Spartans gearing up to take the next step as football season approaches

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(Image Credit: Coleton Ethier)

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Spartans gearing up to take the next step as football season approaches

1h ago

(Image Credit: Coleton Ethier)

That mix of experience and new energy is shaping a group that looks far different from the one that took the field a year ago, when they played their first season after a six-year break.

“I’m excited about our current roster,” Ethier said. 

“We were just talking after practice as a coaching staff and we’re really, really amazed how far along we’ve come compared to yesterday, a year ago, when we were first starting out.”  

The improvement isn’t just on paper.

During the opening practice, the focus was on the fundamentals, particularly tackling – something the team struggled to execute consistently last season.

“The kids were doing a really good job of using their proper technique in terms of dropping their bums and keeping their heads up and driving their feet through contact, which is stuff that we had a hard time getting them to do throughout the entire season last year,” he said.  

That emphasis on simplicity and execution remains central to the Spartans’ identity heading into the new season.

Offensively, the plan is to stay fast and efficient.

“We still want to be an up-tempo offence that does a small amount of plays really well,” Ethier said.  

Defensively, the approach is about adaptability but without overcomplicating things for players still learning the game.

“Both sides of the ball, we’re going to keep it simple so that our kids can learn and react really fast,” he added.  

(Image Credit: Coleton Ethier)

If there is one area the Spartans are determined to master, it’s tackling, a skill Ethier believes could define their season.

“Then we can compete with any football team in Saskatchewan,” he said.  

For now, the focus remains firmly on growth – not just as players, but as teammates and young people in the community.

“The goal is to get better every day and develop into both great football players, but more importantly, great teammates and great members of society,” Ethier said. 

“At the end of the day, winning is just a byproduct of doing all of those other things right.”  

That mindset has already extended beyond the field, with players spending part of their first day of camp cleaning up garbage around Lions’ Park, a small gesture that reflects the culture the team is trying to build.

When asked to describe this year’s team in a single word, Ethier didn’t hesitate.

“I would describe them as tough,” he said.  

The full schedule for the season has yet to be announced, with the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association expected to release conference details after May 31. But one date is already solid – an exhibition game on Aug. 29 in Meadow Lake. 

Until then, the work continues.

Carpenter High School Spartans players pick up garbage at Lions’ Park in Meadow Lake during spring camp. (Image Credit: Coleton Ethier)

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com