StettlerLocal.com June 12, 2021
A few years back Luke Martin’s teacher gave him a slip of paper with the schedule for the Stettler football league and suggested he give it a try. He enjoyed football and his career would soon extended beyond Stettler Little League. He played in Border Bowl tournaments and when he was in grade 11, played on the provincial Shock team.
Martin is excited to announce he has been picked up by the CJFL team the Edmonton Huskies and the 18 year old Offensive Lineman is projected to be on the starting lineup for the team.
The Huskies are part of the league’s Prairie Football Conference which has 6 teams total, including a second Edmonton team, as well as a Calgary team, a Regina and Saskatoon team, and a Winnipeg team. Martin will have 2 years in the league which won’t count towards the approximate 5 year clock players are given to work towards either CFL or NFL.
Martin attributes a large part of his success to the support of the Stettler league and the Wildcat program. He appreciates the countless hours, and the hardwork and dedication shown by the coaching staff in both programs. He says the coaches work hard to condition the players to have the focus and motivation needed to be successful as well as instilling a sense of confidence and the importance of working as a team. All things Martin understands are important in life as well as football.
He notes football is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. He says when his team came off the field in his grade 11 year, after losing their last game, they had no idea there would not be a next season. He says that during COVID he’s tried to keep up his training to the best of his abilities, and tries to be appreciative of what he has. His would-be teammates have done what they could to keep each other motivated, but a lot of it has been a matter of motivating themselves to keep going.
With summer camp starting early July, and the tentative season starting in August, Martin is excited for the chance to start formal training. He is looking forward to not only getting back to normal, but for the opportunity to improve.
When asked about his long-term plans, Luke says he hopes to represent Stettler to the best of his abilities. He says that the overall sense of community is something he is incredibly proud of. He is very proud of Stettler, and the people who live and work here, and he wants to help bring attention to the area. He says it’s important to him to represent the community and to do whatever he can to help inspire and motivate younger people. He makes mention of several people he knows of in other sports that are doing great things, such as high school rodeo, and women’s hockey. He says that the support the community shows is something he is grateful for and hopes to be able to pay it back.
“I hope that I give younger players something to look forward to. Not just football, but in general.” Luke Martin
Congratulations to Luke Martin!
Carson Ellis, Reporter