Recruit Profile: Drew Digout

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

Clearly, with six offensive linemen introduced at the Dogs’ Breakfast, offensive line was an area that the Huskies identified as a priority for the 2012 season. Not only do they need to bring in and develop future players, but they need players who are ready to step in and contribute right away.

Luckily for the Huskies, they had two of the top offensive lineman in the Canadian Junior Football League in their own back yard. Drew Digout, who played his high school football with the Aden Bowman Bears, spent the last two seasons with the Okanagan Sun of the BCFC. In his rookie season he was named a CJFL all-Canadian at tackle and he earned BCFC all-star honours in both his seasons with the Sun.

Drew Digout is welcomed to the Huskies by Head Coach Brian Towriss (photo by Liam Richards)

“Drew’s a big body, but has an athletic frame,” says Huskies’ offensive assistant coach Jason Sulz. “Hopefully he’ll be able to step in and provide us with, at very minimum, some excellent depth along the o-line, if not a spot on the starting five.” Read more »

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Coach Arnold believes OLine will be better in 2012

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Tom

“We’re real happy with everyone,” is how a conversation with Coach Bart Arnold began, as he shared his thoughts on the Huskies’ offensive line after spring camp 2012 concluded. “There are several recruits who’ve come in, and all of them have shown that they can step in and be contributors in the not too distant future…that’s real exciting. The guys who have been around for 2 or 3 years have done the necessary work in the offseason.” Coach Arnold talked about the upcoming absence of the CFL’s number 1 draft pick from the lineup this fall. “I was asked earlier how we can replace Ben Heenan. Absolutely, you don’t replace him, but the other 4 guys are all a year better. I think our group is going to be better this season than we were last year.”

The Huskies’ OLine, seen here practicing in the Sasktel Centre, is expected to be a stronger unit in 2012

Recruiting offensive linemen was one of the Huskies’ biggest needs during the winter. The Dogs have welcomed in several recruits from the high school and junior ranks, and Coach Arnold shared a few observations about each of them, beginning with the high school recruits. “Evan Johnson is a football player…he really is. He hasn’t filled out, especially through the upper body, yet, but he was doing some really good things out there. Evan Rutherford, from Harry Ainlay in Edmonton, is physically a lot further along than most high school kids. He’s pretty well put together. We didn’t get to see Kurtis Wegren, out of Swift Current (injured), but he’s got a big frame. And then there’s Ryan Breadner, from Cherokee Texas. He’s 6′-6″, and 320 pounds.” Arnold followed with a very promising outlook for the future of his unit. “Those guys all have talent, and they’re all athletic. I see us, in the near future, being right back to where we were with our best lines in the past.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Evan Johnson

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

It’s safe to say Evan Johnson has had dream year.

After representing Team Saskatchewan at the 2011 Football Canada Cup, Evan was named a Schwann Conference all-star and Regina’s top high school lineman. He was also named as the Saskatchewan Senior Bowl’s team south top offensive lineman last weekend. Oh, and there was that introduction as one of the 2012 recruiting class in front of 2000 Huskie fans at the Dogs’ Breakfast.

Evan Johnson is welcomed to the Saskatchewan Huskies by Head Coach Brian Towriss (photo by Liam Richards)

“Evan is another Team Saskatchewan player and is a top-flight rugby player,” described Head Coach Brian Towriss. “He’s about 6-3, and 230 pounds. Most of his weight is below his weight right now, kind of like (former Huskie) Paddy Neufeld was when he graduated high school. He’s got lots of potential but will need time to develop and put on weight.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Evan Rutherford

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

At 6-2 and 290 lbs., Edmonton’s Evan Rutherford comes to the Huskies with the size to potentially make a quick jump into the lineup. A product of Harry Ainlay High school, where he was a teammate of Huskies Jordan Arkko and Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren, Evan has an impressive resume, which includes being named to Team Alberta in 2011 and to the North Team for the 2012 Alberta Senior Bowl.

Evan Rutherford is welcomed to the Huskies by Head Coach Brian Towriss (photo by Liam Richards).

“Evan’s a very similar type of offensive lineman as Arkko,” said Huskies’ assistant coach Jason Sulz. “He’s very smart, both on the field and academically, as he has great grades. He’ll be a project, as he has to get a little bit stronger and we’ll see how quickly he picks up our system. But we feel he’s going to bring good things to us.” Read more »

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Alumni shows its colours at Spring Camp 2012

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Alumni Communications

Well Spring Camp has come and gone but the efforts of the Alumni did not go unnoticed by the Team, the Coaches or the Parents. New this year the Team was fed each night of the camp after the evening practice. It provides an opportunity for new recruits to interact with the veterans and begin to be exposed to the Huskie Culture and feel welcome. Huskie Alumni volunteers helped with food preparation and serving as well and clean up afterwards on Thursday and Friday night.

