September 2009 Update 09.20.09 To all Alumni and Friends of X-Men Football      September has finally arrived, and we are now full swing into the 2009 football season. Leading up to our first game we held a very competitive and physical training camp. Our veterans returned to Antigonish in great physical and mental condition, and it was evident that they worked hard over the summer. They are certainly all focused on our common goal. They paved the way and set a great example for our incoming freshman to follow.      We were very pleased with the play of many of our rookies during this camp, most notably our three new interior defensive linemen: Tom Narbaitz, Dan McLeish, and Nate Annan. All three of these young student-athletes have shown much promise already, and I suspect that all three of them will see playing time this year. I am also pleased at the ability of running back Sean Atkins. He is moving very well with the football and making good reads. He is a welcomed addition to our team, as is quarterback Jeremy Joseph from Winnipeg, MN. Jeremy has impressed us already with his athleticism and poise. In the defensive secondary, Dominique Comtois and Austin Fay have both shown they can play at this level. I truly feel that we have brought in an impressive rookie class, and I am looking forward to seeing them progress over the years. Also, during our training camp we had our annual run with the John (Packy) McFarland and Dr. Riley. This marks the 19th year that the run has taken place.      As most of you know, we opened the season with a victory against the St. Mary’s Huskies. It was a great way to start the year, and a great way to break in our new field turf field. The game was played in front of a very large and enthusiastic crowd, and our players won a hard fought battle against a strong opponent. The rest of September will hold some more great matchups, as we travel to Sackville to take on Mt. Allison on September 19th, and travel to Montreal to play our interlock game against Concordia on the 26th. For those attending our game in Montreal there will be a Mass following the game at 4:00pm at the Loyal Chapel across Sherbrooke St. from the game field. After the Mass, there will be a meet and greet with the team and coaches at 4:30pm at PJ’s Pub, 6910 St. Jacques St. West. Anyone in the area is more than welcome to come out and join us.      Our first game on the new field also included the inaugural winner of the Tim Horton’s Water Boy contest. Dylan MacKinnan, a student at St. Andrew’s Jr. School, was the winner and did a great job as the guest water boy for the day. If you know someone who is interested in entering this contest, ballots can be found at Tim Horton’s locations in Antigonish. Special thanks go out to Tim Horton’s for sponsoring this promotion, as well as generously donating a Juggs throwing machine to our program. Their support is greatly appreciated.      Last week also saw the first ever “Lunch with the Coach” event. This will continue every Thursday throughout the season, and takes place at Piper’s Pub at 1:00pm. Anyone in the Antigonish area who is interested in joining our Booster Club is welcome to come out and have lunch with us and talk some football. We will recap the previous game, as well as talk some strategy for the upcoming week. (Please note that we will move the lunch to Wednesday on the week we travel to Quebec).      Finally, to the parents of our graduating players, we would like to invite you to be in attendance for our last regular season home game on Friday, Oct. 30 as we take on the Mt. Allison Mounties. We would like to take the opportunity to show our appreciation to you and your son for being part of our family for the past four or five years. We will have a special pre-game ceremony in honor of your son. Please send me an e-mail to let me know if you plan on being in attendance.      In closing, I would also like to sincerely thank the many supporters and fans of X-Men Football. It is your support that makes it possible for us to be competitive from year to year. Hail and Health,