Korah student excelling in class and on the football field

Emmett Kreps — a 15-year-old Gr. 10 student at Korah Collegiate — is clearly enjoying sports as a member of the Korah Colts junior football team.  

Kreps, a right guard on the offensive line, was a member of the junior Colts team that was victorious in last year’s city championship and won the junior high school football Northern Ontario Secondary School Athletics (NOSSA) title in 2023.

That was a first for Kreps, a third consecutive win at NOSSA for the junior Colts. 

Ironically, Kreps is not a regular viewer of NFL or CFL games, and doesn't have a favourite player.

“I didn’t even watch football," he tells SooToday. "I play other sports and I’ve never intentionally desired to watch any football. If it’s on TV and my family’s watching it I’ll watch but I never sought it out. When I came to Korah in Grade 9 I had friends who told me I should try football so I did.”

His first experience in high school football was a painful one.

“I played a little bit in my first game but I broke my left wrist and I was out for three weeks,” Kreps says.

Undeterred, Kreps got back into the lineup as soon as possible.

“The starter had broken his arm in two places," he recalls. "They tried another Grade 10 starter and that didn’t work out and they put me in. From that point on, I played in five games left in the season and right through to NOSSA."

A week after winning the city title, Korah cruised to a 50-13 victory over the Lively Hawks in November 2023 to capture the NOSSA title.

“It felt great to crush every team," Kreps says. "You become very well-acquainted with your teammates. The coaches and the culture around us has a must-win philosophy. Our plan was to steamroll everyone."

Kreps — who stands at 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 210 lbs. — and his junior Colts teammates are seeking another city championship and NOSSA win this year if all goes according to their plan.

Junior semi-finals will be played Oct. 17 and Oct. 18., followed by the Junior final Oct. 24. The Junior NOSSA final will be played in the Sault Nov. 2. 

The team is unbeaten so far this season.

“I had a friend, Austin Marshall at Mountain View in elementary school, who came to Korah and joined the football team. We stayed in touch and he egged me on saying ‘you’ve got to try football.’ My dad played football a lot in high school and he wanted me to play as well. A lot of outside forces wanted me to play but I’m glad I did,” Kreps says.

Academically, Kreps is enrolled in an Enhanced Learning Programme at Korah, preparing him to enter the International Baccalaureate Programme in his Grade 11 and 12 years.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a demanding two-year pre-university program that is recognized by universities around the world.

International Baccalaureate programme graduates who achieve high academic standing are often offered university scholarships and awarded first-year university credits.

Kreps says history is one of his favourite subjects and that he may study psychology at the postsecondary level.

Athletically, he’s confident he and his Korah Colts junior football teammates will win another NOSSA championship, Kreps intending to keep playing football at the senior level beginning next year.  

“The thing I like best is the camaraderie on the team. When you first show up you don't know anyone but it’s incredible how fast you get to know everybody. All the linemen are all brothers to me. It’s good to work together and flow together as a team, to do something great as a team and succeed,” Kreps says.