YRHS Raider all-star linebacker Jon Muir will not be putting away the pads once he graduates from high school this summer.
Instead, the 6鈥�0鈥�, 185-pound middle linebacker will simply be changing jerseys.
Gone will be the familiar orange and white of the YRHS Raiders; instead in its place will be the royal blue and gold of the defending junior football national champion Saskatoon Hilltops, who have recently officially signed the standout Yorkton football player for the upcoming season. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very rewarding for them to take interest in you and think that you鈥檙e good enough to make their squad,鈥� offered Muir when asked about his thoughts on his new team. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the defending national champions and it鈥檚 an honour to be able to play with them and help them defend their championship.鈥�
But the Hilltops, who have won 17-of-20 national championships they鈥檝e competed in including four in the last five seasons, were not the only junior football team interested in acquiring the services of the talented Muir.
The Regina Thunder, the only other team to win the Canadian Bowl Championship in the last five seasons, also made it clear to Muir that they wanted him on their team. 鈥淵eah the Thunder were talking to me and wanted me to play for them,鈥� Muir, who started football just four years ago, told Yorkton This Week. 鈥淏ut I wanted to go to Saskatoon just for the schooling and the U of R didn鈥檛 offer Pharmacy, so I had to go to Saskatoon for that.
鈥淭hen I started talking to the Hilltops guys and they started to take some interest in me and then signed me.鈥�
Muir鈥檚 high school coach Roby Sharpe believes that Muir made the correct decision in signing with the Hilltops as opposed to the Thunder, but also believes that, if he wanted to, Muir could have easily made the CIS Saskatchewan Huskies; a football powerhouse in their own right. 鈥淚 think he could have made the Huskies too this year,鈥� offered Sharpe, adding that the big difference would be playing time. 鈥淏ut if he made the Huskies he would probably redshirt with them for the first season.
鈥淭his way he鈥檒l play some junior, get some experience with the Hilltops and then maybe make the move to the Huskies if he still wants to do some playing then.鈥�
What Sharpe means is, if Muir wants to he can play two years of junior football before moving on to the CIS ranks, where he鈥檒l be eligible for five years of football, down from the four years of junior and five years of CIS that players used to be able to do.
But first, before Muir even thinks of any of that, he says wants to simply focus on the near future. 鈥淚 just want to go there (Saskatoon) and play as well as I can,鈥� said Muir. 鈥淲hile I do that I also want to get my first year Arts and Science and then hopefully get into Pharmacy with my grades.鈥�
Muir will take part in his first training camp with the Saskatoon Hilltops starting August 3rd and will officially join the ranks of Yorkton football players to play for the historic and dominant Saskatoon Hilltops, joining the likes of Sean Brimacombe, Jeremy Taylor and Wade Barton just to name a few.
