Chateauguay school brings back football program after nearly 50 years
Howard S. Billings High School is turning on the Friday night lights, bringing back its tackle football team after a nearly 50-year hiatus.
"This is super exciting. We haven't had football here at Billings for a very long time," said manager Sophie Caisse.
Caisee says her excitement is shared by the entire school community.
Now, as the Billings Blazers prepare to make their comeback, players hope they live up to expectations.
"It feels good to know that, but at the same time, we have something to prove coming into a new league as a new team," said student athlete Jahki Parkinson.
The team is open to grade 10 and 11 students. Head coach Luc Pelland says the team's resurgence is due to several factors, but mostly to help keep teenagers in school.
"Let's keep them busy, let's keep them off the streets, teach them a great game where they will make friends and learn good habits and increase the school spirit," Pelland told CTV News.
While he has 25 years of experience coaching at the CEGEP and university levels with Concordia and McGill, this is Pelland's first high school gig.
"It’s a little different. I'm used to working with older men, so I've had to, maybe, watch my language a little bit more," he laughed. "But you know, football is football."
Howard S. Billings High School in Chateauguay, Que. is bringing back its tackle football team after almost 5 decades. (CTV News/Olivia O'Malley)
Future players hope to learn from his experience and take their game to the next level.
"I'm still learning the game, and I'm hoping with coach Pelland and everyone helping me out, I'll just get better by the year and go onto CEGEP," said grade 10 student Thomas Granberg.
There are still about three months to go, but the almost five-decade wait will be worth it when the team steps onto the field.
"I really hope when it comes to game time, a ton of people are going to show up. It's going to be really good," said Granberg.
The high school season officially starts in late August.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.