Coyotes trio commit to Alberta post-secondary schools

By Lethbridge Herald on April 24, 2024.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Mitchell Qually, Aiden Fletcher and Benson Gruninger have committed to Alberta post-secondary schools to extend their football careers.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Three Chinook Coyotes graduating football players have committed to staying in Alberta to further their career in the sport at the university level.

Both Mitchell Qually and Aiden Fletcher have both signed their Letter of Intent to play football at the University of Alberta while Benson Gruninger has committed to playing down Highway 2 with the University of Calgary Dinos.

“I mainly chose U of A because coach (Chris) Morris is (a) really good coach and hard worker,” said Qually.

“So I inspired to do the same.”

He likes the atmosphere at U of A.

“I’ve been going up there for their winter camps and selects and just the people on the team that I’ve got to know and everything,” said Qually.

Qually plans to enrol in education and kinesiology.

Fletcher likes the qualities of the coaching staff.

“I really like the dscipline that coach Morris has up there,” said Fletcher.

“I love how the coaches really want the success of players both in the classroom and on the field, and that there is a really good relationship between coaches and players and it’s just a great environment for young men to grow up and be around in.”

He plans on taking kinesiology while playing football and the hope is to go to medical school.

“I had (an) uncle that went there and played back in 2008, so that definitely caught me,” said Gruninger, on his commitment to the Dinos.

“My dad also attended school there, he didn’t play football, but knew the school well enough, and then it was just one of my top schools that I wanted to go to as well just from the beginning.”

Gruninger will enrol in Natural Sciences.

Fletcher and Gruninger will have a rivalry being cousins.

“Since Benson and I are cousins, it’ll be a bit of a family feud sometimes in the good way, but it’ll be super fun because we’re so close to home and we get to go have a bit of the friendly rivalry,” said Fletcher.

“But in the end, it’s like brothers forever as family but also as football teammates.”

“It’s amazing,” said Brody Turnball, Coyotes assistant coach.

“They’ve worked so ,so hard. These guys have pulled up to volunteer opportunities, they’ve been incredible leaders, they’re in the gym all the time. Like to see the hard work and everything they’ve been putting in to both athletics and their schooling payoff is incredible.”

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