High school football teams clash in second Beat Cancer game [Video]

As the Thom Trojans take the field against the Sheldon Williams Spartans in the second annual Beat Cancer Game, they’re playing for their late coach.

Players say Gord MacQuarrie, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator, was instrumental in helping adjust the attitude of a team in search of a new identity.

“We do it for Coach Gord. We miss him, a lot. He contributed a lot to the team and really helped us get to where we are now with our rebuild,” said Thom defensive back Liam Newell.

In 2019, the Trojans were unable to field a football team due to a lack of players. Upon their return in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, the team struggled.

“We scored 18 points the whole season,” said defensive back Landon Livingstone, recalling his grade 9 season.

Livingstone said the following season, MacQuarrie helped show them that playing football could be about …