 |
| Ben Abrook was named a PFC all-star for the first time. |
The
Hilltops, who finished the regular season with an 8-0 record for the second
straight year, received 10 all-star selections ahead of hosting the PFC final
this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Edmonton Huskies at Saskatoon Minor
Football Field.
Tuesday’s
PFC all-star selections included power running back Ben Abrook, left tackle
Mason Ochs, defensive back Colton Holmes and veteran defensive tackle Jesse
McNabb.
On offence,
Abrook, who is in his third year with the Hilltops and first year as the club’s
full-time starter at running back, had a sensational campaign leading the PFC
in rushing with 1,215 yards coming off 199 carries and scoring eight
touchdowns.
Two of the
men who opened huge holes for Abrook on the Hilltops offensive line also found
their way on to the all-star squad. Ochs, who attended the training camp of the
CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, was a unanimous selection and was named an
all-star for the third consecutive year.
 |
| Mason Ochs (#73) was a PFC all-star for the third straight year. |
Pass
catchers Connor Graham and Keegan Dicks made the all-star team for the first
time. Graham, who is in his fifth season, hauled in 28 receptions for 599 yards
and scored six touchdowns. Dicks, who is in his third season, caught 31 passes
for 494 yards and scored four touchdowns.
McNabb, who
is in his final campaign of CJFL eligibility, was named an all-star on the
defensive side of the ball for a second consecutive season recording 26.5 total
tackles and three sacks.
Holmes, who
also attended Roughriders training camp and was on the CFL club’s practice
roster, was a unanimous selection at defensive back and took all-star honours
for a second straight year.
He posted 17.5 total tackles, two pass knockdowns,
one fumble recovery and one interception.
 |
| Jesse McNabb was a PFC all-star for the second straight year. |
Fifth-year
linebacker Jadyn Pingue was named an all-star for the first time. He collected
33.5 total tackles, one pass knockdown, one fumble recovery and one
interception.
Third-year
safety Brant Morrow made the all-star team as well. Morrow posted 18.5 total
tackles, three interceptions, two pass knockdowns, one forced fumble and one
fumble recovery. He returned one of his interceptions 113 yards for a touchdown
in a 34-16 victory over the Thunder in Regina on Aug. 25.
 |
| Rylan Kleiter (#7) was named a PFC all-star as a place kicker. |
He connected on 18-of-22 field goal attempts for an 81.8 per cent success rate with a long of 42 yards.
Kleiter
kicked 33 conversion attempts, recorded one rouge and hauled in two touchdown
receptions as a receiver to lead the PFC in scoring with 100 points.
The
Hilltops, who are currently 9-0 overall, advanced to the PFC final downing the
Edmonton Wildcats 31-7 in a PFC semifinal contest last Sunday at SMF Field. The
Huskies, who are 7-2 overall, took the other PFC semifinal last Sunday in
Regina downing the host Thunder 20-17.
That clash
likely could be the game of the year in the CJFL.
Bear’s rise to the Oilers uplifting, other
notes
 |
| Ethan Bear raised the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2017. |
The skilled
defenceman has a huge backing from the Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace First Nation,
where he is from. During his time in the WHL from 2013 to 2017, Bear starred
with the Seattle Thunderbirds appearing in 264 regular season games piling up
66 goals and 126 assists for 192 points and a plus-50 rating.
When the
Thunderbirds would play road games in the Eastern Conference, a huge contingent
of Bear’s family and friends followed the team over the course of the trip.
When Seattle won the best-of-seven WHL Championship series 4-2 against
the Regina Pats in 2017, it was estimated Bear had 500 supporters at each of
the three games held in the Saskatchewan capital.
The
Thunderbirds clinched the series with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6 at the
Brandt Centre in Regina, and Bear got to take a skate with the Ed Chynoweth Cup
in front of his supporters.
Now as a
third-year in the professional ranks, Bear has cracked the Oilers main roster.
In the Oilers first 10 games, Bear has two goals, an assist and a minus-one
rating helping the Edmonton club post a 7-2-1 record.
His
supporters from Ochapowace can be noticed at Rogers Place. If Bear elevates to
star status, you can expect his Oilers jersey will become one of the biggest
sellers in the league.
- The University of Saskatchewan Huskies
men’s hockey teams that won three straight Canada West Conference titles
from 1981 to 1983 and the U Sports title in 1983 were announced as
inductees to the Canada West Hall of Fame. Those Huskies squads were
guided by legendary head coach Dave King and featured high-scoring star
forward Willie Desjardins, who was the captain of the U Sports national
title winner.
- In the U Sports Top 10 rankings that were
released on Tuesday, the U of S Huskies men’s hockey team were rated
eighth with a 2-3-1 regular season record. The Huskies have battled
injuries on defence, which has hampered the squad’s performance on the
ice. The ranking shows the respect the Huskies program has nationally.
- The U of S Huskies football team was rated
seventh in the U Sports Top 10 rankings that were released on Tuesday. The
Huskies (4-3) will face the U of Alberta Golden Bears (4-3) on Saturday at
2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. The winner will be guaranteed at least a
second place finish in Canada West and host a conference semifinal playoff
game.
- U of S Huskies women’s hockey team star
netminder Jessica Vance is two wins away from becoming the third player in
program history to record 30 career wins in regular season play. Vance has
appeared in 44 career games with the Huskies posting a 28-11-4 record, a 1.09
goals against average, a .953 save percentage and 16 shutouts.
- In eight overall games with the defending
NCAA champion U of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team so far this
season, star forward and Saskatoon product Sophie Shirley has eight goals
and 11 assists for 19 points. Shirley is an alumna of the Saskatoon Stars
female midget AAA team.
- The new Joker movie was really good. It is
a definite movie that should be seen in theatres. I have to warn you in my
opinion it was messed up too in a disturbing way. You have to expect a
dark script for a movie involving The Joker as a character. This one was
dark but still done in an artistic way. It is the type of movie you will
likely only watch once. My cousin, Justin Chomitzky, did a great review of
the movie that can be found right here.
- It was super sad to hear Aly Jenkins, who
was the lead on Sherry Anderson’s curling team, died during childbirth on
Sunday. A GoFundMe page has been started to help Jenkins husband, Scott,
and the couple’s three children Brady, Avery and Sydney. The GoFundMe page
can be found by clicking right here.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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