Hilltops get redemption in romp over Rifles at SMF Field

Saskatoon storms over Winnipeg 42-15

Charles Sawi (#18) celebrates his second of three TDs for the Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops turned their regular season opener into a distant memory.

In that contest played on August 10 at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg, the host Rifles thumped the visiting Hilltops 31-11. That encounter was the first CJFL regular season contest of the 2025 campaign for both clubs.

On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, those same squads met once again, and the result on the field was vastly different. The Hilltops stormed out to a 25-0 lead at halftime and rolled to a 42-15 victory.

With that result in the books, both teams sit with identical 2-1 records on the campaign. The Hilltops also hold the standings tiebreaker between the two sides claiming a 53-46 advantage in total points scored in the head-to-head matchups between the two sides.

David Collins ran the ball 33 times for 262 yards and two TDs.

“That was obviously in the plan,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “That is what we talked about, and they came out and executed.

“We didn’t play great, but boy, we played hard. That is a good football team on the other side, but son of a gun, the kids were on point. The coaches did a great job all week, and hey, we showed great strides from last week to this week.

“This was a great team win, and we needed it.”

How both teams played over their respective first two games was reflected in the CJFL Power Rankings that were released on Thursday. In those rankings, the Rifles were rated fifth, while the Hilltops were placed seventh.

Jace Mowles makes his second of two interceptions on Sunday.

In the Hilltops convincing win on Sunday, they relied on their veteran players. David Collins, who is a 22-year-old running back playing his first season with the Hilltops, had a monster game carrying the ball 33 times for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Collins came to the Hilltops having last played for the Central Lakes College Raiders in Brainerd, Minn., in the 2023 campaign.

Long-time explosive playmaking running back Charles Sawi, who is in his fourth season with the team, collected a staggering 368 all-purpose yards. Sawi ran the ball seven times for 93 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 88 yards.

On special teams, he returned eight punts for 99 yards and two kickoffs for 67 yards. Sawi also ran back a missed field goal for 21 yards.

Charles Sawi had 340 all-purpose yards for the Hilltops.

On defence, Hilltops fifth-year star defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens recorded two sacks and two defensive tackles. Fifth-year cornerback Jace Mowles hauled in a pair of interceptions, knocked down three passes and made one solo defensive tackle. Fifth-year defensive tackle Nahom Menghestab, who frequently takes on double team blocks, had two-and-a-half total tackles and one quarterback sack.

With the Hilltops set to go in a bye week following Sunday’s game, Sawi said his team had to head into the break on a high note.

“We had to take the moment,” said Sawi. “We had to go into the bye week with a win.

“We really wanted to find out where we are as a team, and as of right now, we’re winners.”

Sawi added it was also important for the Hilltops to win by a big enough spread to earn the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with the Rifles.

The fans at SMF Field cheer on the Hilltops.

“It was very big for us,” said Sawi. “It was very big.

“As everybody saw, we really wanted it, so we executed it.”

The Hilltops opened the contest needing two plays on the game’s first offensive drive to score a touchdown. Hilltops quarterback Hayden McMahon hit Sawi with a pass and run play that went 52 yards to the Winnipeg 24 yard line. Collins ran in a major score on the next play to give the Hilltops a 7-0 lead.

With 1:17 remaining in the first quarter, Hilltops punter Gino Frassetto kicked a 46-yard punt single to give the Hilltops an 8-0 advantage.

Riley Element put up 342 yards passing for the Rifles.

Early in the second quarter, Mowles made his second of two interceptions in the contest. On the ensuing Hilltops possession, Collins ran home a touchdown from 40-yards out to push the host side’s lead out to 15-0.

Sawi proceeded to run in a major score from 15 yards out, and Hilltops kicker Ryden Gratton hit a field goal from 31 yards out to give Saskatoon a 25-0 advantage.

Mowles was pleased he could help the Hilltops efforts with a pair of interceptions.

“I just wanted to get that ball, and ‘Sarge’ (Sargeant) has been on me for the last two weeks,” said Mowles. “I had to execute.

Kaiden Banfield had one rushing TD and one receiving TD.

“It felt relieving. ‘Turk’ (defensive backs coach Brent Turkington) has been on the sidelines, and he has been really helping out a lot. He has been putting us in great positions.”

