Medicine Hat High School Hawks Football players Ira Hozak and Keene Shigehiro are already in Eastern Canada preparing for the CFC Prospect Game on Friday at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa. (Zoom)

By Jesse Gill

SPORTS

Medicine Hat High School players chase pro dreams in showcase match

May 29, 2024 | 7:00 AM

A pair of players from the Medicine Hat High School Hawks Football team will play in a top high school prospects game in Ottawa on Friday that could help their chances of going professional in the sport.

Sixteen-year old running back Keene Shigehiro and 17-year old punter Ira Hozak have already made the trip out east, and will be practicing over the next few days in preparation for the game.

For Hozak, this is his third time going to the game, and he hopes to get a few more punts in this time.

“My first time here, I wasn’t kicking, I was playing defense, so that one wasn’t really the same as the last one,” Hozak said.

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat and area: Dec. 13-15

18h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Mustard Seed adding new shelter spaces at Alberta government's request

Dec 12, 2024

HOLIDAYS

Medicine Hat Kiwanis hosting Christmas dinner, applications due Friday

Dec 12, 2024

“Last year was really good other than my team won by a decent amount that I wasn’t punting a whole lot,” he added.

“I mean, I came here to punt, but I mean we won…the overall goal is to win.”

The pair are two of 75 players who will compete in the CanadaFootballChat.com prospects game.

Both are looking forward to playing in TD Place Stadium, the home of the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks.

They will get to be teammates as they were both drafted to the team of ex-CFL player and TSN commentator Davis Sanchez.

The will play against a team drafted by former Winnipeg Blue Bombers great Milt Stegall.

Shigehiro is attending the game for the first time and was shocked that he made the team.

“I knew I had a good tryout, but when I got the news, I was really excited and I was looking forward to going on TSN and playing,” Shigehrio said.

Shigehiro looks at this as a potential stepping stone to playing college football and eventually going pro.

“I’m hoping I get some exposure and talk to, talk to some coaches. I’m trying to make it to like the next level, like college, and then see how far as I can go. So I’m thinking this will help me get exposure and talk to new coaches.”

Hozak echoed those thoughts.

“This is a good opportunity to connect with coaches over on the east side,” Hozak said.

Where we are, we can connect with all the Can West coaches a lot easier, you can only really text the coaches out here versus now they can actually come see you play, which is a lot different than them just looking at your film.”

The game played on Friday will be broadcast on TSN 5 on June 3 at 5:15 p.m.