Hilltops thump Thunder thanks to second half surge

Saskatoon improves to 5-0 with season sweep of archrivals

Hilltops RB Joshua Ewanchyna powers past Regina Thunder LB Davin Williamson.

    For the first time all season, the Saskatoon Hilltops found themselves in an unfamiliar spot.
    On Saturday night at a snowy Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops jumped out to a 16-3 lead on their archrivals the Regina Thunder only to see the Thunder roar back with a pair of touchdowns to go in front 17-16 with 2:28 to play in the first half.
    Regina’s go-ahead touchdown came on a 96 yard pass and run play by veteran receiver Greg Lamb, who caught a long streak pass from quarterback Brock Sich.

Hilltops DT Jesse McNabb hits a Thunder ball carrier.

    With those developments, the Hilltops found themselves behind in a game for the first time in the 2018 Canadian Junior Football League regular season.

    The slim deficit didn’t last long.

    With 67 seconds remaining in the first half, the Hilltops forced the Thunder to concede a safety due to bad field position to go ahead 18-17. Hilltops kicker David Solie booted a 21 yard field goal with 6.5 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Hilltops a 21-17 halftime advantage.

    Saskatoon took off in the second half and romped to a 48-24 victory to improve to 5-0 on the campaign. The Hilltops swept the two regular season encounters with the Thunder, who fell to 2-3 with the setback, and claimed the Shrine Bowl Trophy as a result.

QB Jordan Walls threw three touchdown passes for the Hilltops.

    “We needed to face some adversity,” said Hilltops star quarterback Jordan Walls, whose squad locked up a playoff berth with the win. “We definitely didn’t handle it well in the first half, when they started to punch us in the throat.

    “We came back and made our plays, so I was pretty happy with the way that we responded. Our defence stepped up. Our offence made some plays.

    “All in all, it was a good second half.”

    The Thunder seemed intent on pulling out all the stops in trying to manufacture an upset. They tried to recover a short kickoff to open the game only to have the Hilltops field the ball.

    Saskatoon proceeded to drive down and score a touchdown as Walls hit receiver Tanner Rhode with a 27-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.

Safety Brant Morrow returns a kick for the Hilltops.

    The Thunder responded with a 28 yard field goal from Eric Maximuik on their opening series to cut the Hilltops edge to 7-3.

    With 11.5 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, Walls hit fifth-year star receiver Jason Price with a 24-yard touchdown toss to extend Saskatoon’s advantage to 14-3.

    Regina was forced to concede a safety early in the second quarter to put Saskatoon up 16-3.

    At that point, the visitors came to life offensively. The Thunder scored their first major on a gadget play.

    Sich handed the ball to receiver Lee Brown on an apparent jet sweep, but Brown proceeded to throw the ball to offensive lineman Chad Teskey in the Hilltops end zone for a four yard touchdown pass to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 16-10.

    From there, the Thunder went ahead on Lamb’s big pass reception.

    “In the first half, we had a lot of little mistakes that led to some points and momentum for them,” said Hilltops safety Brant Morrow, who had a key fumble recovery in the first quarter. “In the second half, we came out strong.

OL Chad Teskey hauls in a touchdown catch for the Thunder.

    “We just played our game and kept playing hard the whole second half.”

    After the Hilltops went ahead 21-17 at halftime, they opened the second half scoring 27 unanswered points to go up 48-17.

    In the third quarter, star running back Joshua Ewanchyna capped a long Hilltops scoring drive with a nine yard touchdown run, and Solie hit field goals from 12 and 24 yards out to give Saskatoon a 34-17 advantage.

    On the first play of the fourth quarter, Walls found receiver Keegan Dicks for a 33-yard touchdown toss to put the hosts up 41-17. The Toppers surge was capped by six-yard touchdown run from running back Ben Abrook.

    The Thunder rounded out the contest’s scoring when backup quarterback Blake Scherle hit receiver Michael Letts on an eight-yard touchdown toss with 67 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hilltop DB Logan Bitz sacks Thunder QB Brock Sich.

    Walls didn’t have his best game regarding completing percentage connecting on 13-of-30 passes in the contest. With that said, his 13 completions resulted in 266 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

    The fifth-year veteran said the passing game got better as the game went on.

    “I think it was just the guys finding spots,” said Walls. “That is their job to get open.