Read more »

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Training and nutrition brings on-field results to the Huskies

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

Those who have attended Huskie practices at Griffiths Stadium know how important fitness and training is to this football team. When you’re standing amongst the players during a practice, it is clear the incredible shape these student athletes are in and it is obvious how much training time they put in, from after practice runs to offseason throwing sessions to hundreds of hours in the weightroom.

The Huskie football team is fortunate to have the top facility in the Canada West conference, and one of the top facilities in the country, available to them. The newly constructed gymnasium, part of the Graham Huskies Clubhouse, has several lifting stations, freeweights emblazoned with “Huskie Iron,” as well as a 20-yard indoor track and several tools such as medicine balls, heavy ropes and tractor tires that all contribute to strength, speed, agility and, ultimately, on-field performance.

The Huskie football gym at Griffiths Stadium

For coach Bart Arnold, who oversees the team’s strength and conditioning in addition to his duties as an offensive line coach, it is the end performance that matters most. “I want them to become better football players, better athletes,” he says. “Gaining strength, for example, is important but not without it adding to on field performance.”

Coach Arnold designs training programs for each player based on his position and customizes the program based on the areas they need to improve on. If a player follows his program, as the coaches expect he will, he will come to training camp ready and not have to use camp to get into game shape. “By August,” says Arnold, “the coaching staff expects all players to be ready to compete at their peak performance. We test and we have a pretty good idea who is all in and who is not there yet.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Keegan Arnyek

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

“Keegan Arnyek is extremely fast, probably the quickest kid we’ve recruited in a long time.”

That praise was from Head Coach Brian Towriss when speaking of Keegan, who he considers one of the top high school defensive back recruits the Huskies have seen in years.

Keegan Arnyek is welcomed to the Huskies by Head Coach Brian Towriss (photo by Liam Richards)

“We see him playing boundary corner,” continues Towriss, “and being one of the top man-to-man guys we have. He’s a little short, but has a tremendous vertical jump. He will be the best man-to-man cover guy in Western Canada.”

Arnyek comes to the Huskies from Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw. He was a member of the 2010 Football Canada Cup champions as a starter for Team Saskatchewan.
“I mainly chose the U of S because it is where I have always imagined myself going,” says Keegan. “I have family in Saskatoon and many friends on the team and in the University. Then there is the whole Huskie football side of it, which really made me make the decision.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Braxton Lawrence

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

As a CJFL all-Canadian and two-time national champion with the Saskatoon Hilltops, defensive back Braxton Lawrence brings an impressive set of credentials to the Saskatchewan Huskies.

Braxton finished his final junior season with four fumble recoveries and two interceptions to go along with 21 total tackles. Many are expecting him to step into the starting lineup considering his skills and experience, and if the spring scrimmage was any indication, he will do just that, contributing an early interception as a defensive starter.

Braxton Lawrence welcomed to the team by Head Coach Brian Towriss (photo by Liam Richards)

Braxton was a University of Saskatchewan student during his time with the Hilltops, so coming over to the Huskies was an easy transition. “I still had a couple years left of school and they have a pretty good program here,” he said. “I started talking to BT, had a couple meetings, and it seemed to be a really good fit.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Kurtis Wegren

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Dallas Carpenter

Kurtis Wegren comes to the Huskies from Swift Current Comprehensive High School. This 6-5, 250 pound offensive tackle was a starter on the 2011 edition of Team Saskatchewan that competed at the Football Canada Cup.

“We felt Kurtis was one of the top two offensive linemen on Team Saskatchewan last year,” said Huskies’ Head Coach Brian Towriss. “We feel he has great potential. He’s a great kid with great feet and he also played basketball in high school. He’s very athletic for a big man.”

