Hilltops make memorable return in season like no other

2021 campaign a great one despite CJFL semi heartbreaker

The Hilltops celebrate a winning TD catch from Dillan Heintz.

When the Saskatoon Hilltops got together for training camp in early August, they were just looking forward to playing an actual game.

The goals become that simple after you lose an entire season due to a worldwide pandemic that caused unprecedented shutdowns.

It seems that moment in August was a long time ago, when the Hilltops 2021 campaign came to an end last Saturday with a 17-14 heartbreaking loss in a CJFL semifinal to the Langley Rams at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C.

With that noted, the entire 2020 CJFL campaign was cancelled due to the fact the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic got its grip on the world. The Hilltops were able to gather for six weeks of practice in September and October of that year, but that was all the time they would have together on field.

Fans cheer on the Hilltops at SMF Field.

In early August of this year, the Hilltops knew they would at least get in their regular season opener on August 22 against the Edmonton Huskies at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, Alta.

There was an extra bounce in everyone’s step that they would get to play a game. Every game that could be played was viewed as a blessing.

There was also added anticipation knowing that the first contest back was against the Huskies, who had traditionally been a tough opponent for the Hilltops.

The two sides met in the PFC final in 2018 and 2019, and the Hilltops came out victorious on both occasions.

Mason Ochs goes down as a Hilltops all-time great.

Actually, the Hilltops modest expectations of just looking forward to one game were a big departure from what the team was able to accomplish before the 2020 season was lost.

The Hilltops had won six consecutive CJFL championships leading up to that lost season. From 2010 to 2019, the Hilltops won nine CJFL titles. The Regina Thunder interrupted that run capturing a CJFL championship in 2013.

Saskatoon seemly had a firm lock on the CJFL championship trophy – the Canadian Bowl. The team carried lengthy overall, road and post-season winning streaks into the 2021 campaign.

Still at the start of this past season, there was a thought in the back of everyone’s mind that the 2021 campaign could fall through with the introduction of new public health orders or other legislation brought in by governments.

Jonathan Chisholm played five strong seasons for the Hilltops.

The fact there was going to be a game against the Huskies in Edmonton on August 22 was a big thing.

In that contest, the Hilltops fell behind 14-0 at halftime before rallying for an 18-17 victory. The winning point came when punter Doug Fleming kicked a punt single on the last playoff the game to give the ’Toppers their 30^th straight victory on the road including action in the regular season and playoffs.

The Hilltops also made history in that contest as linebacker Emmarae Dale took the field to become the first female to ever play in a CJFL regular season game.

With that game in the bag, it felt like the season was actually for real. The day-to-day focus earnestly turned back on to what was happening on the field. The goals grew bigger for real as the campaign went on as the confidence grew that factors outside the team’s control likely wouldn’t bring the season to a stop.

Jared Giddings (#6) stood out as the Hilltops boundary corner.

The Hilltops improved to 2-0 with a road win against the Colts in Calgary and proceeded to lose both games in a home-and-home series with their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder.

On September 11 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Thunder prevailed 16-13 on a 51-yard last play game winning field goal by Eric Maximuik. On September 18 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, the Thunder held on for a 30-27 victory thanks to an end zone interception by defensive back Justin McKerracher with seven seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

Both encounters were CJFL classics.

The Hilltops were sitting with a 2-2 record and their overall winning streak was halted at 33 games and their road winning streak was stopped at 31 games. It is believed both those marks are CJFL records.

Emmarae Dale made history as the first female to play in the CJFL.

Saskatoon also dealt with inconsistent play at the quarterback position resulting in who would be the starter between Fleming and Damon Dutton. Fleming started the first three games was pulled in the club’s first and third contests in favour of Dutton.

Dutton started the fourth contest in the 30-27 loss to the Thunder and remained in that starter’s spot for the rest of the season.

Going into their fifth game, the Hilltops just wanted to get back in the win column. They did that with a 25-10 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles at SMF Field that was far from a masterpiece.

The Hilltops turned the ball over seven times, and the Rifles gave it away six times.

Konner Johnson (#42) had a breakout season at outside linebacker.

That set up a big showdown with the Huskies. If the Hilltops wanted to host a playoff game and earn a bye to a PFC semifinal, they needed to win that contest.

In the first season back after the 2020 stoppage, it was decided in the PFC that all of the conference’s six teams would make the post-season.

On October 3 at SMF Field, the Hilltops downed the Huskies 34-20 on the strength of a monster game from running back Boston Davidsen, who carried the ball 31 times for 221 yards and scored three touchdowns.

The Hilltops closed the regular season with four straight wins to finish second in the PFC with a 6-2 record.

Tom Sargeant, centre, and his staff did great work the last two years.

That set the scene for the playoffs. Before even getting ahead of themselves and thinking of a run, the Hilltops were focused on a third encounter with the Huskies.