In the second half, the Rifles put up a battle in an effort to not give up the advantage of having the head-to-head standings tiebreaker. Just three minutes into the third quarter, Rifles quarterback Riley Element hit star running back Kaiden Banfield with a 43-yard pass and run touchdown to cut the Hilltops lead to 25-7. The Hilltops needed to win the contest by 21 or more points to pick up the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with the Rifles.

The Hilltops proceeded to run off an offensive scoring run in the fourth quarter. At the 7:13 mark of the fourth quarter, Gratton hit an 18-yard field goal to push the Hilltops lead out to 28-7.

Isaiah Vallderruten (#3) makes an interception for the Hilltops.

Hilltops safety Isaiah Vallderruten proceeded to get an interception on the Rifles next series. The ensuing Hilltops offensive series was capped by a five-yard touchdown run by Sawi to make Saskatoon’s advantage sit at 35-7. Sawi proceeded to add a 48-yard rushing touchdown to give the Hilltops a 42-7 lead.

Winnipeg would give Saskatoon a bit of a scare in holding on to the standings tiebreaker. Banfield ran in a major from 10 yards out with 48.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Element proceeded to hit slotback Miles Blatherwick for the two-point convert to cut the Saskatoon lead to 42-15. The Rifles weren’t able to get any closer.

“We needed this to happen, because there are bigger games in front of us,” said Sargeant. “Now, this keeps us right on the path that we want to be in and controlling destiny and all of those things.

The Hilltops Cheerleaders perform at halftime of Sunday’s game.

“At the end of the day, I am very happy and pleased with everything that I saw, and I know we can just be so much better.”

McMahon completed 10-of-18 passes for 173 yards, while throwing one interception for the Hilltops. Receiver David Boyd Jr. caught four passes for 64 yards for Saskatoon.

Element completed 25-of-38 passes for 342 yards and one touchdown, while throwing three interceptions for the Rifles. Banfield led the Rifles with 15 carries for 55 yards and one touchdown. He also had six catches for a game high 92 receiving yards and one major score.

Johnathon Stevens had a pair of sacks for the Hilltops.

Outside linebacker Rudolph Osborne led the Hilltops with six total tackles. Hilltops sophomore defensive back Ryan Valentino made a game-high five solo tackles on special teams.

Outside linebacker Cohen Mccluskey led the Rifles with 12 total tackles to go with one quarterback sack. Defensive back Gage Richey had an interception for Winnipeg.

The Hilltops are now off until Saturday, September 6 when they travel to Regina to face their provincial rival and defending Prairie Football Conference champions in the 3-0 Thunder (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).

“The last two games are something we can hang our hat on,” said Sargeant. “Getting into the bye week, there is nothing better than feeling good about a bye week knowing that we went out there and each game we’ve played better.

The Hilltops players mingle with family and friends after Sunday’s game.

“As long as (two) weeks ago was ground zero which I think it was, man, this team is only going to get better and better. Hey, we’ll find out truly who we are in two weeks down in Regina. I can’t wait.”

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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Mowles settles in as playmaker on Hilltops defence

Two pick game versus Thunder was big highlight

Jace Mowles tops the Hilltops with three interceptions this season.

Jace Mowles prides himself on ensuring rare bad games don’t last.

Back on August 25, Mowles’ Saskatoon Hilltops had a banner day crushing the Colts 52-19 at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary. The Hilltops veteran standout cornerback thought he didn’t have one of his better days as the Colts collected 274 yards passing as team.

After that contest, the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference which the Hilltops play out of went on a bye week. Mowles, who is in his fourth year with the team, was determined to have a better outing when the Hilltops returned to action on September 7 against their provincial rivals the Thunder at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

In that contest, Mowles recorded three defensive solo tackles, three defensive tackle assists, two interceptions and one pass knockdown helping the Hilltops post a 29-15 victory. While the Thunder piled up 348 yards passing, Mowles’ interceptions came at key times to stall the Regina side’s momentum.

For his efforts, Mowles, who is a graduate of the Walter Murray Collegiate Marauders Football Team, was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

“It was good,” said Mowles. “It helped motivate the offence too and helped me elevate my game from having a bad game to having a good game.”

On Saturday, Mowles and the defending CJFL champion Hilltops (6-0) get to see the Thunder (5-1) again when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops are rated first in the CJFL’s Top 10 Power Rankings, and the Thunder are listed as fourth in those ratings.

