RB one of storied CJFL team’s first three
U.S. born players
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| David Collins completes a 65-yard TD run this past Sunday. |
After playing the 2023 season for the Central Lakes College Raiders Football Team in Brainerd, Minn., in the National Junior College Athletic Association, Collins, who is a talented running back, took a year off from the game. The St. Michael, Minn., product was looking for a way to return to playing the game, so he called friend and former Raiders teammate David Boyd Jr., who he knew was playing in Canada.
Collins asked Boyd Jr. what team he was going to be playing for in 2025. Boyd Jr. said he was going to play for the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops in 2025, and Collins asked if he could have the phone number for Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant.
“Then I made a highlight tape, and sent it to coach,” said Collins. “Coach said he loved how explosive I was, so he said he’d take a chance on me.”
With that initial contact, Collins arrived in Saskatoon in late July for the start of his one and only CJFL campaign being a 22-year-old. For Collins, leaving the United States and just coming to Canada was a big step.
“Truth be told, it was my first time out of the country, so I didn’t really know much about Canada or like anywhere,” said Collins, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 195 pounds. “It was a good experience.
“I’m really glad I’m here. I’m glad I’m learning a different culture other than my own and learning a lot about Canada, actually. I didn’t know this much about it, so it is really good.
“I can go back and tell my family and friends about it.”
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| David Collins ran fo 1,028 yards in the CJFL regular season. |
On Sunday, Collins begins his one and only run in the CJFL Playoffs with the Saskatoon side. The Hilltops (6-2) host the Winnipeg Rifles (4-4) in a PFC semifinal contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops were rated fourth in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings released on October 10.
Thanks to an early season injury to star fourth-year running back Corbin Ebben, Collins was thrown into the fire playing a lot out of the gate at the running back spot.
He excelled becoming the team’s leading rusher and the leading touchdown scorer in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference. The seamless fit extended to the Hilltops two other United States born players in Boyd Jr., and Isaiah Vallderruten. Body Jr. suits up at receiver, and Vallderruten plays both ways at receiver on offence and at safety on defence.
Collins, Boyd Jr. and Vallderruten are the first three United States born players to ever play for the Hilltops. Collins said it has been cool to see how quickly they have all fit in with the Hilltops.
“It was super neat,” said Collins. “We were just ready for the opportunity and ready to work.
“I feel like we knew what we came here for and knew exactly what we had in store for us, so we just came and did that.”
During the regular season, Collins ran the ball 126 times for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns. He put up the 11th individual 1,000-yard rushing season in team history and his 13 majors led the PFC. |
| David Collins came to the Hilltops from St. Michael, Minn. |
“It started from day one when he got here,” said Sargeant. “He certainly had a special skill set.
“When we gave him the ball, we got to see some glimpses of what it could be. When Corbin (Ebben) got hurt, there were some quick realities of we had to put him (Collins) in some different spots, and he responded.”
When it came to bringing in the three players born in the United States, Sargeant said it became something the venerable Saskatoon side had to do.
“In the rest of the league, every other team was doing it,” said Sargeant. “Either, you complain about it, or you do something about it.
“I met with the directors and (Hilltops) president (Greg) Peacock, and we came up with a game plan. Then, I went to work. I had to actively start recruiting.”
Under CJFL rules, each of the clubs on the junior circuit are only allowed to have three United States born players on their respective rosters. When it comes to his first recruiting class from the United States, Sargeant said the trio of Collins, Boyd Jr. and Vallderruten have exceeded his expectations.
“Ultimately, it turned out the way it is right now,” said Sargeant. “The first thing I’d say is all three of them are just great kids.
“They’re great kids to be around. They have absolutely come in and fit our systems well. They’ve handled themselves great, and they’ve made us a better football team.”
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| David Collins (#10) jets past Edmonton Huskies defenders on Aug. 17. |
“I’m glad that I was one of the guys that he found truth be told,” said Collins. ““Sarge” (Sargeant) is great, and I’m glad that he picked the other two Americans that came along.
“We’ve been working super hard to try to make a difference on this team.”
On the field, Collins said it has been a joy to play with the rules of the Canadian game.
“I kind of like the Canadian rules better,” said Collins. “The only thing I wish the Canadian football game had was fourth down, but I love the bigger end zone.
“I love the longer field. It gives more opportunity for the offence to make more plays. I guess it is harder for the defence, but defence in general is always going to be hard.
“You just got to get used to it for the defence.”
Collins loves the 65-yard width of the Canadian field, and he said it allows him to make more plays running to the outside compared to the United States field that has a width of 53.3 yards.
