Hilltops’ Dutton unquestioned starter, captain in final season

Damon Dutton set to throw the ball for the Hilltops.

Damon Dutton has two titles he didn’t have a year ago with the Saskatoon Hilltops – starter and captain.

The 22-year-old quarterback went into last season as the backup to Doug Fleming. After Fleming had struggles early in the season, Dutton was inserted as the starter in the team’s fourth game and held that position for the rest of the campaign.

Throughout the off-season, Dutton was slated in as the starting quarterback going into the 2022 campaign, and he’s been named one of the team’s captains. He has taken on the responsibilities with a calm and businesslike demeanour in playing through his final season with the team.

“It puts a little bit of a different perspective on the start of the season having that spot and being able to begin the season in that position,” said Dutton, whose Hilltops opening their CJFL regular season schedule hosting the Winnipeg Rifles on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. “It is exciting.

“I think it will be good.”

Last season, Dutton helped the Hilltops finish second in the PFC with a 6-2 record. During those eight regular season games, the North Battleford, Sask., product put up solid numbers completing 127-of-183 passes for 1,528 yards and 12 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.

In the playoffs with Dutton at the controls, the Hilltops downed the Edmonton Huskies 33-31 in an all-time classic in the PFC semifinal. In the PFC final, the Hilltops romped past the Thunder in Regina 29-9 for a seventh consecutive conference title.

Damon Dutton was named Hilltops starting QB four games into last season.

The Hilltops 2021 playoff run came to an end with a 17-14 CJFL semifinal loss to the Rams in Langley, B.C. The Rams proceeded to win the Canadian Bowl to become CJFL champions.

The loss to the Rams was a tough one for the Hilltops, who entered the fourth quarter holding a 14-7 lead before falling by three points. The Hilltops turned the ball over an unimaginable 12 times, while the Rams turned the ball over seven times themselves.

Dutton said sting of that loss was not forgotten through the off-season.

“It is definitely something that motivates us to get out and even play harder this year and work towards achieving the ultimate goal of winning the Canadian Bowl,” said Dutton, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 195 pounds. “It kind of just lit a fire under us for the beginning of this year.”

Going into the 2022 campaign, Dutton believes the Hilltops offence has the potential to do some really good things. He really likes the group of returning receivers he has in Dillan Heintz, Lachlan Horsley, Presley Peterson, Boden Marley, Matthew Turple and Noah Flaman.

Star running backs Boston Davidsen and Carter McLean are back in 2022 and that position got even stronger with the addition of dynamic 17-year-old Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team grad Charles Sawi.

Damon Dutton gained experience under pressure last season.

The offensive line is anchored by returning starters in centre Luciano Jolly, left guard Jayson Kehler and right guard Ethan Paslowski.

“We have the chemistry, but it is not just receivers,” said Dutton, who is a graduate of the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings football team. “I remember at the beginning of last season I think there were 17 new starters coming into positions.

“This year we’ve retained a lot of those guys. We have a lot of guys who played a significant starting role last year who are going back into that role this year. We’re going to come out as a more mature team with less nerves and more drive.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant really likes seeing how Dutton has matured from the start of last season going into the start of the current campaign.

“It is night and day,” said Sargeant, whose 218 career wins are the most for Canadian amateur football in the post-secondary ranks. “Number one, he has come back, and he is about 15 pounds bigger and stronger.

“He is a captain of the football team. He has had the number one title all off-season, and that didn’t happen last year. He was taking backup reps all last year until about game four.

Damon Dutton likes the receivers group the Hilltops have.

“The maturation and the growth has been excellent. It is like anything. Hey, 2022 his first start as a captain at home, and we’re expecting him to have an unbelievable game. We’re expecting this team to have an unbelievable game, and he needs to be a big piece of that.”

Sargeant believes Dutton is going to get even better as the 2022 campaign moves along.

“It is still evolving,” said Sargeant. “I think he (Dutton) will be starting his ninth game.

“He still has lots to go, and he knows that. He is asking different questions when we are in film study. He is understanding what we are seeing and what we need to do to improve.

“It is just those great conversations, and you can tell that he is getting it more and more. As I said, he is excited as I am to play on Sunday against Winnipeg.”

The Hilltops defence is expected to be strong again too in 2022. Their entire starting defensive line returns from 2021 including inside tackles Jaxon Funk and Dylan McNutt along with defensive ends Riece Kack and Daylen Hartz.

The linebacker core is anchored by Konner Johnson on the outside and Matt Wist on the inside. The defensive secondary will be steadied by Evan Mantyka and Steven Gilewicz.

Damon Dutton has taken a calm and businesslike approach as a starter.

Sargeant said he is looking forward to Sunday’s game with the Rifles in order to take a firm step in moving past the memory of the CJFL semifinal loss to the Rams.

“Any time you lose in a marquee game it is just awful,” said Sargeant. “The thing of it is you have to live with it for eight months.

“It is still in my mind until we play on Sunday. When we play the Rifles, that is when the 2022 season truly starts. We have to create a new identity, a better identity.

“We know what bad looks like. Now, let’s see what great looks like, and that is our challenge. We just have to come out and be a dominant football team.”

The Hilltops will be opening their regular season at home for the first time since 2016. In the 2016 home and season opener, the Hilltops downed the Rifles 40-13 at SMF Field.

On top of the home and regular season opener, the Hilltops are hosting a number of alumni events to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the modern version of the club that first took the field in 1947. The team’s alums will be saluted at halftime of Sunday’s game.

Dutton believes Sunday will be a special day for the storied and historic team.

Damon Dutton (#19) hopes to enjoy lots of big plays in 2022.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it, and the fact that it is the 75^th anniversary I think it will be special to get out there and have a lot of fans watching and to be able to put on a good show for them,” said Dutton.

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