That clash at SMF Field turned into one of the CJFL’s all-time great post-season games. With 21.3 seconds remaining in the game, Dutton hit standout receiver Dillan Heintz with a five-yard touchdown toss to lift the Hilltops to a 33-31 victory.

The Huskies, who were great in that game, arguably saved their best work on their journey home. About 50 kilometres north of Saskatoon, the team bus came across an accident scene where a motorcyclist apparently hit a deer.

Damon Dutton emerged as the Hilltops starting QB.

The team’s training staff including Cassidy Ku, Shawna Crozier and Randy Kuefler, equipment manager Luca Cupelli and defensive back and paramedic student Sheldon McNabb helped save the motorcyclist’s life assisting the victim before first responders arrived. They provided assistance to the first responders when they got to the scene too.

Having a victory over a quality opponent on and off the field, the Hilltops turned their attention to the PFC final and the Thunder.

In that contest on November 14 at Mosaic Stadium, the Hilltops offensive line of left tackle Mason Ochs, left guard Jayson Kehler, centre Luciano Jolly, right guard Ethan Paslowski and right tackle Jonathan Chisholm allowed Davidsen and fellow star running back Carter McLean have big days as the Hilltops piled up 386 yards rushing as a team.

Ethan Godson became a big play receiver for the Hilltops.

Saskatoon came away with a 29-9 victory winning the PFC title for a seventh straight season.

By this point in the campaign, the Hilltops belief was high that they were going to go all the way once again.  The focus was on winning the Canadian Bowl to help the team’s graduating players depart as CJFL champions.

They knew they faced a big challenge against the Rams in Langley in the CJFL semifinal. Late in the third quarter of that contest, Fleming hit receiver Presley Peterson with a 23-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal to put the Hilltops up 14-7 going into the fourth quarter.

The Rams rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out a 17-14 victory. The contest wasn’t the cleanest performance on the execution front as the Hilltops turned the ball over 12 times, and the Rams gave away the ball seven times.

Carter McLean rolled off some big runs for the Hilltops.

The turnovers made that contest a heartbreaker for the Hilltops.

Their CJFL record post-season game winning streak would end at 22 contests.

The Hilltops only had four players graduate due to aging out in Dale, Ochs, Chisholm and boundary cornerback Jared Giddings.

All four were able to play as 23-year-olds after the CJFL ruled all 22-year-old players on team rosters in 2020 were eligible to return as 23-year-olds in 2021.

Ochs, Chisholm and Giddings played five full seasons with the Hilltops and were looked to as leaders to guide the day. While Dale was just with the team for one season, she ended up becoming a leader and a calming influence on the team.

Boston Davidsen piled up big yards on the ground for the Hilltops.

The players knew about her years playing with the Saskatoon Valkyries in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League and many had trained with her at Ignite Athletics. The younger players looked to Dale to help show the way.

Chisholm said the four 23-year-olds were like the parents for the rest of the team, and that was likely an accurate observation.

During the season, the Hilltops improved a lot. There were various feel good storylines like Ethan Godson emerging as a big-play receiver and Konner Johnson cementing himself as a star big play outside linebacker.

Ochs was named the PFC’s most outstanding lineman and graduates the Hilltops’ program as one of the team’s all-time greats. On Thursday, Ochs was named a CJFL all-Canadian all-star for the fourth straight season.

The coin toss of a Hilltops game versus the Rifles.

He was a PFC all-star for the last four straight campaigns too.

Legendary head coach Tom Sargeant and his staff did an outstanding over the past two years navigating the team through all the uncontrollable world events relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and all the unique situations it created playing through the 2021 campaign.

Behind the scenes, the Hilltops board of directors and support staff did an amazing job to ensure the club kept going forward in world situations no one plans for. 

Mason Ochs (#73) raises the PFC championship trophy.

When former player Chris Hengen-Braun became team president in February of 2020, I don’t think he would have ever imagined dealing with the things he had deal with for the rest of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

He had the hardest road to tackle out of any Hilltops president in recent memory.

The Hilltops are set to return a good core of players for the 2022 campaign. The fact the team wasn’t able to win the CJFL title in 2021 will supply motivation in 2022.

Still, the 2021 campaign was a memorable one, with how far the Hilltops came as a team with having to restart after the 2020 season was lost. It was a big thing to prove a season could happen again.

The Hilltops needed to find out what their new starting point would be heading into future seasons.

The Hilltops enjoy fun moments with their supporters.

The effort of the 2021 team gives the Hilltops a great base to build off of going forward. With all that has happened in the world, providing that strong starting base is a great lasting accomplishment the 2021 Hilltops will have forever.

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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Much respect to those in sports who keep marching on

Riley Pickett is training for a season in the fall of 2021.

    The elite athletes and those that make a living in sports have to be given tonnes of respect for marching on, while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps casting a shadow over the world.

