Oak Park High especially proud of blue and gold

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Oak Park High School students not only have the Grey Cup spirit, they have three graduates who will be playing for the blue and gold in Sunday’s game.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/11/2019 (1764 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Oak Park High School students not only have the Grey Cup spirit, they have three graduates who will be playing for the blue and gold in Sunday’s game.

Andrew Harris, Nick Demski and Brady Oliveira, who wore jerseys for the Oak Park Raiders when they were teens, playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Principal Sharon Labossiere revved up the students at a pep rally on Friday to cheer the Blue Bombers to victory.

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press
Oak Park Highschool Staff and Students at Oak Park High School cheering along the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at a assembly at Oak Park High School Friday afternoon. This weekend, three Oak Park alumni, Nick Demski, Brady Oliveira, and Andrew Harris will be playing with the team in Calgary this weekend.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Oak Park Highschool Staff and Students at Oak Park High School cheering along the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at a assembly at Oak Park High School Friday afternoon. This weekend, three Oak Park alumni, Nick Demski, Brady Oliveira, and Andrew Harris will be playing with the team in Calgary this weekend.

Sparking cheers from the students, Labossiere said, “It is extra special for us at Oak Park because we have three former Oak Park students dressed in blue and gold this weekend.”

More cheers erupted when Labossiere said the players aren’t the only ones from the school who will be at the championship game.

“There’s actually another school graduate at the Grey Cup, Emmalie Arbez is part of the team’s Blue Bomber Cheer and Dance Team,” she said.

“Oak Park is well-represented this weekend and we are very excited and very proud.”

Justice Flett, 17, the school’s star receiver, admitted he would like to follow in the cleats of the players who were once Raiders.

“It’s a dream I have and it is always at the back of my mind,” Flett said.

“I got some offers out there. I’ll take what I can and keep working to go as far as I can go.”

Football coach Stu Nixon said each player was a pleasure to coach. He said Harris played there in 2002, after spending three years at Grant Park High School, Demski was there from 2008 to 2011, and Oliveira was there from 2012 to 2015.

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press
Oak Park Raiders Head Coach, Stu Nixon, left, and Offensive Coordinator Chad MacKay at Oak Park High School will be cheering along the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this weekend.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Oak Park Raiders Head Coach, Stu Nixon, left, and Offensive Coordinator Chad MacKay at Oak Park High School will be cheering along the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this weekend.

“I just hope they can get it done,” Nixon. “They did it for me, they can do it for Winnipeg.”

Earlier, Nixon quieted the students for a couple of minutes to tell them about what each of the former Raiders had in common.

“All I want to say is all three of these guys were very talented, but what set them apart is their remarkable drive… the lesson you can learn is, drive is everything.

“Every one of you guys can take that back home with you.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Kevin Rollason

Kevin Rollason
Reporter

Kevin Rollason is one of the more versatile reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press. Whether it is covering city hall, the law courts, or general reporting, Rollason can be counted on to not only answer the 5 Ws — Who, What, When, Where and Why — but to do it in an interesting and accessible way for readers.

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History

Updated on Friday, November 22, 2019 9:14 PM CST: Adds photo.

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