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| Ramsey Derbas has made an immediate impact with the Huskies. |
The
18-year-old rookie linebacker dressed as a defensive substitute that came off
the bench and a special teams player, when the Huskies fell in their U Sports regular
season opener 43- 19 against the University of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg,
Man., on Aug. 30. The graduate of Saskatoon’s powerhouse Holy Cross Crusaders
football team recorded four tackles in that setback.
Derbas
started the Huskies very next game on Sept. 6, when they dumped the visiting
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 40-7 at Griffiths Stadium. He
equalled fifth-year veteran Huskies outside linebacker Ben Whiting for second
on the team with six total tackles in that contest.
 |
| Ramsey Derbas, right, takes down a Thunderbirds receiver. |
“It is just
everything I could have asked for,” said Derbas, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs
210 pounds. “It has been really good.
“The
players have accepted me, and the coaches have given me opportunity to play and
make mistakes and learn and grow, so it has been great.”
On
Saturday, Derbas and his Huskies, who are 6-3 overall, will travel to Calgary,
Alta., to face the University of Calgary Dinos, who are 7-2 overall, in the
Canada West Conference championship game – the Hardy Cup. The two sides met in
last year’s Hardy Cup that was also held in Calgary, which the Huskies romped
to a 43-18 victory in.
 |
| Ramsey Derbas sizes up an opposing offence. |
The Huskies
scored 10 points off those turnovers to post a 28-23 victory.
Early in
his time with the team, Derbas got a notion from the Huskies coaches that he
could have a chance to gain a starting position as a rookie.
“I knew I
would have an opportunity to come in early and play,” said Derbas. “I wasn’t
sure if that would be starting or how I would manage my way into playing.
“I just
knew I would be able to play and contribute.”
He was
happy the Huskies coaches had faith in how quickly he could contribute this
season.
 |
| Ramsey Derbas, in back, sets to hit a U of Regina Rams receiver. |
“The
players have accepted me, and the coaches have given me opportunity to play and
make mistakes and learn and grow, so it has been great.”
Huskies
head coach Scott Flory said the team’s coaching staff was still tinkering with
the roster going into the team’s first game, where Derbas didn’t start.
Following that first game, Flory said the coaches knew that Derbas had to be on
the field playing.
“We
definitely knew he (Derbas) was a talented player that is why he was very high
on our priority list to sign as a recruit,” said Flory. “I know how talented he
was and how good of a young man he was.
“When we
got a glimpse there in the spring of just what he could do, we knew he could
make the transition quickly, and we knew it wouldn’t be long before he was a
big contributor. He has adjusted very well.”
 |
| Ramsey Derbas, left, celebrates an interception in a Canada West semi. |
“He is
around the ball,” said Flory. “He has a nose for it
“He really
does. He has a knack, and football players do. He is a football player.
“He has
just got a knack to find the ball.”
Derbas said
he felt a sense of accomplishment, when the Huskies coaches told him he would
be starting. He has enjoyed being in the starting linebacker group with
brothers Ben and Tom Whiting, who is in his third-year with the team.
“Obviously,
Ben is a fifth-year, and he has so much knowledge,” said Derbas. “He has been
great.
“Tom is awesome.
They are an awesome linebacking combo.”
Derbas said
he was able to hit the ground running with the Huskies thanks to the tutelage he
received from his high school head coach in Scott Hundseth at Holy Cross.
Hundseth played for the Huskies first Vanier Cup U Sports national championship
winner in 1990.
 |
| Ramsey Derbas led the Huskies in total tackles. |
“It
(playing at Holy Cross) definitely helped a lot just with coach (Scott)
Hundseth, and how he does things,” said Derbas. “He is the head coach of that
program, and he was the linebacker coach.
“He helped
me out a tonne. It definitely got me prepared to take on new challenges that
presented themselves here.”
On the
academic front, Derbas said he regularly maintained an 85 per cent average at
Holy Cross. He is in his first year of studies as a business major at U of S
and believes he has adapted well to the work required in university.
