Chestermere Lakers running back Roy Outh will join some illustrious football company May 20, when he competes in the 2019 Football Alberta Senior Bowl All-Star Game.
The annual game pits the top 42 Grade-12 players from southern Alberta high schools against the top 42 from northern Alberta. The south team’s roster was selected via a three-day tryout at McMahon Stadium April 5 to 7.
Outh is the only player from Chestermere High School to crack the line up. His teammates will include members of some of the top Tier 1 high school football teams in the province, including the St. Francis Browns and the Notre Dame Pride.
“It’s rare for someone coming out of a Div. 3 school to play with Div. 1 and 2 schools,” Outh said. “All the hard work that I did paid off, so I’m happy about it.”
According to Outh, roughly 150 senior players from across southern Alberta participated in tryouts, with less than a third making the team.
Despite the odds, Outh said he was confident he would make the roster, after putting forth a strong showing throughout all three days.
“I strongly believe I was the fastest player there – I run a 4.5-[second] 40-metre and I bring a lot of aggression,” he said. “I don’t go down easily and I play with a lot of heart. I think whatever plays [the coaches] put me on for, I’ll succeed.”
Lakers head coach Scott Ledieu said Outh’s main strengths are his speed and his strength, which he has developed throughout the years with consistent hard work.
“He’s very fast, but he’s also in the weight room all the time,” Ledieu said. “He’s been training for as long as he’s been in our program. He’s had a personal trainer [and] he’s very strong.”
Along with fellow senior Dakota Konschuh, Outh played a key role in the Lakers’ offensive strategy last season, carrying the ball for gains nearly every time he received it.
“That combination of speed, as well as the strength to break tackles and having really good vision have definitely led to him excelling as a running back,” Ledieu said.
According to former Chestermere High School football coach Brian Utley, Outh will be the first athlete from the school to feature in the all-star game in more than a decade. The last player was defensive lineman Mitch Bec, who played in the 2008 rendition and went on to red-shirt for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs and the University of Calgary Dinos. Fittingly, Bec is now a member of the Lakers coaching staff.
Other Lakers seniors who were selected to try out for the game were Konschuh, his brother Callum (linebacker) and halfback Blair Rota.
“It’s definitely great for [Outh], and it’s great for our program that he’s been able to break through,” Ledieu said. “It’s a very difficult team to make.”
While his high school career wrapped up in November 2018 following a disappointing 1-7 season for the Lakers, Outh said he is looking for opportunities to continue in the sport at a high level.
“Next year, I have to upgrade and then hopefully I’ll be picked up by a university team,” he said. “I believe right now, Toronto Prep Academy is looking, and me and my mom have been talking to the coaches there, so I believe that’s where I’ll be next year.”
The 2019 Football Alberta Senior Bowl All-Star Game will take place May 20 at Shouldice Athletic Park, in Calgary.
