The Ontario Provincial Football League kicks off a new season this weekend.
The Kingston Gaels open on the road against the Ottawa Sooners.
The junior teams play on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Ottawa Gee-Gees football field. The Varsity Gaels open up on Saturday afternoon at the Beckwith football field in Carleton Place. Game time is 5 p.m.
“Practice is over; it’s time to start hitting for real,” said Varsity Gaels linebacker Jordan Leroy.
The graduate of Gananoque Secondary School is entering his fifth season of junior football with the Kingston-based team.
“We quickly learn to put our high school rivalries behind us,” added Leroy, who plans to try out with the Ottawa University Gee-Gees in the fall.
“We’ve come together in a short period of time. We love coming to practice. Everyone looks forward to the season with a long-term goal of winning a league championship.”
Formerly known as the Limestone District Grenadiers, the organization recently signed a deal with Queen’s University. It’s a partnership that works well for both parties: Queen’s gets to market its brand name, and the players benefit from the coaching expertise provided by past and current Gaels.
“It means a lot,” continued Leroy.
“We’ve got Gaels players and coaches coming out to help us in practice and prepare for games. They’re able to pass along so much knowledge. It’s something we don’t get in high school. It certainly helps the players who one day hope to play university football,” he said.
The Gaels’ home opener is scheduled for Saturday, May 18 against the Durham Dolphins at George Richardson Memorial Stadium. The juniors play at 2.30 p.m., and the varsity squad hits the field at 5 p.m.
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