Hilltops lock up first in PFC, improve to 7-0

Saskatoon thumps Thunder 36-11 at SMF Field

Datiel Fountaine makes a 26-yard TD catch for the Hilltops.

It was seemingly a perfect night under the “Saturday night lights” for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops dumped their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder 36-11 in a CJFL regular season clash played before 2,266 spectators. The host side jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and continued to methodically pull away from there.

The win allowed the defending CJFL champion Hilltops to improve to 7-0 and lock up first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference. The Hilltops will also have homefield throughout the CJFL playoffs up to the league championship game – the Canadian Bowl. The Canadian Bowl will be hosted by the champion of the Ontario Football Conference.

Hilltops LB Noah Gedir tackles Thunder RB Ryland Leichert.

“Our line of scrimmage, our offensive line played outstanding today,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, whose team has won 19 straight overall. “Our defensive line, it just came together tonight.

“This is the best we’ve played all year. Obviously, Regina is a formidable opponent. They’re well coached, and they know us well and they play hard.

“We had to come out and play hard and play aggressive, and that is what we did today. I am super happy with what took place, and now, we’ve got to keep building.”

At that point, Sargeant took a quick pause before looking to the future.

Trey Reider (#3) throws a pass behind sound protection.

“We clinched first. Good. Who cares?” said Sargeant. “Now, we’ve got to keep moving.”

The Thunder fell to 5-2 with the result of Saturday’s contest. They have lost their last five straight head-to-head encounters including action in the regular season and post-season to the Hilltops.

On offence, all the Hilltops big players had big games. Star fifth-year quarterback Trey Reider completed 14-of-25 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran the ball four times for 26 yards too.

Star fifth-year receiver Drake Douglas hauled in five passes for 132 yards. Breakout second-year receiver Datiel Fountaine caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Drake Douglas, left, caught five passes for 132 yards.

Emerging star third-year power running back Corbin Ebben ran the ball 29 times for 196 yards and one touchdown.

The Hilltops starting offensive line in right tackle Cody Shumanski, right guard Jack Erlandson, centre Matthew Noble, left guard Erik Barsness and left tackle Davin Johnson all had banner days.

“Our O-line played great today,” said Reider. “They controlled the line of scrimmage.

“I have to shout out to Corbin Ebben. He ran the ball great. Drake Douglas came down with every ball.

“Obviously, two touchdown catches is great for Datiel (Fountaine) coming down with those.”

On defence, the Hilltops got big contributions from a number of players in limiting the Thunder to 307 total yards of offence. Star defensive end Kai Kukurudza record two sacks and 3.5 total tackles.

Corbin Ebben ran the ball 29 times for 196 yards.

Star defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens had one sack and 2.5 total tackles. Defensive tackle Nahom Menghestab and defensive end Noah Chelsom shared a sack. Second-year outside linebacker Zaden Taylor had eight solo defensive tackles, one special teams tackle assist and one interception.

Middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk had 7.5 total tackles. Outside linebacker Noah Gedir had 5.5 total tackles and two pass knockdowns. Safetly Dalton Urban had 3.5 total tackles and one interception.

“A big focus was stopping the run, so I think really early on we stopped that,” said Kukurudza. “Our interior guys in Nahom (Menghestab) and (Johnathon) Stevens, they really did their job.

“Noah (Chelsom) on the weak side didn’t let anything up either. Our DBs were locked down. All our sacks are really DB covered sacks, so it was good.”

Zaden Taylor (#10) reacts to making an interception.

The Hilltops opened the game’s scoring on their first offensive series, which culminated with Reider hitting Fountaine with an eight-yard touchdown pass to give the hosts a 7-0 lead. Before the first quarter expired, Hilltops veteran kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas hit a field goal from 18 yards out to push the Hilltops edge out to 10-0. That marked the first of five field goals Abel-Douglas would hit on the day.

At the 8:55 mark of the second quarter, Thunder kicker Shawn Green nailed a 35-yard field goal for the visitors to trim the Hilltops lead to 10-3.