If the Hilltops win that contest, they will lock up first place in the PFC and home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs up until the league’s title game in the Canadian Bowl, which will be hosted by the champion of the Ontario Football Conference. If the Thunder win, first place will still be up for grabs between the two squads heading into the final week of the PFC’s regular season.

Mowles is looking forward to the upcoming heavyweight encounter between the two sides.

Jace Mowles secures an interception for the Hilltops.

“It will be fun to be at home,” said Mowles. “It will be better for us, and I’ll enjoy it.”

On the season, Mowles has three interceptions, which is one behind Calgary Colts defensive back Keon Raymond II. To go along with his three picks, Mowles has recorded seven defensive solo tackles, five defensive tackle assists, four special teams solo tackles, one special teams tackle assist and one pass knockdown.

Mowles said during the season he hasn’t seen many passes get thrown his way, but he believes that is more due to his position on the field as opposed to a strategy of trying to avoid him.

“They’re throwing weak (side) more than strong (side),” said Mowles, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds. “Most teams do.

“I just play my game, and play it true.”

Last Sunday, the Hilltops gave up 374 yards passing to the Edmonton Wildcats in a 45-19 home victory at SMF Field. Mowles didn’t think the Hilltops had to make any adjustments in the secondary outside of executing better.

He gave credit to Wildcats quarterback Marcos Soltero and his receivers group for having a good game. Mowles said the Wildcats are a better team than their 0-6 record indicates.

“They had really good receivers,” said Mowles. “They all played high-level football.

“Their quarterback surprised us. He threw the ball really well.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against the Thunder, legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant would love to see Mowles have another big game.

“At the end of the day, he is one of our better players,” said Sargeant. “We put him in all situations, whether it be man or zone.

Jace Mowles has provided strong play at cornerback for the Hilltops.

“He is always willing to do whatever he is asked to. He loves being around the ball, and he has a knack for being around the ball. I think he has got three interceptions so far this year and a few knockdowns.

“He is a primetime player, and everybody knows who he is.”

Sargeant served as the principal of Walter Murray Collegiate when Mowles was a student there. Thanks to that development, the sideline boss knew he was getting a quality person when he recruited Mowles to join the Hilltops.

“When you’re the principal of a high school, you’re always going to the games to your student-athletes,” said Sargeant, who retired from his position as principal at Walter Murray Collegiate this past June. “He (Mowles) was just an excellent high school player.

“He did all the right things and got involved in all the different teams. In a short period of time, he became a pretty good impact player for us. By his second year, he was getting some quality opportunities to compete.

“You get to know who the kids are (as a principal in high school), which is awesome. At any school, I like to phone the coaches and get a flavour for what they’re saying, because at the end of the day, we want good character kids in this program.”

Mowles got his start playing football in the KFL in Saskatoon for three seasons before joining the Marauders. In his KFL years, Mowles spent his first two campaigns as a receiver before switching over to defence.

He said he enjoys football because it is fun to throw the ball around and he loves the team environment the sport provides. During the winter months, Mowles was also playing AA hockey, but there was no doubt that he would continue football after high school with the Hilltops.

“It was the only real option,” said Mowles. “I had hockey, but I chose football, because I loved it more.

“I enjoy playing this more than any other sport.”

Since joining the Hilltops in 2021, Mowles said the thing he loves the most about being part of the storied CJFL team is how tight-knit everyone is with the club.

Jace Mowles (#23) looks to enjoy more big plays with the Hilltops.

“Everyone is basically family,” said Mowles. “We all get along, so we all enjoy coming out here every day and having fun.”

Last season, Mowles said one of his biggest thrills came was helping the Hilltops win their 23^rd CJFL title with a 17-10 victory over the Westshore Rebels at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C. As this season continues, he would love for it to finish with him helping the Hilltops capture the Canadian Bowl to claim another CJFL title.

“It would be amazing,” said Mowles. “I loved going down to B.C. there and winning it.

“It was the best moment of my life, and I’d like to enjoy that again in Ontario.”

Reider tabbed as PFC player of the week

Trey Reider is the PFC’s offensive player of the week.

For the second time this season, Trey Reider has been named a PFC player of the week.

On Wednesday, Reider, who is the Saskatoon Hilltops star quarterback, was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts in his team’s 45-19 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. In that victory, Reider completed 15-of-22 passes for 278 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

On the season, Reider, who is playing out his fifth and final season of CJFL eligibility, has completed 86-of-130 passes for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns, while throwing one interception. He has been tabbed as the PFC’s offensive player of the week twice in the 2024 campaign.

