Humboldt’s own Mason Bunko, an offensive lineman for Humboldt Collegiate Institute, will be joining the University of Saskatchewan’s Huskies football team in 2024. 

“It’s always been my goal to get to that next level, so it was an immediate yes,” stated Bunko. 

He says the recruiting process was fairly quick and easy. 

“Grades 9, 10, 11 are pretty much your development year, you get to try it all out, and then grade 12 is really when the recruiting process starts to happen,” explained Bunko. “When that recruiting process starts to happen, you have to come to them, especially when you live out in Humboldt. I sent out the email, sent out some film, and everything that went along with it. I got a reply back, and we met up, me and the coach, we talked over a few things, and that was pretty much it. He offered me a spot, and immediately, I said, ‘I’ll take it.’”

Bunko says his football journey has helped him transform into who he is today.

“It all started in Grade 9, I signed up for football for the first time, and I didn’t know what to expect, and it just kinda clicked. I went to my first practice, I got the hang of it, I started to train more, and after that, everything just built upon itself,” stated Bunko. “It’s kinda interesting just how I developed as a person through this journey through high school and everything. I’d have to give that to my coaches, they helped me along the way at every step, also going to camps and all that. I also have to give everything to my parents, they really helped me along this journey and just to see it pay off, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Bunko has had his fair share of coaches, with a change in leadership happening in his grades 11 and 12 years, but he says that it was nice to learn from different people. He says he also attended many camps over the years to get different points of view.

“I usually go to Saskatoon for Spring football, and I'll train with a bunch of those guys periodically, and I didn’t train with any other USports or Hilltops team, because I wanted to play with the U of S, and it was just a knee jerk reaction. When you get an offer from the school that you really want to go to, it’s an automatic yes. I really had my eyes set on U of S and I always did from day 1.”

He says his plans while not on the field at the U of S is to study business.

“Originally, I applied to engineering, but that was before this offer came out, so I withdrew my application to engineering and reapplied to business. I’m really good with math, so we just found something that suited me with that, and it turned out to be business.”

He says going to the next level in football and having the opportunity to play for the Huskies has turned the nerves into excitement, and he cannot wait to get onto the field.