The Brandon-based Vincent Massey Vikings – led by Mike Steeves at the varsity level and Kevin Grindey in the JV ranks – list pride, effort, teamwork, commitment, perseverance and character as core values of their program. These attributes are rooted in their own experiences playing at the high school level, where the pair were part of an undefeated 1987 Crocus Plains roster that was the first from outside city limits to win a Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) title. 

“There’s so much more to sport than just the running and the tackling and the scoring. Score boards shouldn’t define who you are. It’s the relationships that you build with the players that will last forever,” noted Grindey, who relaunched Vincent Massey’s program in 1997 and coached the likes of Israel Idonije and Chris Bauman. 

“I felt accepted, I felt like I had a place. The coaches and players made me believe that I could do something that I didn’t think was possible. To instill that into a young kid in a safe, nurturing environment is a gift that lasts forever. It’s the reason why I coach. I want to give back, because I want that same feeling put onto kids who come through our program.”

“You kind of get that feeling where if I can affect a kid that positively and help them as much as he helped me, I pay tribute to that guy,” added Steeves. “You see kids now who are from our program, and coach Grindey was their head coach, and now they’re helping out. They’re on that same page of this really helped me, so I want to be that role model for another kid and keep this train of love and respect going.”

The duo love what they do, and their passion continues to rub off on each and every athlete that puts on the Vikings helmet, including the current crop. Dating back to 2019 in the JV ranks, Vincent Massey is undefeated, having most recently won the WHSFL’s Westman Championship against stiff competition that included Division 1 mainstay Steinbach, as well as Division 2 powerhouse Portage and city rival Crocus Plains. The four squads were placed in a bracket together due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, with the Vikings outscoring their opposition 228-76. 

Massey’s 31-23 win over the Sabres in the championship marked just the third undefeated season in the last 22 years for the school (their second being the 2019 campaign) and placed them right into the conversation with Crocus as one of the greatest Brandon teams to suit up in the WHSFL.

Staying Sharp 

The best part? They’re not finished yet. With the exception of a few key playmakers, the team returns most of its roster, led by incoming senior Justin Sharp, a three-sport star who was recently named this year’s winner of the Brandon Sun’s H.L Crawford Award as the Most Outstanding Athlete in Westman. It’s just the second time in the 64-year history of the award that the recognition has gone to a football player, the other being Idonije, an NFL alum.

What stands out about the 5’9”, 178-pound pivot – who has a cannon of an arm, can throw the wide out with ease and is more than capable of making plays outside of the pocket – is his character. When asked about the season, instead of directing the praise towards himself (which he had every right to after amassing 1814 all-purpose yards in seven games), he instead chose to talk about his offence as a whole, and what made each individual player so beneficial to the team’s overall identity. 

“I don’t think our offence had too much of a weak point. We had [seniors] Nolan Bowers and Jacob Doerksen in the backfield, two very good linebackers who can also lay some pretty mean blocks and will punish you when running the ball. And every single one of our receivers, you have to respect their abilities,” he noted. 

“Matthew Escoto, (led the team with 55 receptions for 562 yards and ten scores) I met when I started playing quarterback when I was nine. We’ve had that connection ever since. We’re brothers, we work hard and feed off of each other. Slotback Aaron Pasaporte, he probably doesn’t pass the eye test, but he’s very fast and gets open on almost all of his routes and doesn’t drop the ball. 

Same with Lucas Cels. He’s a very fast, shifty guy. He’s undersized, I think he’s about 5’5. The best receiver I could compare [him and Aaron to] are Weston Dressler. Other wideouts like James Li and Brady McDuffe are big, physical. Brady is 6’1”, James is 5’11.” We had a very versatile receiving corps. They didn’t have many weaknesses that defences could use to their advantage.”

Sharp’s not wrong. The group was locked in on both sides of the ball all season, in part because of their long-term chemistry. Most of the roster grew up playing youth football together, and in their spare time, they’d be training either on the field or in the weight room. That didn’t stop during COVID-19 and was a major reason why they didn’t miss a beat once tackle returned. 

“Individually or in small groups, we’d go to local gyms. We’re all friends outside of football. We still talk in the hallways when we see each other, we’re still brothers. It’s more than just football, it’s family,” says Sharp.

“With the receivers, there was lots of work done in the offseason, just going to the field and even just doing one-on-ones or having little drills going, I’ve gotten to know a lot of them very well, and I’ve played with all of them for a long time, so that helps too. I found the chemistry with the receivers really grew in the offseason, because we were choosing to come out just us, and throw the football around and get some work done. It was very enjoyable, you really get to learn a lot about the players from stuff like that.”

For Sharp, the work didn’t stop when he was at home. He’s always done additional film study, and when he’s at practice or in a game, it’s like having another coach on the field, as Massey didn’t have a quarterbacks coach. He’d bounce ideas off of Steeves and offensive coordinator Brady Dane, all of whom shared a cohesive relationship. 

Sharp also got into great shape thanks to a dedicated nutritional plan. During COVID, he got up to 240 pounds and realized that if he wanted to develop into a well-rounded pivot, he’d need to shed some weight. For his diet, his found leaner sources of protein while staying on a calorie deficit and eating low calorie foods at high volume. He also found other ways to stay active, such as playing basketball or going to the rink. 

The hard work paid off. He got down to 163 pounds at one point, and then bulked back up to 180 for the football season. His mobility was on display all season, including in the championship where he scored what turned out to be the game-sealing touchdown on a 20-yard quarterback keeper where he made five Sabres defenders miss in space, before scrambling to hit paydirt. 

“I knew I needed to taker this more seriously if I wanted to play at the next level. Changing my body and the way I move on the field has opened up a whole new playing style for me. I’m starting to run the ball and create more time by escaping the pocket. It’s keeping the linebackers more honest. They can’t just drop back into zone, but at the same time they can’t just keep their linebackers up, because I can still throw a ball,” he says. 

“I don’t want to say [losing the weight] was easy, but once you get going it sort of figures itself out. At that point you just need to stay disciplined.”

Excitement for 2022 is already building in the halls of Vincent Massey, as the squad looks for a three-peat. They’ll miss U SPORTS calibre starters in Bower and Doerksen, but have the rest of the core intact, including an offensive line led by 6’4”, 320-pound tackle and guard Carter Moore. 

Regardless of what happens, Sharp and company will continue to embody the character traits instilled in them by Steeves, Grindey and company, enjoying the process every step of the way. 

“We work together and we have respect for everyone because of how we work as a team. It’s a very welcoming atmosphere that our players and coaches create. Work isn’t taken for granted, but it’s enjoyable.”