“People say we didn’t have a winning year, because we didn’t win the championship. I think they are wrong,” Lakers Head Coach Jeremy Braitenback said during the team’s award’s ceremony Wednesday night.
Though a little late, the football season ended in November, the Lakers gathered at H.J. Cody dressed in their best to look back at the season and honour a few players who stood out from the pack.
While there were only eight major awards handed out to players on the team, each team member in each position was recognized.
Along with words of encouragement, anecdotes or areas of improvement given from one of the team’s three coaches, each player also received a collage poster made up of moments from the season.
Coaches Jas Payne, Mike Williams and Braitenback said deciding who received the major awards during the banquet was at times difficult. There were also moment were the coaches knew right away who should get the award.
The award winners from the Lakers Football Banquet are:
- Rookie of the Year: Arden Kasha
- Most Improved Player: Tristan Loewen
- Offensive Player of the Year: Warren Stewart-Brown
- Defensive Player of the Year: Brett Zenert
- Lineman of the Year: Carson Lethbridge
- Leadership Award: Tarrin Stein
- Jeff Holverson Memorial Award: Caleb Johnson
- Most Valuable Player: Patrick Bennett
Braitenback noted Stewart-Brown is the first rookie to receive the Offensive Player of the Year award. Also, this marks the second year in a row Zenert was awarded Defensive Player of the Year.
Now the Lakers are preparing for spring camp and are looking forward to the new season in the fall.
“I think not winning the championship is a good thing for us. Now we know what we want and we will work to get back to that place,” said Braitenback.
megan.roth@sylvanlakenews.com
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