Winnipeg Rifles linebacker Cohen McCluskey was the PFC’s defensive player of the week due to his efforts to help his squad down the visiting Calgary Colts 23-9 at Maple Grove Rugby Park. In that contest, McCluskey recorded eight solo defensive tackles, two defensive tackle assists and three interceptions. He returned one of his interceptions 46 yards for a touchdown.

Rifles kicker Evan Guercio was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his contributions in his team’s win over the Colts. Guercio made all three of his field goal attempts with a long from 27 yards out. He made both his one-point converts and kicked off five times for 252 yards for an average of 50.4 yards per kick.

Big SMF Field crowd leaves positive impression

Part of the crowd of 3,534 that came out to the Hilltops game last Sunday.

The Saskatoon Hilltops got a boost from their big home crowd.

Last Sunday, the Hilltops hammered the visiting Edmonton Wildcats 45-19 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. A crowd of 3,534 spectators came to check out the contest, which was the Hilltops highest attendance for a home regular season game in at least over a decade.

That contest was the team’s Kinsmen Family Day/Young Hilltops Day game. Those that came out on Sunday could take part in the various fun promotions that took place around the game.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was pumped to see the huge turnout.

“I think it is absolutely fantastic,” said Sargeant, who is the all time leader in career head coaching win in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks with 242 victories. “Family day and we have a Hilltop family here that we’re very proud about.

“When you get a lot of people rallying and supporting that, number one, great job by the directors to have that initiative and get a lot of people, a lot of friends and family out and supporters. It really filtered down to the players, and they felt real good about the energy that was in the crowd. It gave them a boost and enabled them to play exciting football for the fans.

“It was just a good day all in all, especially when you win.”

Hilltops fourth-year cornerback Jace Mowles appreciated the atmosphere the crowd brought to the stadium.

“It was great, because you get all the family out,” said Mowles. “Everyone is having fun.

“The kids are having fun, and even the intermission there, everyone was having fun. I enjoyed it. It was electric.”

Clark to appear at End Zone Scholarship Dinner

Dan Clark calls signals for the Roughriders in 2019.

Dan Clark will be the special guest at the Annual Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner set for September 28.

Clark was a star centre for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2009 to 2022. He was on the Roughriders practice roster in 2009 and 2010 and was on the main roster from 2011 to 2022 appearing in 131 games. During his years on the Roughriders practice roster, Clark was playing for the CJFL’s Regina Thunder.

Clark gained fame catching an eight-yard touchdown pass from legendary Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant in a 37-0 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a game played at historic Taylor Field on July 21, 2013. Following that contest, Clark and the Roughriders would later win the Grey Cup with a 45-23 victory over the Tigers-Cats on November 24, 2013 at Taylor Field.

In 2019, Clark was the unanimous selection as the Saskatchewan Roughriders Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. He was also named a CFL all-star.

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

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

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

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

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

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Undeniable - Hilltops’ Douglas is one of the CJFL’s best

Drake Douglas has made lots of dynamic plays for the Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops will never be confused with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

The Hilltops, who are the CJFL’s most storied team, pride themselves on being workmanlike and humble. Players that have overflowing amounts of talent don’t draw attention to themselves, and they work on being great persons off the field.

The late Chase Bradshaw goes down as one of the biggest examples of this image. He was a Hilltops quarterback from 2007 to 2011. He was a backup on the Hilltops 2007 CJFL championship winning club and the star starter on the 2010 and 2011 CJFL championship winners.

He was the athlete who had the rocket arm and could get out of trouble with his legs thanks to his agility and blazing speed. You would be hard pressed to get Bradshaw to talk about himself, but when you saw his work on the field, his talent was undeniable.

Star players with the NFL’s Cowboys are often viewed as showman types that like the spotlight, and they will bombard you with talking about how great they are. Pro Football Hall of Fame receivers Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson exemplify the image of the classic Cowboys players.

The Hilltops do not like to do the showman thing, so this next line might get uncomfortable.

Drake Douglas is worth the price of admission of any game he plays in.

The graduate of Regina’s Balfour Collegiate Bears Football Team, has been that good and that entertaining to watch.

