FCC2017 PREVIEW: Nova Scotia
The host province is setting their own bar quite high for the 2017 Football Canada Cup.
Nova Scotia wants to make a statement in Wolfville.
“Ultimately, our goal is to win the Football Canada Cup,” commented Nova Scotia Head Coach Bryce Fisher. “On a side note, it would be to at least start cracking the top 4 and to start getting into the tournament round where we’re actually playing for a second or a third or a fourth.”
When it comes to all three facets of the game – offensive, defensive and special teams, Nova Scotia has the same philosophy.
“We’re going to try to be a well-balanced team that is disciplined and not make too many mistakes,” Fisher offered. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything but we’re just coming at it and play competitive games.”
Nova Scotia’s offence will be led by running backs Adre Simmonds and Pieter Blok. Dawson Keirstead and Riley Felix highlight the receiving core. Anchoring the offensive line is Lee Holman and Will Chapman. On the defence, Riley Gabriel highlights the secondary.
Nova Scotia will battle Ontario on Saturday July 8th at 4:00pm AT.
“They are going to be a well rounded team,” assessed Fisher of Ontario. “They’re going to be very explosive.”
“They have the greater population of Ontario but hopefully with our size we can bring our kids a in a little bit closer. They do have a great amount of space to work with in Ontario and they may not have as much time to work with their kids as we do. That being said, you can always expect their coaching staff to come out with a great game plan, with a balanced team.”
While the team knows they face a tough task in the first round of the tournament, they are focused on their counter attack.
“With the Football Canada Cup and our first opponent being Ontario, we’re trying to minimize them to as many yards as possible,” Fisher offered. “We’re trying to minimize our mistakes both offensively and defensively and special teams as much as possible as well.”
“Hopefully, that will put us in better contention to compete with those games and hopefully come out with the win.”
While the team has high expectations, Fisher says that Nova Scotia has a couple of additional goals they want to achieve in Wolfville.
“I think some side things would be is just to get the exposure for our kids,” he expressed. One thing is to allow post secondary programs to start noticing some Maritime athletes and that this will hopefully give them some exposure as well.”
“We want to start building the competition level in Nova Scotia for football overall and hopefully in years to come. If it’s not this year, then we start competing more and more and more every year.”
TEAM NOVA SCOTIA
2016 RESULT: lost to Manitoba-Gold and earned sixth place in tournament
HEAD COACH: Bryce Fisher (was assistant coach for Nova Scotia in 2015, 2016)
NUMBER OF RETURNING PLAYERS: 8
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Name | Pos | High School |
Adre Simmonds | RB | St. Andrew’s College |
Pieter Blok | RB | Lockview |
Dawson Keirstead | REC | Cole Harbour |
Riley Felix | REC | Auburn Drive |
Lee Holman | OL | Sackville High |
Will Chapman | OL | Charles P. Allen |
Riley Gabriel | DB | Cobequid Educational Centre |
Kamryn Matheson | RB/DB | Cobequid Educational Centre |
Triston Reece | LB/DB | Citadel |