    Even with the fact there is no certainty of when a next competition or a season will occur, there are a tonne of athletes still training all over the place trying to ensure they will be at their best when action resumes.

    Canadian Olympic level track athlete Sage Watson usually does most of her training in the United States and usually competes around the world in her specialty the 400-metre hurdles. Last year in Lima, Peru, she won gold in the women’s 400-metre hurdles at the Pan American Games.

    When the shutdowns started to occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11 and 12, she returned to her family ranch near Medicine Hat, Alta. Watson’s family has been in the ranching business for over 100 years in that area.

    Since arriving back home, she has continued to train on her own. She was set to represent Canada at the Summer Olympic Games that were originally slated for July 24 to Aug. 9 in Toyko, Japan.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those games have been postponed to run from July 23, 2021 to Aug. 8, 2021.

    At this point, Watson doesn’t know when her next competition will be. Still, she can be found training on her ranch or at the Rotary Track in the Crescent Heights neighbourhood of Medicine Hat striving on her own to be the best she can be.

Beautiful day for a speed session #training pic.twitter.com/eqiM2hhTcb

— Sage Watson (@SageWats) May 26, 2020

    Watson turned 26-years-old on Saturday and has enjoyed reconnecting with her family in a way she hasn’t been able to since she moved away from home at age 18 to compete in the NCAA track and field ranks.

    If you are fortunate enough to get to know Watson’s family for even a short time, you know she will always make her father, Wade, and mother, Jolene proud. They are likely feeling blessed that their prodigal daughter has been home for an extended stay.

Brant Morrow is training hard for a season that is uncertain.

    You can bet Sage has enjoyed bonding with her younger brother, Waylon. Waylon, who turned 15-years old in April, was a member of the Medicine Hat AAA All-Stars baseball team that won the Canadian Junior Little League Championship last year.
    Since arriving back home, Sage has shared a number of posts hanging out with Waylon on her Instagram account.

    In all parts of her life, Sage Watson keeps writing an ultimate feel good story.

    Besides looking at Watson’s example, you can find lots of athletes that keep working at their craft. University of Saskatchewan Huskies defensive lineman Riley Pickett keeps training, even though he won’t see any regular season action until the fall of 2021.

    You can find Saskatoon Hilltops defensive back Brant Morrow going hard, and the six time defending CJFL champion Hilltops aren’t guaranteed of a campaign in 2020.

    Big respect goes out to Hilltops president Chris Hengen-Braun and the Hilltops team board and executives.
    They are spending tonnes of hours trying to make a 2020 season a reality.

    At the WHL level, the same goes for Saskatoon Blades general manager and president Colin Priestner and director of business operations Tyler Wawryk for the upcoming 2020-21 campaign.

Blades GM Colin Priestner and staff are working hard on a 2020-21 plan.

    If you travel from Saskatoon up Highway 11, you can find Prince Albert Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt and business manager Michael Scissons are doing their best to try and make a 2020-21 season a go.

    Numerous administrators for minor sports bodies are getting up every day putting in a solid effort trying make things happen.

    All these sports people are trying to do their flat out best, when the reality is a health or government official could easily strike down the most innovative idea to make action happen.
    Of course, the concern about returning to action is real, when you consider the constant stories coming out of the United States this past week about positive COVID-19 tests in the sports world. It has gotten to the point it is hard to keep up with the information on the positive tests.

    Late this past week, positive tests were confirmed in Major League Soccer, the National Football League, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.

    The MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies shut down their facility in Clearwater, Florida, and the Toronto Blue Jays did the same in Dunedin, Florida, due to COVID-19 concerns. The Phillies had five players and three staff members test positive and one Blue Jays player showed symptoms.

Raiders GM Curtis Hunt and staff are working towards a 2020-21 plan.

    The San Francisco Giants closed their facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., after a visitor and one family member exhibited symptoms.

    A report surfaced on Friday from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun that Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews tested positive for COVID-19, and he is apparently self-isolating at his home in Arizona.
    On Saturday, media reports surfaced that at least 30 players from the defending NCAA football champion Louisiana State University Tigers have been quarantined due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

    With all that noted, you have to love how elite athletes continue to train and administrators and executives bring a top level effort on a daily basis, even if that work does not produce a result due to factors beyond anyone’s control.
    At the moment, it appears those in the sports world are going up against a stacked deck.

No COVID-19 vaccine thoughts fires up anxiety, other thoughts

Downtown Saskatoon was deserted early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, a couple of thoughts come up that fire up anxiety regarding the idea of a vaccine.

    One thought is what happens if a vaccine isn’t developed for COVID-19 or the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease?

    The other thought is what happens if it takes a long time to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 or the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease?

    I try not to think about those questions, but they do cross my mind from time to time.

    The COVID-19 pandemic is often compared to the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 was a deadly influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus.

