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A chilly hello to one and all,
We've been in a deep freeze here in toon town for the better part of the last week. Some call it square tire weather, I call it bloody cold! We just finished filming our last football game of the year yesterday, I'll get to that in a minute. I want to catch you up on what we did this past week.
In the last 'Season of Dreams' update I mentioned that we caught the Huskies having a lighter moment on Monday, that was six days ago. On Wednesday we dropped by practice again, filmed a smidge and witnessed an event truly Saskatchewan. Cal Hobbes, one of the defensive coaches emailed me, suggesting I come by for their potluck supper put on after practice by the parents of the athletes. Cal explained that the parents do this a couple of days before every big game. What a tradition, what a way to build community.
After the potluck supper I interviewed Cal Hobbes and Brent Schneider (thanks guys) as well as Mark Roesler's (first year player) parents. I wanted their thoughts on what the meals significance was to the team and to the parents. On Thursday my film partner Chris Funk filmed some shots of the CIS All-Canadian Awards Gala and the kick-off Cabaret.
Friday morning we dragged ourselves out of bed to be at the Sasktel Soccer Center by 7 am for the Glen Suitor Football College. When we got there Duane Dmytryshyn was already running around getting things organized. We interviewed Bobby and his son Dylan Jurasin, Chris Szarka & Gene Makowski, Duane Dmytryshyn, Matt Dunnigan and the 'big cheese' himself, Glen Suitor. What an excellent idea, what a terrific event. Nice job guys, firing up those 10 to 15 year olds, giving them something to dream about.
Friday afternoon we had the privilege of interviewing Russ Jackson at the Hilton Gardens Hotel. The experience was comparable to interviewing Gord Currie. Russ was thoughtful, philosophical and articulate. I loved hearing his voice back in the 70's when he worked for CBC Sports and I must say his voice sounds better with age. Thanks for the interview Russ!
Saturday finally arrived, we were at Griffiths Stadium by 10:45 am. We immediately went to the locker room to film the empty stalls. Much to our surprise some of the guys were already preparing for the game. B.T. walked in a little after eleven and said a few words. I can't tell you how much we appreciated and respected the access the Huskies gave us as a film crew. This organization has nothing to hide, it reflects its coach, what you see is what you get.
We took a couple of establishing shots of the stadium empty, a few crane shots in the end zone and then we headed over to DQ on College Drive to warm up and have a bite to eat. Just before 1 pm we went back to Griffiths Stadium. Much to our surprise, although it shouldn't have, throngs of people were arriving for the game. You gotta love the Saskatchewan spirit. It's -30, the game doesn't start for an hour and a half and people show up, what dedication, what passion.
With three cameras in hand, we filmed the opening ceremonies. For the players sake it was brief and tasteful. The game started and we did what we've been doing for nine months, we filmed football. It was a defensive struggle from the start. In the end Laval came out on top. Tyler Dueck was gracious enough to give us an interview, those Hague boys are tough and classy. We kept the camera rolling as the Laval team hoisted the Vanier Cup, we interviewed Peter Metuzals from the CIS and Laval's head coach, Glen Constantin.
The final shot we took was of Tyler O Gorman limping off the field after he patiently answered all of the questions from the local media. Last night I watched Global TV and CTV's coverage of the game. As media often do, they talked about the obvious. They derided the Huskies for losing a third Vanier Cup in three years. They asked what was wrong with the Huskies, I felt like throwing a brick through the TV.
They didn't get it. The Huskies had made it to the Vanier Cup in a supposed 'rebuilding year'. They did it by beating the number one team (Manitoba) in their own backyard. They won the Mitchell Bowl when they looked beaten for three and a half quarters. They played in the most successful Vanier Cup hosted by us, Saskatchewan. The organizers (led by Hugh Vassos) turned the game into an event, with over 700 volunteers! Did the media notice that 13,000 fans stayed until the end in -30 weather. Cheering, screaming, hoping for their team. And then their was B.T., spent and exhausted answering their questions with a hoarse voice. He said it best, "The kids played their hearts out". Man, I'm proud to be from Saskatchewan. It was such an honour to see this game played up close and to follow a season of dreams. We'll keep you posted as we begin to edit the movie. Dress warm, count your blessings and love your families, that's what really counts.
Regards,
Tom Simes
Five Stones Films
p.s. A big thank you to Kenny Byers and Nick Froese for their help during the game.