Coyotes football look to improve each day this season

By Lethbridge Herald on September 1, 2022.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Chinook High School Coyotes quarterback Dallin Hall hands off the ball during an offensive play at practice on Monday.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Chinook High School Coyotes football are feeling prepared ahead of the Southern Alberta High School Football League.

The Coyotes used their exhibition win against Brooks on Aug. 26  and recent practices to take the opportunity to correct mistakes before heading into their season against the likes of Cardston, Catholic Central and LCI.

“Honestly, it’s just to improve,” said Nick Straat, Coyotes head coach.

“Like every week to improve. We just watched our game film and a lot of mistakes, being it’s the first week. And so just  listening, being coachable and getting better everyday.”

Straat said communication is huge.

“So understanding responsibility, understanding how things change depending on alignments and communicating with guys around you,” he said.

“We’re working on blocking right now because that was definitely a focus after watching the game film. And then just speed and intensity and making sure that  we’re consistent, play the play and yeah out there  giving it everything we’ve got.”

Straat feels that the team is at a luxury right now where it’s not one or two guys that are carrying the load, but rather it’s most of the guys that are being put on the field that are making a difference.

“Even in our game on Friday, we had multiple guys scoring (and) contributing to the team,” he said.

“And on defence, same thing, lots of different players making some clutch plays for us.”

 “We’ve had  good aggression going into the season with our first game on Friday, winning 41-0. It really helps get everybody’s hopes up. But we still need to buckle down because we’re going to be playing a lot tougher teams coming up, “ said running back/linebacker Gage Blasco.

Blasco thinks that with a mix of  returning and new players, that the players are being trained equally.

“We’re not having one guy; two guys especially get way more practice than everybody else because maybe they’re starters. We’re having everybody get all their practice and it helps because the injuries happen and it’s great to know that we have a lot of really trained ,really good backups.”

The Coyotes won their division a season ago and were ousted by Cardston in the second round of the playoffs.

“Our goal this year is to get further than last year with a team that should be strong, if not stronger, and hopefully make it to provincials,” said Straat.

Chinook’s  nextgame is against Willow Creek on Sept. 9.