Huskies' Warrack preps for Vanier Cup following rookie season to remember
Jack Warrack is not a fellow who's trod a lot of big stages.
The 18-year-old University of Saskatchewan Huskies' freshman, who hails from Strathmore, Alta., will start for the team at right offensive tackle during Saturday's Vanier Cup against the Laval Rouge et Or — bright lights, cameras, all the rest of it.
Warrack, the Canada West rookie of the year, was asked Thursday to relate his prior championship experience, and he couldn't come up with much.
“I played in one provincial championship in Alberta that we lost, in my peewee year,” he said. “When I played with Team Alberta, we won bronze in my U-16 year. It's actually kind of funny — (Friday's) the first time in Strathmore history that they're playing in the (highschool) provincial championship.”
Huskies head coach Scott Flory, meanwhile, says Warrack has “played like a seasoned veteran” — he's handled the complexities of O-line play at the collegiate level like he was born to it.
Very few players, historically, jump straight from high school into a starting job on the Huskies offensive line. But the 6-foot-5, 275-pound tackle forced the issue, first at spring camp, and then at training camp.
“From the first snap, from the first minute, he's shown up,” Flory said Thursday. “Nothing 's been too big for him.”
Nobody knew exactly what Warrack's role would be when Flory recruited him. The kid received feelers from schools across the country, but his heart was in Canada West.
He settled on the Huskies, then threw his body around like a confident veteran.
“I wasn't sure if I was going to play,” Warrack said. “Being able to contribute to the team, in any way, has been a plus.
“I'm happy to help in any way. Coming into the season, I thought I'm going to do my best to help on scout team; push the older guys, to better them. And now I'm here, being able to help out first-hand.”
Warrack joined a Huskies offensive line that lost three conference all-stars from last season's Vanier Cup finalist: Tackles Noah Zerr and Nicholas Summach and centre Connor Bergloff.
But Flory, who spent 15 years in the CFL as an offensive lineman and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, knew what he had in Warrack.
“I told him right from the start, I'm not going to guarantee you a starting spot, but man — you're going to have an impact early on our football team,” Flory said. “After spring camp, I remember talking to him and his dad, and I said `Oh, he's going to play early — don't worry about that.'
“He's just too good. It's one of those things you see, when a young guy's coming into your program, just how good they are. It's ... wow, we're going to have a hard time keeping him off the field.
“It's no different with a lot of our young guys. I look at our receiving corps, with (second-years) Daniel Wiebe and Rhett Vavra. Look at (second-year linebacker) Lane Novak. Look at (second-year linebacker) Seth Hundeby, and guys like that. They're so good. How do you keep them off the field? You have to play them, because they're just that good.”
So Warrack will line up in Canada's final university football game of the season on Saturday in London, Ont., starting at noon Saskatoon time.
“Most of all, I'm just excited,” Warrack said. “A little anxious, obviously, but excited. There's not a lot of 18-year-olds who get this kind of opportunity. I'm taking advantage of that, and soaking in the moment.
“There's more eyes on you (at a Vanier Cup). Everything is magnified. You've got to take a lot of care in how you play. It's a lot of fun, too.”
A little anxious, obviously, but excited. There's not a lot of 18-year-olds who get this kind of opportunity.