Price faced gritty beginnings before becoming Hilltops star

Ex-receiver remembers paying dues before making big plays

Jason Price makes a 70-yard TD catch in 2017.

Jason Price is remembered as a big play receiver for the Saskatoon Hilltops, but the big plays didn’t come when he first joined the team.

From 2014 to 2019, the Hilltops won six straight CJFL championships, and Price played on the first five of those title winners during his five years with the team. His last CJFL play came on November 17, 2018 when the Hilltops took a knee to conclude a 58-21 victory over the Langley Rams at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant ensured the team’s eight fifth-year players including Price were on the field for that final play. With that moment, Price graduated from the team with an ultimate moment and special memory.

He was on the field as part of a group of eight teammates becoming the first players to play on five straight CJFL championship winning teams.

Way back as a rookie in 2014, Price had just graduated high school from Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate having been a member of the Marauders football team. During that first season with the Hilltops, Price’s main focus was just hanging in with the team.

“The whole rookie season is a lot of anxiety and like trying to do your part but not get in the way kind of thing,” said Price. “Obviously, I wasn’t really playing at that time.

“I’d just be on the sidelines.”

Price remembers being awestruck by his veteran teammates in 2014. He saw quarterback Jared Andreychuk, who was in his third season at that time, as an incredible leader.

Jason Price makes a 32-yard TD catch in 2016.

He saw a receiving corps that was deep where everyone could make plays. The veteran receivers included fourth year players Evan Turkington, Evan Kopchynski and Chad Braun along with third year players Preston Njaa, Tyson Sawatzky and Ryan Turple. Second year receiver Davis Mitchell was also finding his way on to the field to make clutch plays.

Price knew he wasn’t going to see the field very much. He didn’t say much that season and just working on getting better and doing his best to be part of the team.

Price remembers that season going by like a blur. When it came time for the Hilltops to travel to Langley, B.C., to face the Rams in the Canadian Bowl in 2014, Price wasn’t part of the travel roster that made that jaunt. The Hilltops would win that contest 39-14, and help the Saskatoon side bury the disappointment of falling in the 2013 PFC final to the Regina Thunder, who won the CJFL title that year.

 While he wasn’t with the Hilltops in person for that CJFL title win in Langley, Price got to be part of a moment that made him first feel truly linked to the Hilltops, where he saw the team as family.

“I remember they invited all of the players (who remained in Saskatoon) to the clubhouse to watch them play in that championship game on the screen,” said Price. “I remember a lot of nerves but also just a lot of cheering.

“It was definitely huge just as an end to my rookie season to be invited to like the clubhouse and feel a part of the team even though you’re not there. Even though you are not in Langley with the team, you’re still with the team in the clubhouse cheering on the guys that are there. After they won it, I remember like everybody watching it on the field and seeing everybody celebrate and everybody cheering like crazy in the clubhouse.

Jason Price, right, makes a 22-yard TD catch in 2016.

“It was a just a rush of excitement, obviously, from what had happened the year before to that year was huge.”

The Hilltops didn’t graduate any receivers following the 2014 campaign, but they were set to start graduating a number of veterans at that position starting with Turkington, Kopchynski and Braun at the end of the 2015 season. In 2015, Price found himself getting more reps at practice and the veterans taking a bigger role in helping mentor him.

“I just remember kind of feeling a little more comfortable,” said Price, who stood 6-feet tall and weighed 200 pounds. “Those guys when they are not in and you are kind of getting your second team reps I remember always coming back and getting some advice from Chad Braun or Evan Turkington.

“Those guys were kind of always around. They understood that they were fifth years, and they were the leaders. They also understood the traditions that come and the next generation that is coming through and really helped kind of build and help you get to that next level.

“It just says a lot about the leadership group we had in those years.”

After the Hilltops downed the Okanagan Sun 38-24 in the 2015 Canadian Bowl played at SMF Field, Price found himself hitting the field as a starter in his third campaign in 2016.

Jason Price makes 38-yard TD catch in Regina in 2017.

“I was nervous at the start,” said Price. “It was my first time starting, and the game still feels fast.

“I remember not doing well the first few games personally and then kind of fell into my own and kind of got an understanding with Jared (Andreychuk) and got an understanding with the rest of the team.”

With Andreychuk playing in his fifth and final season, Price had a breakout campaign hauling in 28 passes for 763 yards and seven touchdowns during the Hilltops nine-game regular season that year. Price’s receiving yardage and touchdown reception totals were career highs.

On November 12, 2016, the Hilltops traveled to Langford, B.C., where they downed the Westshore Rebels 37-25 in the Canadian Bowl. Price caught Andreychuk’s final career touchdown toss hauling in a 47-yard pass to account for the Hilltops final major of that game.

“Looking back on it, that was an amazing season, and I loved it,” said Price.

In 2017, Price had a solid season catching 19 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular season games. Quarterback Jordan Walls, who was in his fourth year with the Hilltops and first year as a starter in 2017, had a strong campaign, but the Hilltops ground game might have been the highlight spot offensively.

