Hilltops’ QBs tackle bumps

Doug Fleming throws a pass at a Hilltops scrimmage.

The bumps came, but the Saskatoon Hilltops still found a way to win.

This past Sunday, the venerable Hilltops found themselves trailing the Edmonton Huskies 14-0 at halftime at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, Alta. In the second half, the Hilltops rallied to pull out an 18-17 victory in rain soaked conditions on opening day of the CJFL regular season.

Quarterback Doug Fleming, who doubles as the club’s punter, kicked a punt single on the last play of the game to record the winning point of the contest. Fleming started the game for the Hilltops but was pulled at halftime in favour of backup Damon Dutton.

Dutton engineered the second half comeback that included hitting veteran receiver Dillan Heintz with a 38-yard pass on the Hilltops final drive to create the chance to score the winning point.

“The kids showed enough poise and guts and confidence to stay together and play and win,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “You certainly never like to switch quarterbacks at halftime, but I thought Damon Dutton came in and gave us some life and made some plays and the players rallied around him.

“Our defence, any time you give up 17 points in the PFC we feel that is a pretty positive. At the end of the day, the focus of this time right now is blocking, tackling, catching, throwing, running and just the basics of the game. If everyone does their job and we play hard and do it together, it is going to result in pretty good play.

“We didn’t do that consistent enough on Sunday.”

Following that opening day comeback win, the Hilltops have been extra focused on the film room and at practice on Ron Atchison Field preparing for their next game this coming Sunday against the Colts in Calgary at Shouldice Park.

The Colts dropped a 36-25 decision with past Sunday at home against the Edmonton Wildcats in the season opener for both of those squads.

Damon Dutton throws a pass at a Hilltops scrimmage.

With the way the Hilltops regular season opener went, it brought the million dollar question about whether there will be a change at the starting quarterback spot.

“Doug (Fleming) is going to come in against Calgary,” said Sargeant. “He is our starting quarterback.

“At the end of the day, they are both going to play. Doug is a great kid and a great leader. Damon (Dutton) is a real good football player.

“They are both going to play. At the end of the day, Damon (Dutton) has earned some minutes and some opportunity. Doug needs to get out there and show us that his is more capable than what he did last week.”

Sargeant, who also doubles as the Hilltops offensive coordinator, said the coaches have to elevate their games going forward and that included him as well.

“As coaches, we have to own some of that too on the performance,” said Sargeant. “I’ve met with both quarterbacks.

“I had great visits with them. As I said, they both know that they can play better, and they want to do better. I guarantee you they are going to practice harder, and we’re going to see hopefully better results in the future.”

Sargeant added the Huskies have often made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks in recent years and played the Hilltops tough. He said that was added into all the evaluations of the Hilltops last outing too.

“The Edmonton Huskies are extremely well coached,” said Sargeant. “Their defensive concepts and systems we haven’t quite cracked the code yet.

“That is on us. We’ll keep working at it. We’ll keep striving to improve.

“At the end of the day, you have to tip your hat off to your opponent as well. They came out, they were at home, and they played a real good football game.”

The Hilltops are focused on continual improvement.

Fleming completed 6-of-15 passes for 42 yards, while being intercepted on one occasion against the Huskies. Dutton completed 8-of-15 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown pass in the second half of that contest.

Both signal callers remember former Hilltops star starting quarterback Jordan Walls was never totally happy with his performances against the Huskies in his career even though Walls was victorious in every encounter with the Edmonton side.

Both Fleming and Dutton, who strongly support each other, admitted getting the Huskies in the opener was a big challenge.

“It was a little more difficult than I would like it to be,” said Fleming. “I mean they are a really good team, and they play us really, really well.

“Obviously, Wallsy wouldn’t like his games too much, because they know how to play us. It was just a little bit of growing pains out there, but that is kind of expected.”

“It was a challenge,” said Dutton. “All we had to do really was stick to what we know and trust the coaches and trust each other.

“We were able to go out and execute in the second half there.”

Fleming was pleased to kick the winning point for the Hilltops but noted he would have rather won in a more sound fashion.

“It was cool,” said Fleming. “We would have rather have not been in that situation and would have rather won the game a little bit more cleanly than that.”

The Hilltops are preparing to face the Colts this coming Sunday.

Dutton was pleased to part of some key moments in the comeback including the Hilltops last two scoring drives. 

He hit speedy pass catcher Ethan Godson with a 22-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up at 17-17 with 5:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“It was exciting,” said Dutton. “It was that time of the game, and some guys had to step up and the coaches they were calling great plays.

