Hilltops overcoming injury bug early in season

Dalton Urban, centre, watches game action August 24.

The injury bug seems intent to strike the Saskatoon Hilltops early and often.

Even before the 2025 CJFL campaign began, the Hilltops lost starting star 22-year-old safety Dalton Urban for the season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The injury occurred when Urban dressed for a pre-season game for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on May 30 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

Urban’s injury occurred while playing the Roughriders kickoff coverage team in the 27-20 setback to the Blue Bombers. He has been invited to training camp activities with the Roughriders and was putting on a great showing with the community-owned CFL squad with the injury putting a damper conclusion on things.

While he isn’t able to play, Urban is hanging around the Hilltops. During game days, he can often be found wearing team gear similar to the sideline staff and holding a tablet as he discusses adjustments with teammates. It wasn’t the place one would expect to see Urban as the club has gotten out to a 2-1 start.

Along with Urban going down, the injury bug has taken out a big chunk from the Hilltops quarterback position. Before the season started, Brexton Elias was pegged to be the Hilltops starting signal caller taking on that role in his fifth and final season with the club. He was tabbed with succeeding graduated star starter Trey Reider.

Elias was injured in the pre-season and still hasn’t made his first official CJFL start.

Early in their regular season opener against the host Rifles in Winnipeg on August 10, the Hilltops started second-year signal caller Charlie Molder only to lose him early on in the contest to a longer term injury. Hayden McMahon finished up playing the bulk of that contest as quarterback as the Hilltops fell 31-11.

McMahon, who is in his third year with the team, has started the Hilltops last two games, which were both home victories. They defeated the Edmonton Huskies 46-6 on August 17 and posted a redeeming 42-15 victory over the Rifles on August 24.

Those starts marked the first time has taken on that role as a signal caller in a game since his high school days playing for the six-a-side Biggar Central School Blazers in Biggar, Sask., as a Grade 12 senior in 2022. McMahon appears to have a tonne of upside, where one of the big things holding him back was the lack of playing experience in the 12-person game.

Corbin Ebben went down to injury on August 17.

With that noted, the Hilltops would be in big unexpected territory if McMahon went down to injury. They added Clark Snider before their second regular season game. Snider, who is in his final season of CJFL eligibility, played the 2024 campaign with the Kamloops Broncos.

Before their third regular season game, the Hilltops brought Griffin Sander on board. Sander has been a reserve with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team and is in his fourth campaign of CJFL eligibility.

Jace Martins, who is in his rookie season in the CJFL after graduating high school in Sylvan Lake, Alta., has been slated as the Hilltops backup quarterback for their last two games.

In the August 24 victory over the Rifles, the Hilltops dressed Elias as the fourth-string quarterback. CJFL teams are allowed to dress 60 players for regular season home games, 45 for regular season road games and 40 for post-season contests. Elias likely wouldn’t see the field in that contest only as an emergency if the Hilltops three other quarterbacks that dressed went down to injury.

During his career, Elias has been a good contributor in the team’s quarterback room, and the Hilltops coaches will create opportunities for him to fill that role. When he gets healthy enough to play further up the depth chart, the Hilltops coaches will then have to re-evaluate where they are on that front.

The Hilltops lost fourth-year star running back Corbin Ebben to injury in their August 17 win over the Huskies. At that spot, newcomer David Collins, who is in his final year of CJFL eligibility, and Charles Sawi, who is in his fourth season of CJFL eligibility, have filled in admirably.

Collins sits second in the PFC with 480 yards rushing coming on 54 carries to go with four touchdowns. Sawi sits sixth in the PFC with 170 yards rushing coming on 19 carries to go with three major scores. When Ebben is set to return, the Hilltops coaches are going to have to do evaluations to figure out where the veteran fits in.

The Hilltops also lost fifth-year centre Matt Noble to a shoulder injury in the win over the Huskies. Noble has had a history of shoulder issues and got married in the off-season. At the moment, he has elected to not complete his final campaign of CJFL eligibility and move on with life away from the team taking stock of his life situation.

Hilltops star middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk, who is in his fourth season with the team, was lost due to injury in the August 24 win over the Rifles. So far, the Hilltops have been able to overcome Michayluk’s absence.

The injury bug is one of those things that can derail a football season, and injuries are often out of a team’s control.

Still, the Hilltops wouldn’t mind having some better luck on that front as the rest of the 2025 campaign goes on.

Valentino CJFL record gets weekly accolade

When you set a CJFL record, there is a good chance you will get a weekly player of the week nod.

In the Saskatoon Hilltops 42-15 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles back on August 24 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Hilltops second-year defensive back Ryan Valentino set a CJFL record for making five special teams solo tackles in one game. The previous record of four was shared by many players. Rifles linebacker Kresten Neufeld happened to make four special teams solo tackles in that same contest.

Valentino also had one defensive tackle assist to go with his five special teams solo tackles. Thanks to his efforts, Valentino was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week for the game action from that weekend on August 26.

