends of the ball and it's up to younger and more inexperienced players to pick up the slack, he said.
"We're still not totally ready at this point. We've had a bunch of injuries to some of our linemen and we would still like to get bigger and stronger before the regular season starts."
The Sounders opponent in the first exhibition game is Isfeld-Comox and Ryan expects a challenging four quarters.
"We played them last year and they are a strong inside running team," he said. "It should be a tough test for us, especially with us being undermanned."
However, there are a number of aspects of the Sounders game that Ryan is confident in as the season approaches.
"Our quarterback Nolan Prevost seems vastly improved from last year," he said. "Nolan took a clinic in the summer and he seems a lot more comfortable out there."
Ryan also thinks that running back Cory Constantin, who smashed a number of records last year, could be on his way to an even better season.
"Cory had an incredible year last year," he said. "But he got a personal trainer this summer and must have put on 20 pounds. He looks fitter and stronger and he will be a force for us this season."
Ryan said the Sounders backfield is likely the best in the league and he expects a lot from the group. He also seemed content with the team's receiving core, which he said is "shaping up nicely."
According to Ryan, the defensive backfield is another strong point of the team, with three of four starters returning. He pointed out safety Rory Baldwin as someone he expects to have a good year.
With the offensive and defensive lines missing bodies, Ryan said the guys would probably have to play a lot of minutes on both sides of the ball, but he hopes to fill the empty slots with players getting healthy or new recruits.
Last week, the team was presented with a cheque for $10,000 from 麻豆社国产Savings, which Ryan said will help the team out in a number of ways.
He plans to use the money to purchase some much-needed equipment and to keep player fees at a reasonable rate. The registration fee saw an increase from $200 in 2009 to $300 in 2010.
The game against Isfeld-Comox takes place today (Sept. 10) at 3:15 p.m. at Howe Sound Secondary field.
The Sounders will then play another exhibition game against Duchess Park Secondary School on Saturday, Sept. 18 before beginning the regular season on Saturday, Sept. 25 when they host Robert Bateman Secondary School.
