‘Having fun and competing’

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This article was published 13/10/2020 (1437 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s not exactly what you’d expect to see Andrew Harris doing 11 months after leading his hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a Grey Cup title.

Instead of scoring touchdowns in front of thousands of Blue and Gold fans at IG Field, the all-star running back is now putting up signs in front of the bleachers at Dakota Collegiate’s Murray Field to remind spectators at a high school flag football game that masks are mandatory. 

A global pandemic sure can force someone to call an audible on their day-to-day life.

But neither Harris nor Montreal Alouettes linebacker DJ Lalama, Winnipeg natives and co-founders of the Pro Prep Flag Football League, are complaining about their new roles in the game.

Wednesday was the fifth game night of the inaugural Pro Prep season.

Play began Oct. 2 for the league, which uses a format of two games of seven-on-seven being played at once on a field split in half. Six games are played on game nights.

“For DJ and I, it’s about giving back to a game that we love, a game that’s given us a lot of opportunities and a lot of joy,” said Harris.

“Winnipeg as a community as a whole has given us a lot and we just want to pay it forward. To see the plays that have been made and the expressions on kids’ faces when they make a big play, even from high school to the junior and university level, there’s some good football being played here and it’s great to be a part of that and make a difference.”

Once the action begins, you’ll find the pair of CFLers walking around and making sure everyone is wearing masks and following protocols. There were approximately 50 spectators on Wednesday night who were all appropriately spread out.

Even though the league is being cautious and playing by the rules, it’s hard not to be alarmed by the rising COVID-19 cases in the province. The finals are scheduled for mid-November and Harris and Lalama are looking at the championship games being played at IG Field, home of the Bombers and University of Manitoba Bisons.

But with Winnipeg’s positive numbers rising by the day, there’s no guarantee that plan will come to fruition, or if the season will finish.

For now, Harris remains hopeful.

“At the end of the day, we know what’s out there and there’s the potential of (a cancelled season). We’re just focusing on the task at hand and the task is to make sure we’re providing kids with an outlet to get out here and play and provide the safest atmosphere as possible while following all those guidelines,” Harris said.

“We’re definitely aware of it and we’re following all the guidelines from Sport Manitoba, Football Manitoba and Football Canada… We’re going to keep trucking along as long as they allow us to.”

This isn’t exactly what Elmwood Giants Grade 12 running back Antonio Calder had in mind for his senior season. But Calder said it’s better than nothing and it’s crucial for players such as himself, who hope to take their talents to the university level. Pro Prep has a media crew that films all the games so players can have something from this season to send off to schools.

“This is giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills since tackle (football) isn’t available anymore,” said Calder after playing against a team of students who would normally play for Grant Park High School.

“This gives me a way to show myself my senior year. We’re trying to make the best of the opportunity as this is my last year and I need some film to get any scholarship, really.”

While Pro Prep does have a pro division, there are no professional players in the league as their contracts wouldn’t allow it. The top teams are comprised of players from the Canadian Junior Football League’s Winnipeg Rifles and the Bisons.

There’s also a varsity division for high school athletes, and Vincent Massey Trojans head coach Kelsey McKay has taken full advantage of the chance to have his guys play. With no Winnipeg High School Football League season, McKay has split his players into four Pro Prep teams. Since the flag football game is better suited for skill players, schools such as Vincent Massey have designated non-contact practices for offensive and defensive lineman for them to work on their technique.

McKay said his players just want to be involved in something and they were willing to play any way they could. It’s not quite the same as playing for a provincial title, but McKay said winning the first-ever Pro Prep championship would be a memorable feat.

“We always tell the kids that you never measure your success for winning a championship. That’s just one way of measuring success. But it would be pretty neat, considering this is the first time,” said McKay.

“Under the circumstances, it’s great that they’re out here having fun and competing. That still is the bottom line, regardless of how we finish.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31