Saskatoon aims to control PFC final with run
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| Matthew Noble (#54) locks up on a block for the Hilltops. |
Last season, the Hilltops during practices started to look to see who would be their future starter at centre. Luciano Jolly was the team’s PFC all-star at centre, and he had a strong backup in Aidan Connoly. Both would exhaust their CJFL eligibility and graduate from the program at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.
Knowing that there was going to be a big hole at centre with the departures of Jolly and Connoly, the Hilltops coaches were trying to find out if their starting centre for 2023 was already on the roster.
Noble has been a left guard playing for Saskatoon’s Bethlehem Catholic High School Stars. Before his high school days, Noble played guard on the offensive line and a little bit on the defensive line with Martensville Maddogs of the KFL.
When the Hilltops coaches approached Noble about giving the centre position a try, he took on that opportunity with some pretty good enthusiasm.
“They started to try to find guys, especially with knowing that Jolly was going to graduate and Aidan Connoly too our backup,” said Noble. “They had to start finding someone.
“Every night here we’d be spending the next 20 minutes after practice snapping maybe six or seven of us to try and find the next guy. I’m very lucky to get this opportunity. It is definitely really fun.
“I wish I would have started a lot sooner at centre.”
Noble improved quickly in his new position and was the Hilltops starting centre in his third season with the team when the 2023 campaign began. He was calling out the signals for a relatively new starting unit.
Erik Barsness is the oldest player on the Hilltops starting offensive line playing in his fourth year with the team starting for the first time at left guard. Davin Johnson, who is in his second year of eligibility, started part way through his rookie season at right tackle, and has started every game at left tackle in 2023.
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| Matthew Noble (#54) leads the O-line to the ball. |
Victoire Bikulo, who is in his third year with the Hilltops, started five games at right tackle last season.
He was the starter at right guard this season until he was forced out of the lineup due to an injury to the lower part of his right leg in the team’s seventh regular season game.
Quinton Pike, who is in his second year with the Hilltops, has started at right guard since Bikulo got injured.
Together, the Hilltops offensive line helped the team lead the PFC in regular season scoring with 335 points and allowed fifth year star power running back Boston Davidsen to lead the PFC in rushing for a second straight campaign. Davidsen finished the eight game regular season with career highs in carries (170), rushing yards (1,184) and rushing touchdowns (nine).
“Boston (Davidsen) is a very awesome guy,” said Noble. “He is super humble.
“I remember when he reached his 1,000-yards this season ‘Sarge’ (legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant) talked him up. He had a huge accomplishment. I remember once ‘Sarge’ was done talking he came to the O-line corner, and he made sure he thanked every one of us.
“It was a very special moment, because he is very nice guy. We’re very proud of him, because he is a workhorse. He puts his head down and gets to work.”
The work of Noble and the offensive line has allowed the Hilltops to head into the PFC final with a 9-0 overall record. They host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (7-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
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| Matthew Noble took up playing centre last year. |
“The offence has to block,” said Noble, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 260 pounds. “We’re here to make plays.
“We’re here to be physical. I want to run the ball. The run game has done really well for us.
“I know Boston (Davidsen) is ready to go. He is excited for this. I know that is the guy you’re going to key on obviously, but yeah, we’re ready to just be physical and take it to them.”
Sargeant wants his Hilltops to showcase the run too, when they face the Thunder in the PFC final. The sideline boss is proud of how far the new starting offensive line has come in 2023, and how quickly Noble took to the centre position.
“He (Noble), number one, had big shoes to fill from Luciano Jolly,” said Sargeant. “He (Jolly) was an all-star centre for us.
“Matt (Noble) came in and had a great off-season, and it was so good that he earned the respect of the players and was named a captain, so we feel good about that. He (Noble) has been a very consistent player for us this year. He’s done his job.
“His stats have been consistent. He’s leading us in the run game. Any time you have a 1,000 yard rusher some things need to be going right.”
