Aidan Jaager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
University of Saskatchewan Huskies quarterback Jake Farrell is in close contact with an old friend as he prepares to play his first-ever Vanier Cup game this Saturday.
That friend is former Huskies QB Ryan Reid, who won the Vanier with Saskatchewan in 1998.
Both have summer homes on the emerald blue waters of Kalamalka Lake in Coldstream B.C., 35 kilometres south of Kelowna. During the hot Okanagan summer days, the two spend time wake surfing and talking about football.
Reid received a call from Farrell’s dad Jason last summer through a mutual friend from Moose Jaw, and they went for lunch at a local pub. Later that afternoon Jake’s dad introduced him to Reid, and they met on the beach at the lake. They have been in touch ever since.
Jake Farrell said he is appreciative of having someone to lean on. Reid played as the starting quarterback from 1997 until 2000, and was on the last Huskies team to win the Vanier Cup.
“I’ve been able to communicate with him this past week, and he’s been able to give me a lot of helpful tips,” says Farrell, whose Huskies play the Montreal Carabins for a national title Saturday in Regina at 1 p.m. “Obviously with him being the last quarterback to win here, he has so many great tips to pass on to me, so I’m very grateful for the relationship I’ve been able to build with him.”
Reid, who spent time at American River College in Sacramento before joining the Huskies, said he got advice on how to prepare for championship games from quarterback coach Ken O’Brien and that was to “relax and take everything in stride.”
O’Brien played as a starting QB for 10 years in the NFL with the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. Reid’s advice to Jake Farrell is no different.
“The advice that I gave him, that was given to me, was just to enjoy the moment first of all. And embrace it, because no matter what happens in the game, you’ve done an amazing job and you’ve accomplished so much more than I think even you expected to.”
He added there is no way Farrell could have known he would step in at quarterback and play in a national championship game. Farrell stepped into the breach after starting quarterback Anton Amundrud left the team following Week 5 for what was later diagnosed as cancer. Farrell has since won six games in a row, including a 22-11 Mitchell Bowl victory over Queen’s this past weekend.
Reid said he was more of larger-bodied and traditional pocket QB, who excelled with arm strength, accuracy and quick release. He describes Farrell as a modern and mobile QB who can use his legs to his advantage.
“He sees the game really well and he makes pre-snap reads … I think that’s the strength of his game, and I would compare him to (San Francisco 49ers QB) Brock Purdy.”
It brings back memories, Reid says, having another Huskies quarterback spending an off-season enjoying the same lake that he has his whole life.
“When I look at him, I kind of look back, and a lot of good memories come to mind because you’re preparing for a year … it’s the same way that I trained and relaxed in the summer, and it has always brought comfort to me. I am happy for him, and he’s a really good kid,” Reid said.
Huskies head coach Scott Flory protected Reid during his playing days. Flory, who went on to a Canadian Football Hall of Fame career with the Montreal Alouettes, played on the Huskies offensive line while Reid launched passes in the backfield.
“(Reid) was a B.C. guy,” Flory recalls. “He came from down south from a junior college or whatever and came up to Canada. We didn’t know much about him until he showed up, and he’s a great guy … I mean, I still keep in touch with him today, like texting and all that kind of stuff.”
Although the two teams were similar, with veteran linebackers and wide receivers, Flory said the current team is “much better.”
Flory also recalled memories from the 1998 final, which the Huskies won 24-17 over Concordia
“I remember being a fifth year athlete and winning your last football game, and that is something that is for sure special.
“We played Concordia in that game. They were a little bit of a different team, a little bit of different style than what we see now.”
Flory remembers being part of a focused team on a mission.
“There’s a core of fifth-year guys we had back then and I think we see that now as well, that are playing with an edge in that locker room,” Flory said.
The Huskies have played in 11 Vanier Cups and won three. They last made it in 2022, when they lost to 30-24 to Laval.
With Saturday’s Vanier Cup game nearing, Flory says: “ I know we’re gonna be ready … I know we’re going to take advantage of it.”
And Reid, who quarterbacked Saskatchewan to its last Vanier Cup title, will follow with interest.
