Reid Skrypichayko beat the odds, and was selected out of 150 football players to play for the north team in the Alberta Senior Bowl.
Skrypichayko went up against some of Alberta's best during the three-day Senior Bowl north camp. With only eight of the 41 slots on the team reserved for receivers, he knew he had to perform well.
“I always try to see who the best are and compete with them,” said Skrypichayko about his strategy heading into tryouts.
“You've always got to beat the best.”
He proved to be one of the top players, and was selected for the north team to play at the 28th annual Senior Bowl on May 22 in Calgary.
“It was exciting being in the top one per cent of all Alberta high school football players,” expressed Skrypichayko.
He started his football career with the Bonnyville Bantam Bandits, after his mother encouraged him to give it a shot. He tried out and made the team, and hasn't looked back.
Three of his six years as a player were spent under the watchful eye of Bonnyville Voyageurs head coach Larry Godziuk.
“He has really good individual skill, he has a great attitude. He is a competitor who wants to win,” he said.
That competitive edge put him at an advantage as he prepared for tryouts. Skrypichayko worked hard to ensure he was in peak physical and mental condition.
“I was staying active playing other sports… going to the gym whenever I could, always staying ready by keeping my football IQ sharp, and I was always watching and learning,” he described.
When on the field, there isn't much time for thinking, so knowing the role everyone on the team will be playing prior to game time is important.
This was one of the reasons why the north team provided players with a playbook the week before tryouts. They were required to read the book and know the plays before stepping foot onto the field.
Skyrpichayko said he wasn't overly surprised to hear from Godziuk that he had made the team.
“I knew I had a good tryout, so I knew I had a pretty good chance of making it.”
During tryouts, coaches were looking for players with speed, power, a competitive edge, and something unique to offer the team.
As a receiver, Skrypichayko has stood out as a physical player, something that is not always seen in a player in that position.
“He has been one of those players that you notice during a game because he is always making big plays,” described Godziuk. “Reid is pretty quick, he has some good footwork too, so he would do well in that area, and when he gets on the field he is really good at playing the game.”
Skrypichayko said, “They said they liked my physicality and we need lots of different types of receivers on that team.”
In order to prepare for the big game, Skrypichayko is staying active, and waiting for their chance to practice in May.
“It's an honour to be playing, and I am so thankful that I was selected for the team.”