The Hilltops closed out the first half getting field goals from Abel-Douglas from 13 and 30 yards out to hold a 16-3 lead.

The Hilltop Cheerleading Team performs at halftime.

Green recorded a rouge for the Thunder on the opening kickoff to start the second half to make the Hilltops lead stand at 16-4.

On that first offensive series of the half, the Hilltops got another major score as Reider hit Fountaine with a 26-yard touchdown strike to put the host side up 23-4. Ebben would run in a major from three yards out to push the Hilltops lead out to 30-4.

While the Hilltops offence was rolling on Saturday, Reider said his team will be focusing on fixing the mistakes they did make.

“I feel it was a good game, but at the end of the day, we can always do better,” said Reider. “Every day, every week, we’re trying to get better.

“I feel like that was one of our best games of the season for sure.”

Kai Kukurudza (#73) celebrates making a sack on Saturday.

Just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, Thunder star quarterback Carter Moberg hit receiver Benjamin Walz with a 15-yard touchdown toss to trim the Hilltops lead to 30-11.

Abel-Douglas proceeded to hit field goals from 15 and 22 yards out to round out the 36-11 final score in favour of Saskatoon.

Also in the fourth quarter, Kukurudza recorded both of his sacks on third down gambles by the Thunder.

“It just feels good when you go all game like doing your job, and then finally, you can really do what you need to do at the end when it matters most on those third downs,” said Kukurudza. “It is good.”

Moberg completed 17-of-31 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions for the Thunder. Star veteran running back Ryland Leichert topped Regina with 88 yards rushing on 15 carries. Walz had record 55 yards receiving on six catches to go with his touchdown through the air.

Dalton Urban (#17) returns an interception for the Hilltops.

Star middle linebacker Stephen Smith led the Thunder with 9.5 total tackles.

The Thunder return home to close out their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 6, when they host the Calgary Colts at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

The Hilltops will also conclude their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 6. They will travel to Edmonton to face the Huskies at 1 p.m. local time at Jasper Place Bowl.

Looking forward to the rest of the season, Sargeant is pumped his squad will have homefield advantage through the CJFL playoffs until reaching the Canadian Bowl. With that noted, he wants his team to focus on playing well in their final regular season contest first.

“We love playing at home,” said Sargeant. “We’ve worked hard to be in the spot we’re in, and now, we’ve got to take advantage.

“We’re off to the Edmonton Huskies next week. We could be playing them two weeks in a row. You know what?

The Hilltops do a breakdown cheer after Saturday’s win.

“We just can’t give an inch to anything or anyone. This is the type of group that they’re pretty locked and loaded right now. I’m very pleased with the performance of all 65 players that we dressed tonight.”

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

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Battle of undefeated teams up next for Hilltops

3-0 Saskatoon faces 3-0 Thunder in Regina

Drake Douglas has been making big plays for the Hilltops.

Just saying “Saskatoon versus Regina” is enough to stoke the passions in Saskatchewan’s amateur football community.

For venerable Saskatoon Hilltops and the Regina Thunder, it is “rivalry week” in their respective CJFL campaigns. On Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, the defending CJFL champion Hilltops take on their provincial rivals in the Thunder in a battle of 3-0 teams. The winner will sit alone in first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference.

The Hilltops head into this regular season clash rated first in the CJFL’s Top 10 Power Rankings, while the Thunder are rated fourth. For the followers of both clubs, the hype for Saturday’s game is well underway.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant is looking for his players to have their best outing of the campaign. He also knows a long road remains in the 2024 campaign following Saturday’s encounter.

“We enjoy the process, the preparation,” said Sargeant. “It is game four, so this should be our best game of the year.

“Coming off a bye, we’re all fresh, and we’ve got a lot of time to figure out what we need to do and how we need to do it just like they are. It is just going to come down to who is going to control the line of scrimmages and who is going to execute their game plans better”

Sadik Sadik is having a breakout season for the Thunder.

