Sal footballer, Sterling selected for national Prospect Game

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Jaxson Sterling is a name many know within the Salisbury Composite High School football program, but his name is about to be catapulted onto the national stage.

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Sterling is set to compete in the CFC Prospect Game in Ottawa on Friday, May 31, which will be televised live on TSN. The game features the top 70 Canadian high school football players, who are considered to be on track to qualify as a ‘national’ in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

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After five tryouts, he was appointed to the showcase game at the end of April. Upon receiving the news, Sterling said he was thrilled to be able to represent his hometown and that making the team was not possible without the support of his family, friends, teammates and coaches.

“It feels really rewarding. It’s an honour. It’s really cool to showcase myself against the best in Canada,” Sterling told The News on May 17. “I believe the game will lead to a lot of opportunities, especially because there will be a lot of coaches and scouts attending the game. The competition will be really motivating. I feel like it’s a good opportunity to see how I compete against the best in Canada and see where I’m at compared to others.”

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Cam Fraser, head coach for the Salisbury football team, said the news is a compliment for the local football program, but it’s the players who will make the school look good.

“It’s great notoriety for the program, but it’s more important that the players get recognized in order to go to school at the next level,” Fraser explained. “It’s always important to have local players picked for the game. We’ve had a couple of people play in the Prospect Game, such as Nik Shewchuk, a couple of years ago. I think it’s important for Jaxson for not only the exposure from the local area, but also nationally. It lead to Nick getting a scholarship to play at Western Ontario, and I don’t think he would have had that if he didn’t play in that game. It will create a lot more options for Jaxson moving forward and it also speaks to the caliber of our program because we have lots of players who are going to these types of camps. It provides a fresh lens for what our program can product.”

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At 15-years-old, Sterling was awarded Rookie of the Year at Sal and made the football team as a Grade 10 student.

The Grade 10 student was granted a Metro Edmonton Athletics All-Star title within the Division 1 Carr Division. He was ranked second in the league in punting, averaged 15 yards per carry, and caught 13 touchdowns in the regular season. He also instrumental in earning the provincial championship Tier 1 title for Salisbury in the fall.

“He scored to win us the provincial championship on one of the best catches that I’ve seen in my whole coaching career. The sky’s the limit for Jax and I can’t wait to see what he does next year,” Fraser said. “The (All-Star award) is voted on by other coaches, so obviously, he has the respect of other teams already, and that just speaks to how well he plays and the kinds of plays he makes. It’s also a character vote as well as a skill vote, so it speaks very highly of this young man and how other people think of him as well.”

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The former Sherwood Park Rams PeeWee and Bantam player was also selected to play for U18 Team Alberta at the Canada Cup in July. Sterling was first lumped into a pool of 500 athletes, which was reduced to 100, then he made the cut last weekend and is now ranked as a Top 7 receiver in the province.

“Getting that reputation, I’d like to thank my parents because they’ve been pushing me to do all of this, but my reputation has just been building over the last few years and it’s cool to see what I can accomplish,” he said. “I’m really proud to be able to represent Sal on Team Alberta.”

Jason Lafferty, offensive coordinator with the U18 Team Alberta team, said he is looking forward to watching Sterling grow over the course of the tournament and training camp practices leading up to the competition in Regina. 

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“Jaxson is a talented player that will be a great contributor on our U18 team,” Lafferty said. “He has the ability to separate from defenders and make really tough contested catches. He will no doubt be a key contributor on special teams.”

The Team Alberta process further outlined what is needed in overall dedication to school work and off-season fitness.

“I was able to watch a lot of film from this past season and I was able to see myself. That has helped me work on a few things, which has lead to me achieving higher numbers,” Sterling said.

Fraser wasn’t surprised by that achievement.

“He also made the U17 Team Alberta last year as a Grade 9 going into Grade 10. He is a naturally gifted athlete who knows what needs to be done and he can also pick up a playbook very quickly and develop chemistry with whoever he plays with. I’m not surprised, honestly. He’s a special athlete, he’s a great kid, and this is just him taking every step in the right direction,” the Sal coach said, adding he expects Sterling to be one of the top receivers in the Metro play in the coming season.

Pairing these two opportunities along with two more years of Sal football, Sterling is aiming high for his football career; “My goal is to receive a scholarship in the United States, NCAA or USports, and I’d like to showcase my talents over there.”

The May 31 CFC Prospect game is schedule to air on TSN at 9:15 a.m. MT.

lmorey@postmedia.com

X: LindsayDMorey

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