PFC squad starts spring camp tonight
By Kristen Odland,
Calgary Herald
For nearly four full seasons, the Calgary Colts have been caught in a perfect Catch-22.
Luckily, the junior football club’s newly appointed offensive co-ordinator, Robbie McNab, is one of those glass-half-full kind of guys.
“If kids in the Calgary area stay home, we have a chance of winning,” McNab said heading into the Colts’ annual spring camp, which runs today through Sunday at McMahon Stadium.
“But the problem is, you don’t win without good players, and you don’t get the good players unless you’re winning, so we’re kind of caught.
“I think winning is an attitude and our kids, at this point, I hope they do well and they’re getting ready to win.”
McNab, a former Colt and University of Calgary Dino, accepted a lofty challenge a few months back when he rejoined head coach Keith Kendal and the Prairie Football Conference squad.
That is, trying to turn around a junior football club which hasn’t won a single game since Aug. 3, 2003. Since then, it’s been 31 straight losses, and three consecutive 0-8 seasons.
“We’re going to make a good commitment to the kids if they’re going to make a good commitment to us,” said McNab, who has co-coached Cochrane High School’s Tier III powerhouse Cobras to six provincial titles in 16 years.
Before assuming the gig with the Cobras, McNab’s first coaching job was alongside Kendal as the Colts’ offensive co-ordinator from 1988 to ’91, during which time he helped the Colts claim back-to-back Canadian junior championships in 1989 and ’90.
“Then, we kept kids in the Calgary area, and the reward was two national titles,” said McNab, who was a guest coach with last year’s team. “So, we’ve got to get back on track that way, and that’s tough.”
McNab’s track record of success with the Cobras has given Kendal some confidence for the immediate future.
“Rob’s going to make a significant difference for us in our offence,” said Kendal, who returned to the Colts as their head coach in December 2005. “An awful lot of the football players certainly look up to him.
“I’m looking forward to the camp a lot because we’ve got some good young fellas coming in . . . we’ve got about 45 back from last year which is a great, great start for us.”
Veterans he expects to show tonight are former Cobras quarterback Julian Marchand and wide receiver Cassidy Doneff, a 2006 PFC all-star who attended Calgary Stampeder free-agent tryouts this spring.
The Colts also expect to see defensive back Zack McNeil, linebackers Jon McNeil and Carmen Fruncillo, and the PFC’s rookie linebacker of the year, Nicholas Blevins.
Doneff’s twin brother Orin, a former Edmonton Huskies wide receiver, could also show.
The Colts will head to Edmonton on Aug. 5 for exhibition scrimmages against the Huskies and Wildcats, and will kick off their eight-game 2007 season on Aug. 12 in Regina against the Thunder.
Calgary’s first home game is Aug. 19 against the Winnipeg Rifles at McMahon Stadium.
