#CFCHSFB (ONT – DURHAM): Perfection lies in preparation for CFC#22 Holy Trinity RB’s

CFC#22 Holy Trinity has finished the regular season undefeated. As per most Titan teams, they rode their running backs for much of that season.  However, what’s more impressive than the 6-0 start is how Holy Trinity’s running backs got in position to carry their team to its best start in school history.

As the final seconds ticked away during Holy Trinity’s final game of the 2014 season (a blowout loss in the LOSSA semifinals against Pickering), a question lingered. Holy Trinity’s stable of bell cow running backs was suddenly depleted, or perhaps broken would better fit the situation.

Alex Olay, the quick footed, speedy runner was on the sideline, recovering from in season ACL surgery, the surgery came mid season as Olay could no longer play through the tear, despite averaging over five yards a carry.

On the field, eventual LOSSA MVP Nathan Jones was finding very little success against the Pickering defense. Jones was also trying to play through pain. In an exhibition game against Ohio’s Pickerington Central, Nathan found himself sandwiched between two defenders, the force led to a tear in his labrum as well as two micro fractures.
As the clock hit zero and attention turned to next season, the question was who would carry the ball? Nathan and Alex were both in grade 12, the option to return for a fifth year was there, but as beat up as they were, could they come back was a better question than if they would.

 “In the 70’s they didn’t do this surgery, in the 80’s your career was over, in the 90’s, speed athlete’s career’s were over.” Said Brad Chalmers of the Elite Performance Centre (EPC),reflecting on Olay’s surgery, and the rehab he needed. Chalmers  rehabbed both Alex and Nathan as well as serving as Holy Trinity’s offensive coordinator.

“In 25 years of training people, Alex has had the best ACL recovery.” said Brad, “He finished his rehab schedule in half the time, worked extremely hard from day one, never had to be pushed.

When Alex tore his ACL his physiotherapist told him he may not be able to play football ever again. Olay, who now has 500 all purpose yards on the season never lost sight of what he wanted to do.

“My coaches, Brad, and my teammates motivated me,” recalled the running back “That is when I realized how much I love football and how much it meant to me.”

“My mother is also my number one motivation, without her love and support I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

 When Nathan Jones walked off the field that day against Pickering,  he wasn’t aware of the offseason that awaited him. He tried to rehab his ailing shoulder, but did not think surgery was in his future.

“After 2014 season started to train Nathan after a couple weeks of rehab and shoulder not responding very confident he had a labrum tear. All the signs were there. Told him to get the long process started of ultra sounds and MRI.” Said Brad Chalmers.

The Labrum was indeed torn, and for quite a long time too.

“The hardest part about my injury and the rehab that came with it was the length that it took. I injured my shoulder during the exhibition game in the states which was our first action of the season in early September. I played with the pain all year and didn’t receive surgery until the 28th of May, my shoulder is just now feeling up to 100% so it has taken me almost an entire year to rehab. ” said Jones, the reigning LOSSA MVP that’s accounted for roughly 800 all purpose yards in six games this season, “What motivated me was my teammates. I spent the offseason rehabbing and training at EPC, a gym run and owned by one of our coaches Brad Chalmers. Seeing my teammates make the progress they were making and how hard they were working made me want to do that too so I rehabbed my shoulder as much as I could to get to where I am now.”

As for goals this season Jones has already accomplished one of them, and looks this week to cross the next one off his list.

“My goal for our team is to win LOSSA gold, first place in our league. We’ve been chasing it for 4-5 years now some of us falling just short winning a silver medal 3 times. Last year was the first year we didn’t make it to the LOSSA finals in all the years I’ve been at HT, that still bothers us and eats at us so we’re going to use that as motivation this year to get back to the finals and capture gold.”

As Holy Trinity prepares to continue their  unprecedented perfection throughout the playoffs, Nathan Jones and Alex Olay will be preparing the way they have all summer, defying odds and surpassing expectations.

“As a coach, you wish you had five of them.” Concluded Chalmers

*Photos Courtesy of Aaron Bailey