A pair of Cobras will evolve into Dinos after being signed by the University of Calgary football club.
This week, the Dinos confirmed that Kane Boklashchuk, currently in Gr. 12 at Cochrane High School, and 2016 graduate Justin Sambu have both signed Canadian Interuniversity Sport letters of intent to attend U of C next fall.
“They don’t usually jam them this early,” said a proud head coach Rob McNab.
Sambu, an absolute brick of a defensive lineman, was a star on the Cobras for three seasons. The Canadian Junior Football Association’s Calgary Colts picked him up after graduation last year.
NCAA schools in North Dakota and Missouri courted Sambu for their teams, as well as universities in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
“Justin is one of the most outstanding defensive linemen in all of Canada,” said U of C Head Coach Wayne Harris. “He is a big, strong young player that will continue to get better.”
Running back Boklashchuk was already being looked at by the Dinos last season, said McNab – who himself is a former quarterback with the team.
“He’s very focused. He has that passion for the game,” McNab said.
Harris added Boklashchuk is a “big fullback” that will fit into the Dinos system well.
“He is a big bruising back that get you short yardage plays.”
McNab said the signing cranks up the pressure on Boklashchuk, who will need to stay healthy and stay focused for the rest of his senior year.
“He’s still got to develop … it’s not handed to him. He’s got to earn his stripes, that’s for sure,” said McNab. “It gets real, and it gets real fast.”
The U of C is a big fan of the Cobras club, picking up offensive lineman Michael Scott and receiver Eric Nusl for their roster last year. McNab said he expects to start seeing representatives from other universities start sniffing around the field for more prospects as early as next week.
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