    “It is pretty easy for me to find them when they do, so they did their job. Definitely, I wanted to get Jason Price the ball a bit more, and we did so that was nice to have that.”

    Ewanchyna had a big night carrying the ball 18 times for 168 yards and scoring a touchdown. He also caught one pass for 21 yards.

The Hilltops celebrate a touchdown catch from Jason Price (#83).

    Price had the biggest night amongst the Hilltops receivers hauling in four passes for 92 yards and one touchdown.

    Sich completed 16-of-27 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Lamb led the Thunder with 111 yards receiving on two catches, which included his long touchdown reception.

    Linebacker Cody Peters had five solo tackles and one sack for the Hilltops. Defensive back Logan Bitz had a sack for Saskatoon, while Jared Giddings and Evan Kretzer had interceptions.

    Williamson had six total solo tackles and six assisted tackles for the Thunder.

    The Hilltops piled up 257 yards rushing and 287 yards passing as a team. 

Evan Kretzer runs back an interception for the Hilltops.

    The Thunder put up 313 yards passing as a team but were held to 97 yards along the ground.

    Saturday’s encounter had the feel of a rivalry game as it included a lot of extracurricular activity and chippy play on both sides.

    “It is hard not to get mixed up in it,” said Walls. “It is just prairie football.

    “We’ve know these guys for a long time, and we are going to have some of that. It was a little bit chippier than we’ve had in the past, but I like the way we played.”

    “Our coaches always try to get us to stay out of that,” said Morrow. “I really appreciate that about our coaches.

    “They like us to just be out here to play football, so that was what we are doing. I think that kind of gave us an edge.”

    The Thunder return to action on Sept. 30, when they host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-3) at 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The Hilltops celebrate their victory over the Thunder.

    The Hilltops could potentially lock up first place in the Prairie Football Conference in their next outing against the Edmonton Huskies (3-1) on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Huskies need to beat the Winnipeg Rifles (2-2) on Sunday in Edmonton for that scenario to happen.

    “We’re focused on winning the national championship,” said Morrow. “To do that, we just have to play good every week.

    “We just have to look at the team we are playing every week and we have to beat them. We are on to Edmonton now.”

Hilltops announce passing of legendary executive McDonald

Don McDonald, left,with Lyle Hislop in 2016.

    Before Saturday’s game, the Hilltops announced that legendary team executive Don McDonald had passed away.

    McDonald joined the Hilltops as a player suiting up for two seasons in 1951 and 1952. After hanging up his cleats, McDonald became an executive with the team.

    Along with being a Hilltops director, McDonald fulfilled many roles with the club over the decades, which included a stint serving as the team’s president. He was the commissioner of the CJFL for eight years and has had a long involvement with Football Saskatchewan, which included serving eight years as president.

    McDonald was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2016 as a builder. Only two other persons with ties to the Hilltops are members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame including the late Ron Atchinson, who was inducted as a player in 1978, and the late Ed Henick, who was inducted as a builder in 2003.

    McDonald also overcame at least four major health issues in about the last 15 years of his life. Through those challenges, his mind remained as sharp as ever.

    The Hilltops held a moment of silence before Saturday’s game to remember McDonald. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

Player. Director. Builder. Legend.

It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Don McDonald. To his family & friends, we extend our deepest condolences. Know that the blue & gold will be with you always.

Thank you Don. RIP. pic.twitter.com/WI0EJQlyFR

— Saskatoon Hilltops (@SaskHilltops) September 23, 2018

    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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Hilltops could be “home sweet home” for bulk of remaining 2018 season

Tanner Rhode, left, celebrates scoring a TD for the Hilltops.

    It appears the Saskatoon Hilltops could experience the comforts of their new state of the art clubhouse and a totally refurbished Saskatoon Minor Football Field for most of the rest of the 2018 campaign.

    The Hilltops, who have won the last four straight Canadian Junior Football League championships, sit first in the Prairie Football Conference with a 4-0 record. In scheduling quirk that doesn’t happen often, the Toppers will close their regular season schedule playing three of their last four games at home.

    The first two games of that stretch stand as the biggest games to date in the campaign for Saskatoon.

    On Saturday, the Hilltops host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (2-2) at 7 p.m. at SMF Field. On Sunday, Sept. 30, the Hilltops face the Edmonton Huskies (3-1) for a 1 p.m. showdown at SMF Field.