    The first licensed flu vaccine didn’t appear in North America until the 1940s. When the Spanish Flu pandemic hit in 1918, the frequency of cases about 15 months later dropped to negligible levels.

    In an apples to oranges comparison, medical science has developed light years from what the world knew in 1918. Back in 1918, people still died of all sorts of ailments, and it was still a frequent occurrence in North America to see babies pass away within the first three months of being born.

    You have to hope it doesn’t take over 20 years to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.

    On the front of thinking about a vaccine not being developed, HIV/AIDS comes to mind.

    HIV/AIDS was first identified in the early 1980s. There still hasn’t been a vaccine developed for the HIV virus that causes AIDS or effective treatment for HIV/AIDS. It has been classified as a pandemic for decades.

    The HIV virus mutates quickly, which makes hard to develop a vaccine for it.

    In thinking about those two situations, one wonders if we are going to have to figure out a way to live with COVID-19 for the long stretch. Over the past week, there have been constant media reports that several states in the United States have seen a record number of cases in recent days.

    There has been a steady stream of positive COVID-19 tests from the sports world in the U.S., which gives further proof as to how easily this virus spreads.

    Looking at past historical examples, it is possible the COVID-19 pandemic could continue for some time without a vaccine. There are no clear paths on how to react, if that becomes the case.

    Thinking too much about all of that just does damage on the mental health front with regards to anxiety, so the best move is to try to stay focused on day to day tasks.

• On Thursday, former NHL and CHL player Daniel Carcillo and Garrett Taylor, who played in the WHL for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Prince Albert Raiders from 2008 to 2010, filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the CHL and its three member leagues in the OHL, QMJHL and WHL in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto over hazing. The allegations haven’t been proven in court. Carcillo played in the OHL from 2002 to 2005 with the Sarnia Sting and the Mississauga IceDogs. This appears to have the potential to get extremely ugly and drag out for years before it is done. The allegations that have been made are extremely ugly. Rick Westhead of TSN did a story, and it can be found right here.
• On Friday, the Government of Canada approved a cohort quarantine proposal by the NHL. The proposal makes players and staff exempt from the 14-day quarantine period for anyone entering Canada. Instead of quarantining individually, the cohort quarantine would keep NHL players and staffers separate from the general public. The move clears one hurdle towards making a Canadian city a hub city for NHL post-season play.
• On Friday, the 17-member Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference cancelled all sports season play for the fall of 2020. For sports that are only conducted in the fall in golf, cross-country running and soccer, the ACAC is planning to run those sports in April of 2021.
• On Friday, the Camrose, Alta., based University of Alberta-Augustana Campus Vikings, who play out of the ACAC, announced the program was withdrawing from men’s hockey, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s volleyball from the 2020-21 campaign. Vikings Athletics cited economic and COVID-19 pandemic concerns for the decision along with aligning a plan of action with what the University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas programs have done at the U Sports level.
• Over this past week, I thought social media was a little more kind than it was in the week previous. It seemed a little rough on Saturday. That was just from my subjective observation, but other might have not had the same experience.
• I am fine with sports administrators and executives trying to find ways to make their sports work in these COVID-19 pandemic times. Besides trying to prevent falling off people’s radars, many sports teams and organizations in Canada are just trying to find ways to survive.
• Starting about seven days ago, New Zealand began holding professional rugby games allowing full stadiums with no social distancing guidelines. One game at Eden Park in Auckland on June 13 drew around 43,000 spectators. The moves were done after New Zealand got down to zero active COVID-19 cases. It helps that New Zealand is an island nation with about 4.9-million people. As of the time this post went live, Worldometer, which accurately tracks various worldwide statistics, stated New Zealand has nine active COVID-19 cases. New Zealand observed strict lockdowns to originally get down to zero cases, so one has to wonder if those lockdowns will return. Still, it was cool to hear one country held large sporting events with no restrictions.
• Just want to add a disclaimer that what I write or say about the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t matter in the big picture of things. I am not a government official or a health official that has power to make decisions on that front. In the big picture, what I say doesn’t really mean much on that front. I just try to navigate the waves on day by day basis the best I can, because I don’t have control over anything else.
• I am pleased I wrote a review on Friday’s #CFLsim broadcast put together by The Rod Pedersen Show. It appears the simulation game broadcast and my review gave people some much needed fun and helped provide some relief from the difficult times the world is experiencing. I think the public at least in Saskatchewan misses seeing comments like the one below from Fake Gainer.

Very good write-up especially on the violent hits Mitch Picton took during that game.

While it is entertaining, I sure hope the league dishes out fines to the Al's organization.

Wouldn't be shocked if the concussion spotter is suspended as well.

Have a blessed Sunday.

— 𝙛𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙍™🍉🌾 (@fakeGAINER) June 21, 2020

    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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    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 player suspensions an “it is what it is” situation

    The Saskatoon Hilltops had an eventful couple of days last week that had nothing to do with football.

