A group of young receivers is looking for a new identity after the Saskatchewan Huskies said goodbye to one of the program’s all-time greats.
During his five years as a Huskies receiver Mitch Hillis re-wrote the record book. He’s the school’s all-time leader in catches and touchdowns and his 2,961 yards are the most by any player in Canada West history.
“He was always there and he was just very reliable, he’s obviously an incredibly good football player,” Huskies head coach Scott Flory said.
“You just always knew when we were in a bind, maybe everybody knew, it was probably where we were going to be directing the football,” he added with a chuckle.
Hillis was also a leader in the locker room and his graduation has left some big shoes to fill.
Now it’s a question of who’s ready to fill them.
One player the team is turning to is veteran quarterback Kyle Siemens, who is entering his final year with the Huskies.
Another is third year receiver Sam Baker, who was second on the team in virtually every receiving stat category in 2017, and is poised for a breakout season.
Baker said one player, though, can’t be singled out to carry the workload.
“We’ve got to all work hard, if we all work hard, we can get it done,” Baker said.
“If we just do our own jobs, they everyone can do their own thing – just get guys open and find a way.”
Fellow veterans Finley Easton, Yol Piok and Colton Klassen are part of the equation, along with newcomers like Jesse Kuntz and Joey Trumpy.
Flory said they are ready to step forward.
“We got to do it by committee and these guys are up to the challenge,” Flory said.
“From a quarterback’s role, we’ve got to spread the ball around and have trust that everyone’s going to make those plays.”
Training camp wraps up on Aug. 24 with the Green and White inter-squad game at 7 p.m. CT.
The Huskies kick off the 2018 regular season on Aug. 31 when they take on the Alberta Golden Bears in their home opener.
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