Josh Schaefer/Get My Photo

By Katie Brickman-Young

Football debuts

Young receivers get taste of USports

Sep 30, 2021 | 8:30 PM

The wait was long for Rhett Vavra and Everett Iverson, but it was worth it as the receivers made their University of Saskatchewan (USask) Huskies debut last week against Calgary.

“It was awesome to get back on the field with the guys,” said Iverson, a first-year receiver.

Everett Iverson (Josh Schaefer/Get My Photo)

The Saskatchewan-born players Canada West debuts were delayed a year due to the pandemic, but that just added to the excitement of stepping on the field for the first time after graduating from high school.

“It was an honour to play my first game with the Huskies, especially in my first year,” said Vavra. “I wasn’t expecting that, but I was excited to get some snaps and I’m excited to be part of the team.”

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Rhett Vavra (Josh Schaefer/Get My Photo)

Huskies’ head coach, Scott Flory saw some good things from his two young slotbacks, considering the hostile environment against the University of Calgary Dinos.

“What a place to make a debut for two young guys, especially being right out of high school too,” said Flory. “Those guys got in (the game) and got meaningful snaps and they did fine, and they will be better for it.”

Neither Vavra nor Iverson got on the scoresheet against the Dinos, but it was a good learning experience for them, and they know the curve will be steep this season.

“It’s not like high school, that’s for sure,” shared Vavra. “It is a lot faster, and you have to have your head in the game and stay focused throughout each play.”

Flory added that it is tough enough in a league that is dominated by 21- to 24-year-old players, let alone losing a year, but both Vavra and Iverson made the most of their time on the field and saw some positive plays.

“It’s tough enough, but do it on the road, and the first game in two years, those guys will be just fine and will get better with each and every snap that they get,” said Flory. “I know from my end, every snap you take, the game slows down just a little bit, and you get more comfortable.”

Both Iverson and Vavra look to veteran players to learn and develop their skills – on and off the field – to get stronger and better at the game.

“The vets and receivers are my mentors. I like learning from them because they help guide me to the path of success, so anything they can coach me on will make me a better receiver,” said Vavra.

Iverson added that he wants to learn, “how to bring that energy to the game all the time and how they are always locked into the game.”

Flory also expects his veteran receiver core to help the younger players adapt to the game, as well as taking care of the academic side of being a student-athlete at USask.

“The biggest thing for those guys, from a leadership standpoint, is to just show them the way, show them how to prepare, show them how to take care of your body, show them how to take care of all the stuff away from school and the academic side so that the football side is clean and clear so that they can perform on game day,” he said.

The Huskies face off against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and Flory knows his team is better than what they showed against the Dinos, and it comes down to trust.

“We can make all the excuses we want, but they have to trust themselves, trust their teammates and we as coaches have to trust them and they have to trust us,” he said. “I think the more we do that, the more we settle down, the more we get rid of that anxiety, we are back to playing our game, we will be just fine.”