“If I’m running laterally like I’m running a stretch play, I’ll be able to pick my own time to pick when I want to puncture the line of scrimmage,” said Collins. “It won’t be just because I’m running out of real estate or running out of yards to run.”
With the regular season having come to a completion, Collins is looking forward to playing in the CJFL Playoffs. He believes it is great the CJFL has a post-season single elimination bracket style tournament that mirrors what is traditionally seen in the NFL.
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| David Collins, left, walks with his mom Sadia VaPond. |
“I’m going to try to elongate it as long as possible,” said Collins, who said he is looking forward to snow games having played in those growing up in Minnesota. “(I will be) trying to win as many games, try to make as many sacrifices in order for us to be ready as a team.
“I’m just really excited for what the team has in store, what I have in store, what the weather has in store for us and all that. We have to stay warm. We have to stay bonded up and just make sure that we’re mentally ready, mentally strong and we’re physical.”
Zimmer cracks into play of week awards,
other notes
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| Colton Zimmer (#7) was named the PFC special teams player of the week. |
On Tuesday, fifth-year long snapper Colton Zimmer was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week. The long-time veteran from Langham, Sask., has been a favourite inside the Hilltops dressing room pretty much since he arrived with the venerable club as a rookie.
In last Sunday’s 31-6 victory over the Calgary Colts concluding regular season play for both sides, Zimmer was perfect on his long snaps in fairly dreadful weather conditions. The Hilltops’ clash with the Colts started in rainy weather which turned into snowy weather by game’s end.
He also had 3.5 total special teams tackles and recovered a fumble on a missed field goal return. Zimmer received big cheers from the Hilltops bench after his special teams tackles and his fumble recovery.
The PFC offensive players of the week went to the entire Regina Thunder starting offensive line for their performance in their team’s 56-3 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats last Sunday at Leibel Field. The Thunder piled up a CJFL record 632 yards rushing as a team for one game running behind left tackle Caleb Barajas, left guard Tristen Rapchalk, centre James Lucio, right guard Nolan Finn and right tackle Ethan Kreutzer.
The old CJFL record for most rushing yards posted by one team in one game was held by the Edmonton Huskies, who put up 588 yards rushing in one contest back in 2002.
Thanks to the work of Barajas, Rapchalk, Lucio, Finn and Kreutzer, Thunder star running back Peter Boersch ran for 218 yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown. Carter Ashman, who is having a breakout season at running back, put up 205 yards rushing on 10 carries and scored one touchdown.
Barajas, who is a 22-year-old veteran, got to run the ball once for 11 yards scoring a touchdown.
Winnipeg Rifles outside linebacker Cohen McCluskey was the PFC defensive player of the week for his efforts in his team’s 47-11 victory over the host Edmonton Huskies last Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl. McCluskey piled up 9.5 total defensive tackles and one pass knockdown in his team’s victory.
The Thunder, who topped the PFC standings with a 7-1 record, host the Huskies (3-5) in one PFC semifinal set for 1 p.m. this coming Sunday at Leibel Field. Regina is rated third in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings released on October 10.
The Rifles (4-4) travel to Saskatoon to face the host Hilltops (6-2) in the other PFC semifinal set for 1 p.m. this coming Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops are rated fourth in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings.
· The Okanagan Sun (11-0) host the Westshore Rebels (8-3) on Saturday in the BCFC championship game set for 1 p.m. local time at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C. The Rebels are based out of Langford, B.C., which is a suburb of Victoria. In the battle for the Cullen Cup, the Sun were rated second in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings, while the Rebels were placed at fifth.
· The St. Clair Saints (9-0) will host the London Beefeaters (7-2) on Saturday in the OFC title contest set for 7:30 p.m. local time at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont. The contest is dubbed the Ontario Conference Teddy Morris Championship Game. The defending CJFL champion Saints topped the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings, while Beefeaters placed seventh.
· The BCFC champion will host the OFC champion in this year’s CJFL national semifinal set to be held on October 25.
· Winnipeg Rifles middle linebacker Kyler Banfield topped the PFC with 129 defensive points. He tallied up that total recording 37 defensive solo tackles, 26 defensive tackle assists, three special teams solo tackles, one special team tackle assist, two quarterback sacks, four pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Saskatoon Hilltops middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk was second in the PFC with 116 defensive points. He collected that total recording 32 defensive solo tackles, 22 defensive tackle assists, one special teams solo tackle, four special teams tackle assists, three pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three interceptions.
· Winnipeg Rifles receiver Jarome Penner caught 40 passes for 794 yards and three touchdowns this season. His receiving yardage total topped the PFC.
· Saskatoon Hilltops running back Charles Sawi led the PFC in punt returns (50) and punt return yards (451).
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