Douglas and the Hilltops (4-0) are set to finally play at home again on Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Winnipeg Rifles (0-4) at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The last time the Hilltops played at home was for their regular season opener way back on August 11, when they downed the Edmonton Huskies 38-13 at SMF Field.

Douglas has had a blazing start to his final CJFL campaign. The 22-year-old star receiver leads the Prairie Football Conference in pass receptions (27), receiving yard (504) and receiving touchdowns (five). He also leads the PFC in punt return yards at 268 and is tied for punt return attempts at 24.

On the receiving side, Douglas, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 185 pounds, is on pace that he could possibly surpass the 1,000-yard receiving plateau in the regular season. No Hilltops player has ever hit 1,000 yards receiving in one regular season and that feat has happened less than 20 times in the history of the CJFL.

Slater Zaleski, who played for the Edmonton Huskies, holds the PFC record for receiving yards in one regular season with 1,064 yards coming back in 1987 in an eight-game regular season. 

Drake Douglas has 504 yards receiving in four games in 2024.

Michael Schaper, who played for the Vancouver Island Raiders, holds the CJFL record with 1,179 receiving yards in one regular season coming in a 10-game regular season played by the British Columbia Football Conference in 2010.

The CJFL’s career regular season record for receiving yards is held by Hilltops all-time great Andrew Busby, who piled up 3,109 receiving yards from 2004 to 2008. Busby holds the Hilltops record for most receiving yards in one season when he caught 73 passes for 974 yards and nine touchdowns in 2006.

On Tuesday, Douglas was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts in the Hilltops 29-15 victory over the Thunder in Regina on Saturday, Sept. 7. 

In that contest, Douglas caught 10 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown. He also returned six punts for 39 yards for the defensive CJFL champions, who are still rated first in the CJFL’s latest Top 10 Power Rankings.

On Thursday, the CJFL put together a graphic with Douglas being the top receiver for the first half of the campaign.

To go along with his efforts as a receiver and punt returner, Douglas is the Hilltops holder for field goal attempts on special teams. Off a fake field goal, Douglas threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to power running back Corbin Ebben in a 52-19 victory over the Colts in Calgary on August 25.

The Hilltops will mix things up in their running game and get the ball to Douglas on a jet sweep or other similar style running plays.

Douglas has been outstanding in all aspects of the game. As a receiver, quarterbacks can throw to him when he is covered. If a pass in his direction is off target, Douglas makes the one-handed stab catch to pull in the reception.

When he was growing up, Douglas’s favourite receiver with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders was Naaman Roosevelt, and Douglas certainly mirrors Roosevelt’s consistency. On the excitement creating side, Douglas is the Hilltops version of Roughriders legend Weston Dressler, who was formally inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Douglas is humble. When he settled in Saskatoon to be part of the working world in 2002, his football career was revived when his highlight packaged was emailed off by older brother Brayden to legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. Sargeant gave Drake a call and the rest is still becoming history.

While Douglas has a shot to become the first Hilltops receiver to hit 1,000 yards receiving in one regular season, that accomplishment still possibly might not happen. The storied CJFL club is always looking to the future, and the Hilltops usually empty their bench to get their younger reserve players playing time.

Drake Douglas was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week.

Jordan Walls, who was a Hilltops quarterback on their CJFL championship teams from 2014 to 2018 including being the star starter in 2017 and 2018, often said the Hilltops are not about individual statistics. In Walls final season in 2018, the Hilltops went 11-0 with the closest margin of victory being 19 points.

In most games in that campaign, the starters were off the field shortly after halftime due to the sizeable lead the Saskatoon side had. If the Hilltops would have left their starters in for three quarters or three and a half quarters, they could have potentially rocked a number of individual CJFL records that year.

With that in mind, you can expect Douglas is going to make a lot of special plays for the rest of 2024 campaign. If you don’t have a ticket to a Hilltops game Douglas is playing in, you will be missing out.

Mowles gets player of the week nod

Jace Mowles was the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

Saskatoon Hilltops cornerback Jace Mowles had his biggest game of the year and it resulted in a CJFL weekly award.

On Tuesday, Mowles was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week for his outstanding performance in the Hilltops 29-15 over the Thunder in Regina on Saturday, September 7. In that contest, Mowles, who is in his fourth year of CJFL eligibility, intercepted a pair passes and recorded three solo defensive tackles, three defensive tackle assists and one pass knockdown.

