Western Mustangs commit makes dreams come true

Western adds local commit to Class of 2018.

Jake Bukich, a receiver from Parkside Collegiate Institute, had a bit of a setback in his high school career, but he is ready to hit the gridiron with the Western Mustangs next season.

“A couple of knee injuries have limited my playing career, missing two of my five high school seasons, however I’m feeling good and I’m excited to bounce back,” Bukich said. “Growing up as a kid in St. Thomas, the Mustangs were idolized by many kids and to make that childhood dream of attending Western is just awesome.”

The excitement around the Mustangs must have grown tenfold after the Mustangs were crowned as the 2017 Vanier Cup champions. With a strong coaching staff at the helm, Bukich knows he is in good hands.

“Having the opportunity to learn and improve under such a respected and experienced coaching staff was something I couldn’t pass up. I have utmost respect for the coaching staff,” he said. He has had experience working with the Mustangs’ coaches during his time with the London Jr. Mustangs (OPFL). He also met them at the Western Junior Day event.

“The attention to detail when it comes to preparation is immense. They pride themselves on being prepared to play any day and I really admire that,” Bukich added. “Very excited to get to work with these great coaches!”

Bukich is interested in pursuing a career in sports management and business. He said he will either take a bachelor of management and organizational studies or kinesiology. Then, he plans on applying to the HBA program at the Ivey Business School.

“The strong academic programs at Western were quite enticing,” Bukich said. “Being able to study at a top academic institution was an essential factor in my decision to chose Western.”

In his six-year career, Bukich, who is 5’11, 175lbs, has played for three different teams. In high school, he was apart of the Parkside Stampeders (Thames Valley Regional Athletics). Last season, he was a TVRA all-star. He won the team’s “most spirited player” twice and was an MVP in 2014. This summer, he won an OPFL championship with the Jr. Mustangs. He also represented Team Ontario U16 at the Spaulding Cup.