Also for that week, Hilltops fifth-year running back David Collins was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week. In that victory over the Rifles, Collins ran the ball 33 times for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught one pass for no gain.

Edmonton Wildcats linebacker Ethan Speedy claimed honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week for his efforts in his club’s 19-16 setback to the Calgary Colts on August 24 at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta. Speedy had eight defensive tackles and three pass knockdowns.

All teams in the PFC enjoyed a bye week this past weekend.

Instagram accounts to watch for CJFL and U Sports

A screenshot of the Wizard Takes Instagram page.

A pair of independent Instagram accounts have attracted a solid following with one focusing on the CJFL and one concentrating on U Sports football.

Wizard Takes, which goes by the handle @wizardtakes, has collected over 10,000 followers and focuses nationally on the CJFL in a way that hasn’t been seen in any media circle for some time. Ob.sessedsports, which goes by the handle @ob.sessedsports, has surpassed over 12,400 followers and follows U Sports football in a solid way on a national level that would be hard to be matched by any outlet in any media circle.

You would have to go back to 1990 to note the last era when media outlets across Canada still had a good focus on the CJFL. After that point, it became spotty where good coverage was regionalized.

For U Sports, it could be argued the football league still got fairly strong coverage across Canada just a relatively short time ago in 2014.

In the current day for both the CJFL and U Sports football, the coverage across Canada is spotty and is definitely not anywhere close to what it used to be.

Often owners of mainstream outlets for the ones that have human owners and are not owned by an inanimate hedge fund, the message is no one cares about these circuits. It is a problem faced by all high level amateur sports leagues in Canada.

The numbers Wizard Takes and Ob.sessedsports are gaining with followers show there is an audience out there for CJFL and U Sports football. Both accounts produce a whole host of solid posts with a variety of content. They are both showing that if you have the quality people will pay attention.

The best part with Instagram compared to Platform-X, which is formerly known as Twitter, is Instagram is filled with accounts that are actual people. About 80 per cent of the accounts on Platform-X are either anonymous or bot accounts, which has created the toxic vibe on that platform that is very focused on politics.

Of course, celebrities still have the biggest following on Instagram, and that includes Canadian sports celebrities. Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, has over 728,000 followers on Instagram. Newman arguably has the most swagger seen from any Canadian born athlete in recent years.

Still, the followings Wizard Takes and Ob.sessedsports have gathered are impressive and deserved. If you have an interest in CJFL and U Sports, they are a must to check out.

Johnson to speak at End Zone Dinner, other notes

Evan Johnson (#64) in action for the Roughriders on July 15, 2023.

Arguably, the best looking offensive lineman to ever play in the CFL is coming to the Saskatoon Hilltops End Zone Dinner.

Evan Johnson, who played seven CFL seasons from 2017 to 2024, will be the guest speaker for the annual event that raises money for the Hilltops scholarships and bursaries. The End Zone Dinner is slated for Saturday, September 27, at the main hall in the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building located on the south end zone of Saskatoon Minor Football Field on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

The doors open at 4:15 p.m. and the dinner follows at 5 p.m. A ticket to the End Zone Dinner includes a ticket to that night’s regular season contest against the Hilltops provincial rivals the Regina Thunder. That game is slated for 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Johnson graduated high school from Regina’s Campbell Collegiate and moved on to play football in the U Sports ranks from 2012 to 2016 with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He would be selected in the first round and ninth overall by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2017 CFL Draft.

From 2017 to 2019, Johnson played 52 regular season games with the Redblacks making starts at left guard, right tackle and left tackle. He suited up for the Redblacks in their 27-16 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the 2018 Grey Cup played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alta.

From 2021 to 2023, Johnson played 48 regular season contests with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He moved on from the Roughriders to appear in 10 games with the Hamilton Tigers-Cats in 2024.

Johnson, who is 31-years-old, is married to former Dallis (Aiken) Johnson, who is a former defensive back with the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the WWCFL. They reside in Saskatoon where Evan Johnson works for an engineering firm.

Tickets for the Hilltops End Zone Dinner can be purchased by clicking right here.

• Hilltops cornerback Jace Mowles leads the PFC with three interceptions. The Hilltops top the conference in total takeaways with 12.
• Hilltops running back Charles Sawi tops the PFC in punt returns (17) and punt return yardage (175).
• Edmonton Wildcats receiver Jacob St. Hilaire has caught 16 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown. He leads the PFC in receiving yards.
• With the Saskatchewan Roughriders topping the entire CFL with a 9-2 mark, it appears most of Rider Nation is back on the bandwagon. The team’s three biggest home attendances have come in the club’s last three home games. On July 25, the Roughriders drew 27,933 spectators for their 21-18 home win over the Edmonton Elks. On August 16, the Roughriders had a sellout crowd of 33,350 come out for their 29-9 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On Sunday, the Roughriders were allowed to sell extra standing room tickets for the Labour Day Classic and drew their biggest crowd ever at Mosaic Stadium at 34,243 spectators to see 34-30 triumph over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. When the Roughriders do well, it gives a boost to football across Saskatchewan.

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