Injury unable to derail Rhode’s final season with Hilltops

Tanner Rhode (#11) jets home for a Hilltops touchdown on Sunday.

    It wasn’t going to be a lost season for Tanner Rhode.

    Rhode had bigger games, but he cherished every moment he was on the field with the Saskatoon Hilltops on Sunday.

    During the first day of Hilltops training camp, the fifth-year pass catcher injured his shoulder, and there was concern that he wouldn’t even be able to play out his final season of CJFL eligibility.

    The graduate of Saskatoon’s Marion M. Graham Collegiate Falcons high school football team was determined not to miss his final campaign with the Hilltops, who he has won three CJFL championship rings with joining the squad in 2016.

    With the help of the team’s training staff, Rhode worked to get healthy, so he could rejoin the Hilltops on the field. Rhode’s return became a reality on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, when the Hilltops improved to 7-0 dumping the Winnipeg Rifles 49-22 in a CJFL regular season contest.

Tanner Rhode hits the field with the Hilltops on Sunday.

    Rhode caught two passes for 75 yards, but one of his catches was on a deep slant pattern that went for a 65-yard touchdown reception. The 22-year-old’s catch gave Saskatoon a 35-8 lead at halftime.

    “It has been such a long wait, but I finally got on the field,” said Rhode. “It feels good to get back with the guys.

    “In a way, it was pretty deflating knowing that it (his shoulder injury) was potentially a season ending injury. With our good training staff, they got me back early. I am here playing now, so it feels good.”

    Last season, Rhode was the Hilltops second leading receiver catching 23 passes for 409 yards and scoring two touchdowns in eight regular season games.

    Last Sunday versus the Rifles, Rhode was shaking off some rust as far as his timing was concerned with game speed. Early on, he misjudged the ball on a couple of plays.

    On one end zone toss, he tried to make an acrobatic one-handed grab, but the ball was knocked away by Rifles defensive back Jake Richardson.

Tanner Rhode, left, secures the ball for his 65-yard touchdown catch.

    Still, Rhode was just happy to be on the field to try and make plays. He admitted he had a fear for a short time that returning to action this season might not be in the cards at all.

    “I still had hope,” said Rhode, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds. “The main goal was to be back by playoffs.

    “To get out here to play some plays, it is perfect.”

    What was more perfect for Rhode was the fact he reached the end zone on a deep pass near the end of the first half. Rhode’s long touchdown reception was a fluid play and reminiscent of what he did for the Hilltops in the past.

    Even with that in mind, Rhode deflected credit in the direction of Hilltops starting quarterback Tyler Hermann.

    “Hermann made a perfect throw to me,” said Rhode. “I was in the right spot at the right time.

The Hilltops celebrate Tanner Rhode’s touchdown catch.

    “It was a team effort.”

    Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was happy to see Hermann and Rhode connect for that long touchdown reception on Sunday. The legendary sideline boss wanted to see Rhode revert to his playmaking form and was going to give the veteran pass catcher every chance to return to that form.

    “It is good to see Tanner Rhode back,” said Sargeant. “He gave us that big play – a big home run.

    “Number 11 back on our roster makes us a better football team, so we’re really excited about that.”

    Sargeant is always committed to having his Hilltops play each season for the team’s fifth-year players. With everything Rhode has given to the program over the years, Sargeant wanted to see the standout receiver back out on the field during game action.

Tanner Rhode, in back, tries to make a one-handed catch.

    The sideline boss was impressed with the effort Rhode has put into making his comeback a reality.

    “He stayed with it and worked hard,” said Sargeant. “We gave him about 20 snaps (on Sunday), and he’ll get more work next week and more practice time.

    “At the end of the day, he is a high end football player that is getting back to us at the right time. It is only going to make us a little more dynamic and tougher to defend.”

    Rhode was proud of the fact he was able to comeback early. He was expecting his first action would have been the first game of the post-season.

    He was quite pumped to return for the Hilltops final two games of the regular season. The Hilltops, who are the five-time defending CJFL champions, close their regular season schedule this coming Sunday, when they host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-5) at 1 p.m. at SMF Field.

    Rhode is thankful he doesn’t have to continue watching from the sidelines. When he returned to game action, the feeling he had was better than what he imagined it would be.

Tanner Rhode (#11) enjoys Sunday’s win with a couple of supporters.

    “It is amazing,” said Rhode. “Words can’t even describe it.

    “Sitting out is the worst. I’m back, so it is nice.”

    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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