The B.C. High School Football Association is tiptoeing around the teachers labour dispute to proceed with its season.
All but two teams began training over a week ago, including the South Delta Sun Devils. With outside community coaches involved in the game more than ever before, only Richmond's Hugh Boyd Trojans and Cloverdale's Lord Tweedsmuir
Panthers have been impacted by the B.C. teachers' strike/lockout. Once picket lines returned at SDSS, the team moved all of equipment from the school across the street at Dennison Park where training continues.
The Devils are busy preparing for their opening pre-season game Saturday - the annual McDonalds Delta Cup Challenge against the Seaquam Seahawks. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. at Seaquam secondary school.
The plan is to continue with exhibition games over the next couple of weeks but push back the start of conference play into October should the labour dispute linger. The Sun Devils coaching staff features nothing but community volunteers including longtime head coach Ray Moon.
"There has been a great debate going on within the association you can imagine," said Moon. We don't do anything between regular school hours (8:30 to 3:30 p.m.) and that was a very important part of the decision. I just hope it gets resolved really soon."
Football is the only fall high school sport that has an early start-up date. Scheduled games for volleyball, field hockey and soccer don't begin until late September. While the other sports offer elite levels of club and academy play, B.C. high school football is considered the greatest stage for student athletes to showcase their ability for potential scholarships. South Delta has a number of players with the ability to play at the post-secondary level as it prepares for its return to the elite AAA level. Among them are quarterback Lucas Kirk, running back Jack McDonald and receiver Blake Gau who all enjoyed impressive Grade 11 campaigns.
"We have 34 kids including four (Grade 10s) who will be getting playing time at the senior level," added Moon. End zone... Once there is labour peace, one coach is concerned how level the playing field will be.
Hugh Boyd's program is not only shutdown, spring training in June was cancelled as well. The Trojans have been coached for over two decades by longtime Boyd teachers Bill and Bruce Haddow.
"How fair is it going into our first league game if we have had only five practices to get ready and our opponent has had 30, never mind a few exhibition games as well?" asked Bill Haddow.
"We do have community coaches working with us but, first and foremost, they are our friends too and respect what we are doing as teachers. I just wish everyone was more on the same page but that's up to the association."
