Football season ends for west Edmonton high school team

By Tyler Loutan

EDMONTON­­ —­­ The Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds senior football team is done for the season after a loss to the Harry Ainlay Titans in a playoff game, but looks forward to having a better season next year.

“We’ve got some great guys coming back next year,” said Devin Kusyanto, Thunderbirds defensive back. “We improved a lot and it’s going to be a good year next year.”

The Titans won the Bright Conference semi-final game 53-7. The Thunderbirds gained momentum in the second quarter with a touchdown, but the Titans took advantage of the Thunderbirds’ minor mistakes to dominate the game.

“We had the players we needed, but we just didn’t execute,” said Christopher Reinhardt, 11th grader and running back for the Thunderbirds. “Overall, it was a good learning experience for us and we never gave up.”

This is the second game the Thunderbirds have played against the Titans this season, losing the first game 46-0 in Week 2 of the regular season. The Titans will move on to the city finals on Thursday, Nov.3.

“Ainlay is a great team with a lot of polish,” said Jeff Tobert, defensive coordinator of the Thunderbirds. “They have a great program with a lot of skilled players.”

The Thunderbirds now look to revamp and recharge the team in preparation for next season.

“Today is Day 1,” said head coach Brian Buchynski. “We’re going to get better as a team, we’re excited to have a great season next year in this great league.”

The Thunderbirds have roughly 25 to 30 players returning for next year, and Buchynski and Tobert are looking forward to seeing some of the talented players from the junior team play on the senior team next season.

“We’re going to miss our graduating players, and we thank them so much for their hard work and commitment over their three years,” said Tobert. “But we’ve got a lot of young guys with experience now and we look forward to seeing them fill the leadership roles on this team.”

The Thunderbirds finished fourth in the Bright Conference, with a record of one win and four losses. Their one win came early in the season, 30-6 against the McNally Tigers.

“In terms of wins and losses, [the season] was a little disappointing,” said  Buchynski. “But we’ve grown as a team, we’ve learned a lot, and we’re a better team now than we were at the start of the season.”

While Buchynski looks back on the season as a learning experience and looks to the future for more success, he reminds his team that football is not everything in the grand scheme of things.

“Athletics isn’t about wins and losses in the standings, it’s about building better people in life,” said Buchynski. “I’m so proud of how this team has carried themselves on and off the field, as well as the coaches, staff and community for helping these guys become better citizens.”

The Thunderbird’s next season will begin in early September 2012, beginning with exhibition games.