In their three games this season, the Hilltops have outscored their opposition 137-33. The Thunder have outscored their opponents 127-14 in their three contests. Last season, the Hilltops took all three meetings against the Thunder including two regular season encounters and a 21-13 victory in the PFC final at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Hilltops go into Saturday’s contest with a large cast of star playmakers on offence in quarterback Trey Reider, running backs Corbin Ebben and Charles Sawi and receivers Drake Douglas and Datiel Fountaine. Douglas has 17 receptions for a PFC leading 319 yards and four touchdowns. He tops the PFC in punt returns (18) and punt return yards (229).

Saskatoon’s offensive line is solid once again being anchored by left tackle Davin Johnson and right tackle Cody Shumanski.

The Thunder counter with their stars in quarterback Carter Moberg, running backs Sadik Sadik and Ryland Leichert, and receivers Zak Kwiatek and Lucas Di Iorio. 

Dalton Urban drops into coverage for the Hilltops.

Sadik is having a breakout campaign as a 22-year-old leading the PFC in rushing yards (358) and rushing touchdowns (five) on 40 carries. He also has seven catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Regina’s offensive line is anchored by left tackle Mekhi Molleken and centre Max McFadden.

“They know us just as well as we know ourselves and vice versa,” said Sargeant. “Everyone has put in time and energy to come out and play a great game.

“That is all we’re looking for. I’m excited to go down to Regina to Mosaic. Hey, 3-0 versus 3-0, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

On defence, the Hilltops have a number of playmakers in defensive end Kai Kukurudza, defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens, middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk and defensive halfback Nathan Young and safety Dalton Urban. Young has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season.

The Thunder counter with a host of playmakers on defence in middle linebacker Stephen Smith, outside linebackers Mitchell Tanchak and Zach Cloutier and defensive backs Noah Zimroz, Marcus Butz and Cooper Filazek. 

Ryland Leichert runs the ball for the Thunder in October 2023.

Tanchak, Zimroz, Butz and Filazek each have two interceptions for the Thunder.

Sargeant believes Saturday’s clash has the makings to be a great game but again cautions there is still a long way to go in the 2024 campaign after Saturday’s contest.

“It is game four,” said Sargeant. “You’re looking for placing and standings and all that other stuff, but it is game four.

“You know what? We’re going there, and they’re at home, so they’re going to be feeling good about themselves. They’re going to want to play well and represent in front of their fans.

“We’re going there, and you know, as I said, come out and play our best game of the year. That is all I’m asking.”

Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner set for Sept. 28

The Annual Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner is set for September 28.

The dinner will be held in the main hall of the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building located at the south end of Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The doors for the dinner will open at 4:15 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5 p.m.

The presenting sponsors of the event are TCU Financial and SaskTel. It is hosted in conjunction with the Hilltops community partners in the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation. The official beverage sponsor is the Crossmount Cider Company.

All proceeds of the event go towards the Saskatoon Hilltop Scholarship Fund.

The guest speakers for the End Zone Dinner are still to be announced. Past guest speakers have included a host of stars and legends from the CFL’s Roughriders including the late George Reed, Darian Durant, Chris Getzlaf, Neal Hughes, Al Johns, Carm Carteri, Derrick Moncrief and Jorgen Hus.

Single tickets for the event are $100, and a table of eight goes for $725. Ticket purchases include admission to that night’s CJFL regular season contest between the Hilltops and the Regina Thunder set for 7 p.m. at SMF Field. Tickets for the End Zone Dinner can be purchased by clicking right here.

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

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Hilltops chase first place, Davidsen on cusp of 1,000

Boston Davidsen is nearing 1,000 yards rushing.

The offensive linemen know the magic number for Boston Davidsen is 95.

The Saskatoon Hilltops 22-year-old star power running back is 95 yards away from hitting the 1,000 yard rushing plateau for the second consecutive year. Davidsen is also striving to record the 10^th all-time individual 1,000 yard rushing season in regular season play in the history of the modern version of the Hilltops club, which began play in 1947.

In the team’s eight regular season games in 2022, Davidsen carried the ball 149 times for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns for the ninth all-time individual 1,000 yard rushing season in the history of the Hilltops. His rushing yardage total in 2022 topped the Prairie Football Conference.

