Kyle Newton raising his helmet to honour the 5th years after last seasons playoff defeat against the Calgary Dinos.
Photo via @skhuskies on Twitter
Kyle Newton and Caleb Morin have been two of the most successful Evan Hardy Souls (SSSAD) throughout the past decade. Now the duo will look to bring some of that success to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Newton will enter his second season with the Dogs this coming fall, where as Morin will be a first year looking to crack the lineup. While Evan Hardy is a smaller school and hasn’t had great results recently, they have been able to produce their fair share of elite players.
Newton was a rookie standout for the Dogs in 2017, starring at numerous positions along the special teams side of the ball. The former Soul is a 6’3 225lb hybrid linebacker, who will look to slide into a starting spot this fall. There is an opening on the defensive line at rush end, a position Kyle has experience playing. He suited up on the line for the U18 Team Saskatchewan at the 2016 Canada Cup in Quebec. In the bronze medal game of the tournament, Kyle came up with a big sack against Alberta on the last play of the contest. The key play clinched the win, along with a medal for Saskatchewan.
“I’m ready to learn more about the techniques, and am prepared to make adjustments on the fly,” said Newton.
Newton’s a gym rat, who’s been grinding so far this summer to add weight for his new role come the 2017 season.
“My first year taught me that the work off of the field is just as important as what is done on the field” he points out.
During Kyle’s senior year with Evan Hardy, he was a force to be reckoned with, registering 84.5 tackles along with three forced fumbles, two sacks and an interception.
6’2 180lb Caleb Morin is a big bodied slotback, who possesses an impressive vertical and ability to bring down contested catches. He is a versatile player, who was forced to line up as quarterback during his senior year for the Souls. While receiver is his position of choice, his exceptional athleticism allowed him to handle the position change with ease. While Morin will enter fall camp as a bit of a wildcard due to a year away receiver, he looked extremely sharp during the 2017 Saskatchewan Senior Bowl where he represented Team North.
Caleb believes playing quarterback allowed him to develop as a player.
“It allowed me to learn a ton about defensive schemes and formations, my knowledge of the game skyrocketed” noted Morin.
When the Hardy product got the call about potentially becoming a Huskie, he was ecstatic.
“My decision to stay at home, and play for a school I’ve grown up blocks away from, it was a no brainer.” said Morin.
Caleb has a busy offseason ahead of him as he’ll be preparing to make the jump to U-Sports football.
“Obviously it’s a huge jump from a high school and I can’t wait for the challenge. I’m going to do everything I can to put myself in contention for a roster spot this year.” added Morin.
Morin posing with family at the 2017 Dog’s Breakfast. Photo via Morin’s Instagram.
Morin is apart of new head coach Scott Flory’s first recruiting class, a group that will help start a new chapter in Saskatoon. Flory suited up for the Montreal Allouettes for 15 seasons and was a 9 time CFL all star. After being apart of the coaching staff since 2014 with the Huskies, Flory was named head coach in January. The Brian Towriss era was a triumphant run for the Dogs however, a turn of the page could be what this program needs. The Huskies have not reached the Hardy Cup since 2008, a shocking stat considering the immense attention that surrounds this squad each year. The team suffered from a tough winter in terms of recruiting, partially due to the uncertainty at the head coaching position until January. However, going forward Flory should have no problem bringing future #CFC100’s to the U of S. Heading into 2017, the boys in green will still be loaded on both sides of the ball and should be right there in the thick of things come October in the jam packed Canada West.
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