On the season, Mowles, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate Marauders Football Team, has recorded five solo defensive tackles, four defensive tackle assists, three special teams solo tackles, one special teams tackle assist, two interceptions and one pass knockdown.

Sargeant records 240^th win as Hilltops head coach

Tom Sargeant has 240 career wins as Hilltops head coach.

Legendary Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant keeps collecting milestones as each season moves on.

When the Hilltops downed the Thunder in Regina 29-15 on Saturday, September 7, Sargeant earned his 240 career victory as Hilltops head coach. Sargeant became the Hilltops head coach in early December of 1997, and he has a 240-37-2 career record working the team’s sidelines.

His career record includes posting a 178-26-2 mark in the regular season and a 62-11 mark in the post-season. Sergeant is the all-time leader in career head coaching victories in Canada’s amateur post-secondary ranks.

The Hilltops, who are the defending CJFL champions, have won 14 CJFL titles with Sargeant as head coach. Sargeant also helped the Hilltops win two CJFL championships as an assistant coach and one CJFL title as a player. He was a Hilltops assistant coach from 1991 to 1997 and a player from 1983 to 1985 and 1987 having spent the 1986 campaign with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team.

Glen Constantin, who is the head coach of the ultra-powerful Laval Rouge et Or in the U Sports ranks, is second all-time in career head coaching victories in Canada’s amateur post-secondary ranks. Constantin picked up his 212^th career victory on Saturday as the Rouge et Or thumped the host McGill University Redbirds 45-12 at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal, Quebec. The Rouge et Or improved to 3-0 with the victory.

Constantin served as the Rouge et Or’s defensive coordinator from the team’s inaugural campaign in 1996 to 2000 and has been the squad’s head coach since 2001. As the team’s head coach, Constantin has posted a career record of 212-38 which includes a 155-27 mark in the regular season and a 57-11 record in the U Sports post-season.

The Rouge et Or have won 10 of their 11 Vanier Cup titles as U Sports champions with Constantin as head coach.

Frank McCrystal sits third in career head coaching victories in Canada’s amateur post-secondary ranks at 208 serving as head coach of the Regina Rams from 1984 to 2014. McCrystal piled up his win total during the Rams final 15 seasons in the CJFL from 1984 to 1998 and the Rams first 16 season in the U Sports ranks as the University of Regina Rams from 1999 to 2014.

In the CJFL, McCrystal posted a 104-17-1 record in the regular season and a 37-8 record in the post-season as Rams head coach. The Rams won seven CJFL titles under McCrystal’s guidance.

In U Sports, McCrystal posted a 60-67-1 record in the regular season and a 7-12 record in the post-season as Rams head coach. The Rams made the U Sports title game – the Vanier Cup – once under McCrystal’s watch falling 42-39 in the 2000 Vanier Cup to the U of Ottawa Gee Gees.

Combining his records from the CJFL and U Sports, McCrystal posted a 208-104-2 mark as Rams head coach.

Clark to appear at End Zone Scholarship Dinner, other notes

Dan Clark calls signals for the Roughriders in 2019.

Dan Clark will be the special guest at the Annual Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner set for September 28.

Clark was a star centre for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2009 to 2022. He was on the Roughriders practice roster in 2009 and 2010 and was on the main roster from 2011 to 2022 appearing in 131 games. During his years on the Roughriders practice roster, Clark was playing for the CJFL’s Regina Thunder.

Clark gained fame catching an eight-yard touchdown pass from legendary Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant in a 37-0 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a game played at historic Taylor Field on July 21, 2013. Following that contest, Clark and the Roughriders would later win the Grey Cup with a 45-23 victory over the Tigers-Cats on November 24, 2013 at Taylor Field.

In 2019, Clark was the unanimous selection as the Saskatchewan Roughriders Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. He was also named a CFL all-star.

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

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

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

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

• On Thursday, the CJFL put up graphics for Hilltops star quarterback Trey Reider being the most valuable player and the top quarterback for the first half of the PFC’s regular season. A graphic was made for Regina Thunder running back Sadik Sadik being the top rusher and for Winnipeg Rifles linebacker Kyler Banfield for being the top defender.
• On Tuesday, Calgary Colts kicker/punter Robert Lasebnik was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his work in his team’s 36-30 victory over the host Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta, last Sunday. Lasebnik punted the ball nine times for an average of 40.7 yards per punt and kicked the ball off six times for an average of 55.7 yards per kick. He also hit five one-point converts for the Colts.
• On Monday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on Aulain Penner, who is the star running back of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders Football Team. Penner is one of Saskatoon’s most exciting high school players. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that is anchored by pictures from Softball Canada’s Men’s and Master Men’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship tournaments that were played on the diamonds at the Complex. It also includes other photos from baseball, football and softball. That post can be found by clicking right here.

