It’s been a year since Carter Stusek’s first performance in the Red River Cup, but those memories are still fresh in his mind as he gets set to start high school.
Positions:
Slotback
Height/Weight:
6’0, 180 lbs
Teams:
RMF Raiders (Bantam)
RMF Goldenhawks (Peewee)
RMF Gators (Atom)
Commitment:
None
Official Visits:
None
Consideration:
Open
Class:
2016
With a minute left on the clock in the 2012 U-16 Red River Cup, Team Saskatchewan took control of the ball. Pinned deep in their own end by a long kickoff from Team , the team had barely gotten the first play off when they hit a major setback: their kicker was injured. Though they were only down a point, and were in field goal range within a few quick plays, a touchdown had suddenly become their only option. With fifteen seconds left, the quarterback took the snap, let loose and found Carter Stusek in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, putting the final score at 23 to 16.
As the timer ran down to zero, Carter was in shock – indeed, the fact that he had just secured the gold medal for Team Saskatchewan didn’t register until his teammates stormed the field to congratulate him. “It was sweet,” Carter recalls. “All the hard work I put in finally paid off.”
That game may have been the defining moment in the Regina slotback’s football career thus far, but there have been others of which Carter is also proud. Team Saskatchewan would return to the Red River Cup a year later, and though they missed out on the championship and came home with a bronze medal, Carter was named a tournament all-star. In his younger years, he took home Regina Minor Football championship titles with both the Raiders and the Gators.
Off the field, Carter enjoys other sports such as basketball and golf. He now only has a few weeks to go before high school starts in the fall and he suits up for the Campbell Collegiate Tartans. “I’m just excited to start playing football again after a hard, long off-season,” Carter says, “but I’m also really excited just for the whole high school football experience. With great coaches and great players, the next three years should be tons of fun.”
Though he his university years are still a long way off, Carter already has aspirations of playing at the post-secondary level. He doesn’t have a preference nailed down just yet, but thinks he might like to study business. For now, though, Carter will focus on getting through the next chapter of his life.
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