    On Wednesday, a story about an off-field incident at the team’s clubhouse hit all the mainstream media outlets in Saskatoon. The incident happened on Oct. 14 a couple of days before the Hilltops played their final regular season contest on the road against the Rifles in Winnipeg.

    The incident involved an 18-year-old player telling a tasteless joke. Two other players decided to address the situation themselves and taped the 18-year-old player to a pole, where he subsequently lost consciousness for a short time.

    Paramedics took the player to hospital, and he was released later that night. The police were called, which resulted in an assault investigation getting launched. Officers concluded there was no intent to cause injury and the file was closed at the victim’s request.

    When the paramedics were called, the Hilltops coaches and board of directors were informed of what happened. The two players responsible for the taping were suspended indefinitely by the team at that time.

    Long-time Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and team executive board member and media coordinator Chris Hengen-Braun handled the bulk of the media interviews. The Hilltops released a statement about the incident on Thursday that said the actions taken by the players who did the taping were no way acceptable and that each player, coach and board member signs a code of conduct.

    This story broke as the Hilltops were at the start of their preparation period to play in the Canadian Junior Football League championship game – the Canadian Bowl. The Hilltops travel to Langford, B.C., which is a suburb of Victoria, to face the Westshore Rebels for the CJFL title on Nov. 12.

    When news of this incident broke, you knew there would be people out in the general public that will judge the team. There is no way to avoid that.

    On the surface, the Hilltops did a decent job in handling the situation. The taping incident is a situation that crosses the line and players have to be suspended. The team acted quickly to hand down punishment.

    On that front, the Hilltops handled what they could control. If the situation would have spread more on the legal front, they would have had to ride the twists and turns of those waves.

    Having dealt with the team on a very frequent basis since I settled in Saskatoon in the summer of 2014, that incident in definitely not normal, and it is a total exception of what happens around the team.

    Sargeant and his staff constantly remind the players how they should be conducting themselves in a proper manner. The Hilltops players act as perfect gentlemen when they are out in public and are businesslike when they approach the craft of playing football. The players also participate in a number of community type charity events throughout the year.

    When you have a roster of 83 players like the Hilltops have carried this season, you will have the odd slip. You don’t want the slip to happen, but it does happen. When you deal with that large of a group of people, eventually the numbers catch up to you where someone makes a real poor decision no matter what steps a coach takes.

    I know there are people out there that would have liked to have seen names disclosed.

    When you compare what the Hilltops did to what happens in the workplace with companies, the Hilltops gave way more disclosure than any company would have and that includes mainstream media companies.

    In my life experiences, I am aware of companies hiding situations that are comparable or way worse to what happened in the Hilltops clubhouse. On top of that, I am aware of situations in the workplace environment in companies where the offender in a serious situation has kept his job and life moved on like nothing happened.

    The Hilltops have to be given credit for handling the clubhouse situation like they did.

    I also find it strange that this story broke almost three weeks after the clubhouse incident happened. Over the last two years, the Hilltops have had a lot of positive press. I know from my time working in mainstream outlets a tendency will arise to find something or anything negative to report about a team that has had a lot of positive press in an effort to look balanced.

    It is the outlets’ way of saying that team isn’t so great. That team had problems.

    The Hilltops have a high profile in Saskatoon, and the story of the players’ suspensions is a legitimate story.

    It should also be noted that the Hilltops are not the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, when it comes to media coverage. Every aspect of the Roughriders gets dissected. The Hilltops get decent coverage, but due to media industry cuts in Canada, they are nowhere near covered like they were 10 years ago or even 15 years ago.

    Due to playing in front of crowds of about 1,000, the Hilltops won’t be covered like the Roughriders, who play in front of regular crowds of over 30,000 and are on national television every week.

    The clubhouse incident story would have been more of a story about three weeks after the fact if it was still in the legal realm. Without the legal realm aspect, it feels more like someone stretched to make something stick.

    I know there are editors and managers out there that won’t like me saying that, but it is what it is.

    The Hilltops said in their statement they have made this incident a learning experience for everyone that wears the blue and gold jersey. Besides being a learning experience for the Hilltops, I would add all teams in Saskatoon that have a high profile like the Saskatchewan Rush, Saskatoon Blades, University of Saskatchewan Huskies and Saskatoon Valkyries should also note how this situation played out as a teaching item for their programs.

    If you are thinking about taking an action that opens you up to the potential of being grilled in the mainstream media, it would be wise to not follow through with that action.

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

Valkyries set high standard

WWCFL champs show how great women’s football can be

Veteran receiver Marci Kiselyk hauls in a pass for the Valkyries.

    The hot topic in Saskatoon sports circles on Monday revolved around a final score of 81-6.

    That of course was the result of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship game on Saturday in Lethbridge. The Saskatoon Valkyries were the victors claiming their fifth WWCFL title in six years. They smashed the Edmonton Storm harder than a Ray Lewis blindside hit on a quarterback.

