Coming off a strong season last year, and a win at last week’s exhibition game in Owen Sound, the EDSS senior football program had high hopes for the new season that starts this week.

Managing to pummel the Owen Sound team 29-14, the senior Lancers are in good shape, with a crop of new strong players added to the team.

Coach Steve Karn is looking forward to integrating into the senior squad those juniors from previous years who have now moved up, coming together to make one of EDSS’ strongest teams in several years.

Although the football program is still young, past years’ success sees the team moving up the A division for the first time.

“Being in the top seven teams in the league this year is definitely going to be a challenge for us, but we are up for it. We are going to work hard, so hopefully we’ll be competitive every single game”

Some players to watch this season include new quarterback Matt Bauman, taking over the role after the previous QB graduated from EDSS and went to university this fall. “He’s got big shoes to fill but he has already shown a lot of good effort and strength. He is going to do well.”

Alongside Bauman are two solid linemen who will play both offensive and defensive line. Called “the backbone of our line” by Karn are Sandy Mills and Joey Primeau.

In the five-year history of the Lancers, Karn said he thinks this year’s team likely has the best running game yet. Fullbacks Matt Horst, Kyle Hoffman and Cass Frey alongside two strong tailbacks, Jacob Taylor and Emeka Agada, are the “strong point” of the team, he added.

“We are hoping those guys will be able to move the ball for us on a regular basis. We have never had that much talent at the tailback positions so we’re pretty optimistic about the lineup.”

But although he is upbeat, Karn remains realistic about the team’s situation and notes that the team is very tough, but will most definitely be challenged this season.

“There are some pretty good football programs in Kitchener-Waterloo, but we are going to work hard and make the other teams respect us and our players,” he said.

The team was scheduled to play against the Cameron Heights Golden Gaels Friday. That match-up will prove to be an interesting one for the Lancers as it was the junior Golden Gaels who ousted the junior Lancers last year in the final A league championship game. Results from that game were not available at press time.