A pair of quarterbacks from the Vernon Secondary School Panthers attended a weekend quarterback development camp held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
Thomas Hyett, 16, is entering Grade 11. He guided the Panthers to the Subway Bowl B.C. AA championship game in December. Also attending was teammate Zach Smith, 14, who is entering Grade 10. The pair were among 22 quarterbacks between the ages of 13 and 18 attending the camp, organized by University of Calgary Dinos assistant coach and offensive coordinator Ryan Sheahan.
“The purpose of the camp was to focus on fundamentals and mechanics of playing the position,” said Sheahan.
In addition to on-field instruction regarding mechanics, classroom and film recognition were also used.
“The camp was extremely well organized and is great for the kids,” said VSS head coach Sean Smith. “I saw their mechanics get better from the beginning to the end.”
“It was a good camp and we learned a lot,” added Hyett.
In addition to the pair of VSS pivots, others were present from as far east as Lloydminster, as far north as Fort McMurray, and as far south as Lethbridge in addition to local players from Calgary and surrounding area.
One of the highlights of the camp was the appearance and instruction by current Calgary Stampeders backup quarterback and former two-time Hec Crighton Trophy winner as the Most Outstanding Player in Canadian college football, Andrew Buckley.
He also spoke to the participants about what it takes to become a quality quarterback.