Over the Hilltops first six regular season games in 2023, Davidsen tops the PFC in carries (117), rushing yards (905) and rushing touchdowns (eight).

During early team practices this week, members of the Hilltops offensive line were talking about getting Davidsen that last 95 yards to hit the 1,000-yard plateau again. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints Football Team said it was special that his teammates felt that highly of him and the chase for the 1,000-yard rushing season.

“It is a very blessed position to be in to have teammates that care about me like that,” said Davidsen, who is playing out his final campaign of CJFL eligibility. “To have a team that wants this stat for me even though it is a team stat, we’re pursuing it together.

“At the end of the day, the win is more important. It is nice if we can shoot for accomplishments like this, but that 6-0 is what we’ve been going for, and we’re looking to keep adding to that and keep going for the rest of the season.”

To that end, the Hilltops have a huge outing coming up. After playing three straight games on the road, the Hilltops (6-0) host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (5-1) in a CJFL regular season contest on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The clash is a battle between the two top teams in the PFC.

If the Hilltops win on Saturday, they will clinch first place in the PFC and lock up home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs up until the league’s championship game – the Canadian Bowl. 

Boston Davidsen has piled up 905 rushing yards this season.

The two sides met back on September 9 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, where the Hilltops claimed a 36-6 victory. 

The Thunder need to beat the Hilltops by 31 or more points to claim the head-to-head standings tiebreaker.

The Hilltops haven’t been in the position to lock up first place in the PFC since 2019, when the team posted a 12-0 overall record and last won the CJFL title. 

Davidsen is one of five holdovers who was a rookie on that 2019 Hilltops squad and played sparingly in that campaign. He is enjoying the opportunity to play a bigger role in helping the Saskatoon side.

“It is a new experience for me to shoot for this, because when I was a rookie, I was one of the practice roster guys not playing too much,” said Davidsen. “It will be a unique experience.

“It is something that we are shooting for. We love to play at home. We think we have the best fans in Canada.

“We like that they can come out and watch our games. They fuel us.”

Of course, the Thunder are also bringing in a large number of standout players into Saturday’s clash like their star 20-year-old running back in Ryland Leichert. Leichert is also chasing the 1,000-yard rushing plateau.

Over the Thunder’s first six regular season contests, Leichert has carried the ball 114 times for 831 yards and five touchdowns. He sits second behind Davidsen in each of those statistical categories in the PFC and needs 169 yards rushing to hit the 1,000-yard mark.

On Wednesday, both Davidsen and Leichert shared PFC offensive player of the week honours for their efforts in their clubs’ respective wins this past Sunday. Davidsen carried the ball 24 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns and added two catches for 21 yards to power the Hilltops to a 40-7 victory over the Huskies in Edmonton.

Boston Davidsen wants the Hilltops keep piling up wins.

Leichert ran the ball 22 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns to allow the Thunder to stampede over the Colts in Calgary 50-14.

Tom Sargeant, who is the Hilltops legendary head coach, said his club has a lot of pride in Davidsen.

“Boston is a special player,” said Sargeant. “Last year, he sort of put the team on his back with some of his running, and he is doing the same thing this year.

“He has had a phenomenal off-season. He’s done everything right. We just trust him in all situations.

“He’s as big of a prime time player as we got. Everybody in the league knows that, but he always comes out and does his job.”

The sideline boss said his veteran running back has been businesslike and professional throughout his CJFL career.

“He (Davidsen) is not looking for a pat on the back,” said Sargeant. “He’s just a football player who knows how to play and certainly makes this football team better.

“We’re going to honour him. One of our goals is to make sure Boston (Davidsen) hits 1,000 this week. That involves the O-line, the receivers, quarterback and everybody else.

“As I said, one of the big reasons we’re 6-0 is because of Boston Davidsen.”

If both teams need to, they can take it to the air as well. Hilltops starting quarterback Trey Reider has completed 93-of-139 passes for 1,310 yards and 15 touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions. Thunder starting quarterback Carter Moberg has completed 91-of-171 passes for 1,449 yards and 13 touchdowns, while throwing eight interceptions.

