Successful draft for Warriors

Truro-based club takes skilled forward Whitford with first-overall selection

TRURO, NS. – The Mi’kmaq Warriors added a familiar face to their roster when they made Bedford’s Jordan Whitford the first-overall selection at the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League draft.

The Warriors are very familiar with the highly skilled forward, who played for the club last season after he was granted exceptional player status in the ECJLL. Whitford scored an eye-popping 21 goals and added 21 assists in just 13 games in 2018 to win league rookie of the year honours.

“The fact that we had him last year, he already has the chemistry with our boys,” said Warriors coach Austin Hepworth. “We know the skill set he brings; on the left side of the floor we have him and Connor Dennis, they already have that chemistry, so it was a no-brainer for us to pick him.”

While Whitford’s biggest attribute is his ability to produce offensively, Hepworth said his versatility will make him a very important player heading into the new season.

“He’s adaptable to both sides; he is an offensive player and he knows how to play the left side of the floor very, very well, but if there’s a situation where he got stuck on the back end, he’s not a worry, we know he’s going to be comfortable back there.”

The Warriors added 17 players to their roster during the draft. They targeted homegrown talent and picked up four members of the last year’s 13- 0 Truro Bearcats midget squad – goaltender Connary Mcgee (Round 2), Christian Gloade (Round 3), Brodey Hollingsworth (Round 4) and Brayden Steeves (Round 13). Last week, they protected fellow Bearcat midget players Joseph Asselstine and Calum Mcandrew.

“You factor in those boys – they know how to mesh with each other,” Hepworth said of the Truro midget players.

“I am very happy with the picks we got,” he added. “I think it’s going to be a good year … so I’m very excited to see the talent we have coming in.”

It’s been a tough go for the Warriors since entering the league in 2015. The team has just five wins in four seasons, however, Hepworth looks forward to the opportunity of developing young players and putting a competitive squad on the floor this coming season.

“I think with the core group we have this year and with all this new talent, I think we’re gonna have a good year.”

The Warriors play their home games out of the Colchester Legion Stadium, in Truro.

The ECJLL will host a spring jam pre-season tournament in April. The regular season gets underway in May.