The Gryphon football team is ready and excited for the 2012 season to get underway.
"There is always a lot of anticipation at this time of the year," said Stu Lang who enters his third year as the head coach. "With the new turf at Alumni Stadium, renewed staff and an excellent recruiting year there is more excitement and buzz around this program than ever."
Lang and his Gryphon staff don't have long to wait to hit the field. Guelph opens its 2012 fall training camp on Monday, August 20, when the Gryphons begin preparing for the season with a 9:00 a.m. practice at Varsity Field. Two-a-day practices will commence Monday and run till Wednesday. A total of 70 players will leave for a pre-season game against the Saskatchewan Huskies Friday, August 24. The team will leave for Saskatoon on Thursday, August 23 and return to Guelph on Saturday, August 25. While part of the team is away the remaining players will continue to practice.
All practices will take place at Varsity Field. Gryphon fans, alumni and supporters from the community are invited to attend practices during training camp. Players and coaches will be available to the media immediately following the end of each practice.
A total of 120 players are expected to be at camp including 80 returning players from last season and 40 recruits.
While the Gryphons return approximately 20 players who have held down starting roles in the program, there will be a few key areas that coaches will be focusing on at camp.
"The offensive line is a crucial area for us," Lang said. "This is where we have focused a lot of our recruiting this past year and did make huge strides so we expect a bit of a battle in camp for those spots. Another area of concern will be the defensive secondary after the loss of James Savoie and Sebastian Howard."
The coaching staff has grown in the off-season. When training camp commences on Monday there will be three new coaches on the field including Greg Butler (defensive backs), Adam Grandy (linebackers), John Engel (quarterbacks) and Neil Lumsden (running backs).
The Gryphons will open their 2012 regular season campaign on the road, Labour Day weekend (September 3 – 1PM) versus the 2011 Vanier Cup winning McMaster Marauders in Hamilton.
Football Training Camp Schedule
Aug. 20: 9-11AM & 4-6PM
Aug. 21: 9-11AM & 4-6PM
Aug. 22: 9-1PM
Aug. 23: depart for Saskatoon
Aug. 24: Game vs. Huskies – 7PM
Aug. 25: return to Guelph
Aug. 26: 9-11AM & 4-6PM
Aug. 27: 9-11AM & 4-6PM
Aug. 28: 9-1PM
Aug. 29: 9-11AM & 4-6PM
Aug. 30: 4-6PM
Aug. 31: 1-3:30PM
Sept. 1: 1-3:30PM
Sept. 2: 1-2PM
