(Photo Courtesy: Airdrie Raiders Football)

Two Airdrie football coaches are settling in with the Calgary Colts of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) while 10 players are either joining the Colts or preparing for University.

Northern Midget Raiders Head Coach Steve Kemp and Defensive Coordinator John Scratch are coaching with the Calgary Colts this season.

The promotions for the coaches and players looking to make it with the University of Calgary Dinos or the University of Alberta Golden Bears, are revealing a hotbed of football talent within Airdrie.

"John and I have worked together for 6 years now with the Bantam and the Midget team and really started back then with just changing the mindset of kids - we always thought we had the talent and always had the ability, we just had to change the mindset and it's been a lot of fun watching that journey and see things progress from a participation team up to a team that doesn't accept losing."

Winning a CAMFA (Calgary Area Midget Football Association) Championship in 2013, Kemp and Scratch helped turn the Raiders into a competitive organization, as 10 former Raiders players settle in with new teams.

James Spencer, Brayden Vandermeer and Brayden Massey are currently with the Calgary Colts alongside Kemp and Scratch while Duncan Little, Bennett Thomson, Quinn Yakiwchuk, Seth Dickin and Wyatt Jones have been recruited by the University of Calgary. Rhett Duggan will play with the University of Alberta while Tracker Robinson is going to play with the Kamloops Broncos in the CJFL.

"They're all moving on to the next level of football and it's really a testament to their hard work, they put in all the work, went to camps, hit the weight room - they're sought after because they're winners and hard workers and they're all over moving to the next level."

Occasionally stopping into the Dinos practices at the U of C, Kemp says being able to see the progression of all the Raiders players moving up to play higher level football has been a thrill to watch.

"When you see them make a play it's a big source of pride and it's kind of hard to describe - you're so proud of them and you want them to do well and I'm probably their biggest fan."

Kemp, now coaching the Colts offensive line while Scratch handles running backs has been re-united with Matt "Snoop" Blokker, previously playing under the second year Calgary Colts Head Coach.

"He has this unique ability to make you believe in yourself. I can't say enough good things about him, you want to play for him, you'd die for him," says Kemp. "Coaching with him you get to see it from the other side."

"It's been a real treat and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to keep working with him and every night I learn something new from him and from the other coaches and it's been a lot of fun."

Although the transition to the Colts has added more on to Kemp's plate, the Airdrie coach says he's still committed to the Raiders as the Head Coach of the Midget team while Matt Baldwin till be taking the reigns of the Bantam team.

"He's been coaching with me at both the Midget and Bantam level for four seasons now, he's a former Calgary Colt, he has a very strong football knowledge and works really great with kids and I felt very confident with making that switch. Those teams are both my pride and joys and he made the transition easy."

Starting the season 1-1, Kemp and the Colts will be in Edmonton this weekend looking for a win against the Wildcats.

The U of C Dinos open up their season in the CIS Friday, September 4th against UBC at McMahon Stadium.

Bradley Jones - airdrienews@goldenwestradio.com