“It is definitely
an adjustment at first,” said Derbas. “(Special teams) coach (Jerry) Friesen
with his study hall, he has great resources for us, so it has definitely helped
the transition.”
 |
| Ramsey Derbas (#26) aims to enjoy more big plays with the Huskies. |
“I am just
super excited,” said Derbas. “There are only eight teams in the country get to
be practising right now, so I am just trying to enjoy the moment and do
everything I need to do to be ready to play.”
While he is
focusing on the present, Derbas is anticipating hitting bigger heights in the
future. He is looking forward to crushing his off-season workouts to hit the
field as a sophomore even stronger and faster than he is now.
“I am
definitely eager already for the off-season,” said Derbas. “I think there are a
lot of things I need to get better at for next year.
“I am
looking forward to just all that time to being able to get my body to where it
needs to be.”
Hilltops sweep player awards in CJFL
semifinal win
 |
| Connor Graham hit the CJFL record books in the Hilltops last playoff win. |
Last Saturday, the Hilltops, who are the five-time defending
CJFL champions, traveled to London, Ont., and hammered the host Beefeaters
51-1. The Hilltops claimed the player of the game awards on offence, defence
and special teams, which the CJFL dubbed as player of the week awards for the
game on Tuesday.
Hilltops fifth-year
receiver Connor Graham was named the top offensive player for hauling in four
passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 38.5 yards per catch to
set a new CJFL interconference playoff game record for highest yards per
reception average.
 |
| Rylan Kleiter (#7) hit three field goals in the CJFL semifinal. |
The record had been achieved on five previous occasions.
The last of
those occasions came on Oct. 27, 1984, when Geoff Hainstock caught three
touchdown passes for the now defunct St. Vital Mustangs, who were based in
Winnipeg, Man.
Hilltops
defensive end Tristan Hering was named the top defensive player recording three
sacks, three defensive tackles and one special teams tackle.
Hilltops
receiver/kicker Rylan Kleiter took honours as the top special teams player for
the game. He made all three of his field goal attempts and all six of his
converts in the win. Kleiter kicked off seven times for 322 yards for an
average of 46 yards per kick.
On top of
his efforts on special teams, Kleiter caught a pass for 36 yards on offence.
The
Hilltops, who are 11-0 overall, will attempt to win a sixth straight CJFL
title, when they travel to Langley, B.C., on Nov. 16 to take on the host Rams,
who are 12-0 overall, for the Canadian Bowl.
“Sarge” cracks on to CBC with 209th
win
 |
| News of Tom Sargeant’s milestone 209th win is spreading. |
Sargeant
picked up the milestone last Saturday, when the Hilltops thumped the London
Beefeaters 51-1 in a CJFL semifinal in London, Ont. The total of 209 wins moves
Sargeant ahead of retired Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal for the most
wins in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks.
Sargeant
has a 209-30-2 career record in CJFL regular season and post-season action
since becoming the Hilltops head coach before the start of the 1998 campaign.
McCrystal was the head coach of the Rams from 1984 to 2014,
and they played 15 seasons in the CJFL and 16 campaigns in U Sports over that
time as the University of Regina Rams. Over those 31 seasons, McCrystal
compiled a 208-104-2 record as
head coach in the regular season and post-season in both the CJFL and U Sports.
The
Hilltops, who are 11-0 overall, will attempt to win a sixth straight CJFL
title, when they travel to Langley, B.C., on Nov. 16 to take on the host Rams,
who are 12-0 overall, for the Canadian Bowl.
CBC in
Saskatoon picked up on the story of Sargeant’s accomplishment. I was
interviewed by Jen Quesnel for CBC Saskatoon’s radio morning show on Tuesday.
I was also
interviewed for a CBC web story by Scott Larson, who has worked in Saskatoon’s
media scene for a long time as a savvy sports scribe. As usual, Larson did a
great job.
Larson’s
piece 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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