OFC: Wolverines celebrate annual alumni night

July 9 was Wolverines Alumni Night at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School

The Peterborough Wolverines hosted their annual alumni gathering this past Saturday at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, where they welcomed in the Toronto Jr. Argos in a triple header.

The program’s Bantam and JV squads picked up victories, while the Varsity team lost their first game of the season to drop to 5-1 and into the second spot in the OFC’s Ramsay Conference.

Despite being unable to pull off the clean sweep on the field, it was still a great gathering of many old faces who have gone on to continue their football dreams in other parts of the country, and some that have stepped away from the game.

 

Current Varsity Head Coach John Parkes says events like these are important for the program, saying “It’s never too early to show people you value what they mean to your program.”

He also believes alumni events and the alumni themselves are imperative to help grow the program and the game itself in the community.

Alumni are the players and coaches from the past; they helped build the history of the program,” he said. “These are the kind of people you want around, so they can help promote the program and keep football growing in Peterborough.”

Parkes is quick to point out that it is immensely gratifying to see former players thriving at the collegiate level and giving back to the Wolverines organization in any way they can.

“It’s great to see players get the shot at the next level. It is always nice to see your players reach their goals,”expressed the 2nd-year Varsity coach. “When they come back and get involved in the community and the program, it then makes things even more rewarding. At the end of the day we are trying to help mould young men for much more than football.”

The current players are also benefiting greatly from events such as these, and the Wolverines have prided themselves on their fraternity-type atmosphere, says Parkes.

“We have several alumni that come around and help mentor the younger guys,” he stated. “The Wolverine program has a very strong brotherhood and this is something our coaches have worked very hard to develop.”