Local recruited to Huskies

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore High School (SHS) footballer Brady Johansen has been recruited to play for the University of Saskatchewan (UoS) Huskies next season.

Johansen established himself as an extremely versatile player while with the Spartans, taking positions all over the field. This past season, he also helped to co-captain his team, leading them to the provincial finals. 

The Huskies went to a national championship last season, losing out only to Laval Rouge et Or, establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams in the country. Johansen said he is excited to play at such a high caliber. 

“It’s really exciting for me and my family,” he said. “It’s been a dream for me to go and play football at the next level for the last couple of years, and going to Huskies, it’s a pretty big deal.”

Also on the Huskies roster is SHS alumnus and Canada West Rookie of the Year, Jack Warrack. Johansen added he is looking forward to practicing with and against Warrack not only because of their similar roots, but due to his exceptional attributes as a player. 

“The biggest thing for me is just learning as a rookie, it’s definitely going to be a new experience, definitely going to be a learning curve for me,” said Johansen. “Just getting to know the experienced players and having them teach me new things, helping me improve and develop as a player to hopefully get on the field as soon as I can.”

Off the field, Johansen said he intends to major in finance, with aspirations to lead toward a career path such as a financial manager or stockbroker. The young athlete is also looking forward to the prospect of moving away from home for the first time. 

Over the course of the off season, he added it certainly is not a time to slack off, and he will need to continue working hard in order to earn his time to be on the field.

“It takes years and years of practice and working out in the weight room and taking things in the off-season pretty seriously, spending hours and hours in the weight room just trying to get ready for the three months of the year that I get to go out and show my talents on the field,” he said.

More information regarding the UoS Huskies, from their upcoming roster to their schedule next season will be made available online.