Highlights of the past year include making it into OFSAA, traveling to the United Kingdom on a rugby tour and winning all of their regular season games except one.

At OFSAA Saltfleet lost in the second round to Mississauga’s Lorne Park. It was a loss that left Pendakis with a bitter taste in his mouth because the game ended in a 3-3 draw, with Saltfleet losing in kicks.

Comparing it to an Olympic hockey team losing in penalty shots, he said it wasn’t a fitting way to end Saltfleet’s season.

“To me that’s not like losing the regular way, the team that beat us almost went into the finals,” he said. “We lost to a good team but when I look back on that we probably would have gone on to the gold medal game and it would have turned out differently.”

But he said, that’s the way life goes, especially in rugby.

“Unfortunately there were a few players on our side that probably didn’t execute the way they should have but life goes on –we’ll be just as strong next year,” he said.

Although Saltfleet’s team will be losing five graduating players next year, Pendakis said next year’s team should show a lot of depth.

The senior team is getting ten of its starters back next year.

Players coming up from the junior team will be a welcome addition because the junior team also only lost one game this past season.

And most of the players who will start next year are playing over the summer in the Stoney Creek league.

“So yes, we’re losing a few players but with all the players coming up I think it will balance out, and we’ll be just as competitive as ever,” he said.

At the OFSAA competition Orchard Park won the consolation trophy and were proud of their accomplishment. Some of the players told the Stoney Creek News that although they see Saltfleet as a stronger team, that will change.

But Pendakis, who congratulated Orchard Park on their win and said he had every respect for them, doesn’t see it happening any time soon.

That’s because Saltfleet has more of what he calls a rugby “culture”.

They’re a well-coached team with some nice kids and it was nice to see them do that,” he said. “But they don’t run a Grade 9 program, which really hurts them.”

Orchard Park, he said, runs a junior and senior program, whereas Saltfleet runs a midget program for Grade 9, which has about 35-40 players. About 35 players play in their junior team and they have two senior teams with 55 kids playing in total.

“The difference is when their Grade 10s are playing our Grade 10s, ours have already been playing for a year. So I think once they get that going it will really help them and they’ll give us a run for our money.”

Saltfleet also has a rugby-based physical education program, which helps them learn the game before they even think about becoming competitive, he said.