Strathmore Spartans kick off their football season!

Strathmore High School's football team, the Strathmore Spartans, are kicking off their season tonight at 5:30! They'll be facing Monsignor McCoy High School in the home opener. You can head over to the high school field for some hard-hitting football action, and concessions will also be available.

Head Coach Danny Warrack has been with the team since 2016, but it is his first year as the Head Coach. He's excited to get the season going after a long wait.

"It's pretty exciting, the offseason is long, so I'm excited. I know the players are very excited," he said.

Even though the offseason is long, that doesn't mean the players can take it easy the entire time. Warrack explained that some of the players put in work all summer to stay football ready.

"They do quite a bit. lots of them have gym memberships at Anytime Fitness in Strathmore, and some also go to football camps offered by various schools like the University of Calgary, University of Alberta. Some kids even have a personal trainer they work with."

On top of that, they had June spring camp, and started up their camp again on August 16 so they would be ready for the season.

Warrack explained last year's graduating group was really strong, so the players that were reserves before will now have an opportunity to start. He said it will take the entire team to replace that class's quality and keep the team strong.

"It takes a team effort, and it starts in practice. We need full effort in practice. Whether you're the best player or worst player on the team, it creates that culture that we're going to get better every week. We're a little inexperienced this year, but the guys are working hard."

As far as expectations go, Warrack hopes to see high effort, disciplined football, which will result in wins.

"We expect to win more games than we lose, that's for sure. Keep penalties to a minimum, turnovers as well. And just maximum effort, 100%."

The season lasts 9-12 games, depending on how the playoffs go. With such a short season, opportunities to support the team can be rare, so make sure you go to the field tonight to cheer the team on!

"If you're interested in seeing some good, hard-hitting, high school football, the game is at 5:30 at Strathmore High School."

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