Running back thankful
friends prompted him to try sport
By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Charles Sawi burst on to the football scene as a Crusaders star. |
For the majority of his life, Sawi’s main sport was soccer, and he established himself as a high-level player in that game. Going into his Grade 10 school year at Holy Cross High School, a couple of his long time friends and Grade 10 classmates said Sawi should try his hand a football.
“I discovered football because of Ethan Laing,” said Sawi, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds. “He has been requesting me to come out for years for me to play and Tyrus Flory.
“I find them really special, and I’m very grateful that they told me to come and play football. It really helped a lot. If it wasn’t for my friends, I wouldn’t know how to play the sport and how sign up and everything.”
Laing and Flory had already been playing football for some time and had already committed to joining the Holy Cross High School Crusaders football program.
In the fall of 2019, Sawi joined the Crusaders junior program. When the Crusaders senior team qualified for the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association (SHSAA) 6A provincial final against Regina’s Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School Golden Suns, Sawi was called up to help the senior squad.
“We knew about Charles (Sawi) and his abilities to be an athlete both on the track and field circuit and the soccer pitch,” said Scott Hundseth, who is the Head Coach of the Crusaders senior team. “We knew nothing about him really with regards to football.
“All of a sudden, we were going to provincials three years ago, and we called him up. We wanted him to just kind of run scout team for us. We were actually trying to kind of prepare for (Regina’s Dr. Martin) LeBoldus (High School Golden Suns).
“All of a sudden, he started ripping through our guys and our players like Seth Hundeby who plays (for the University of Saskatchewan) Huskies (Football team). Seth is looking at us going, ‘Who is this kid?’”
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world, the 2020 high school football season in Saskatoon and ultimately the province was cancelled.
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| Charles Sawi (#29) broke off many huge runs as the Crusaders tailback. |
In Grade 10, Sawi discovered he loved the game of football so much that he was determined to play for the senior Crusaders whenever high school football was given the green light to resume. He quit soccer and continued to train with the players on the Crusaders senior team through his Grade 11 year.
High school football ultimately got the green light to go in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan for the fall of 2021. Almost immediately at the start of his Grade 12 year, Sawi was breaking off big runs and having big games with the Crusaders senior team wearing his number 29 uniform.
Very quickly, those who watched high school football in Saskatoon were asking, “Who is this guy?”
“He is a very talented kid, but he is quiet,” said Hundseth. “He hadn’t done anything, because of the COVID year he was off his Grade 11 year.
“Coming into this year, he even surprised us. He ran the ball with just absolute passion, and it was hard to bring him down. He is fast and a tough runner.
“He is just a great human being. He ended up being one of our captains and one of our leaders.”
Sawi said his Grade 12 year playing for the Crusaders was like a dream. Most importantly, he hoped he left a positive impact on his teammates that will be returning to the Crusaders next season.
Sawi wanted his teammates to come away pumped up from the love he showed for the game and the realization of what can happen on the field when you put the work in to be a better player.
When he graduated from the Crusaders, Sawi could see he left that type of impact on his teammates that are going to return to the Crusaders and seeing that was important to him.
“It (his season) was very inspirational and motivational to others that are going to be playing next season with Holy Cross,” said Sawi. “I’m just very grateful that I played with that team, and we made a lot of memories on there.”
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| Charles Sawi (#29) can run with speed and power. |
The Marauders jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Crusaders rallied scoring three touchdowns to even the score 21-21 by halftime.
Sawi scored the first major of the Crusaders surge on a one-yard plunge. He capped the scoring run with a 13-yard touchdown run that tied the game with 16 seconds remaining in the first half.
In one of the all-time classic high school games ever played at SMF Field, the Marauders ultimately prevailed 28-24. Miller got a touchdown in the third quarter. Holy Cross answered back with a field goal in the fourth quarter but was unable to get a go-ahead score.
“I just think about it all the time,” said Sawi about that contest. “I just think that we should have won it, because I felt like we were the better ones and we were more supported.
“It was just very unlucky. I just keep thinking about it all the time, and I wish we could go back to that classic final.”
While that provincial final brought an end to Sawi’s days with the Crusaders, it didn’t end his football career. He was offered the chance to join the CJFL’s storied Saskatoon Hilltops and jumped at it.
Sawi has participated in training sessions and rookie practices with the team. He said the players on the team have been welcoming and has enjoyed the enthusiasm of Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant.
“The atmosphere and everything has been very exciting,” said Sawi. “I’m very grateful to play with them.
“It feels like I am already on the team. It brings me so much confidence that all the guys like me and everything.”
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| Charles Sawi runs the ball during a Hilltops rookie practice. |
Hundseth believes the young tailback can accomplish big things in the game of football.
“He has the swagger and the personality to go a long ways on and off the field,” said Hundseth. “When he sets his mind to doing something, he just goes, and he does it with vigour and passion.
“He is a pretty special kid. The Hilltops have a good one in him. He will do some really good things.”
