Springbank’s Jesse Schonacher is rising from the ashes of a disappointing spring tryout camp with the Calgary Colts junior football team.
Auditioning at receiver for Colts in May, the Springbank Community High School Phoenix 2015 grad didn’t hide his disappointment at not being immediately called back after tryouts. But he stuck to it and was on the field to begin the team’s main training camp July 23 at Edge School field.
Entering Colts main camp at receiver, he was pressed into a quarterback’s role on Day 2 when Cochrane High School Cobras graduating quarterback Cody Stevens failed to show due to injury. Schonacher’s currently No. 3 on the Colts quarterback depth chart behind John Kiesman and Ryland Matters.
“I was receiver at first practice,” the 6-foot-2, 180-pound utility offensive threat said following the third of three Colts camp sessions July 25 at Edge. “But they only had two quarterbacks, so I’m competing there.”
A disciple of Tony Lucas’s and Jud Graham’s read-and-react offensive scheme at Springbank High this past season, Schonacher has experience in a complex offensive system.
“They’ve implemented that R4 system a little bit,” Schonacher said of Calgary’s offensive scheme that includes the rhythm, read, rush, release method. “They have some concepts for the outside receivers going deep and the inside receivers going shallow. That’s similar.
“So everything’s flowing. It helps out, no doubt.”
But he has a training table full of playbook X’s and O’s to digest before Colts play their first exhibition game Aug. 8 against Regina in Medicine Hat.
“There’s a lot to pick up right now,” Schonacher admitted. “I’ve been hitting the books hard.”