    When locals in Saskatoon heard the score that was repeated often on various radio stations Monday, you almost immediately heard, “Wow, our girls kicked their asses.”

    During their six seasons of existence, the Valkyries have won numerous blowout games. Saturday’s effort set a team record for points scored in a game and equaled the team mark for largest margin of victory at 75 points.

Alyssa Wiebe (#13) became a dangerous target as a Valkyries receiver.

    Saskatoon’s previous record for points in a game came back on June 12, 2011 in a 78-6 thrashing of the Winnipeg Wolfpack. The last time the Valkyries won by a 75-point spread came on May 10, 2015 in a 75-0 bombing of the Wolfpack.

    Against the Storm on Saturday, the Valkyries performed with great precision. While the neutral site encounter only attracted about 300 onlookers, news of what took place spread like a wildfire.

    Saskatoon played with an efficiency and dominance that would likely make New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick blush. During the romp, the Valkyries, who finished with a 7-1 overall record, substituted frequently through their 55-player roster, and there wasn’t a drop in the level of play between starters and backups. Everyone played great on the University of Lethbridge Community Stadium turf.

    The Valkyries, who have a huge following in Saskatoon, are also benefiting from the popular girls flag football league that exists in their home centre. Besides veteran receiver Carly Dyck, the Valkyries roster contained 32 players in their first or second year with the team including 22 rookies. All the newcomers arrived with a high skill set that transferred over to the full tackle game.

Betsy Mawdsley created chaos as a Valkyries rush end.

    Rookie Alex Eyolfson and sophomore Reed Thorstad split the duties at quarterback for much of the season, and both displayed great form in throwing to a group of talented receivers.

    Others like rookie receiver Alyssa Wiebe arrived with a decorated resume of accomplishments in other sports. In Wiebe’s case, she arrived as a former star hockey player most notably with the University of North Dakota, and she picked up the game fast thanks to her natural athletic talent and the guidance of veteran pass catchers like Dyck, Marci Kiselyk and Stacey Boldt.

    On defence, rookie newcomers like defensive end Betsy Mawdsley and linebacker Emmarae Dale showed that they were naturals.

    All these newcomers connected extremely well with a strong core of veterans. Original Valkyries Beth Thomson, Tori Giles, Jaime Lammerding, Lori Smith and Kiselyk all seem to be finding new peaks in their respective games.

    Kiselyk started the year sidelined with a nagging injury, and when she returned, she looked almost as fluid as NFL great Jerry Rice. Thomson is terminator at linebacker and Lammerding and Smith love to create havoc in the middle of the defensive line.

Tailback Julene Friesen had a stellar season for the Valkyries.

    Giles spent her first five years with the Valkyries playing receiver, but when she switched to defensive halfback this season, she looked like she born to play that spot. When teams ran the ball, Giles quickly drew a read on what was going on and often sliced into the backfield to make a tackle for a loss.

    Fifth year linebacker Denise Kolosky and fourth year safety Shaylyn De Jong were lights out playing at an all-world level.

    Arguably, the Valkyries MVP this season was third year running back Julene Friesen. Friesen was the Valkyrie version of former NFL star Marshall Faulk becoming the tailback that could do everything from running hard inside and outside to making big plays in the passing game as a receiver.

    The Valkyries success also has to be attributed to the fact that they put in the work. Pretty much all the players train year round, and the team starts practising together three months before the season starts.

    The only other squad that likely trains that hard in the WWCFL is the Regina Riot, who were the only club to beat the Valkyries this season.

    Saskatoon is also guided by an elite coaching staff under the guidance of head coach Jeff Yausie. When Yausie hasn’t been available due to commitments with Football Saskatchewan and Football Canada, the rest of the staff steps up. Special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Chris Hengen-Braun really shines in these moments with his big upbeat enthusiasm.

Jaime Lammerding (#21) hoists the WWCFL title trophy for the Valkyries.

    Former Valkyries player Beth Thompson has become a key part of the coaching staff as a defensive line coach. As years go on, you can expect more former players will become coaches.

    In Saturday’s impressive display, the Valkyries showed how good women’s football can be. They are the example that all other clubs in the WWCFL can aspire to be.

    If even three or four other clubs from the eight-club circuit can get to the level the Valkyries are at, it would be a very cool thing to see.

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

Valkyries dominant dynasty continues

Saskatoon wins fifth WWCFL title in six years, bombs Storm

The Valkyries celebrate their fifth WWCFL title win in six years.

 LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - The Saskatoon Valkyries execution was near perfect, and the Edmonton Storm got executed as a result.

    On Saturday at the University of Lethbridge Community Stadium, the Valkyries (7-1 overall) returned to the top of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League mountain top with an astounding 81-6 victory over the Storm (6-2 overall). With the win, the Valkyries claimed their fifth WWCFL championship in six years after losing to last year’s league champs the Regina Riot in the WWCFL Prairie Conference final. 