    If the Hilltops win both those encounters, they will be guarantee the opportunity to host one of two PFC semifinal playoff games. Depending on what happens to the Winnipeg Rifles over that period of time, the Hilltops could lock up first overall in the PFC and home field advantage through the entire CJFL playoffs, if they win their next two games.

    The PFC champion this year will host the CJFL championship game, the Canadian Bowl.

    Of course if the Hilltops lose one or both of their next two games, then all sorts of different scenarios could play out.

    In playing three of their first four games on the road, the Hilltops extended their overall road winning streak to 22 games including action in the regular season and playoffs. The Toppers have been sensational away from home.

    With that said, most football teams would prefer to play in key playoff encounters at home in front of their own fans.

    At the moment, anyone that is part of the Hilltops will tell you that the only thing that matters right now is the upcoming clash with the rival Thunder.

David Solie jets upfield for the Hilltops.

    When the Thunder faced the Hilltops last season at SMF Field, the Regina side posted a thrilling 29-26 comeback victory.

    Since that encounter on Sept. 9, 2017, the Hilltops have won their last 12 straight overall games including action in the regular season and playoffs. They downed the Thunder in last year’s PFC held at SMF Field 36-24.

    The two sides opened their respective 2018 regular season schedules against each other back on Aug. 18 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina and the Hilltops romped to a 41-7 victory. That proved to be the first time in his CJFL career third-year Thunder quarterback Brock Sich started against the Hilltops.

    In that clash, Sich appeared to get locked on a couple of targets, but you can expect him to be a lot more poised in Saturday’s game in Saskatoon. On the season, Sich has completed 65-of-116 passes for 956 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.

    Veteran Thunder receiver Lee Brown is having another outstanding campaign hauling in 25 passes for 377 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Sophomore Brayden Long tops the Thunder in rushing with 53 carries for 279 yards and one touchdown.

    On defence, Davin Williamson had led the way for the Thunder with 25 total tackles and nine total assisted tackles.

    Guided by head coach Scott MacAulay, the Thunder will be ready to show they are a lot better than the end result showed in the season opener.

    The Hilltops are always looking to continually improve, but they have as close to outstanding as you can get in starting 4-0 and outscoring the opposition 217-23.

    Fifth-year quarterback Jordan Walls is having another strong campaign in his second season as Saskatoon’s starter. So far in 2018, Walls has completed 65-of-96 passes for 1,004 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.

    Third-year running back Ben Abrook leads the Hilltops in rushing with 56 carries for 390 yards and five touchdowns.

Thunder QB Brock Sich faced big Hilltops pressure on Aug. 18.

    Walls has a trio of dynamic pass catchers to lean on in Jason Price, Tanner Rhode and David Solie.

Of course, the Hilltops offence line combined to take the PFC offensive player of the week award after the Toppers crushed the Colts in Calgary 79-7 last Saturday.

    Saskatoon’s defence has playmakers all over the place in linebacker Cody Peters, defensive tackle Garth Knittig and safety Brant Morrow.

    Guided by legendary head coach Tom Sargeant, the Hilltops will to everything they can to ensure their play doesn’t slip in this game.

    While the Hilltops will be favoured, this contest could still go either way.

    If the Toppers pull out victory, they will take a big step towards ensuring they can continue to enjoy the comforts of home.

Rams/Huskies rivalry renews for key clash

Noah Picton fires a pass downfield for the Rams.

    A radio interview once showed how intense the rivalry clashes between the University of Regina Rams and University of Saskatchewan Huskies could be.

    In the week leading up the a Canada West semifinal playoff encounter between the two sides in 2007 at Regina’s historic Taylor Field, legendary Rams head coach Frank McCrystal appeared on a Regina morning radio show hosted by Michael Ball, who is the Rams play-by-play voice and a former receiver from the team’s CJFL days. The two were out to stir the pot before the post-season contest.

    If you bought your tickets in advance of the particular game, you paid quite a lot less for your ticket as opposed to game day, when the cost of a ducat went up quite a bit.

    On the radio show, McCrystal said the ticket prices were set up that way to rip off all the Huskies fans that came down from Saskatoon to watch that playoff clash, because they are not smart enough to buy their tickets in advance. McCrystal said that Rams fans were smart enough to buy their tickets in advance and get a good deal.

    The Rams ultimately won that playoff battle 19-13.