On defensive, Hilltops defensive end Riece Kack leads tops the PFC with 7.5 quarterback sacks along with making two fumble recoveries and safety Dalton Urban has pulled down four interceptions and recovered one fumble. 

Boston Davidsen ran for 1,037 yards in 2022 to lead the PFC.

Thunder linebacker Stephen Smith leads the PFC with 92 defensive points collected on 41.5 total tackles, one quarterback sack, one blocked kick and one fumble recovery.

Sargeant said the Hilltops focus is always on improving and getting better, and that this week’s challenge deals with helping his players navigate through a rivalry clash. He said the games with the Thunder always give his players a good test.

“We’re very fortunate that we have Regina coming in this weekend,” said Sargeant. “They are our archrival.

“In those games, you throw out all the stats anyways. It is about who wants it more. It is going to be a real physical game, so we have to step up, show up and have a great game plan and these players need to come out and execute it.

“At the end of the day, there is lots on riding for the Thunder more than there is on us, so we know they’re going to come out guns a blazing.”

During the 2021 and 2022 campaign, the Thunder were 5-1 against the Hilltops in action that included the regular season and post-season, which included winning all three head-to-head encounters last year. 

Davidsen said the setbacks in recent years against the Thunder were in the back of the minds of the returning Hilltops players during off-season workouts, but the head-to-head record between the two clubs in 2021 and 2022 was forgotten when the 2023 campaign got going.

“It is a big rivalry when we play them,” said Davidsen, whose father, Donnie, is the Hilltops offensive line coach. “We do try to put our best foot forward.

“At the same time, we try to go into every game day with the mindset that we’re going to win. The past is in the past. If we live in the past, it is going to affect our future.

“I think that those losses did motivate us in our off-season training. This is a new season and new team. They’re a new team, and we’re look to just go out there and do whatever it takes to win.”

The Hilltops celebrate a touchdown from Boston Davidsen (#24).

NOTES – On Wednesday, Huskies defensive back Sam Kolkman was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week. Kolkman had a pair of interceptions, five solo defensive tackles and a forced fumble in his club’s loss to the Hilltops this past Sunday. Winnipeg Rifles kicker Alex Minor took honours as the PFC’s special teams player of the week making a field goal, five converts, recording a kickoff single and averaging 29.8 yards per kick on eight punts in a 39-0 win over the visiting Edmonton Wildcats this past Saturday.

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

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Hilltops pumped for big time bout with Thunder

First place PFC battle a test to see where Saskatoon stands

Boston Davidsen leads the PFC with 458 yards rushing.

The Saskatoon Hilltops will never have a problem getting up for rivalry week, especially when first place is on the line too.

On Saturday, the Hilltops travel to Regina to take on their provincial rivals in the Thunder (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Both teams sport identical 3-0 records heading into their first CJFL regular season clash of the 2023 campaign and are tied for first in the Prairie Football Conference.

The Hilltops have outscored their opponents 149-20 over three games, while the Thunder have beaten their three foes this season by a combined score of 134-55.

“We’re excited,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “They’re 3-0, and we’re 3-0.

“It is two good football teams. Something is going to happen. We both want to be in first place by the end of Saturday night.

“That is why we are out here grinding, coaching hard and practicing hard. As I’ve said, they’ve gotten off to a good start, and so have we. We’re excited for what is in front of us.”

After the 2020 CJFL season was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world, the Thunder are 5-1 against the Hilltops in the regular season and playoffs when the CJFL resumed play in 2021. The Hilltops lone victory in that stretch came on November 14, 2021, when they downed the Thunder 29-9 in that year’s PFC final played at Mosaic Stadium.

The Thunder won all three encounters between the two sides in 2022. The last win came on October 30, 2022, when the Thunders downed the Hilltops 39-21 in the PFC final.

Ryland Leichert has 373 yards rushing this season.