    Against the Storm on Saturday, the Valkyries had the wind at their backs for the first quarter and used that advantage to build a 30-0 edge. Saskatoon cruised to victory from that point.

    “It feels awesome,” said Valkyries running back Julene Friesen. “It was a great game. It is nice to win by a lot and to feel like we had a great end to our season.

Julene Friesen runs in a touchdown for the Valkyries.

    “Everybody played. Everybody did so well. It just shows once again how well rounded our team is and how strong we are through our whole depth chart.”

    Friesen, who had an outstanding season for the Valkyries, book ended the scoring recording the game’s first touchdown on a 28 yard romp and the contest’s final major coming off an 82-yard kickoff return with 2:43 to play in the fourth quarter. She also had a 30-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter to account for three major scores overall.

    In total, Friesen picked up 142 yards rushing on seven carries and 109 yards on three kickoff returns in being named the Valkyries player of the game. She admitted the kick return touchdown was her sweetest jaunt into the end zone.

    “We’ve been talking about it all season,” said Friesen. “Finally to get it on the last return of the year was fun, even though I fumbled around with it a little bit.”

Valkyries LB Beth Thomson (#2) sacks Storm QB Aria McGowan (#80).

    The first quarter surge also saw Valkyries quarterback Alex Eyolfson fire a 10-yard touchdown strike to veteran receiver Stacey Boldt and complete a 56-yard pass and run score to rookie receiver Alyssa Wiebe. Wiebe, who is a former hockey standout with the University of North Dakota, topped all Valkyries with receivers with four catches for 111 yards.

    A strong effort by Saskatoon’s defence the kept Edmonton pinned in its own zone resulting in the Storm conceding a safety in the opening frame. Valkyries linebacker Beth Thomson, who has played for the club in all six years of its existence, had a big first quarter sack and returned an interception 33 yards in the second quarter to set up a 32-yard field goal by kicker Carly Dyck.

    “I had the most fun out there today,” said Thomson. “That pic was awesome. I almost got it into the end zone, but maybe next year.”

    Thomson also said the game couldn’t have gone any better for her squad, and she was elated about the latest title win.

    “Every time you win the championship, you get that feeling of happiness,” said Thomson. “It is there again right now.

Alyssa Wiebe (#13) had 111 yards receiving for the Valkyries.

    “Once we got rolling, it just started happening for us. We just started rolling. It was the Valkyries doing it again.”

    Some of the game’s loudest cheers were reserved for Dyck, who is a Lethbridge product. She played three seasons with her hometown Steel, when the Steel lost three straight WWCFL title games to the Valkyries from 2012 to 2014. She lived in Saskatoon for the last two of those campaigns and decided to remain in that centre year round and play for the Valkyries.

    In the second quarter, Dyck hauled in her only catch on a streak pattern from quarterback Reed Thorstad, which went the distance for a 45-yard major score to delight her hometown supporters. Dyck was pumped that Valkyries offensive coordinator Chad Palmer was looking to dial up her number.

    “Palmer was being real nice to me,” said Dyck. “He was like, ‘I want to get you a touchdown at home, so we are going to send you a long ball.’

    “I was so happy. It was a nice reach out for me, a long run. There was nobody even close to me I felt anyway. I didn’t notice anybody.”

    She was pumped to finally be on the winning side of a WWCFL championship game.

    “It took five years for me to get this win, but it was better late than never,” said Dyck. “It was pretty exciting.”

Carly Dyck hauls in a 45-yard TD reception for the Valkyries.

    Running backs Samantha and Kendal Matheson, who are sisters, added major scores for the Valkyries in the second quarter. Samantha ripped off a 62-yard scoring run, while Kendal, who is in her rookie season, ran one in from 65 yards out.

    Saskatoon led 54-0 at halftime.

    The scoring slowed up a little in the third quarter. Saskatoon went ahead 59-0, when the Storm conceded another safety and Dyck nailed a 27-yard field goal attempt.

    The Valkyries lead expanded to 74-0 in the fourth quarter thanks to a three-yard touchdown run by Samantha Matheson, a 31-yard missed field goal single by Dyck and 39-yard interception return score by defensive back Rienna Rueve.

    Storm running back Brenna Bouchard snapped the shutout bid returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown after Rueve’s major to trim Saskatoon’s edge to 74-6. Friesen recorded her kickoff return touchdown after Bouchard found pay dirt.

The Valkyries celebrate Rienna Rueve's interception return TD.

    In total, the Valkyries piled up 624 yards of offence, which included 329 yards on the ground and 297 yards through the air. Edmonton was held to 148 yards offensively.

    Valkyries special teams coordinator Chris Hengen-Braun said Saturday’s win was a great capper to a special season.

