Walking up to the SLS Sports Field, the changes ahead of the Bow Valley Bobcats’ season opener are immediately noticeable.
The Bobcats face the George McDougall Mustangs tonight in the second game of a doubleheader on Ed Eggerer Field.
Head coach Dustin Paul says the energy has been high since camp opened last week.
"It's really refreshing. I don't remember the last time I've seen this much excitement, positivity, and people looking forward to practice," said Paul. "For what they're doing out here right now, not even in pads, it's shaping up for a great season so far."
He says the Mustangs have always been a tough opponent.
"We'll see what they're like, but odds are they have something up their sleeve. It may not be anything we've seen in years past, but that's the joy of high school football—you never know until you get out there."
Quarterback Kaden Barnstable enters his final season with the Bobcats after spending the spring and summer honing his skills, including time at U Sports camps in Canada and a camp at North Dakota State University.
He was also selected to play in the CFC Prospect Game in Hamilton, Ont., in May.
"It was a really good experience. I got to meet a ton of people from around the country. The competition level was super high, a different level than I had ever seen," said Barnstable, who now stands 6-3 and weighs 195 lb.
"I have high hopes for the team. I think we have a lot of potential, and if we can really come together as a unit, we're going to surprise the teams this year."
"I think we have a really good group this year and the coaches have put in a ton of work, getting us all the best equipment, so now it all falls on us to come together as a group and see what we can do with it."
During the offseason, their dressing room was doubled in size after a separate storage shed was added, and the club has continued to invest in safety equipment, including new soft-shell helmet covers to help prevent concussions.
The Bobcats are on the road for their first three games, and we won't see them in Cochrane until Sept. 27 against the Bert Church Chargers.
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