Sargeant said Noble is a well mannered and humble young man, who is committed to becoming the best he can be out on the football field. The long time head coach believes Noble will become an even better player as he plays through his next two seasons with the storied club.
“He’s a player we’ve embraced,” said Sargeant. “He is a third-year guy, so that gets the old coach excited knowing that he is only going to get bigger and better as we move forward.
“As a first year starter, he’s learning lots of lessons, and he is applying that. He’s making himself better through the process as well. As a coach, you really appreciate that.”
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| Matthew Noble (#54) is pictured with Maddogs alums. |
“It was awesome,” said Noble. “Last year, I got a little more time to spend with those guys.
“I started to develop those relationships. I still have them today. I spoke with Jolly last Sunday.
“They were awesome. I had a lot of fun. They instilled a lot of the traditions into us that we get to continue on with our guys now.”
Noble said the veteran who graduated following the 2022 campaign played a big role helping the younger O-linemen who would be returning to the team.
Still, the 20-year-old believes nerves caught up to him and the rest of the O-line when they played in the Hilltops Alumni Game in the pre-season and fell 32-1 to the Alumni Team on August 3 at Ron Atchison Field.
Noble said Bikulo helped settle him down for the regular season opener against the Edmonton Wildcats, which the Hilltops romped to a 50-2 in back on August 13 at SMF Field.
“It was really nerve-racking, especially heading into the alumni game,” said Noble. “One thing Victoire (Bikulo) told me leading up to the (Edmonton) Wildcats game was you’re going to be really nervous all the way up until your first contact with the defence.
“Then, you will be good. It has held true all the way through. I’m very nervous before games, but then the moment you get that first snap and that first contact, everything is good.”
While Noble wants to do all he can to help the Hilltops post-season run continue in the present, he is pumped he will get to spend another two seasons with the team and wants to continue his improvement as a football player.
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| Matt Noble (#54) aims to line up at centre for his remaining CJFL days. |
“Maybe I have a bad block in a game, but it is like I have two more years to figure this out and focus up. I’ve got film to watch for the next couple of years and just learn from my mistakes. A lot of the guys that we play against on Sundays we get to see them maybe two or three or four times over a year.
“You get to try and get better and just learn from your mistakes. It is exciting to have this opportunity now, because I’m so young and I get a couple of years of opportunity.”
Hilltops flood selections as PFC all-stars
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| Boston Davidsen was named a PFC all-star. |
When the PFC all-stars were announced on Thursday, power running back Boston Davidsen and quarterback Trey Reider highlighted the Hilltops all-star selections on offence. Davidsen led the PFC in carries (170), rushing yards (1,184) and rushing touchdowns (nine) during the regular season.
Reider shared the quarterback selection with Liam Oczkowski of the Calgary Colts. In eight regular season games with the Hilltops, Reider completed 108-of-167 passes for 1,571 yards and 16 touchdowns, while throwing five interceptions. Reider’s quarterback rating of 114.6 topped the PFC.
Receiver Drake Douglas and right tackle Cody Shumanski rounded up the Hilltops all-star selections on offence.
Middle linebacker Matt Wist captured two all-star selections being named an all-star at linebacker and at punter. Wist recorded 22 solo defensive tackles, 17 defensive tackle assists, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two pass knockdowns.
In the punting department, Wist punted the ball 47 times for a gross average of 37.7 yards per kick, a net average of 32.2 yards per kick and three singles. Wist led the PFC in gross average, net average and punt singles.
Defensive end Riece Kack made the all-star team having topped the PFC with 7.5 quarterback sacks. Kack also recorded 11 defensive solo tackles, seven defensive tackle assists, four special teams solo tackles, two special teams tackle assists, two fumble recoveries and one pass knockdown.
Rounding out the Hilltops PFC all-stars on defence are defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens, outside linebacker Noah Gedir, and safety Dalton Urban.
