MASSENA -- The Seaway Valley Venom semi-pro football team, which includes players from around St. Lawrence County, will soon start their 2016 Empire Football League season.

Their opening game will be July 9 against the Plattsburgh North Stars on the Massena High School turf field. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

He says his players to watch are running back Joel Castro of Massena (22), quarterback Abe Gravell of Malone (6) and right tackle/defensive back James Snyder of Lisbon (51).

“Castro is a quick back who clocked in at around 4.3 seconds for his 40-yard dash in April,” Winfrey said. “Last season when he played for the Venom he led the team in rushing and hopes to do the same again.”

This season he has pledged to donate money to breast cancer research every time he scores a touchdown, in honor of his mother who died in 2010.

“Gravell has been impressive during his first year of semi-pro football. Previously, he played wide receiver and corner for the Malone Huskies,” Winfrey said.

During the 40-yard dash he was the one of the top players on the team and “makes a lot of good choices with the football,” according to the coach.[img_assist|nid=174788|title=|desc=Above are running back Joel Castro (22) who currently resides in Massena, tackle and defensive back James Snyder (51) of Lisbon and quarterback Abe Gravell of Malone (6). |link=none|align=left|width=470|height=655]

Snyder is the oldest player on the team at age 40.

“You wouldn’t know he’s 40 watching a film of him playing football,” Winfrey said.

This is his first year ever playing football. He is a Lisbon Central graduate.

Winfrey said their 22-player team also includes some who just recently finished playing high school ball, including linebacker Cody Hartle (Gouverneur Wildcats) and wide receiver Jordan Pribble (OFA Blue Devils).

Their coaching staff includes Windy Derushia, a Massena woman who just completed a season of women’s pro football with the Carolina Queens. She will coach the Venom’s offensive and defensive lines.

“I feel pretty good. I think we’re going to surprise some people this season,

Winfrey said.

Last season the team played three games and scored no points while their opponents scored more than 100, the coach said.

“Last year didn’t go so well for the team. We had a different head coach,” he said. “A lot of those players didn’t come back simply because of the fact they lost as badly as they did.

“We’re in a much better place as an organization and talent-wise.”

He says although he wasn’t with the squadron when they formed two years ago, he thinks keeping the team going a good thing for many athletes in the area who have few sports options post-high school.

“It’s mostly out of a love for the area and noticing quite a few athletes that out of high school were not continuing to play, so we wanted to give them an opportunity to do that,” Winfrey said.

The Empire Football League, where the Venom compete, includes new teams and the more well-known Watertown Red and Black, which have competed for almost a century.

“A lot of them teams we’re going to face this year have been together, some of them five years, some two years … some of the teams have a lot of good chemistry between them,” he said. “If you’re not on you’re a-game every single week, you’re going to lose.”

The team can take new players through mid-August. The minimum age to play is 18. Seventeen-year-olds can get into their recruit program where coaches watch them play high school football and talk with their parents.

“Every year we want to have a new crop of guys coming in … and hopefully make it a powerhouse for years to come,” Winfrey said. “The reason our roster is so small is we don’t put up with guys who don’t stay committed. It doesn’t do any good for a guy who shows up for one practice, misses the next six then goes into a game not knowing what they’re doing.”

Admission to games is $8 general and $5 for senior citizens (age 65 and up), and with ID for military, students and Native Americans with a tribe card. Season tickets are available for $60. They come in a package that includes a team t-shirt, a poster signed by the team, free play at Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, special seating between the 40-yard lines, one free food & drink item per home game, mentions of the team Facebook page and website for being season ticket holder, a free season program w/players’ pics, sponsors and half hour early access to seating.

The remainder of their home games are July 16 vs. Mohawk Valley Titans (autism awareness night); Aug. 6 vs. Glens Falls Greenjackets (breast cancer awareness night), Aug. 20 vs. Sussex Stags (first responders night) and Sept. 24 vs. Watertown Red and Black (military appreciation night). All are at 7 p.m. at the Massena High School turf field.

Winfrey says anyone who wants season passes should sign up as soon as possible so they can prepare the package in advance of the first game. People can call 296-4447 or 296-6407. Their Facebook page is sww.Facebook.com/Seawayvalleyvenom and website is www.Seawayvalleyvenom.weebly.com.

Their roster includes:

#6 Abe Gravell, quarterback, Malone

#7 Christian Gillan, quarterback/kicker, Gouverneur

#8 Corey Campeau, free safety/quarterback, Cornwall, Ontario

#10 Cody Locey, running back, left outside linebacker, Cornwall, Ontario

#11 Dakota Vallance, running back/right corner back, Brasher Falls

#13 Codey Arquitte, right guard/defensive line, Brasher Falls

#22 Joel Castro, running back/corner back, Columbia, S.C. and currently in Massena

#23 Devon Delaney, left cornerback/wide receiver, Potsdam

#24 Matt Shattraw, wide receiver/cornerback, Parishville

#25 Nick Steenkamer, middle linebacker/running back, Ogdensburg

#28 Jeremey Bailey, back/middle linebacker, Austin, Texas

#34 Seth Blair, running back/cornerback, Massena

#41 Caleb Gomes, back/outside linebacker, Brasher Falls

#51 James Snyder, right tackle/defensive end, Lisbon

#54 Richard Tomasso, offensive line/linebacker, West Warwick, R.I.

#67 Cody Jones, center/defensive tackle, Massena

#73 Cody Hartle, linebacker/offensive line, Gouverneur

#80 Jordan Pribble, wide receiver/cornerback, Ogdensburg

#84 Mike Horth, kicker/linebacker, Sandy Creek

#87 Evan Mannix, left guard/defensive end, Malone

#94 Randy Peters, left tackle/defensive line, Hogansburg

#96 Taron Yates, offensive line/defensive line, Massena