    Heading into Friday’s U Sports regular season game between the Rams and Huskies at 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon, there hasn’t been anywhere near that type of build up for this contest. With that said, it is a huge game for both teams.

    The Rams and Huskies are tied for the second and third positions in Canada West with identical 2-1 records trailing the 3-0 University of Calgary Dinos.

    The winner of this latest clash between the Rams and Huskies would be set in a pretty good spot heading into the second half of the regular season with a 3-1 mark. For the short term, a win would be a big boost to either side both guided by relatively new coaching staffs.

    Steve Bryce, who is a former Rams player from their CJFL days, took over as head coach in 2016 after Mike Gibson left after a one season stint.

    Ultimately, Bryce took over for McCrystal, who retired after his 2014 farewell campaign.

Kyle Siemens looks to fire a pass downfield for the Huskies.

    Scott Flory, who is a former star offensive lineman for the Huskies, took over as head coach after legendary Huskies Canadian Football Hall of Fame head coach Brian Towriss retired following the 2016 season. Flory has been tabbed with taking the Huskies into the future.

    If last year’s game was any indication, the spectators at Griffiths Stadium should expect an offensive showdown. In their only meeting of the 2017 campaign, the Rams outgunned the Huskies 50-40 on Sept. 29 at Griffiths Stadium.

    Rams star quarterback Noah Picton completed 33-of-44 passes for 388 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in the win. Huskies star quarterback Kyle Siemens completed 38-of-57 passes for 489 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss.

    So far this season, Picton has completed 74-of-103 passes for 1,091 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Siemens has completed 58-of-100 passes for 832 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

    Both pivots are on their respective fifth and final years of U Sports eligibility, so Friday’s game will be one of the final times they go head-to-head. The Rams and Huskies play again in Regina on Oct. 26.

    In recent years, the rivalry between the Rams and the Huskies has been a shadow of what it once was due to the fact both sides are long removed from any post-season success. The Rams last appeared in the Canada West championship game in 2012, and the Huskies were last in the conference final in 2009.

    Who knows, Friday’s encounter might reignite the rivalry.

    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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Abrook goes beast mode in Hilltops 41-7 romp at Mosaic

Ben Abrook (#32) jets home on a 22-yard touchdown run for the Hilltops.

    REGINA, Sask. – The Regina Thunder likely saw enough of Ben Abrook for one night.
    The third-year Saskatoon Hilltops running back left a host of would be Thunder tacklers laid out all over the turf at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday making the first start of his Canadian Junior Football League career.

    When the dust settled, Abrook ran the ball 27 times for 171 yards and scored three touchdowns as the four time defending CJFL champion Hilltops rumbled over the Thunder 41-7 in the regular season opener for both sides played before 2,043 spectators.

    Abrook’s biggest run came with 32 seconds remaining in the first half. With the Hilltops holding a 13-7 lead and gambling on a third-and-one situation at the Thunder 22 yard line, Abrook powered the ball on a run off the left off tackle and darted home for his second touchdown of the game to put the Toppers up 20-7.

Hilltops RB Ben Abrook powers his way through all obstacles.

    The 20-year-old’s dash to pay dirt capped a 105-yard touchdown drive.

    “It was awesome to get our (offence) all the way down the field and get a touchdown,” said Abrook. “It felt awesome to the team. It gave us confidence.”

    Abrook was looking forward to running behind the Hilltops starting offensive line made up of right tackle Kirk Simonsen, right guard Taylon Elderkin, centre Patrick Arno, left guard Ryder Klisowsky and left tackle Mason Ochs.

    “The O-line couldn’t have played better,” said Abrook. “I owe it all to them honestly.

    “It is just a veteran O-line group. They do it.”

The Hilltops celebrate a third touchdown from Ben Abrook (#32).

    Lost in Abrook’s overpowering performance was the fact Hilltops fifth-year starting quarterback Jordan Walls had an outstanding night. Walls hit eight different receivers completing 20-of-29 passes for 316 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

    Still with the Hilltops having lost Adam Marchart to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the U Sports ranks and Joshua Ewanchyna sitting out Saturday’s game with a minor ailment, Abrook’s impact was a welcome sight to Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant.

    “Ben Abrook is a third year, and this is his time,” said Sargeant. “He was ready to go.

    “What we thought we knew, now we know. He is a primetime player, played his butt off today and everyone rallied around him. We all know that Josh (Ewanchyna) is a key player to what we are going to be doing this year.

