By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Elijah Rivera (L) and Jarrett Alcaraz (R) shortly after signing with the Bisons. Photo by Garden City Collegiate.
For defensive backs Jarrett Alcaraz and Elijah Rivera, football is family. The duo have been best friends ever since grade one and have been playing football together since grade three, when they both suited up for the North Winnipeg Nomads of the Manitoba Minor Football Assocation.
Now in their senior years with the Garden City Fighting Gophers, the desire to get better hasn’t ceased.
“Overall, I just remember that there’s always been a constant push between both of us,” Alcaraz says.
“With Nomads, we’d have a strength and conditioning program at the end of practice and I remember we’d always push each other to see who would be the fastest at the end. So there’s always been a constant competitiveness and pushing of each other to be better since then.”
The pair were both on the U16 provincial team in 2016 as well as the U18 roster this past summer. They credit Recruit Ready, a local training program, with helping to develop them into the players they are now, as well as converting them to the defensive side of the field. Prior to grade ten, Alcaraz had played primarily quarterback, while Rivera was a running back. Each player is still excelling at their respective positions on offence, while also holding down the boundary side of the field on defence.
“I think it helps me [playing both sides], because I’ve learned tricks and moves at receiver and running back, so when I see that as a DB, I know what the other player is trying to do,” Rivera says.
The pair were clear standouts during this summer’s U18 tryouts at defensive back, earning the attention of Bison football head coach Brian Dobie as well as defensive backs coach Rich Urbanovich – who also taught the position for Team Manitoba this year.
Dobie invited them for an official visit prior to the start of the Canada Cup, and naturally, they wanted to have their meeting together.
“We both had our meetings at the same time, just because we wanted to do everything together, because it’s always been like that,” says Alcaraz.
“[Dobie] asked us that night if we wanted to commit, and me and Elijah went outside for a second and just talked about how even if we were to get any other offers for other schools, that we wouldn’t want to play anywhere else except for here because it’s home.”
With their commitment already decided prior to the start of the 2018 season, the duo simply had the opportunity to enjoy their last ride at the high school level. Garden City rolled to a 5-2 regular season record as well as a quarter-final victory over Vincent Massey Brandon last week. The athleticism on offence from the pair, as well as their ability to work cohesively on the boundary side of the defence were significant factors in the team’s success.
“From a young age, we learned how to communicate with each other and say what we see,” Rivera says. “It helps now, because we play on the same side on defence and the communication is still there.”
The Fighting Gophers head into the semi-finals for the first time since 2015 tomorrow night, looking to upset the top-seeded Vincent Massey Trojans. The pair is excited to get at it with his brothers once more, on a roster that also includes long-time friends Reese Francey (defensive back), Kaiden Bannon (receiver) and Everrett Findley (receiver/defensive back).
“We all have good chemistry together, just because we’ve all been playing together since we were young,” he says. “It’s a very well-connected team and we have good communication.”