“The O-line was doing their thing. They were holding off the D-line. The running game was really working, so it was a mixture of a bunch of things.

“Obviously, it was very, very exciting to be able to be part of that group making that push for the end of the game there.”

Fleming gets PFC special teams player of the week nod

Doug Fleming picked up a weekly PFC award.

Saskatoon Hilltops starting quarterback Doug Fleming captured a weekly award for his work in the kicking game.

Fleming, who doubles as the Hilltops punter, was the named the special teams player of the week for the Prairie Football Conference on Tuesday. In the Hilltops 18-17 opening day win over the Huskies at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, Alta., Fleming punted the ball 13 times for 455 yards for an average of 35 yards per punt.

The veteran in his third full CJFL season had 407 net yards off his 13 punts for a net average of 31.3 yards per punt.

On the last play of the game, Fleming kicked a punt single to break a 17-17 tie and give the Hilltops an 18-17 victory.

Fleming was appreciative of the weekly honour, but he wants to have better outings as a signal caller so he doesn’t have to kick as much.

“It was nice, but I’d rather not have to punt 13 times in a game,” said Fleming. “I’d rather not have to use me as a punter.”

Calgary Colts receiver Brendt Adams was the PFC’s offensive player of the week, while Winnipeg Rifles defensive back Joseph Funk-Clements took honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

Dale makes history as first female to play CJFL game

Emmarae Dale made CJFL history this past Sunday.

Emmarae Dale carved out a piece of history on the CJFL’s opening day with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

This past Sunday, Dale became the first female player to suit up and play a game in the CJFL helping the Hilltops slip past the Edmonton Huskies 18-17 at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, Alta.

Dale, who is one of the Hilltops middle linebackers, recorded a special teams tackle in the win.

She was added to the Hilltops roster last year and took part in the six practice weeks the team held in September and October. The 2020 CJFL season was wiped out due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Dale’s older brothers Anthony and Donovan both played for the Hilltops in the late 2000s and early 2010s, so she was pretty pumped to play in last Sunday’s game.

“It was pretty surreal,” said Dale, who stands 5-foot-6. “I think it was just such a long time coming that it is kind of weird to think that it has already come and gone.

“It was the first game back since COVID. I think everyone is still just kind of getting the rust off after such a long wait, but it was awesome being there. I think even when I was just first putting on the shoulder pads and the Hilltops jersey it definitely kind of hit me that it was going to be a big game and very meaningful game.

“It was really awesome. It was definitely exciting and humbling. It was just a lot of emotions just kind of wrapped into one I think.”

Before joining the Hilltops, the 23-year-old Dale starred for the Saskatoon Valkyries from 2016 to 2019 helping them win Western Women’s Canadian Football League titles in 2016 and 2019. She was also a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s track and field for four seasons through to the end of the 2019-20 campaign specializing in throwing events.

Since the September 15, 2020 announcement that Dale had officially cracked the Hilltops roster, she has been regularly featured by various media outlets across Canada.

End Zone Dinner is back for Hilltops

A Scott Schultz card.

The Saskatoon Hilltops traditional In The End Zone Dinner to raise funds for the team’s scholarship program is returning this season.

The club wasn’t able to hold the fundraising dinner a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s dinner will be held on September 11 at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. The guest speakers will be a pair of former Saskatchewan Roughriders members in defensive lineman Scott Schultz and linebacker Mike McCullough.

Schultz, who is originally from Moose Jaw, Sask., played for the Roughriders from 2002 to 2009 and helped Saskatchewan win the 2007 Grey Cup as CFL champions.

McCullough suited up for the Roughriders for 11 seasons from 2003 to 2013 helping the team to Grey Cup wins in 2007 and 2013. The 2013 championship was won at the Roughriders historic home park in Taylor Field.

A Mike McCullough card.

Doors for the In The End Zone Dinner open at 4:15 p.m. with dinner to be served at 5:15 p.m.

Following dinner, the Hilltops will hold their home opener at 7 p.m. hosting their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which is right next to the Gordie Howe Sports Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

Single tickets for the dinner are $100 or a table of eight can be bought for $725.

Tickets can be purchased online by clicking on a link 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.

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Dale is the real deal, deserves spot with Hilltops

Emmarae Dale practises with the Hilltops on Thursday.

The praise and attention has continued to pour in since the Saskatoon Hilltops announced linebacker Emmarae Dale has joined the storied and historic CJFL club, and all the accolades are deserved.

