CAYUGA—For the first time in several years, students at Cayuga Secondary School (CSS) are buzzing about the return of high school football action this coming fall.
The return of the Warriors was largely driven by the student body. CSS Vice Principal Colin Miller, who will serve as the team’s General Manager, explained, “Since I came to CSS last September, not a month has gone by where I am not asked by a student, ‘Why don’t we have football at CSS?’”
Further, over 30 Grade 8 students expressed an interest in playing football during a high school transition event last year.
“As our school continues to grow with new families moving into Haldimand, I think the timing is right to bring back this team that has such a long-standing history at the school,” said Miller.
The team initially shut down due to a shrinking student body and high costs for the program, particularly after the retirement of teacher Mike Warbeck, who was largely responsible for keeping the program running at the time.
“High school football is probably one of the toughest sports to keep going year after year because of the high costs, large number of athletes required to field a team, and the skilled positional coaches needed to run a team safely,” explained Miller. “To fill the need for a coach and more student-athletes, CSS and Hagersville joined forces under the tutelage of Michael Grenville, who teaches at Hagersville. Unfortunately, with some of the logistical challenges of running a team made up of two high schools, the program was not sustainable.”
Now CSS is gearing up for a big return this fall.
“Re-starting a football program takes a village of people who support a common vision,” Miller said.
Among that village is CSS principal Amber Mitchell, who fully supports the program, and Mike Forster, a teacher at McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia and a Cayuga resident who “wants to see football back in his community and flourish in Haldimand, similar to his experience when he was in high school.”
Miller and Forster have a deep history together, playing football together with the Brantford Bisons as teens.