Receiver Connor Graham comes down with a circus catch for the Hilltops.

    “Ben has moved up the ladder. He has got more opportunity. He is going to get more touches to continue to impact games like he did today.”

    Abrook scored his first touchdown on a six-yard run that capped the Hilltops first offensive series of the game early in the first quarter, which happened to be the first offensive possession of the contest.

    The Thunder tied things up at 7-7 later on in the opening 15-minutes, when quarterback Brock Sich hooked up with receiver Tanner Zaharia on a deep 41-yard touchdown pass.

    Saskatoon exited the first quarter holding a 10-7 lead after David Solie booted home a field goal from 42 yards out. 

Hilltops DB Logan Bitz sacks Thunder QB Brock Sich.

    Near the midway point of the second quarter, Solie hit a 36-yard field goal to give the Hilltops a 13-7 lead.

    Late in the second quarter, it appeared the Hilltops would be pinned deep in their end of the field, when they started a drive at their own five yard line. On a fairly well-executed march that included a couple of circus catches from receiver Connor Graham, the Hilltops drove for a key score that put them in control of the contest at halftime holding a 13-point lead.

    “That is just experience,” said Sargeant. “We went with a different formation.

    “We were able to put some guys in spots. Connor Graham made some big catches all the way down the field that set that up. That was Connor’s touchdown.”

    Early in the third quarter, Abrook ran in his third touchdown of the contest to give the Hilltops a 27-7 edge.

QB Jordan Walls threw for 316 yards for the Hilltops.

    Just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter, Walls hit Matt Turple with a six-yard touchdown toss to give the Hilltops a 34-7 advantage. After substituting in a number of backup players, the Hilltops rounded out the game’s scoring with 2:22 to play, when running back Kelton McLean scored on a one-yard plunge.

    Sich completed 13-of-24 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The Thunder gained 233 yards as a team through the air and 66 yards on the ground.

    Hilltops third-year defensive back Logan Bitz helped disrupt the Thunder passing game with three well-timed halfback blitzes. He picked up a key sack in the third quarter after the Hilltops went ahead 27-7.

    “That is how I got on the field last year is that coach likes me blitzing,” said Bitz. “That is my kind of calling card I guess.

    “It is nice to get out there and show I can get do something different that everybody else doesn’t do, like get out there and make my mark. Hopefully, I will get a couple more this year.”

Hilltops DB Logan Bitz (#23) and LB Landon Schutte (#46) make a tackle.

    Bitz said this was the first campaign he was slated to be a full-time starter on the Hilltops defence. The graduate of Saskatoon’s St. Joseph High School received a boost of confidence with how Saturday’s game played out.

    “I woke up this morning in a minor panic attack,” said Bitz. “I was flailing everywhere. I didn’t know what to do.

    “I just finally got here, and I think after the first quarter it was finally out when I make a couple of plays and couple of tackles. It was just like, ‘OK, I can play in this league and not be an average player and make some plays. Overall, I can make my mark.’”

Hilltops RB Kelton McLean picked up a few fourth quarter carries.

    Fifth-year receiver Jason Price topped the Hilltops with 74 receiving yards coming off three catches. Veteran Thunder receiver Lee Brown led all pass catchers with eight receptions for 113 yards.

    The Thunder return to action this coming Saturday, when they host the Winnipeg Rifles at 4 p.m. at Leibel Field.

    The Hilltops return to Saskatoon to host their home opener this coming Saturday against the Calgary Colts at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    Overall, Sargeant liked what he saw from his squad in the opener, but he still sees room for improvement going forward.

    “I’m very proud,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, I wasn’t happy with how we started with a lot of little mistakes, but you know first game jitters.

The Hilltops celebrate their season opening victory.

    “Once we got through that, the team started to roll with the flow. Young guys were making plays. We had a lot of guys running around making plays, and we felt good about that and lots to build on.

    “There are a lot of correctable things I am still not very happy about, if you know my style. We’re going to pound on these guys hard and keep the expectations even higher, so we come out and play even better.”

    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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First step on playoff road a big one for Hilltops

Thunder provide a big challenge to defending CJFL champs

Hilltops running back Logan Fischer charges through the Thunder defence.

