By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: Quarterback Rhett Zurkan will be a valuable leader for the Broncos entering his senior year. Photo by hudl.com.
Over the next month, manitobafootballfeed will be previewing each of the 31 varsity teams battling for supremacy in the Winnipeg High School Football League, which kicks off its regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 5. Below is a breakdown of the Beaver Brae Broncos.
Team: Beaver Brae Broncos
Head Coach: Chris Penner, 21 years
Conference/Division: Vidruk Conference, Division 2
2017 Regular Season Record: 6-1
2017 Playoff Record: 0-1 (Lost to Kildonan East in quarterfinals)
Despite being upset in the quarterfinals of the Currie Division last season, the Broncos will be moving up a division in 2018. They return over half of their starters on both sides of the ball this year, and will be hungry to prove their mettle in division 2.
Offence: The team’s biggest strength offensively will be their protection up front, which is led by centre Mike Porter. Handling quarterbacking duties will be senior Rhett Zurkan, who had 15 total touchdowns a year ago. Another player to keep an eye out for is versatile athlete Brayden Martin, who is expected to line up as both a running back and receiver and is also likely to see some time under centre.
Defence: Coach Penner is very excited about his front four defensively, with his defensive ends specifically noted as a positional strength. That group will be anchored by Cole Tattrie and Cameron Fraser. The linebacking corps will be paced by Dylan Harty, while grade 10 rookie Kevin Holmstrom, who has been described as a “natural safety,” is a player to keep an eye out for in the secondary.