Teijon Abel-Douglas was named a PFC all-star at kicker. He was good on 23-of-27 field goal attempts for an 85.2 per cent success rate. Abel-Douglas led the PFC in scoring with 104 points coming off 23 field goals, 31 converts and four singles.
Hilltops receiver Datiel Fountaine was named to the PFC’s all-rookie team on Thursday.
The Hilltops will host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder in PFC final on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Thunder had six players named PFC all-stars.
Running back Ryland Leichert highlighted the offensive all-stars for the Thunder. Leichert carried the ball 152 times for 1,017 yards and eight touchdowns.
The other PFC all-stars on offence from the Thunder included receiver Isaiah Woodley, centre Riley Schick and left tackle Nicholas Makowsky.
The Thunder had two PFC all-stars on defence in linebacker Stephen Smith and defensive end Payton O’Connor. Smith led the PFC with 127 defensive points coming off 43 solo defensive tackles, 30 defensive tackle assists, one special teams tackle, one quarterback sack, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
Thunder running back Peter Boersch was named to the PFC’s all-rookie team on Thursday.
Saskatoon dominates PFC player of the week
nods
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| Charles Sawi (#18) was named a PFC offensive player of the week. |
Last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops crushed the Calgary Colts 53-2 in a PFC semifinal contest. Many members of the Hilltops had outstanding performances in that contest.
In the PFC player of the week announcements that came out on Tuesday, Hilltops running backs Boston Davidsen and Charles Sawi shared the offensive player of the week honour. Davidsen ran the ball 23 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the romp over the Colts.
Sawi carried the ball 12 times for 127 yards and one touchdown in the win over Calgary. He also returned one missed field goal for 31 yards and one punt for five yards.
Hilltops middle linebacker Matt Wist shared PFC defensive player of the week honours with Edmonton Huskies linebacker Tristan Price. Wist recorded four defensive solo tackles, six defensive tackle assists, one special teams tackle, an interception and a pass knockdown in the victory over the Colts.
Price had a strong outing as his Huskies fell in the other PFC semifinal 20-17 against the Thunder in Regina at Leibel Field last Sunday. Price recorded six solo defensive tackles, five defensive tackle assists, one special teams tackle assist and one interception in his club’s season ending loss.
Hilltops kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week. In the Hilltops triumph over the Colts, Abel-Douglas made 3-of-4 field goal attempts with a long from 46 yards. He recorded a point on his missed field goal and made all six of his conversion attempts.
Abel-Douglas kicked off seven times for 326 yards averaging 46.6 yards per kick. He punted twice for 59 yards for an average of 29.5 yards per kick and recorded a rouge.
Super Saturday for CJFL playoffs
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| Te Jessie in a CJFL promo graphic. |
In the British Columbia Football Conference, the Westshore Rebels (10-0) host the Langley Rams (5-4) in a conference semifinal game at 4 p.m. local time at Starlight Stadium in Langford, which is a suburb of Victoria, B.C. Rebels quarterback Te Jessie had an outstanding season completing 150-of-212 passes for 2,453 yards and 41 touchdowns, while throwing seven interceptions.
Jessie had a quarterback rating of 135.1, and his 41 touchdown passes are a new record for CJFL regular season play. A graduate of the St. Paul’s High School Crusaders Football Team in Winnipeg, Man., Jessie topped the CJFL’s annual Top 50 players to watch list heading into the 2023 campaign.
The other BCFC semifinal will see the Okanagan Sun (8-1) host the Valley Huskers (7-3) at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C., at 2 p.m. local time.
The Ontario Football Conference final will feature the host St. Clair Saints (9-0) taking on the London Beefeaters (7-2) at 7 p.m. local time at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont. The winner advances to play in a CJFL semifinal against the winner of the PFC final at the PFC champion’s home field on Sunday, October 29.
The PFC final will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field between the host Saskatoon Hilltops (9-0) and their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (7-2).
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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