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

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Hilltops crush Colts 53-2

Saskatoon to host PFC final versus rival Thunder

Hilltops DB Jace Mowles breaks up a Colts pass attempt.

The Saskatoon Hilltops defence looks ready to build off its historic run in the regular season.

The ’Toppers offence appears intent on giving the defence lots of breathing room in case there is any error. That combination spelled doom for the Calgary Colts.

On Sunday playing before 886 spectators at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops crushed the Colts 53-2 in a PFC semifinal contest. The Hilltops ran their overall record to 9-0 on the campaign, while the Colts, who had the second high scoring offence in the PFC during the regular season, finished out with a 3-6 overall mark.

With the win, the Hilltops advance in the CJFL playoffs to host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder, who are 7-2 overall, in the PFC final this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. Thunder rallied past the Edmonton Huskies 20-17 in the other PFC semifinal played on Sunday at Leibel Field in Regina. The Huskies finish with a 4-5 overall mark.

Wade Keating returns an interception 26 yards for a touchdown.

During their eight regular season games, the Hilltops allowed 51 total points against, which is the lowest total for the club dating back to 1949 when Canadian Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Ron Atchison played for the storied squad. Saskatoon was also plus-25 in the takeaway-giveaway department, which was tops in the PFC.

Against the Colts on Sunday, the Hilltops played to form.

The Hilltops defence held the high-powered Colts offence to 91 yards rushing and 149 yards passing. Saskatoon intercepted the ball seven times and forced Calgary to turn the ball over on downs on three occasions. The Hilltops turned the ball over only once on a fumble.

To start the contest, the Hilltops kicked off to allow the defence to set the tone. That first series ended with Colts quarterback Caine Harrison being picked off by Hilltops rising star safety Dalton Urban.

Wade Keating, right, reacts to scoring on a pick six.

From that point, the Hilltops rolled off 27 straight points to lead 27-0 with 24 of those points coming off turnovers.

“What they’ve been doing all year is what they did today,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “They are just on board.

“They’re a special group. That is why we made sure we kicked the ball off to get them on the field and let them set the tone. They certainly did that today.

“Then the offence got their legs underneath them. We’re just flowing and going. Everyone was feeling good, and the plays were the plays. The players made the plays today. It was fun to watch.”

Matt Wist had eight total tackles and an interception for the Hilltops.

Following Urban’s opening series interception, the Colts defence was able to rally and hold the Hilltops to connecting on a 19-yard field goal from kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas, which gave the hosts a 3-0 lead.

Just before 11 minutes had expired in the first quarter, the Colts had to fall on the ball due to a bad punt snap resulting in a turnover on downs. The Hilltops concluded the ensuing offensive series with a one-yard touchdown run from star power running back Boston Davidsen to lead 10-0.

On the final play of the first quarter, Abel-Douglas connected on a field goal from 46 yards out to put the Hilltops lead out to 13-0.

Dalton Urban runs back a first quarter interception.

At the 5:55 mark of the second quarter, Hilltops outside linebacker Wade Keating, who is playing out his final season of CJFL eligibility, intercepted Harrison and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown to push the host side’s lead out to 20-0.

“That was the first one in CJFL history for me in my fifth year, so that is pretty awesome,” said Keating about his pick six. “You know what? I had some good blocks to get it to the end zone too.”

Right before he made his pick six, Keating said he heard Sargeant calling that it was going to the veteran’s turn to make a big play.

“I heard the big man saying it,” said Keating. “He was calling it out that it was coming to me and just to be ready.

The Hilltops celebrate a second interception from Jace Mowles (#23).

“It came to me, and I was ready.”

Shortly after Keating’s score, the Colts turned the ball over in downs again after having to jump on a loose ball from another bad long snap on a punting situation.

On the ensuing offensive series, Hilltops starting quarterback Trey Reider hit third-year receiver Noah Flaman with a six-yard touchdown pass to give the hosts a huge 27-0 lead.