    The first round of the playoffs won’t be a breeze this time for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    Usually when the Toppers top the Prairie Football Conference standings, they open the playoffs taking on an opponent in a PFC semifinal match that will have a post-season feel but victory will still almost be a certainty for the venerable Canadian Junior Football League team. After finishing first in the 2016 campaign with an 8-1 mark, the Hilltops open the playoffs with a rivalry game.

    On Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops host the Regina Thunder in a PFC semifinal match. The Thunder finished fourth in the conference with a 5-4 mark, where two of their losses came to the Hilltops and two came against the second place Calgary Colts (7-2).

    Both of the head-to-head matches between the Hilltops and Thunder were close. On Sept. 10, the Hilltops slipped past the Thunder 20-18 at SMF Field. On Oct. 1 in the final clash between the two clubs at old Mosaic Stadium, the Hilltops trailed the Thunder 26-16 with 2:21 to play in the fourth quarter but rallied for a 30-26 victory.

Sawyer Buettner had a strong season starting at QB for the Thunder.

    Saskatoon also took both head-to-head meetings last season.

    The Hilltops and Thunder know each other extremely well, and both teams are led by strong coaching staffs with Scott MacAulay heading the Regina side and Tom Sargeant leading the Saskatoon side. The two clubs have combined to win the last six straight CJFL championships, with the Thunder claiming victory in 2013 and Hilltops capturing the Canadian Bowl in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015.

    Both teams will likely try plays on Sunday they haven’t run all season to catch each other by surprise.

    It is common for teams to practice a certain set of plays all season that aren’t used in games, so they don’t show up on any video. When it comes playoffs, these plays are unleashed.

    The Thunder are entering this contest with a lot of confidence coming from two straight wins. The first of those victories came on Oct. 9, when the Thunder downed the Colts 30-23. After some frustrating setbacks against the conference’s two top teams, that win will give the Thunder traction for getting over a hump.

Jared Andreychuk surpassed 2,000 passing this season for the Hilltops.

    The Hilltops head into the post-season with six-straight wins. Their only loss came back on Aug. 28, when they dropped a 36-21 decision to the Colts at SMF Field. Since that time, the Toppers have improved greatly, and their play is resembling the level that saw them with the CJFL championship in each of the last two years.

    Regina heads into the clash in capable hands at quarterback. Second year Moose Jaw product Sawyer Buettner has had an outstanding season completing 153-of-230 passes for 1,912 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

    He missed the Thunder’s last game due to an undisclosed injury, when they thrashed the Wildcats in Edmonton 69-18. Rookie Brock Sich started that contest completing 20-of-28 passes for 352 yards, five touchdown passes and one interception.

    The Thunder have a whole host of playmakers on both sides of the ball, which makes them a big threat to create an upset. They are the last club to defeat the Hilltops in the playoffs with a 21-16 victory in the 2013 PFC final in Saskatoon.

RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette tears downfield for the Thunders.

    Saskatoon has the edge in intangibles as the Hilltops always seem to rise to the occasion when a big challenge is ahead of them. They get a huge boost of confidence from the fact that they are led by fifth-year quarterback Jared Andreychuk.

    Andreychuk is the team’s unquestioned fearless leader who is able to immediately bring his side up to another level. With him at the controls, the Hilltop almost have an aura that no matter what bad things happen to them in a game they will find a way to win.

    Throwing to almost a new group of regular receivers, Andreychuk had arguably his finest year with the Hilltops completing 121-of-203 passes for 2,008 yards, 22 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He is surrounded by a group on both sides of the ball that can make plays at any time.

    The rivalry between the Thunder and Hilltops is relatively a new one with the Regina side hitting the field for its inaugural season in 2000. For about the past seven years, it has become one of the most compelling rivalries in the Canadian junior and post-secondary ranks.

Two Hilltops defenders take down Thunder OL Brayden Moroz.

    Both sides also mirror each other in conducting themselves with great class. While they will go to war on the field, the two teams do have a genuine respect for each other when the game is over.

    On Sunday, you can expect them to hold another classic. When the dust settles after that clash, the winner has a good chance of ensuring the Canadian Bowl stays in Saskatchewan for a seventh straight season.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass on about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Déjà vu for Hilltops at old Mosaic Stadium

Saskatoon posts second straight comeback win in Regina

Tailback Joshua Ewanchyna scores the Hilltops winning TD

    REGINA - The Saskatoon Hilltops last old Mosaic moment was a déjà vu one in the comeback department.
    On Saturday night at old Mosaic Stadium, the venerable Hilltops fell behind the host Regina Thunder 26-16 with 2:21 to play in the fourth quarter, when Thunder backup quarterback Brock Sich scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The Toppers were down, but not out in the Canadian Junior Football League clash.

