No looking back for Cougars
It is onward and upwards for the Centennial Cougars senior football team after taking a giant step forward in 2023.
The Cougars only scored seven points against Niagara Region High School Athletic Association Tier 1 opponents in 2022 but made it all the way to the Tier 1 finals last year before bowing out to the powerhouse A.N. Myer Marauders, an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations bowl winner.
“I expect to be there again with the dedication from this team and the effort that is going into it,” Centennial head coach Brad Barter said. “We will be alright.”
The team does look different compared to last year.
“We definitely lost a little size from last year but we have a strong team and they are committed,” he said. “We have a lot of speed, a lot of youth and a lot of upside this year. At training camp, they brought the skills and the effort so we will see what happens. We are pretty confident this year. We have a strong offence, a great quarterback in Noah (Wellard) and great team captains (Wellard, Sawyer Samms and Brody Marton).”
In order to return to the championship game, the Cougars need to remain focused on team morale, supporting each other and building the team as a whole.
Having the success it did last year was a big boost to the program.
“It was absolutely huge. I can’t put into words what it has meant for the team and how it has grown. Last year at this time we only had about maybe 25-30 kids and now we are floating around 50,” Barter said. “Success breeds success but also out here (practice), iron sharpens iron. We are bringing it, we are playing tough, we are practising hard and it is starting to show.”
Having excellent numbers bodes well for a high school season that always becomes a war of attrition. The school’s numbers are also large when it comes to the coaching staff.
“This is the largest coaching staff I had at Centennial and that means when we are doing individual drills we can focus on it better now that is not just me and Caleb (Pelletier) trying to run an entire practice by ourselves.”
Barter has four staff members from school helping him out as well as four to five outside coaches.
“The outside coach volunteers bring more than they realize to the team. These kids realize that these are people that have outside jobs and they are sacrificing part of every single day of their work life to be out here helping to develop kids in the sport that they love,” he said. “That means so much more than you can put into words and the kids are really respectful of the adults who give their time to help them.”
Barter is excited to see what Wellard can do under centre this season. Returning running backs are Marton and Riley Caron and they will be running behind lineman captain Samms and others. Gabryel Cunningham is also expected to make an impact on offence.
“Sawyer has really improved leaps and bounds with his technique on the line and he has been crucial to getting the players around him to step up,” Barter said. “He is just an all-around good dude on and off the field. He builds people up, he has a great heart off the field and he takes care of his teammates like they are in his family. On the field, his commitment to perfecting his techniques and his form and always looking to better himself is what has put him ahead of his years in the sport.”
The biggest change in Samms this season has been his confidence.
“His confidence in himself has grown over the off-season and it is well-deserved. It is nice to see when an athlete finally realizes their capabilities,” Barter said.
The 15-year-old Welland native played special teams in Grade 9 and then after a summer with the Niagara Spears he was a starting tackle in Grade 10.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder will start at left tackle this season after another summer with the Niagara Spears junior varsity squad.
“I am realizing how big I am now compared to most people and how I compare in size to some big-time players. I am trying to develop attributes like them, work my way up and hopefully earn myself a scholarship.”
He feels the biggest difference in his play coming into the high school season is speed and technique.
“I lost a bunch of weight (20 pounds) and I worked on my technique with the Spears. I have gotten better with my fundamentals in general and I have gotten quicker. It helps a lot with stopping the pass rush and run blocking.”
He has relished the opportunity to be a leader on the team.
“I try to step up and push the guys on the O-line and the team as much as possible. I try to get everyone better every day and I also expect that from them too. We push each other as a group.”
Samms agrees with his coach that last year’s success will pay dividends in 2024.
“It’s important but we need to do it again and win. It’s important for all of us to win a championship game. We have the winning spirit and winning guys.”
Among the key defenders on the team for Centennial are: middle linebacker Jesse Miniou; and, defensive backs Dexter Hoad and Rowan Smits-Talvinge.