The Hilltops announced Tuesday morning Dale has officially been added to their roster. Since that time, the social media posts the club put out about the announcement have gone viral.

At the time this post went live, the Hilltops post on Dale’s announcement on Facebook has drawn 944 reactions and has been shared 726 times. The Twitter post has been retweeted 504 times and like over 1,700 times.

The Instagram post has been liked over 1,100 times.

The subsequent posts others have created about Dale being added to the Hilltops roster have attracted countless likes and shares. The Western Woman’s Canadian Football League powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries, who Dale played for from 2016 to 2019, have seen their congratulatory Facebook post draw 266 reactions and be shared 167 times.

Emmarae Dale is the first female to make the Hilltops roster.

Since Tuesday morning’s announcement, Dale has been on seemingly a barnstorming tour doing media interviews across Western Canada.

One thing that shouldn’t be lost amongst all the media attention is Dale deserves this opportunity.

The Hilltops have won 22 CJFL championships in their history and the last six CJFL titles in a row. This isn’t an organization that needs to do a publicity stunt like this.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, who is the all-time leader in amateur post-secondary wins in Canada, and defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie aren’t the type of people who will put players on the team as a novelty.

They put players on the team they believe will be able to play and contribute in games. 

Emmarae Dale has done a tonne of media interviews this week.

In bringing on board the first female players the Hilltops have ever had on their roster and the first female player to be in the CJFL, both Sargeant and Yausie are aware enough that they will not put someone in a position where they will fail or not be able to handle things.

Dale is a very mature young woman at the age of 22. She is an elite athlete with special gifts in the speed, power and strength departments.

On top of her natural athletic abilities, Dale is an experienced football player. She hit the field for four seasons as a middle linebacker with the Saskatoon Valkyries from 2016 to 2019 helping them win WWCFL titles in 2016 and 2019.

Yausie was the Valkyries head coach in Dale’s first year with the team and defensive coordinator in Dale’s second year with that squad. As a result, Yausie has a strong idea of what Dale can do as a player.

Emmarae Dale (#45) makes a tackle for the Valkyries in 2016.

Dale was voted the Valkyries most outstanding defensive player in 2017 and 2019.

She has been a dominate player in the WWCFL since stepping on the field as a rookie. Dale is a fireplug standing at 5-foot-6, and she can flat out fly to the ball.

She has a natural instinct to know where the ball is going on the football field, and her ability to read plays is second to none.

Even with the handful of workouts she has had with the Hilltops veterans, Dale has shown the ability to understand and breakdown plays, when the Hilltops have done non-contact offense versus defence sets.

Dale’s football knowledge is aided by the fact two of her older brothers in Anthony and Donovan played for the Hilltops in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Anthony played on the offensive line, while Donovan suited up on the defensive line.

Emmarae Dale (#45) makes a hit in 2019 for the Valkyries.

Besides the exploits in football, Emmarae Dale has been a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s track and field team in the U Sports ranks for the past four seasons. Specializing in throws, Dale has helped the Huskies win the Canada West women’s team title in each of the past three seasons.

That adds to showing the well-roundedness of her athletic ability.

On top of her athletic abilities, Dale has other intangibles that make her a good fit for the Hilltops. She has worked out at Ignite Athletics for a number of years, and most of the Hilltops players do their off-season training there.

She already knows a large number of players on the team, and they have seen firsthand how hard she works to get herself in the best shape possible. A respect tangible already exists.

Emmarae Dale (#45) tracks down a QB in 2019.

Dale is also one of the best and most modest and humble first rate persons you will find anywhere.

She approaches life in a mature and good confident way and is very well spoken. Those traits have shown through in the various media interviews she has done over the past week.

Dale has the make up to handle the spotlight and the extra attention that will come her way in the right way.

The best part is the news of her making the Hilltops roster has been warmly received seemingly everywhere. Over social media, you will still find a couple of crank negative comments, which you have to expect will surface in today’s world, but those types of comments have been few and far between.

Thanks to the CJFL ruling that players who were supposed to be 22-years-old this year will be able to play at age 23 next year, Dale will have one season to enjoy her time as member of the Hilltops assuming the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stops throwing wrenches into how the world operates.

Emmarae Dale and the Valkyries enjoy their 2019 WWCFL title win.

Even with just being on the Hilltops roster, Dale has already accomplished something really special. It is an accomplishment she has earned and deserves.

