Sacred Heart High School had three sets of brothers playing football on two different teams this past season, said Darcy Todos, head coach of the junior club.
Travis Buzinski, Nathan Guy, Andrew Bazin, Clark Bazin, Jared Buzinski and Justin Guy all played football at the Yorkton catholic high school.
The senior team included Travis, Nathan and Andrew, while Clark, Jared and Justin played on the junior team.
Football definitely runs in the family at Sacred Heart.
While the three elder brothers all enjoyed what turned out to be the biggest post-season run in the history of the school, the three younger brothers took part in what has become a developmental program at SHHS. Coach Todos said earlier in the junior team's season, that the purpose of playing junior football in high school is to prepare the players for the slightly larger stage of senior football.
"They definitely made strides in their ability to play this season," said Todos of the players who made up the junior team.
Clark Bazin has played three years so far including two years of peewee. This was his first year of high school where he spent most of his time playing offence.
"It's the contact and I like the exercise," he said. It was partly watching his older brother Andrew that got him involved and they've got a third brother in the family that plays to, says Clark.
From his first year at the high school level, he said he really learned to "lower the shoulder when you're running", adding that he noticed "you're encouraged to do it a lot more here."
Of his first season playing at SHHS, he said it proved to be a decent learning experience and hopes to continue next school year because it was good.
"It was pretty exciting. At time it was frustrating."
Jared Buzinski has been playing since Gr. 6, and saw playing time on both the offensive and defensive line, as well as playing linebacker, said he got into it after his brother (Travis) started up.
"My brother was playing. It looked fun and I wanted to play."
Jared got his initial playing experience as a peewee and is definitely looking at moving up to senior next year, where his brother got a lot of his development.
Travis was part of the Saints squad that advanced to the semi finals against Delisle two weekends agoJustin Guy was the third and final younger brother to take up high school football at SHHS. Like Buzinski, he began playing in elementary school and according to him, the interest just escalated from there.
"Football is my favourite. I've been watching it since I was young. You get faster, stronger and maybe smarter by playing. It's kind of been in my plan a little bit."
He got most of his playing time this past season at the middle linebacker position.
When the senior team began play this season, they had some of the same players that were part of the junior team last season.
Coaches of the senior team were confident in their clubs' ability to run the football and things were looking good on the defence as well.
Their opening game of the season against Melville was the closest game they had played all year, and ended in a 14-9 victory over Melville. Trent Senger, head coach of the senior Saints said it turned out to be a defensive spectacle, but when the offence needed to score, they were able to get them.
Part of that offence included the abilities of their quarterbacks Travis Buzinski and Jonathan Bell.
Buzinski got some good playing time in, which also included a quarter-final start at Maple Creek earlier this month, a game that saw them travel by bus more than halfway across the province to play.
It was Buzinski's first experience in a playoff game. He helped guide his team to a 33-14 win. That win set up a second home playoff game for his team.
"I had never (actually) played in a home playoff game before. I do want to make it higher in the playoffs," he said at the time.
The Gr. 11 student still has one more year of eligibility at school and says he plans to return to play pivot next year.
He said he got his early experience through two years each in peewee, junior and senior and loves the intensity.
Once high school football is finished for him (this time next year), he plans to make a move into coaching.Teammate Andrew Bazin, one year younger than Buzinski, worked hand-in-hand with Buzinski this season playing both guard and centre.
Admittedly, he said there's less contact and pressure but that doesn't seem to stop him as he "really likes playing."
Bazin told the paper that because his dad played, he decided it would be a good way for him to go to.He said his lone goal on the football field is to "basically play my best."
Final junior teammate in the feature is Nathan Guy, one year older than Bazin, who also started out his football roots with the peewee program.
Through this past season, he saw playing time on the offensive line, but pointed out that his favourite position is the defence, he likes "tackling, hitting", he said.
With a team full of Gr. 9 students, as well as a group of Gr. 8s from the catholic school board that joined Guy on the SHHS squad, it was a real experience learning the game.
A lot of players who were both younger than him, as well as the same age.
By the sounds of it, they were able to learn from each other.
"It's how we're all working together, not getting down on yourself" adding that at this young age, you have to "get back back to basics."
Guy said after high school, he will be looking at playing in college or university.
"I've always wanted to play after high school."
