Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
The Canadian Football League isn’t the only organization hosting training camps these days as Football Saskatchewan was in Prince Albert this weekend holding workouts to try and determine its final roster for the upcoming Indigenous Cup.
Team Saskatchewan Indigenous attracted more than 60 hopefuls from all across the province to Max Clunie Field with a final 27-player roster to be selected just prior to the annual event slated for July 1-5 in Regina.
“There is a big uptick in the talent this year,” says head coach Dan Tonge. “Every position group is being challenged. I think that is a credit to the kids and the programs they are coming from.”
This is the fourth year for the Indigenous Cup as it was put on hiatus during the Covid pandemic. Tonge is normally the offensive co-ordinator for Campbell Collegiate out of Regina, but has been with Football Saskatchewan for close to 40 years. He says prior to Covid the event was called the 6 Nations Cup, but that name did not properly identify what the event is all about.
Regardless of what the monicker might be, Tonge says the format is the same. Teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northern Ontario will gather in Regina with a draw to be made to determine who will meet each other in a pair of semi-final games featuring nine players aside. After a Football Canada imposed two-day break between games the champion will be determined from the winners of the opening games.
Tonge and his coaching staff were in Saskatoon last week at the Northern League Jamboree to identify talent for this past weekend’s camp and after the hot and windy workouts a trimmed-down roster of 40 players will head back to Saskatoon next weekend for the final selections.
“We will assess their overall value,” says Tonge. “For some it will depend on their versatility at playing several positions.”
One player that he says he has no trouble assessing is soon-to-be St. Mary High School graduate Riley Parenteau.
“He’s a standout middle linebacker,” says Tonge. “I would say he is probably the best player out here.”
The product from Duck Lake is looking to compete for the third straight year at the Indigenous Cup and he says, while the game is different from the normal 12-aside ball he regularly plays, it is a love of the game and his culture that makes this event so important to him.
“I’ve gone to Huskies and Rams camps and there is not a lot of Indigenous people there,” explains Parenteau. “More indigenous people get to try out here. It showcases that we can play and that there is more football to be played after high school.”
Parenteau, who will be suiting it up with the Prairie Junior Football League’s Regina Thunder this fall, is not the only St. Mary Marauder that Tonge has high praise for as he noted that defensive back Marcus Corrigal is also a skilled player and will likely be on the final roster.
Tonge says the decision to hold this camp in Prince Albert was a combination of logistics and to also provide more exposure to the game in the north, but the ultimate goal is to try and improve on the bronze-medal finish Team Saskatchewan achieved last year. Time will tell if it is mission accomplished.
