A new football team at Howard S. Billings High School

Howard S. Billings English High School in Chateauguay will have a new football team called the HSB Blazers this fall after a 50-year hiatus. The team will be led by Luc Pelland, a coach and former university player.

Translation Amanda Bennett

“The school administration thought it would be a good idea to start a contact football team," said future coach Luc Pelland. “It could also be a way to strengthen the bonds between students and try to reduce the dropout rate.”

Pelland told Le Soleil that there was a lot of enthusiasm from the youngsters when the team was announced. The HSB Blazers will be made up of Secondary 4 and 5 students, at an average age of 15 to 17.

By August 2023, the coach wants to recruit 45 players for his squad." In the spring, we will start with small training camps and practices with those who are interested," he said.

An experienced coach

Luc Pelland is a regular in this contact sport. In fact, this former Billings student has been involved in football for 25 years.

"I started playing with the Châteauguay Raiders. After that, I played with the John Abbott CEGEP team and for Concordia University," he said. Mr. Pelland also coached a football team in Thonon-les-Bains, France.

The HSB Blazers will be playing in Division 3 of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) in the Montérégie region starting next season.