ST. PAUL – St. Paul Lions football player Jacob Petruk has been preparing to play the sport he loves at a national tournament showcasing some of the top high school football talents in Canada.
Canadafootballchat.com (CFC) and TSN will hold the 2025 CFC Prospect Game on May 24 in Hamilton, Ont., where prospects get the opportunity to display their skills to the nation, as well as in front of talent scouts and recruiters.
Getting the opportunity to play at CFC tournament did not come easy, and when Petruk learned of his selection in early April following his participation at an evaluation camp held in Calgary, he says he “felt pretty good about it.”
Only 75 athletes were selected to play at the tournament. “It’s a good opportunity,” says Petruk, not only as an athlete, but also as someone who comes from a small town.
“It means a whole lot to also represent the Lakeland area,” he adds. “We don’t always get a lot of representation, so it’s just nice when we do.”
Petruk plays for the St. Paul Lions, which is the high school team offered through St. Paul Football. He also previously played for the club’s bantam team, the St. Paul Bengals.
The two St. Paul Football teams are composed of players from schools in the St. Paul region and their home field is located at St. Paul Regional High School. Petruk is from F.G. Miller Jr./Sr. High School in Elk Point.
A multi-sport athlete, Petruk started playing football in the fall of 2021 with the Bengals, where he won two league championships and two provincial titles in 2022 and 2023.
Bengals’ coach Todd Tanasichuk recalled how a team in 2023 once complained that the Bengals were using a high school athlete.
“They thought Jacob had to be in Grade 10,” but Petruk was just 13 years old at the time, says the coach.
When Petruk did move up to play for the St. Paul Lions in 2024, he was recognized as the Lions’ top defensive and offensive lineman following his first season with the team. Recalling his previous seasons and the Bengals’ and the Lions’ achievements, Petruk is humble and states, “It takes a team” to be successful.
Leading up to the tournament, Petruk admits that he is feeling a bit nervous.
He thanked everyone who supported him, from his mother, other parents from St. Paul football, and everyone else who helped him with transportation and other necessities required to play.
Melissa Petruk, Jacob’s mother, says she is very excited for her son. She hopes the opportunity to play the CFC game will open doors to other opportunities, like post-secondary scholarships or even opportunities to play at a professional level.
She says all she wants for her son is to have a bright future.
“From a small town . . . those kinds of opportunities aren’t as common.”
Melissa adds that her son may be a natural athlete - he is big, strong, and has the endurance to play football and other sports - but there are other qualities that have also helped Jacob excel, such as how coachable he is.
“I’ve had lots of coaches talk to me . . . just always impressed with how coachable and hard working he is.”
His mom adds, “He always listens and as soon as a tip is given, he’s trying it out.” His attitude allows him to fix mistakes, and he is always wanting to “improve and get better.”
Having been a coach herself, being coachable, she says, is a top characteristic for any athlete. But what ultimately drives athletes forward is their passion for the sport.
“And he’s passionate about football. He really loves the sport,” she says.
She also thanked the football community in St. Paul for the success her son has been able to achieve. “I love our club here,” she says. “We have families that really take care of anybody.”
When a player gets delayed and misses the bus, somebody is always willing to drive that player to wherever they need to go.
It is a mirror to how the sport itself is played.
“It’s a team sport,” both in and outside the field, says Melissa.