Kurtis Wegren is welcomed to the Huskies by Head Coach Brian Towriss (photo by Liam Richards)

Unfortunately, Kurtis was unable to participate in practices as he is recovering from an injury. However, he didn’t miss a practice and was intently watching each drill. “In spring camp I learned just how much it’s going to take to be able to compete at the next level,” said Kurtis, “but also how excited I am to get to know everyone and get in the gym and start working for next year. Read more »

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Good spring camp for shorthanded receiving corps

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Tom

The Huskies were without 3 veteran receivers in Mitch Stevens, Jerit Lambert, and Kit Hillis during spring camp, as they recovered from injuries. Add to that the departure of wide receiver Rory Kohlert to the CFL, and that resulted in a lot of new faces getting a good look over the 4 day camp. Coach Jason Sulz spoke to Huskie Outsider about receivers. “The receivers had a pretty good camp. The injuries to some veterans gave an opportunity for some other guys to step up and it gave us a good look at them. I was pleased with the direction that they’re headed. We saw some guys from out of town that were competing for spots, and they did pretty well. I would have liked to have had the opportunity to see a little more from them during the scrimmage, but the conditions didn’t allow for it.” He also spoke glowingly of the offseason that his unit had. “Everyone improved physically”

Huskie recruit, Deion Bain (photo Liam Richards)

One of the receivers getting a good look during camp was 2012 recruit, Deion Bain. Coach Sulz was asked for his comments about one of the newest Huskies. “He’s an athlete. He’s a compact receiver. He has lots of energy – we’re going to focus that energy into a little more technique, and I think he’s going to be pretty good for us once he gets his head wrapped around some of the concepts that we’re going through.

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“There is a lot of opportunity at running back”

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Tom

Shortly following spring camp, running backs coach, Dan Houle commented about the promising recruits at his position, the battle they will have with veterans for immediate playing time, and the spring camp performance of Dexter Janke.

Running backs coach, Dan Houle (photo Liam Richards)

“All four are good,” Coach Houle remarked about the new backfield recruits. “They’re all talented. These recruits have come out of high school physically developed; they’re working out every day…one of them is working out twice a day. That’s good for us because they don’t need that year to put weight on.” Given that, Houle was asked about whether Huskie fans could see them on the field this year. “You never know, because there are also some veterans playing hard and fighting for roster spots. But there is a lot of opportunity at running back for whoever comes back the fittest, the fastest, and shows us they can play football. I could see one or two of the recruits contributing quite a bit, but that’s up to them, and it’s also up to our other veteran backs to make sure that they’re the guy instead of somebody else competing for the position.” Read more »

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Post spring camp: Coach Schneider discusses the offence

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Tom

After spring camp 2012 wrapped up, several members of the Huskie coaching staff spoke with Huskie Outsider to give their assessment of how things looked on the practice field, and to provide an outlook towards the 2012 season. First up is Brent Schneider, who serves as both the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The 2011 season is often remembered by the inconsistent, and sometimes disappointing, performance of the offence. Coach Schneider spent some time discussing the offence’s troubles from last season, as well as why Huskie Nation can be optimistic about a stronger unit in 2012.

Offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach, Brent Schneider

Observers at spring camp noticed a ground game with a lot of promise; this will be an important factor for re-igniting the Huskie offence in 2012. “I think we saw some dividends be paid to the attention we gave to our run game this winter,” commented Coach Schneider. “I think we showed a lot of improvement in that area. Obviously, we need to solidify the personnel up front, and we need someone else behind Dexter (rb Janke) who is going to be able to take the ball for us. But I was most happy about our ability to get positive yards running the ball. I think we were only stopped behind the line of scrimmage a couple of times throughout the entire camp. We put the ball on the ground only once in the entire camp, and that really hurt us last year. A good running game is a quarterback’s best friend because it takes a lot of the pressure off.” Coach Schneider went on to describe the problem that the Huskies had in this department last season. “We found ourselves in 2nd and 10, or 10+, probably more than any team in the history of football,” Schneider stated with a light chuckle. “It’s tough to play like that.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Brandon Stewart

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Tom

Brandon Stewart is a running back from Salisbury High School in Sherwood Park. Brandon will enrol in the College of Arts and Science, and his career goal is to be a physiotherapist. He was high school teammates with another Huskie recruit, quarterback Matt Bonaca.

Brandon Stewart receives his Huskie jersey from Brian Towriss (photo Liam Richards)

Prior to camp, Brandon discussed his choice to join the Dogs. “I like the coaching staff. I also heard a lot of great things, from friends and coaches, about the football program, the school, and the city.” Brandon told Huskie Outsider that he was looking forward to the Dogs’ Breakfast, something commonly heard from recruits over the years. He was asked for his goals during camp. “Come in and compete,” was his reply. Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Caleb Eidsvik

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Tom

Caleb Eidsvik is a defensive lineman from Lloydminster who also played for Team Alberta in last summer’s Football Canada Cup.

