Jonas Emilsson
www.krammag.com

The Notre Dame Pride senior boys’ football team are setting themselves up nicely for another trip to the city final.

This time around, they’re hoping for a more positive result.

After falling just short last season against a rough and tumble Henry Wise Wood Warriors in a low-scoring game, the team from North West Calgary parlayed that loss into a massive chip on their shoulders that has helped them run up a tidy 6-0 record, with one game remaining in the regular season.

Their final test before the real season begins comes this Thursday against the suddenly surging St. Mary’s Saints, a team quickly earning the tag of being an official sleeper team.

But the Pride aren’t showing any signs of complacency or over confidence, quite the opposite in fact.

In last week’s Kram Game of the Week they may have put together their most impressive game of the season, against the mighty St. Francis Browns of all teams.

In that game the offense took care of business early by jumping out to a 21-0 lead, but it was the team’s defense that stole the show, keeping the offensively gifted Browns team to just seven points.

And it’s not like that performance was an anomaly considering they lead the league in points allowed, as well as points scored.

Playing a huge role in the impressive defensive performance against the Browns was Mitch Koch.

The 6′0″, 175 pound safety put together one of those games where it seemed as if the ball was metal, and he was a giant magnet. No matter where on the field the ball was heading, there was Koch either making a tackle or making his presence felt.

“I felt like I had a good game, I made a couple of tackles,” said Koch in a fairly humble tone before throwing the credit to his teammates. “It was a group effort all around. We communicate a lot and we did it as a team effort.”

But as a third-year senior and one of the teams’ more vocal players, a lot is expected when it comes time to ensuring the troops are prepared to make a play.

“He’s a great leader,” said Pride’s head coach Dave Diluzio. “He’s been on the senior team for three years and he’s just a very dedicated kid and he does everything that we ask of him.”

Like all good leaders, Koch has the gift of the gab when it comes to barking out orders from the backfield or discussing defensive strategy while getting ready for the next play coming their way.

“I’m a very communicative player at the Safety position,” said Koch. “I’m always talking on the field because I can see everything that’s going on in front of me. I think that’s one of my biggest parts as a player.”

Playing the safety position requires a player to have vision, be able to read a play and then have the speed to close down on a ball carrier. And if a pass isn’t perfect, they have to have the athletic ability to play the part of a wide receiver to catch a ball.

“He’s a great leader,” said Pride’s head coach Dave Diluzio. “He’s been on the senior team for three years and he’s just a very dedicated kid and he does everything that we ask of him.”

Put a check-mark beside each of those items as far as Koch’s abilities are concerned.

“I play a very fast game so I’m always looking around trying to figure out where the ball is going and then when I come up I have to be physical to make a play on the ball,” said Koch.

Those skills are surely making him an intriguing prospect for plenty of post-secondary football programs, and his coach is fairly certain that he’ll have the opportunity to keep playing beyond his high school career.

“He’s going to have a fine future in football,” said Diluzio. “He’ll be playing football for somebody next year.”

But for now, Koch is concerned about only one thing – getting back to the championship game and the championship banner that eluded them last season.

“I would like to move on and play at the next level, in post-secondary, but I’m concentrating on our season right now,” said Koch. “But I hope to play in the future if the opportunity is around.” I think I have the experience that allows me to realize what the opportunity is that we have coming up.”

Kram 5 with Mitch Koch
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