Bears football seeking to turn around last year’s disappointment in 2009

With key players exploring greener pastures, recruiting class being looked upon to perform

With training camp in the books, regular practices having already commenced, and the lingering feeling of last year’s 2–6 record burrowed into their minds, the University of Alberta Golden Bears football is preparing themselves for a brighter future in 2009.

Though a number of notable players — specifically OL Simeon Rottier, who now sports the black and gold of the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger Cats, along with Edmonton Eskimos’ OL Gord Hinse and DL Greg Whelan — will not be back at Foote Field this year, the Bears aren’t overly concerned about the on-field product making any regression.

Head coach Jerry Friesen and company approached this summer’s recruitment with the intention of getting better all around, and believe that they’re bringing in a number of new faces that can make strong contributions to the veteran core right away.

“One of the big things was to go out and recruit competitive players that could contribute to our football team—that was a major task in the offseason,” Friesen said. “The other thing was to make sure that the young players that we had last year had a good offseason not only in the weight room, but also on the field.”

Many of the new recruits — notably, quarterback Julian Marchand, running back Harpreet Turka, and wide receiver Karl Mome — got the opportunity to display their skills at training camp this past week, and while some had better showings than others, Friesen understands that experiencing a CIS training camp can be a difficult experience the first time around.

“Those two days are always tough, and the learning curve is steep for the young players, but you just have to push them through it,” Friesen said. “The physical demands are tough especially for first-year players, but you have to maintain that they take care of their body and are understanding the concepts that are being introduced. But, from day one to day five, we’re pleased with the improvements that we’ve seen.”

Most of last year’s veterans will be back to provide the stability and leadership that Friesen hopes will aid in the team’s ascent towards the top of the Canada West standings. Particularly on the defensive side of the ball, a number of fourth- and fifth-years will bring their experience back to Foote Field, where Alberta had one of the highest points-against averages in 2008.

“They want to go out there and improve, and make sure that they’re getting better,” Friesen explained. “But it’s just a matter of becoming confident in what their structure is and, as they progress, seeing some of their leadership skills come out.”

Alberta’s first test as a unit — in preparation for the home opener on September 4 against the UBC Thunderbirds — will come this Saturday when the team travels east across the Alberta border to face the Saskatchewan Huskies.

“The biggest thing is to make sure that we gain experience in a live-game situation, so that when UBC comes into town [for the home opener], we’ve established a comfort level going into that game. We’re going into Saskatoon to face the Huskies, and they’re a good benchmark for us to see how competitive we can be.”