Harry’s last hurrah
Harry McMaster will be playing in his second straight Vanier Cup this Saturday against Laval. Photos by PETER METHNER.
In mid-July, Harry McMaster sat in a Tim Hortons restaurant in Niagara Falls talking to BP Sports Niagara about the likelihood of returning to play another year of football with the Western Mustangs.
“I think it would be tough to go back,” he said.
After winning a Vanier Cup in 2017 and earning Ontario University Athletics’ all-star honours for the first time, the 24-year-old Niagara Falls native was ready to move on to the next chapter of his football career as a seventh-round draft pick, 53rd overall, of the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos.
The 6-foot-2, 193-pounder got off to a dream start in his CFL career catching a 25-yard pass on his first play from scrimmage in preseason action. Then fate intervened. In his second game, he broke his right thumb and his rookie season was grounded before it even got off the ground.
The silver lining of the disappointing injury is that Saint Paul graduate will play in his second straight Vanier Cup against Laval on Saturday in Quebec.
“It was kind of the circumstances that made it happen,” he said. “Going to a CFL camp and breaking my thumb, they (Edmonton Eskimos) really suggested, firmly, that going back and playing another year while I recovered from my broken thumb would be in my best interests for playing football in the future. It wasn’t entirely my decision.”
He eventually warmed up to the idea of one final year of university football.
“It took me a while to settle back in here, but maybe after about six weeks it felt good to be back.”
There wasn’t any one moment or epiphany when the decision was validated.
“It wasn’t any feeling I had,” he said. “I just woke up one day and knew I was going to practice and playing football again here for another season and in games that were starting to matter more and more.”
During the regular season, he had 29 catches for 615 yards and was named an OUA Second Team all-Star for the second straight season.
“I was very excited about it last year and this year it wasn’t as important to me as last year because it was the first time I got it. It’s really not a big deal.”
What is a much bigger deal is the fact that McMaster feels like he made strides to become a more complete football player.
“There are a lot of little things that I have cleaned up, especially the blocking game,” he said. “Near the end of the regular season and going into the playoffs, I had to have some very good games blocking and that’s something I am really happy about because that’s something I will have to do a lot if I am playing special teams and doing things like that in the CFL.”
In last week’s Mitchell Bowl national semifinal against the Saskatchewan Huskies, the 24-year-old had a career-high 11 catches breaking his previous mark by two. He finished the game with 152 receiving yards and TD catches measuring 21 and 31 yards.
To have such a great game in such an important game was a thrill for McMaster.
“It was a big game and it was the last game I was going to play in London at Western so it was pretty cool.”
McMaster is going to the Vanier Cup looking for another title and there’s no hint of being satisfied because he already has a national championship on his resume.
“I kind of had the attitude going in that this year was a bonus for me and hopefully we would do well, but the more you play here and you are part of this team, the goal now is to win every game and this game is no different.
“We don’t want to lose to those guys ever.”
The Vanier Cup will be McMaster’s last-ever appearance in a Western uniform and he’s not feeling particularly nostalgic about the end of an era.
“Maybe a little bit but last year I thought it was it too,” he said. “I kind of already went through that so I’m not really thinking about it much.”
He took enough courses to be eligible to play football and plans to head back to Niagara Falls when this semester is over. He will then spend the next several months getting ready for his second CFL training camp.
“I will also be working and trying to make some money,” he said.
McMaster has been delighted this fall watching his former team, the Saint Paul Patriots, win the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association championship, the Niagara title and the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championship.
“It was a big win over Myer and we have a kid here from Myer, Jake Andrews, and the next day I let him know how I felt about that game.”
“It was great to see that.”
McMaster was hoping he might be able to watch Saint Paul’s Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Bowl game Tuesday in Ottawa but he is unable to attend.
He fondly recalls his time at Saint Paul and credits the Patriots coaching staff with helping shape his football career.
“Mr. (Paolo) Sirianni is still there, so are both Mr. O’s (Joe and Rick Oreskovich) and all those coaches there.
“They still message me that I had a good game and to keep it up and all that stuff. We’ve been going back and forth the last couple of weeks saying good game and good luck next week.
“It has been really good and supportive.”
