Remembering the Early Days of KSS Football

Football at K.S.S. has been an important part of the school since the late 1950's. A succession of coaches from Grant McLeod, Nick Kalyk, Russ Chambers, Rick Nykorak, Brian Olthius and the present coaching staff today has kept the tradition alive and well.

As someone who was fortunate to be able to coach and watch the program grow and prosper, I am reminded that it was not just the well-known players who thrived and then went onto college and professional careers who were responsible for the success we had on the gridiron.

‎For thirteen seasons, Mr. Nykorak has helped his team capture the Okanagan title eleven times, and the B.C. High School Championship twice. He is also an agent for his ex-players in the CFL. Coach Nykorak also works with players from schools throughout the province. At times, people say that he is a hard taskmaster, but his past record proves that it takes hard work and ability in order to be successful, to be a winner.

— 1984 Excursions

Certainly there were many great football players that I can remember during my thirteen years as the head coach. Players such as Randy Villenueve, John Pink, Richard Christianson, Alfie Durante, Kevin Powell, Dave Malcolm, Allan Milton, Lindsay Karpluk are just a few of the many strong contributors from the early '70s. As polyester gave way to cotton, players such as Doug Balson, Steve Harrison, Ken Ciancone, Cam Hackney, Shaun Ashbee, Rick Ryan, Wes Cooper, Mark Balson, Mac Gordon, Rob Kryger and Terry Gasparin come to mind. As the '80s approached our first Provincial Champions appeared. Stalwarts such as Paul Zanni, Trent Edwards, Jamie Lockwood,Kent MacDonnell, Mark Norman, Tod Wiseman, Don Simpson, Stuart Balson, Rae Robertis, Doug Bryson, Mike Marasco Dong Gagnon, Dean Wilson, John Chenowyth, David Larrivee and Bob Frenkel had important roles in building those championship teams.

While many of those that I have mentioned went on to further their outstanding talents on the college and professional levels, I would be terribly remiss if I did not mention the even more important contributions of those who did not warrant the media headlines — but were even more important in our quest for success. It was those unsung heroes who played supporting roles, or even those whose roles were primarily to compete against our starting players in practice who are the true measure of our successes. To those players I will be forever grateful.

There is one group of young men that I can honestly say deserve the most credit for our glories on the field. These are the athletes who played and then came back to coach-some for many years. Fellows such as Allan Milton, Garth Fraser,Tyler Walton, Lindsay Karpluk, Rick Van Camp, Terry Gasparin, Wayne Marshall, Keith Unger,and Mark Balson just to name a few. If I missed anyone, I sincerely apologize, there were so many and it now seems like a long time ago.

Finally, a tribute to the Administration, the Staff and the students who supported us whole-heartedly. Without the sacrifices and the backing they gave us, we never would have been able to climb those mountains that sometimes seem to stand in our way to the championship. To Mickey Martino, thanks for your vision; to Ed Tait, thanks for hiring me and to Jack Buckham thank you for the best support an athletic director can give a coach.

To those who coach and play for the Titans in the future, the best of luck. Hard work and courage are the tools that have always made the difference for our teams against all others.

This year the Kam-High Red Devil football squad enjoyed their best season ever. They won not only their fifth consecutive Okanagan Championship, but also made history by becoming the first team from the interior to capture the B.C provincial title. In addition to their natural athletic abilities, the Red Devils' success was due mainly to long gruelling hours of practice in which coach Rick Nykorak and his assistants molded the young athletes into a winning unit. While the offensive line's superlative play was obvious as they piled up 185 points during the regular season and added 42 points to this total from post-season play, the hard-hitting defensive line was also outstanding. They allowed only 71 points to be scored against them during the regular season, and only 3 points during the playoffs. This outstanding record included 4 games where the opposition was not allowed a single point. Our congradulations to the Red Devils for an entertaining and exciting season.

Good Times 1981-1982