Close to 400 football players from around the province were on the field at Yara Centre here in Moose Jaw this past weekend.

The Saskatchewan Selects football program opened its seventh season with their 2018 Evaluation Camp with the players aiming to crack one of the four teams that the program will send to the United States.

"Lots of unbelievable talent, it's crazy how much the talent level has increased over the last five-six years in this province, so the kids that are coming out are unbelievable and it makes it really hard picking who we're going to keep for the travelling team," said Zeljko Stefanovic, program director for the Selects.

The program will be taking teams in the 10U, 12U, 14U and Varsity divisions to the 10th annual International Pigskin Classic in San Antonio, TX in February.

The hundreds of players from around the province were trying out for spots on those four teams, as well as practice roster spots to work with the program throughout the winter here in Moose Jaw.

Vanier Vikings quarterback Sam Caplette was attempting to crack the 14U team. He said he was able to take a lot away from the two-day camp.

"It was a little stressful because it was my first time, but other than that it was great," said Caplette. "Everything [improved], quickness, how to be physical and confidence… this will definitely help me."

The Selects' Varsity team won the tournament championship last year and Stefanovic said the program gets stronger every year.

"These kids here, the 2001 and 2002s, that [grew up in the program] and the level of interest from colleges has been unbelievable, Southern Saskatchewan been the most recruited area in all of Canada, so what we're doing here, people are noticing and it's not just us, kids in Saskatchewan are getting the love back for football," said Stefanovic.

The players will find out if they made the rosters this week and then the teams will come together on weekends over the next three months to prepare for the trip to Texas.

However, Stefanovic said they do more than go over a playbook.

"We love to focus on individual skill development, we teach kids how to tackle, we teach kids how to catch the ball," said Stefanovic. "This year, we have Sonny Detmer coming in December and he’s going to teach kids how to throw the ball -- he has two boys that played in the NFL and one was a Heisman Trophy winner."

For more information on the Selects' program, check out selectsfootball.com.