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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Dale makes history as Hilltops first female player

LB starred with WWCFL’s Valkyries before going to CJFL

Emmarae Dale practises with the Hilltops on Tuesday.

    Emmarae Dale will always hold a special place in the history of the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops.
    On Tuesday, the Hilltops, who have won 22 CJFL titles and the last six CJFL championships in a row, officially added Dale to their roster making her the first female player to play on the storied team. It is believed Dale will be the first female player to suit up in the CJFL.

    The 22-year-old linebacker comes to the Hilltops after starring for four seasons with the Saskatoon Valkyries from 2016 to 2019 helping them win Western Women’s Canadian Football League titles in 2016 and 2019.

    The Hilltops posted the announcement on all their social media accounts Tuesday morning, and the news of Dale joining the squad has gone viral. The current modern version of the Hilltops first took the field in 1947.

    Before the Hilltops hit the field for practice on Tuesday night at Ron Atchison Field, Dale said she enjoyed the excitement of the day.

Emmarae Dale runs back the ball after an interception drill on Tuesday.

    “It kind of feels like the first day I was playing all over again like just jitters and excitement,” said Dale. “It has been an emotional roller-coaster pretty much like since the moment that they posted it.

    “It has been really exciting, and it has been awesome to see all the positive feedback and the support that people have, especially in terms of just growing football as a sport.”

    The wheels on bringing Dale on board with the Hilltops started to roll early this year. One day when the Hilltops were holding an indoor practice at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, Dale crossed paths with Hilltops defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jeff Yausie.

    Yausie was Dale’s head coach with the Valkyries in 2016 and her defensive coordinator in 2017. He presented Dale with the idea about joining the Hilltops.

Emmarae Dale (#45) made lots of big plays for the Valkyries.

    “I figured I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, so here we are,” said Dale, who stands 5-foot-6.

    When Yausie approached Dale about joining the Hilltops, she was completing her fourth season as a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s track and field team specializing in throwing events.

    She helped the Huskies win a third straight Canada West team championship this past season. After the U Sports track and field campaign wrapped up, Dale was expecting to join the Hilltops for workouts around the middle of March, but the coronoavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took hold.

    By March 13, most of the shutdowns in the sports world in North America had taken place, and Dale was wondering if her chance to join the Hilltops was going to fade away.

Emmarae Dale (#45) makes a take down for the Valkyries in 2019.

    “I was supposed to go to my first practice with them right after COVID hit,” said Dale. “COVID hit on Friday (March 13) and everything was shut down.

    “I wasn’t able to go to practice, so I thought maybe this just isn’t going to happen anymore. Then things kind of still kept rolling kind of throughout isolation. We got my eligibility all approved and extended.

    “Yeah, it worked out.”

    The Valkyries WWCFL season that usually runs in May and June was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 6, the 2020 CJFL season was officially cancelled due to the pandemic as well.

    On Sept. 8, the CJFL announced players that were slated to turn 22-years-old and 21-years-old for the 2020 campaign would be granted an extra year of eligibility. Those players that would have been 22-years-old this season can play in 2021, and players that would have been 21-years-old this season can play through to 2022.

Emmarae Dale (#45) liked to make big hits for the Valkyries.

    All of Dale’s paper work that needed to be completed to allow her to join the Hilltops was processed before August 6, which made her eligible for the 2021 campaign.

    Last week, the Hilltops began practicing three times a week for a period of six weeks, and Dale took part in those workouts. That led up to the Hilltops officially announcing she would be a member of the team on Tuesday.

    She is also following in the footsteps of her older brother in Anthony and Donovan, who played for the Hilltops in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

    Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said it was a “no-brainer” to add Emmarae Dale to the Hilltops, when Yausie approached him with the idea.

Emmarae Dale (#45) can provides strong pass coverage on defence.

    “Number one, she is a Dale, and that has been a great name in the Hilltops legacy and tradition of what we do,” said Sargeant, who is the all-time career wins leader for post-secondary football in Canada. “Number two, we just loved the energy and how she competes and gets after things.

    “We’re just excited to coach her and try to help enhance some of her skill set. Ultimately, it is going to be up to her to get out there and make the plays and help the Hilltops win. As I said, we’re excited to have her.

    “She has a great attitude and a great work ethic. It is the kind of people we look for.”

    Sargeant said Dale’s athletic ability stands out, and you could tell she had put in a lot of good time at Ignite Athletics, where most of the Hilltops train and where Dale also works the front desk.