    “It feels pretty good,” said Hengen-Braun. “This is really a different team than we have had in the past.

    “They did an amazing job coming together. We have a lot of really young girls. Over half of our team has never won one of these before, so it is really special for them.

    “It was really cool to see a huge effort from many, many different players on offence and on defence. We had a bunch of players step up. It was just really cool to see a lot of these young players come out and be very effective on the field.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check Twitter for more game photos of the Valkyries WWCFL championship win @stankssports.

Riot rally past Valkyries, win with late field goal

Saskatoon still finishes first in WWCFL’s Prairie Conference

Morgan Turner kicks the winning field goal for the Riot.

    REGINA, Sask. - It was almost déjà vu for Regina Riot kicker Morgan Turner, who is developing a habit of nailing game winning field goals against the Saskatoon Valkyries.

    On Saturday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Turner booted a 21-yard field goal with 2:10 to play in the fourth quarter to give the Riot a 27-26 edge over the Valkyries. That score held up as the final outcome of Western Women’s Canadian Football League clash between these provincial rivals.

    Last year, Turner hit a 12-yard field goal into a stiff wind in the final seconds of the Prairie Conference championship game also at Mosaic Stadium to give the Riot a 31-29 win over the Valkyries. Regina advanced on to win the WWCFL title.

    Turner was pumped to come through again in the clutch but noted the circumstances around this winning kick were a lot different than the one a year ago.

    “It wasn’t as much pressure as last time,” said Turner. “We had a little more time, and I have a little more confidence in myself, because of the backing of my team.”

Samantha Matheson runs to daylight on a 56-yard TD score for the Valkyries.

    Saturday’s game also closed the regular season schedule for both clubs. The Valkyries and Riot both finish with identical 3-1 records, but Saskatoon finishes first in the Prairie Conference having outscored the Riot 73-48 in the two clashes between the teams. The Valkyries romped to a 47-21 victory over the Riot on May 22 in Saskatoon.

    Both teams host conference semifinal games on June 12 against opponents that are still to be determined.

    Saturday’s clash began in a downpour of rain that lasted for about the first five minutes of the contest.

    When the weather cleared up, the Valkyries surged out to a 19-0 edge on three rushing touchdowns by power running back Samantha Matheson, who ran the ball in from two, 20 and 56 yards out. Her 56-yard romp was a thing of epic beauty.

    Regina was able to block two of Saskatoon’s conversion attempts, which would haunt the Valkyries later in the game.

Valkyries DB Rienna Rueve tackles Rachelle Smith of the Riot.

    The Riot gained some traction manufacturing a 92-yard touchdown drive shortly before halftime. With 42 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the Riot march finished with star veteran quarterback Aimee Kowalski hitting receiver Claire Dore on a seven-yard TD strike. The two proceeded connect on a short pass on a two-point conversion attempt to cut the Valkyries lead to 19-8.

    “We are very frustrated about the way that the game went tonight,” said Valkyries special teams coordinator Chris Hengen-Braun. “(Give) all credit to the Riot, they did a really good job of game planning for us.

    “We saw a lot of new girls get in there and get a lot of playing time. It was really cool to see. A lot of girls stepped up for us as well too tonight.

    “It was really cool to see a lot of players really fly around and make some good plays. We had a couple of fumbles and a couple of other turnovers that really swung the game for us.”

    The Valkyries were without a number of regulars. Most of their missing players were in Halifax, N.S., playing in the senior flag football nationals including their two regular quarterbacks Alex Eyolfson and Reed Thorstad as well as head coach Jeff Yausie. Stacey Boldt, who was the Valkyries starting quarterback last season, moved back into the signal calling role in Saturday’s loss.

Riot RB Celeste Schnell tries to pull away from the Valkyries defence.

    Despite missing a number of players, the Valkyries still had a solid outing. The Riot just found a way to gut out a win which included converting a number of third down gambles.

    In the third quarter, the Valkyries lead shrank to 19-17 after they conceded a safety and Riot powerback Carmen Agar ran in a score from three yards out.

    On the ensuing series after Agar’s score, Boldt hit receiver Carly Dyck on a deep route resulting in a 54-yard major for the Valkyries. The score put the visitors up 26-17 going into the fourth quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Riot running back Celeste Schnell powered in from a yard out for a touchdown to cut the Valkyries lead to 26-24. That helped set the stage for Morgan to nail her winning field goal.

    Saskatoon’s final drive fizzled out at about the Regina 42 yard line.

The Valkyries defence sets up during a downpour of rain in the first quarter.

    Having locked up home field advantage through the Prairie Conference in the post-season, the likelihood is extremely high the Valkyries and Riot will face each other in the conference final. Going into playoffs, Hengen-Braun likes the effort he is seeing from his players.

    “The players that we asked to step up today did step up,” said Hengen-Braun. “The girls that did play today they did a really good job for us.”

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