It’s been quite the run for Saskatoon Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk.
Saturday’s Canadian Bowl will be his final game in a Hilltops uniform and the QB has a chance to cement his legacy as one of the all-time great playoff performers with a win over the Westshore Rebels.
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Since assuming the starting role in 2014, Andreychuk is a perfect 8-0 in the post season, leading the Hilltops to a pair of Canadian Bowl titles along the way.
That’s an entire season’s worth of pressure-packed games during which the former Centennial Charger has thrown for over two thousand yards and 21 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
The Hilltops have a lengthy winning tradition, highlighted by 18 national titles, but that doesn’t make Andreychuk’s playoff numbers any less impressive.
Andreychuk says he’s just doing his part to preserve the Toppers’ winning tradition.
“It’s not like this team was a losing team before I got here. It’s always been a winning program, I’ve just kind of been the beneficiary of that,” Andreychuk said.
“I’ve been to four national championships now over my five years and it’s just a testament to how good the teams have been since I’ve been here. I’ve done my part to try to help us get there each year but it’s just really the system.”
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Head coach Tom Sargeant said part of the comes from the chemistry between Andreychuk and offence coordinator and QB coach Sheldon Ball.
“They’ve worked well together and understand the game plan,” Sargeant said.
“He (Andreychuk) gets the plans and he’s the straw that stirs the drink. He needs to know what we need to do and when we need to do it, and we trust him with every situation, and he’s never let us down.”
“I think it’s just confidence, and you know I’ve changed my game a little bit. I used to be a running quarterback when I was younger and I’ve learned to just get the ball into my playmakers’ hands as opposed to just doing it all myself,” Andreychuk explained.
Andreychuk has one more shot at national glory and a chance to finish his junior career in style when the Hilltops take on the British Columbia Football Conference champion Westshore Rebels in Langford, B.C. on Saturday afternoon.
“The expectations at the start of the year weren’t as high as they were last year but kind of as we grew as a team the expectation started to be there and we really grew as a team and realised that we could get to that game and now we’re here,” he said.
Sargeant is eager to see what the field general has in store for his final act.
“He’s a big part of what we do and that’s not gonna change on Saturday. It’s gonna be the game plan that he understands, the game plan that he executes and if does those two things, that’s great for Hilltop football,” Sargeant said.
Ryan Flaherty contributes to this story
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