    “She puts in the time and energy to make herself in top condition, strong and physical,” said Sargeant. “She is very explosive, plays low and really rallies and gets to the ball.

Emmarae Dale (#45) allows Ehjae Chan (#24) to create a turnover.

    “We’re just real excited to be around her, and you can see all that hard work she has been doing. It has been paying off. She moves and grooves real easy out on that field.”

    Dale’s transition to the Hilltops was made easier by the fact she already knew a number of the veteran players having trained with them at Ignite for a number of years. She said there were some new faces she still had to get used to, but she still hit the ground running with the team.

    “It was more comfortable coming in just because I know a lot of the guys from working out with them and doing on field sessions with them,” said Dale. “I didn’t know everybody, so I kind of felt like I was on an island at first just because I am not going to have the same camaraderie that they have.

    “They’ve already have been super welcoming, and it made me feel just one of the team. It has been good.”

    Sargeant was pleased that the CJFL has been supportive of the Hilltops adding Dale to their roster. 

Emmarae Dale (#45) sizes up a play at the line of scrimmage.

    The energetic sideline boss said Dale is on the team because she can make plays.
    “We have a long time to prep and get this all ready and get her ready, so when the season starts, she is out there making an impact for the Hilltops so we can get out there and start winning games again,” said Sargeant. “That is what we love to do, and we want her to be a part of that.”

    Dale said she can’t wait to hit the field for game action with the Hilltops for the first time. She plans to use the extended preparation period to reach new heights in her play.

Emmarae Dale (#45) enjoys a WWCFL championship win in 2019.

    “I’m just excited to get bigger, faster and stronger and just getting better as an athlete, bulking up as much as I can of course just to match up with these guys out here,” said Dale. “I’m excited just to stay healthy and just keep getting better at football and just living and breathing football for the next year and gearing up for 2021 and hopefully bringing home a ‘ship’ (championship).”

    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.

Valkyries’ Dale dishes out tough hits with a touch of love

Linebacker Emmarae Dale (#45) dominants on the Valkyries defence.

    Emmarae Dale will kill you with kindness.

    The upbeat 21-year-old linebacker with the Saskatoon Valkyries has dished out big hits with the team since 2016. When Dale makes the big hits, she does it with a big smile and often doesn’t realize she is smiling while doing it.

    “I love it so much,” said Dale, who stands 5-foot-6. “There is nothing that beats the feeling of making a huge defensive stop

    “There is such a high that comes with it, so I really love it.”

    Dale became a regular in the Valkyries linebacking corps in her rookie year in 2016 helping the club win a fifth Western Women’s Canadian Football League title. Now in her fourth season, Dale is one of the veteran standouts on the team.

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale always gets to the play.

    The Valkyries are in Winnipeg, Man., to face the Manitoba Fearless in a heavyweight WWCFL showdown on Sunday. Both squads have 2-0 records and the winner will lock up first place in the Prairie Conference and earn the possibility to host two post-season games.

    In helping the Valkyries jump out to a 2-0 start, Dale has 14 total tackles and one forced fumble.

    It seemed that Dale was destined to join the Valkyries as two of her older brothers in Anthony and Donovan excelled in the sport. Anthony was an offensive lineman with the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and University of Regina Rams.

    Donovan played on the defensive line for the Hilltops, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

    “They had their success there,” said Emmarae Dale. “Just watching them growing up, I always kind of had a little bit of love for it.

    “I played flag football in high school.”

    While playing flag football, Dale was talked into giving the Valkyries a try by team general manager Michelle Duchene and Carisa Polischuk, who played for the Valkyries and was one of the team’s directors.

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale (#45) is always in the middle of contact.

    The perky Dale found tackle football as an outlet to display a tough persona.

    “I just like the chance to just be a bad ass athlete on field,” said Dale. “It just like gives you a chance to just really showcase athleticism.

    “It is just a massive rush that comes with being able to go hit someone. You don’t get that chance anywhere else. I love it.”

    Valkyires head coach Pat Barry was a defensive coach and assistant head coach when Dale joined the team in 2016. When Dale first hit the field, Barry saw a player who had a motor that didn’t quit that was also a ball of positivity.

    “She (Dale) is always smiling, and she is just a fierce competitor,” said Barry. “That is what is so exciting about her.

    “She takes everything seriously, but she is so positive. She enjoys life, and she is just fantastic to have around here.”

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale can get out and cover the pass.

    Dale’s explosiveness was another aspect of her game that impressed Barry along with her willingness to help the newcomers on the team.

