Cougars to rely on returnees this season

By Lethbridge Herald on August 19, 2025.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Catholic Central Cougar football players practice a kick return drill at practice on Monday.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Catholic Central Cougars varsity football team are gearing up for a new season with the hopes of their returning players carrying the load and helping with most of the team’s success.

“So, last year, obviously at the end of the year, we had a lot of Grade 10 and 11 starters,” said Joey Cavilla, who is in second year as Cougars head coach.

“Those guys got a lot of valuable experience in tough positions, (and) getting thrown in at the end of a season because of injuries. But the experience that they gained in those games is valuable and we’ll be able to build on that.”

While the Cougars had graduating  played last season, there is still a good core intact for this year.

“The expectations are known among the core, there’s a little bit of gelling between players among the core that we mighta not had if we didn’t get that experience last year,” said Cavilla.

Cavilla anticipates those players that now have a year of experience under their belt will bring young leadership.

“With that many Grade 10s playing that (many) minutes, it sets the stage for these guys to be leaders before being in Grade 12,” explained Cavilla.

“Which makes it nice for us because as a coach, (it is) one thing for me to tell the kids to do something, but if you see a teammate and they tell you do something, it obviously gets those guys going.”

It has been through camp so far that Cavilla has seen the speed of the players on the field.

“It looks like we have speed everywhere which is rare,” said Cavilla.

“You don’t always have speed everywhere, so we’re going to use that to our advantage.”

Most of the local high school football programs will join volleyball and basketball  in the Prairie Sky Conference this season and CCH will compete against Raymond, LCI, Cardston, Chinook and Medicine Hat.

“No matter how you cut it, if you look through the history books, those programs are at the top of the tier at the end of the season and we get to play them all in our league,” said Cavilla.

“So, we’re hoping that level of competition  allows us to be successful in our tier closer to end of the season.

CCH has an exhibition game against Strathmore on Saturday and will start the regular season next week.