Rookie thrower finds his game at UBC

Rookie thrower finds his game at UBC
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Nov. 6, 2002

Blake Smelser had all but resigned himself to spending his first season with the University of B.C. Thunderbirds as a common bench warmer.
Little did the rookie quarterback realize that fresh out of Burnaby Central secondary, the young left-handed chucker would soon be sporting one of the most impressive records in Canadian university football.
Smelser, who made his name as the 2002 B.C. High school javelin throwing champion, went undefeated after starting the final three games of the season for the then-struggling T-Birds.
In early October, UBC was sporting a dismal record of zero wins and five losses, and its first string quarterback, 2000 St. Thomas More grad Troy Therrien, was hobbled by an injury.
During the annual Shrum Bowl classic against crosstown rival Simon Fraser University, T-Bird coach Lou DesLaurier looked down the long bench for some inspiration, and pointed at the untested quarterback. That's when Smelser's rookie year took an unexpected turn.
"The coach turned to me and said 'If we don't get a first down, you're going in,'" Smelser recalled of his first chance to play. "I didn't even have time to get nervous."
While the young kid didn't do much in his few moments on the field during the Shrum Bowl -- SFU won by a comfortable 22-11 margin - the coach liked what he saw enough to give the 190 cm, 85 kg player his first starting assignment against the tough No. 4-ranked Regina Cougars.
"At that point the team didn't even have a shot at the playoffs. We were just playing for pride and trying to get some wins for next year," Smelser said. "I also had a little more time to get nervous."
The game was a seesaw battle. Regina scored a field goal in the first quarter, and UBC responded with their own three-pointer early in the second. The prairie team soon went up by a touchdown, but that's when something ignited and with Smelser at the helm, the T- Birds came to life.
Six minutes into the second quarter, Smelser tossed an eight- yard pass to senior Dan Lazzarri to tie the game up. In the tenth minute, Smelser hit Troy Therrien with a 15-yard pass to give the T- Birds the lead, and the club never looked back.
By the time the contest was over, UBC had won by a 24-12 score and dropped Regina one notch down the national rankings.
"I knew going into the game I didn't want to make the big play. I just didn't want to lose it," said Smelser. "The coach knew what I was capable of - just establish an offence and make some nice drives."
Next up was a return match against the SFU Clan, and with the recent victory under his belt, Smelser was the obvious choice to start.
That's when the rookie got his first taste of big league hardball. Coach DesLaurier urged his young quarterback to key on a rookie SFU cornerback, Brian Kirkham, who was Smelser's best friend through high school.
It was a strategy that worked. Early in the fourth quarter, Smelser tossed a five-yard pass to Nathan Beveridge, who was being marked by the SFU rookie and the T-Birds had an 18-10 victory, and two consecutive wins.
And Smelser saved his best for last. UBC finished the year with a surprisingly hard-fought 32-7 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Alberta jumped to an early 7-1 lead and the T-Birds were lacklustre until the second half, when Smelser tossed to Lazzarri to tie the score, and then carried the ball the final six metres to give UBC the lead.
Smelser is now looking forward to his second year. "I was a backup quarterback and had pretty much resigned myself to taking little snaps and learning the game," he said. "I thought: 'Next year, I'll get the chance.'
"But when my chance came, I was pretty happy."
A general arts student who is still unsure about his long-term future or educational plans, Smelser is looking forward to next spring, but he also realizes that he will have to perform again, to get another chance in the limelight.
"I guess it all depends how spring ball goes," he said. "I'll keep training in the off season, and I want to stay active and keep throwing.
"I just want to keep going so I don't lose everything that I learned. If I stay active, hopefully, I'll be able to continue where I left off."