    “She is super athletic,” said Barry. “She is like incredibly fast too.

    “She is one of the fastest players on our team. She is definitely becoming one of the leaders on our team that is for sure.”

    Besides being a standout with the Valkyries, Dale has excelled at track and field and is a member of the U of S Huskies women’s track team at the U Sports level.

    She competes in throwing events. During the indoor season, Dale competes in weight throw and shot put. During the outdoor season, Dale takes part in discus, hammer throw and shot put.

    She helped the Huskies women’s team win the Canada West Conference title in each of the past two seasons. 

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale closed in on a hit.

    This past season was a particularly special campaign as the Huskies captured both the women’s and men’s Canada West titles.
    “It’s amazing just to see how the team comes together at competitions like that,” said Dale, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Huskies. “You train in your own individual groups, but when you actually get a chance to become a team at those meets, it is really awesome.

    “There is nothing that quite compares to the wave that comes with being a winning team.”

    Dale said she is able to transfer the team aspect of football to supporting her teammates in track.

    “It helps a lot,” said Dale. “Obviously with being on a football team, team is a lot different, and you are doing everything together.

    “You try to bring in that support from football as much as I can into track as well and just being a team player for everything.”

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale (#45) is in the middle of a gang tackle.

    Dale said her focus mentally has grown from the fact that she has participated in both sports. 
    She said football and track and field complement each other well.
    “There is much to take away from both sports, a lot of discipline that comes with both and just being patient with the process,” said Dale. “It has been really awesome.

    “It has definitely taught me a lot throughout the years. It is definitely busy doing both throughout the outdoor season, but it has been really awesome.”

    On the gridiron, Dale said her favourite campaign was the Valkyries WWCFL championship season in 2016 in her rookie year.

    “That season was awesome,” said Dale. “It definitely was one of my favourite seasons of Valkyries just because there was so much to learn from those veterans.

Valkyries LB Emmarae Dale sheds out of a block.

    “They were amazing players to watch and there was so much to learn from them. Yet, there was so much comradery with the team.”
    While she is still young at age 21, Dale said it has been a bit different holding veteran status on the team.

    “It is definitely strange, because I feel like I still should be one of the younger players,” said Dale. “It is awesome to be able to welcome the new players and kind of show them the ropes of football and encourage them as much as possible.

    “It is really awesome actually seeing the growth amongst the rookies and the newer players and just seeing them fall in love with the sport that we all do.”

    Dale plans on using up her track eligibility with the Huskies.

Emmarae Dale (#45) and the Valkyries celebrate a victory.

    As for football, she hopes to continue that sport long into the future.

    “I think I definitely have a few more in the tank,” said Dale. “I don’t really know what the future holds, but I’m hoping to play for as long as I can.”

    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.

Anything is possible at Ignite Athletic Conditioning

Local company makes big impact on Saskatoon sports scene

Nolan Brudehl does resistance training at Ignite Conditioning.

    At Ignite Athletic Conditioning, the goal of the staff is to make the impossible possible for the athletes who train there.

    The Saskatoon-based company is co-owned by former athletes Jordan Harbidge and Joel Lipinski, who both made an impact on the provincial sports scene. Harbidge played football and basketball at Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School before enjoying a strong five-year career with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team from 2003 to 2008.

    Lipinski, who is from Regina, played post-secondary football with the University of Regina Rams (2004-2006), the Vancouver Island Raiders of the Canadian Junior Football League (2007) and the St. Mary’s University Huskies (2008). The star defensive back moved on to enjoy short CFL stints with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2009) and the Edmonton Eskimos (2011).

Michael Linklater works out on the squat rack at Ignite Conditioning.

    Having lived lives as elite-level athletes, both wanted to train athletes and help them achieve their dreams.

    “It is pretty cool to have a job where you get to work with like local athletes, and you just kind of like wish something like this was around when you were that age,” said Harbidge. “It is pretty cool to offer something like that to local kids around here and give them the opportunity to try to reach their athletic potential or dreams.”

    “If it is just making like their high school football team or making their U-18 team or if it is like playing post-secondary or even later like play pro, all those like small goals along the way are just like huge milestones that are just cool to see,” said Lipinski. “This job is honestly one of the best jobs you could ever possibly have.”

    Ignite was formed as company in 2010 and trained a small group of about eight athletes at the start. 

Nolan Brudehl pushed a sled training at Ignite Conditioning.

    Fast forward to today, the company is run out of its own facility on the 400-block of Lauriston Street just south of 33^rd Street, and between 600 to 700 athletes train with Ignite.

