After two and a half weeks of practice, players on the HCI Mohawks football team are itching to hit another colour.

Their first opportunity to do so comes Friday afternoon, as the Mohawks open their schedule in Tisdale against the Tornados.

Head Coach Cory Popoff says there will be expected uncertainties in their first game that they will need to manage.

"I expect a few bumps in the road. We need to continue to work on our play execution. Basically it is a game to look at our depth and take a look at some film and see if we're on the right path."

With the continuous cycle of players that is high school football, Popoff says that in preparing for their first game of the season, they aren't looking to do too much.

"Keep the plays simple and the plan simple. That allows us to look closer at basic skills and getting those better," he explained. "We did spend 13 practices in getting our players into proper shape and getting ready for contact. I think that will go a long way in this game and hopefully get us on the right side of the scoreboard."

While it is the first game for the Mohawks, Tisdale was able to start their season a week earlier to work out any kinks in their execution.

The Tornados shutout Nipawin by a 42-0 margin to pick up their first win - something Popoff says will keep his team on their toes.

"Tisdale has a tight group of really good coaches. We even noticed last year, their junior squad was looking good in terms of their run play," he noted. "They will certainly have an advantage. They're one game in and had a really good game against Nipawin."

"We're going to have a pretty good test here and need to make sure we adjust properly and make plays when we need to."

Following the game against Tisdale, the Mohawks will be at home for three straight weeks on September 16, 23 and 30. During that span they will host Clavet, Nipawin and Melfort.

 

You can hear more from Popoff below.