Hilltops emerging star receiver Drake Douglas said a big game vibe has been going around the team at practice this week. A graduate of Regina’s Balfour Collegiate Bears Football Team, Douglas got to play for Team South in Team South versus Team North all-star encounters put together by Football Saskatchewan.

He said the Saskatoon versus Regina rivalry mirrors those Team North versus Team South contests, so there is extra excitement and focus on the Hilltops side this week as they prepare to face the Thunder.

“I think the boys are definitely locked in,” said Douglas. “We know that this week is a little different than the other weeks.

“We have the two top teams in the division definitely. Regardless, Regina versus Saskatoon has always been a rivalry even since I played U16 South playing the North. It has always been a rivalry.

“I think everybody is locked in. We’re all excited for it.”

During the off-season, both squads had significant turnover. As a result, the top performers on both teams see some familiar names come to the surface, while players stepping into new and bigger roles are making noise too.

Star fifth year power running back Boston Davidsen is a familiar name that is having another stellar season for the Hilltops. Davidsen has carried the ball 49 times for 458 yards and three touchdowns, and his rushing yardage total tops the PFC.

Douglas leads the PFC in receptions at 18 and piled up 254 receiving yards to go with one receiving touchdown. Quarterback Trey Reider has completed 45-of-68 passes for 716 yards and eight touchdowns, while throwing one interception. The Hilltops signal caller’s completion percentage of 66.2 per cent is first in the PFC.

Drake Douglas, right, muscles his way past two defenders.

Hilltops defensive ends Riece Kack and Kai Kukurudza have 4.5 and three quarterback sacks respectively. Matt Wist, Wade Keating, Justin Adamko, Andy Scrivens, Dalton Urban and Denym Mantyka all have single interceptions for Saskatoon this season.

For the Thunder, they have a pair of familiar veteran star players piling up big statistics once again in running back Ryland Leichert and receiver Isaiah Woodley. Leichert has carried the ball 51 times for 373 yards and two touchdowns.

Woodley, who was a second team CJFL all-Canadian all-star in 2022, has caught 14 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns, and his receiving yardage total leads the PFC.

“They are high end football players,” said Sargeant about Leichert and Woodley. “You know what you are going to get out of them game in and game out.

“You know that with Regina they’re going to get a lot of touches. I think 30 per cent of their throws have gone to Woodley and Leichert has had over 50 carries. They are high end football players and productive football players, and their schemes centre around them.

“We have to be on point. We have to know where they are at all times, and we have to have good game plans to defend them. We’re excited for that chess match that is in front of us.”

Quarterback Carter Moberg, who is a first-year starter and more of a fresh face for the Thunder, has completed 51-of-91 passes for 1,025 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing two interceptions this season. His passing yard and touchdown pass totals sit first in the PFC.

Isaiah Woodley lead the PFC with 383 receiving yards. 

Regina Thunder linebacker Stephen Smith leads the PFC with 48 defensive points coming on 14 solo defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, one solo special teams tackle, one quarterback sack and one blocked kick. 

He is following up on a strong 2022 campaign where he was named a second team CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

Along with the hype, Douglas gets extra pumped to go back and play in Regina, because it was his old stomping grounds. 

After finishing his final high school season in 2019, Douglas originally committed to joining the Thunder on June 1, 2020, when most of society was facing various government imposed restrictions.

After those restrictions had been in place for a lengthy stretch leaving uncertainly when most sports would get going in Canada, Douglas actually hung up the cleats and left football to move to Saskatoon for a work opportunity. He resurrected his playing career joining the Hilltops part way through the 2022 campaign.

Douglas said it is special for him to play in Mosaic Stadium.

“It is exciting,” said Douglas. “A lot of my family is going to be there.

“I’ll see some familiar faces there. Even when I look across the line of scrimmage, I see some faces that I played with before, and I’ve played against in high school. It is definitely exciting.

The Hilltops aim to be celebrating a win on Saturday.

“It always fun when you get to play in Mosaic Stadium. I remember doing that for the first time in high school, and now it is just surreal playing in there. It is just a whole different thing.”

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

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.