    To help with training, Ignite recently hired Donovan Dale, who wrapped up his football career graduating from the U of Saskatchewan Huskies after this past season.

    Originally, the company was founded by former U of S Huskies football stars Ryan Gottselig and David Stevens. Both had decorated careers with the Huskies in the early to the middle of the 2000s and were well known in Saskatoon.

    In 2011, Gottselig moved to Moose Jaw after accepting a teaching job there, and he established an Ignite branch in that centre. Stevens joined the City of Saskatoon’s fire department, but he still owns a small part of the Saskatoon branch.

    Lipinski and Stevens became friends while playing for Canada’s team at the International Federation of American Football senior tackle world championship in Austria in 2011. 

Michael Linklater lifts a dumbbell at Ignite Conditioning.

    Lipinski ended up settling in Saskatoon after that tournament and bought into the company.

    Harbidge joined Ignite in 2012 after returning to Saskatoon having been an educator and an assistant strength coach at a private boys’ school in Vancouver.

    As Stevens’ firefighting career took off, Harbidge and Lipinski bought majority ownership of the Saskatoon branch. In order to allow Harbidge and Lipinski to take off with the company, Stevens worked hundreds of hours for free at the beginning.

    As a result of Stevens’s efforts, Harbidge and Lipinski ensured the elusive and speedy former running back still had a part ownership stake in the branch.

    In running Ignite, Harbidge said there have been times the sense of accomplishment has come in unassuming ways.

    “Originally, we were all kind of like we want to train pros,” said Harbidge. “We want to train a lot of the high level athletes.

    “A lot of the most rewarding things for us have been like last year we had a kid in eight weeks lose 35 pounds and get stronger. It is little things like that where you can actually change someone’s life that was pretty rewarding.”

    Ignite has programs for athletes aged 11 and younger where the focus is on building agility, balance and coordination through game-type activities.

Nolan Brudehl works on his movement at Ignite Conditioning.

    Training programs are catered to athlete development at various progression levels all the way up to more sports specific training for professional athletes.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League were one of the first massive groups that trained with Ignite. The staff at Ignite has worked with 40 Hilltops player per year in each of the last three years.

    The Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League were one of the first large female groups to train out of Ignite. At the moment, female athletes make up 40 per cent of Ignite’s clientele.

    When Ignite started, most of the other elite training companies in Saskatoon focused on hockey, so Ignite built a reputation training athletes in all other sports outside of hockey.

    Ignite has training contracts with U of S Huskies women’s soccer, Huskies men’s basketball and Huskies football. Harbidge is the strength and conditioning coach for the Huskies men’s basketball team, and Lipinski is the strength and conditioning coordinator and defensive assistant coach with the Huskies football team.

Michael Linklater works on a resistance machine at Ignite Conditioning.

    Besides the university teams, Ignite trains athletes from numerous sports groups like Basketball Saskatchewan, Ringette Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Minor Football, Canoe and Kayak Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Badminton Association and the local elite volleyball academy in Saskatoon.

    Along the way, Ignite is starting to pick up a handful of Western Hockey League players as well.

    “Everyone kind of tried to get hockey and train hockey, and we just went for everything else,” said Harbidge. “We started with a niche which was football. Now we’ve kind of expanded to everything even hockey.

    “We try to really rebrand ourselves as athletic trainers not just football specialists, which was kind of our brand early on. It has been such a crazy dynamic, but it has been pretty cool.”

    Lipinski said the staff at Ignite tries to take an interest in an athlete’s life outside of sports as well. It was a trait he, Harbidge and Dale all learned from the respective coaches they had along the way in their careers as athletes.

Joel Lipinski is one of the co-owners and coaches at Ignite Conditioning.

    “You end up talking about things that are actually more than like obviously just sport,” said Lipinski. “You figure out what is going on in the athlete’s life.

    “You end up kind of almost being like a councillor at this position here too. To be honest, we end up like enjoying that aspect of it like just as much as the actual training side.”

    Harbidge said it has been great to find a niche to give back to the local sports scene, and in his case, his hometown.

    “I was originally planning to be a teacher, but now I am just like a specialist teacher,” said Harbidge. “I teach every day, but I get to teach what I am passionate about.

    “I feel very fortunate. Coming home from Vancouver, I get to work with the community I grew up in, which is pretty cool too.”

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

Football Huskies salvage respect

Kyle Siemens calls out signals for the Huskies.