Before the second quarter ended, the Hilltops had to concede a safety due to bad field position to allow the Colts to get on the scoreboard trimming Saskatoon’s lead to 27-2. A short time later, Colts kicker James Keane was wide on a 44-yard field goal attempt, but Hilltops big play sophomore running back Charles Sawi ran the ball out of the end zone to allow the Hilltops to hold a 27-2 advantage at halftime.

Boston Davidsen ran the ball for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

Sargeant chuckled at the notion the Hilltops defence has gotten to the point of not wanting to give any points and any time.

“It is a stingy group (and) a gritty group that has come so far in a short period of time,” said Sargeant. “There are a lot of new starters out there.

“They’ve embraced their roles. They’ve embraced their jobs. As I said, the coaches put them in good spots.

“It is awesome how they react. I don’t know how many interceptions we had today, but that ball wasn’t going where they (the Colts) wanted it to go. It was exactly where our players needed to be.”

The Hilltops got the third quarter out to an explosive start with a 56-yard touchdown run by Sawi on an outside running play at the 2:08 mark of the frame. That score gave Saskatoon a 34-2 advantage.

Charles Sawi (#18) ran for 127 yards and a TD for the Hilltops.

A short time later, Davidsen scored on another one-yard plunge giving the Hilltops a 41-2 lead.

Hilltops rookie safety Zaden Taylor proceeded to make another interception for the host side. That turned into a single point from a 47-yard missed field goal by Abel-Douglas to inch the Hilltops huge lead to 42-2.

Following that score, the Hilltops pulled Reider out of the contest to allow backup Brexton Elias to get reps the rest of the way.

Right before the third quarter ended, Hilltops third-year cornerback Jace Mowles made his first of two interceptions in the contest. The ensuing offensive series went into the fourth quarter and concluded with a 23-yard field goal by Abel-Douglas to push the Hilltops lead to 45-2.

Xavier Sabo caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

At the 7:14 mark of the fourth quarter, Elias hit rookie running back Xavier Sabo with a swing pass, and Sabo took the reception 78 yards for the Hilltops final major score putting their lead up to 52-2.

With 68 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Abel-Douglas round out the game’s scoring with a rouge off a 31-yard coffin corner punt attempt that went out of bounds one-yard in the end zone to finalize the 53-2 final outcome in Saskatoon’s favour.

Mowles recorded a sack and a pass knock down to go with his two interceptions. He said it felt good to hold the Colts to two points.

“Our defence is really good, and we want to set the tone for the game for the whole offence,” said Mowles. “We just want to do good and set the tone.”

Part of the 886 spectators who came to SMF Field on Sunday.

Offensively, the Hilltops had a big game on the ground piling up 310 yards rushing as a team.

Davidsen topped the Hilltops in rushing with 23 carries for 132 yards to go with his two rushing touchdowns. Sawi ran the ball 12 times for 127 yards to go with his major score.

Reider had more of a quiet day completing 8-of-11 passes for 65 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He ran the ball twice for 11 yards. Elias hit on 6-of-9 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Sabo caught five passes for 101 yards and ran the ball once for 17 yards.

The Hilltop Cheerleaders perform at halftime on Sunday.

Harrison completed 12-of-23 passes for 127 yards for the Colts, while throwing six interceptions. Receiver Nicholas Sirleaf finished the contest playing quarterback in relief for the Colts in the fourth quarter completing 2-of-6 passes for 22 yards, while throwing one interception.

Hilltops star 22-year-old middle linebacker Matt Wist had a big game recording eight total tackles, an interception and a pass knockdown. Defensive back Joe Yausie had an interception for Saskatoon.

Middle linebacker Shamus Harrison had eight solo defensive tackles and a fumble recovery for the Colts.

Joe Yausie (#9) secures an interception for the Hilltops.

“We have a lot of respect for Calgary, but these guys were on point today,” said Sargeant. “They defended their home turf.

“Everything that was in front of us we knew what they did. It was fun to watch today. The players had a lot of fun.

“The coaches had a lot of fun. It was a great team win.”

Now, the Hilltops will play the PFC final at home for the first time since 2019, when they won their last CJFL championship posting a 12-0 record in that campaign. Keating was a rookie on that squad and is looking forward to playing in a home conference championship game in his final CJFL campaign.

The Hilltops mark their PFC semifinal victory over the Colts.

“It is a game changer,” said Keating. “You have all the family and friends supporting.

“The atmosphere will be great. It will be a great one.”

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.