When the Tec Voc Hornets returned to the Winnipeg high school football landscape for the 2023 season after a three-year hiatus from the league, the program was starting from scratch.
Head Coach Ryan Karhut said they only had a couple of kids who had ever played football before, and the main goal was to get students excited about the game.
“We had a very diverse group of students at our school, and they all came out. It was a very fair representation of our student body, and they fell in love with it. It was unbelievable,” said Karhut.
Going into that first season, Karhut said he and his coaching staff didn’t know what to expect. The season was focused on teaching the game and developing the kids.
The gameplan worked as the Hornets made the playoffs, ultimately losing in their second-round matchup.
“The emotion in the locker room after, I was like, ‘Oh, this is something special,'” said Karhut. “They care a lot about the sport. They care about playing for each other.”
Move to the 2024 season, Karhut said the returning players put in the time and effort in the offseason and it’s now paying off on the field.
Tec Voc has started 6-0 – leading the AAA division as the only undefeated team.
“This year, it’s felt like we’ve had such a strong culture and such a strong group of returning players.”
One of those players is Grade 12 defensive back Trenton Bourassa. He said the team has really come together on and off the field, encouraging each other to get better.
“The Grade 11s from last year going into Grade 12 this year, we all knew that we had to take a big step up and really dial in for our younger guys,” said Bourassa.
On the field, Bourassa has been leading the way for the Hornets as one of the best in the division. In the locker room, he and other players have been trying to be role models for their younger teammates.
“There’s a point where you’re looking up to people too and then you got to take that responsibility, be that leader.”
Vince Cruz is also back for his Grade 12 season. The defensive back had never played football until 2023, but Karhut said he has become one of the team’s top players.
He didn’t know what to expect when he joined the team, but he has loved everything football has had to offer.
“It’s a great sport, it’s very therapeutic,” said Cruz. “(I’ve) been having a great time because that’s where you get to meet new people, learn new skills, new strategies.”
Like Bourassa, Cruz said the leadership aspect of the game has been just as important as developing skill on the field.
“Helping out new players onto the team that want to join the sport. Maybe they need some help or need some motivation to get them up and going.”
Although they have seen much success this season, the team doesn’t want to get too ahead of themselves, focusing on each weekly game.
“We just keep on riding this wave. Take it week by week. We just like to think that we’re fresh 0-0 and it’s one week. We got one game to play, we got to win. (Then) we’re on to the next week. We just keep on doing that same mindset every week,” said Bourassa.