  It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team was expected to content for a championship. Instead, the Dogs found themselves battling to finish their 2015 Canadian Interuniversity Sport campaign in a respectable fashion.

    Coming off posting a 6-2 mark during the 2014 regular season, the Huskies entered the 2015 campaign returning a large number of players and hopes were high the Green and White would make the Canada West championship game, the Hardy Cup, and advance to the CIS title game, the Vanier Cup.

    The 2015 campaign came to a close for the Huskies on Saturday, when they traveled to Calgary and fell 37-29 to the University of Calgary Dinos in a hard fought Canada West semifinal playoff battle. The Dinos, who were 8-0 in the regular season, ensured their quest for perfection continued. The Huskies, who were 3-5 in the regular season, saw their post-season losing skid grow to seven games.

    To the Huskies credit, they managed to finish on a high. During the final week of the regular season, they were on the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

    On Oct. 30, the Huskies traveled to Regina to play the winless University of Regina Rams in the final regular season contest for both teams. The Huskies had lost three straight to fall to 2-5 entering that match and would be eliminated from the post-season picture with another setback.

    The Rams held a 34-11 lead late in the third quarter of that tilt at Mosaic Stadium, and it looked like the party was over for the Dogs. Miraculously, the Huskies rallied for a 38-37 victory, when running back Jarvis James ran in from a yard out with about 20 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

    In the playoffs, the Huskies looked for the longest time that they could pull off a huge upset against the Dinos. The Dogs held a 16-8 lead at halftime and a 22-19 edge early in the fourth quarter before the Dinos offence hit high gear and took the game away.

Donovan Dale gets a sack for the Huskies.

    U of S showed heart at the end. That likely dampened some of the critics that watch Saskatoon’s most followed sports team.

    The critics in the stands became vocal last year at Griffiths Stadium, when the Huskies held a 37-18 lead over the University of Manitoba Bisons in a Canada West semifinal match only to fall 47-39.
    Some of the spectators started heaping jabs at the Huskies in a style similar to the jabs some of the fans of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders fire at that club when things are not going well.

    The Huskies started 2015 by stumbling out of the gates dropping their first two regular season games. The first setback was a 34-28 decision at Griffiths to the Bisons, and the second was a 38-26 loss in Edmonton to the University of Alberta Golden Bears. In the home opening loss, the critics in the crowd could be heard again and a couple of voices said that legendary Huskies head coach Brian Towriss, who is the all-time leader in CIS victories, should retire.

    U of S rebounded to even its mark at 2-2, but fell to 2-4 after being bombed twice by the Dinos.

    At that point, the 59-year-old Towriss and his staff showed they still have the ability to right the ship. Veteran fourth-year quarterback Drew Burko lost his starting position to sophomore Kyle Siemens. Burko had thrown nine interceptions over his six starts and a number of those were not of the good variety.

    Siemens completed 44 of 67 passes in his first start for 520 yards, three touchdown passes, while being intercepted once in a 41-36 loss to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at Griffiths. That defeat before the campaign’s smallest home crowd of 3,179 spectators, dropped the Huskies to 2-5 but hope started to be restored.

Huskies receiver Mitch Hillis tries to burst past a tackler.

    In the rally over the Rams, Siemens completed 23-of-41 passes for 422 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Against the Dinos in the playoffs, Siemens continued his solid play completing 29 of 46 passes for 356 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

    With Siemens at the controls, the Huskies offence appeared less likely to self-destruct. Actually, Siemens was throwing at the level of a franchise quarterback, and his rise might help restore high aspirations for the team in the future. In the off-season, the Huskies need to find some recruits to strengthen a defence that was extremely leaky throughout the campaign.

    Things are not all bad for the Huskies, but they are also not all good.

    Some big work needs to be done in the off-season, but on the bright side, wholesale changes are not needed.

The rewarding life of a Blades billet family

Blades captain Brett Stovin battles Medicine Hat's Steven Owre for a faceoff.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week, with a cool behind the scenes feature.

I caught up with recently graduated Saskatoon Blades captain Brett Stovin, and he talked about what it was like to live in the home of Scott and Mel Frey during his years with the WHL franchise. The Freys just became a Blades billet family, when they welcomed Stovin, who now players for the University of Manitoba Bisons men’s hockey team, into their home shortly before his 17^th birthday. 

    He played four full seasons with the Blades, which included being part of the squad that hosted the 2013 Memorial Cup.

    The experience was rewarding for both Stovin and Freys. You can check out that story 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.