For the first time in club history, a Westlock Thunderbird has made Team Alberta’s U18 Top-100 cut and could play in the Football Canada Cup in Calgary July 15-22.
Tristin Gross attended Football Alberta’s Super Weekend camp Jan. 12-14 at Foote Field in Edmonton, standing out among 400 of the province’s best high school football players to make the next round.
“It feels unbelievable, really,” he said. “There’s a lot of good players there.”
It’s the latest feat in a series of firsts for Gross, who routinely treks from Barrhead to Westlock to play football for the Thunderbirds.
Gross was named the best defensive player for the Thunderbirds in 2017 and handpicked to serve as a team captain in 2018, but was also the first Barrhead resident to be named rookie of the year by the Westlock Thunderbirds in 2016.
Gross will now attend winter camps at the University of Alberta throughout February and March before the final 40 players are selected during a Calgary training camp at the end of April.
Up against 18 other defensive linemen for a spot on the elite team, Gross said he is taking it all in stride.
“I’m just trying to eat right, maybe a little work out here and there,” he said. “You just have to be confident, aggressive and sure of what you do.”
Thunderbirds head coach Jon Kramer said the camp was the logical next step for the Barrhead bruiser, noting that his disciplined approach to practice and commitment to every hit makes him a valuable asset to any team.
While Gross is going for a position on the defensive line, Kramer said that his ability to move around the field and grasp different aspects of the game would be a great help.
“Tristin is quite a beast of a player. No one wants to go one-on-one with him because he’s full-speed ahead every practice, every rep, every drill,” he said.
“We even used him as a running back for a couple of games. People don’t want to tackle him either.”
For his part, Gross is just enjoying the ride. He expressed his thanks for everyone who has helped him get this far.
“Coach Jon, Coach Shayne, Coach Will and Coach Matt, those guys really formed me into what I am right now,” he said.
“And of course my mom, because she’s the one who put me in the sport.”
The Football Canada Cup is a National Championship with each province contributing a team of its best players.