Caleb Eidsvik is welcomed to by Coach BT and 2000 Huskie fans during the Dogs’ Breakfast (photo Liam Richards)

Huskie Outsider caught up with Caleb after spring camp concluded. He discussed why he chose to join the Huskies. “I’m impressed with the level of commitment to the players here, and how much they help with your education. I know that since they’re going to help me, that I need to be giving 100% for them as well.” Eidsvik will begin his studies in Arts and Science with hopes of later entering Veterinary Medicine. Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Jarvis James

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Tom

Jarvis James is a running back from Calgary’s Bishop O’Byrne Collegiate. Jarvis was also a high school teammate of fellow Huskie recruit, Brayden Twarynski. Jarvis will be playing for Team South in the upcoming Alberta Senior Bowl.

Jarvis James, an exciting tailback from Calgary, receives his Huskie jersey from Coach Brian Towriss (photo Liam Richards)

Jarvis spoke with Huskie Outsider midway through spring camp. “It’s been a great camp with high intensity…everybody is really good here.” James really stood out during the paws drill near the end of Friday’s practice, rushing for 3 TD’s. “I made some good reads during that drill. The thing I need to work on is pass protection and recognizing the play. It’s a different game at the CIS level. The speed is so much faster than high school; it’s not that there’s a couple of good players, everybody is good…they’re here for a reason. After a couple of practices, I’ve already started to get a little more accustomed to the speed.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Matt Bonaca

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Tom

Matt Bonaca is a quarterback from Salisbury High School in Sherwood Park. Matt was also the starting quarterback for Team Alberta at last summer’s Football Canada Cup.

Matt Bonaca is welcomed to the Huskie program by Coach Towriss (photo Liam Richards)

Prior to spring camp, when asked why he chose the UofS, the highly recruited Bonaca offered this reply: “The great atmosphere, coach, and city.” Matt will enrol in the College of Arts and Science with an eye towards later entering Education or Kinesiology and becoming a physical education teacher. Bonaca said that his goal entering spring camp was to “play as best I can.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Brydon Ozmun

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Tom

Brydon Ozmun is a receiver from L.P.Miller Collegiate in Nipawin. Brydon was also a member of Team Saskatchewan in 2011.

Brydon Ozmun, the top high school receiver in Saskatchewan (photo Liam Richards)

“I chose the UofS because it has a superior football program,” Brydon told Huskie Outsider regarding his decision about which school to attend. “I’ll be enrolled in the College of Arts and Science. I want to see how far football takes me, but I also see myself entering the College of Education in the future.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Devin Logan

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Tom

Devin Logan is an RB recruit who comes to the UofS from Abbottsford, British Columbia. Devin attends W.J. Mouat Collegiate, where he was teammates with Devin Bain, a receiver recruit who was profiled yesterday.

Devin Logan is welcomed to Huskie Football by Coach Brian Towriss, and 2000 fans, during the Dogs’ Breakfast (photo Liam Richards)

Huskie Outsider contacted Devin a week prior to camp in order to discuss his decision to attend the UofS. “Coach Towriss has a great record, and he stresses excellence on the field and in the classroom. I also got to know Dexter Janke (Huskie 2nd year RB) during my visit, and I got a sense of the great atmosphere that exists with the Huskies.” He was asked which college he would be enrolling in. “I will take kinesiology and maybe become a personal trainer in the future.” Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Kris Charuk

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Tom

Kris Charuk is a linebacker who joins the Huskies after playing for Balfour Collegiate in Regina. Kris was also a member of Team Saskatchewan’s under 18 basketball team.

Coach Towriss welcomes Kris Charuk to Huskie nation during the annual Dogs’ Breakfast (photo Liam Richards)

“I’ve always wanted to be a Huskie, as long as I can remember,” is what Kris told Huskie Outsider about his decision to join the Dogs. He will begin his UofS education in the College of Arts and Science. Read more »

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Recruit Profile: Michael Desjarlais

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Tom

Michael Desjarlais was Team Saskatchewan’s middle linebacker. Michael played his high school football for Miller Comprehensive High School, in Regina.

Michael Desjarlais is welcomed by Coach Towriss, and 2000 Huskie fans, at the Dogs’ Breakfast (photo Liam Richards)

The football program is what led Michael to choose the UofS. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about this program. People have told me that nowhere else compares to here, and now I can see what they’re talking about.” As for his future career, Michael hopes that his education at the UofS takes him down the path of becoming a dentist. Following Friday’s practice at spring camp, Michael was asked to tell us a little about his playing style. “I’m physical. It’s the speed of the game that I’m going to have to catch up with – it’s way faster than high school.” Mike already had a goal in mind. “I think I might get redshirted this year, but after that it’s game on and I’ll be trying to crack the lineup.” Read more »

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