    The visitors rallied with two touchdowns to pull out a 30-26 victory before 2,301 spectators. First, quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit receiver Sam Mike on an 18-yard touchdown toss with 1:37 to play to cut the Thunder lead to 26-23.

    After forcing the Thunder to go two-and-out on their ensuing series, the Hilltops drove down to the Regina one with the aid of three big Thunder penalties. From the one, Hilltops running back Joshua Ewanchyna ran in the winning score with 48 seconds to play.

Jared Andreychuk led another Hilltops rally.

    “It was unreal,” said Andreychuk. “We got down a little bit late.

    “Our spirits were down a little bit, but we had a shot, and we took advantage of it. We got into hurry up offence, and you don’t have to think about things. You just do it.

    “They started playing cover three (zone defence) in the fourth, and we took advantage of that, and we made some things happen.”

    The final Thunder series ended quickly. On their first play after the returning the Hilltops kickoff, Thunder starting quarterback Sawyer Buettner was intercepted by linebacker Cody Peters to seal the Saskatoon victory.

    Andreychuk had a huge night completing 21-of-43 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns. Besides Mike’s fourth quarter catch, Andreychuk hit running back Logan Fischer for a six-yard scoring throw in the second quarter and Mike for a 14-yard scoring connection in the third quarter.

    The fifth-year signal contributions grew in importance after Fischer left the game with a lower body injury shortly before halftime.

    “We had to put the ball in Jared’s hands, and he embraced that,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “The receivers stepped up.

    “Our passing game is getting better and better. We are ready for bigger and better things. You win these games that is character.”

Linebacker Cody Peters makes an interception for the Hilltops.

    Saskatoon’s victory at old Mosaic almost mirrored their trip to the historic facility last season. Just over a year ago on Sept. 12, 2015, the Hilltops trailed the Thunder 25-10 heading into the fourth quarter but rallied for a 26-25 victory. Andreychuk hit slotback Evan Turkington with the winning touchdown pass with 75 seconds to play in that contest, and linebacker Cole Benkic sealed the win with an interception after the Hilltops went ahead late.

    “I had déjà vu a couple of times in that game,” said Andreychuk. “Definitely that back shoulder throw to Sam (Mike) in the third quarter kind of got that going a little bit.

    “It kind of reminded me of Turk (Turkington) last year at the end of the game. It was just a fun one.”

    Buettner connected on 29-of-50 passes for 319 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss for the Thunder on Saturday. Receiver Kristopher Calcutt made an acrobatic 10-yard reception in the third quarter to account for the Thunder’s major through the air.

    The teams entered the fourth quarter locked in a 16-16 tie. Early in the fourth quarter, Thunder kicker James Reid booted a 21-yard field goal to give the hosts a 19-16 lead to set the stage for the dramatics in the final three minutes of the game.

Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder.

    Reid also hit field goals from 38, 30 and 17 yards out in the contest to round out the home side’s scoring. The Hilltops scoring was rounded out by a conceded safety by the Thunder and a long punt single by Des Vessey. The Hilltops failed to convert one of their convert attempts due to a botched snap.

    Since falling 36-21 to the Calgary Colts at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Aug. 28, the Hilltops have won their last four straight games to improve to 6-1.

    “From the Calgary game until now, we are a totally different team,” said Sargeant. “I have a proud coaching staff.

    “They have a belief in how we do business, and the players always respond and do what we need them to do.

    “What I am so proud about is we stay the process, we believe in each other, we coach hard and they play hard and good results happen.”

Hilltops DL Dillon Buckle closes in on a Thunder ball carrier.

    With two games left on their regular season schedule, the Hilltops are ensured of at least a second place finish in the Prairie Football Conference, and they will host a first round playoff match. The Colts lead the conference standings with a 6-0 mark.

    The Thunder fall to 3-4 to sit fourth in the PFC.

    The Hilltops return to action on Oct. 9, when they host the Edmonton Wildcats at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Thunder will host the Colts at 1 p.m. at old Mosaic Stadium also on Oct. 9.

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