Jason Price makes a TD catch at SMF Field in 2017.

The Hilltops were rich in talent at the running back position that season as the trio of Logan Fischer, Adam Machart and Josh Ewanchyna all saw significant playing time, while Colin Stumborg consistently made big plays from his fullback spot. Rookie tailback Ben Abrook saw playing time, and he would be a key player on the team in 2018 and 2019.

Price thought a key point in the 2017 campaign came when the Hilltops dropped a 29-26 decision to the Thunder in their fourth regular season game. That was Saskatoon’s only loss that season, but Price believes that setback helped sharpen the team’s focus for the rest of that campaign.

With the Hilltops having won the last three straight CJFL titles, Price thought maybe the vibe on the storied team had gotten a little too relaxed.

“When you take a loss like that, it puts things into perspective and kind of gets you to have to refocus on things,” said Price. “I think that loss was pretty big to help us kind of refocus and just kind of don’t think about the past.

“You kind of just better yourself as the Hilltop group every day. You take it one week at a time, and eventually, you will get there. Obviously, we were led by another group of great leaders.

“I think that was big for the rest of the season, because sometimes you do need to kind of get put back in your place.”

Jason Price, right, makes a catch in Regina in 2018.

The Hilltops concluded the 2017 campaign traveling to Windsor, Ont., and downing the host AKO Fratmen 56-11 in the Canadian Bowl. With that victory, the Hilltops became the first team to win four straight CJFL titles.

Price believes the run of consecutive championships came because the Hilltops were good at concentrating on the notion that each season was its own campaign with its own story.

“Every year is kind of new,” said Price. “Every year you have a different team, a different group of starters.

“I think we kind of did a good job kind of staying focused year to year. There was something new every year, and we were not worried about what was happening in the past or what could happen in the future. We just kind of took it one game at a time.

“Obviously with repeat championships, there comes a little bit of pressure to pull through and do the same thing.”

In Price’s final season, the Hilltops had statistically one of their most dominant campaigns posting a perfect 11-0 record. They trailed on the scoreboard for a total of 81 seconds for the whole season.

Price had a strong personal campaign catching 31 passes for 709 yards and scoring four touchdowns in eight regular season games. He was named a PFC all-star and a CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

The sure handed pass catcher often just played two-and-a-half quarters per game as the Hilltops were usually holding big leads and cycling backups to get game experience at that point.

Jason Price makes an 81-yard touchdown catch in 2018.

“Reflecting back on that season, I think we all just had the most fun not necessarily because we were winning, but because we were such a developed team at that point,” said Price. “We were such a brotherhood.

“We always talk about the Hilltops brotherhood. It was just like that was our family. We just had the most fun with our family kind of thing.”

In the Canadian Bowl win over the Rams in 2018, Price caught three passes for a team high 75 yards. The biggest memory came in being one of the team’s eight fifth-year players that was on the field for the final knee down snap.

That group included Walls, receiver Adam Ewanchyna, right tackle Kirk Simonsen, defensive end Connor Guillet and linebackers Cody Peters, who was the CJFL’s defensive player of the year in 2018, Bobby Ehman and Adam Benkic. All eight of those players had each played five complete seasons with the Hilltops first taking the field with the team in 2014.

“For that to be your year and know that you’ve done it and those final seconds are ticking off the clock there, and you’re out there with all the guys that you’ve gone through five years of practising every day, games, putting your body on the line for those guys, and you get to celebrate with them after that final whistle, that was something special that is for sure,” said Price.

For Price, he looks back at all points of his five career with the Hilltops being memorable from the time he was an anxious rookie trying to do his best to be part of the team to being a fifth year star veteran at the end. 

Jason Price and the Hilltops celebrate a Canadian Bowl win in 2018.

The good things that came Price’s way came from the fact he ultimately just focused on working hard and getting better in his first year campaign.

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

-------

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

Competitive greatness on a different level

Hilltops run of six straight CJFL title wins a spectacular era

The Hilltops celebrate their Canadian Bowl win in 2015.

From 2014 to 2019, the Saskatoon Hilltops had a run that even the most optimistic person involved with the storied CJFL club wouldn’t have thought possible.

Since the modern version of the team hit the field in 1947, the Hilltops have become one of the most fabled teams in all of Canadian sport having won 22 CJFL championships. With all the accolades the Hilltops have collected over the past 75 years, the most impressive high point might have been the team’s run at winning six straight CJFL titles from 2014 to 2019.

The run was capped with the Hilltops posting two straight perfect seasons going 11-0 in 2018 and 12-0 in 2019.

“It was amazing,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, whose 218 career wins entering this season are the most in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks. “I guess you remember the championship teams a little bit different than the other teams, and it is too bad.

“I’m not saying that is right, but you have that tendency to do that. It was just a great energy and a great confidence. These guys knew when they showed up in big games they were going to play their best football, and that is what championship caliber football is all about is playing your best when your best is needed.”

From left, Justin Filteau, Tom Sargeant and Jeff Yausie in 2014.

While the Hilltops strive to hit new levels of competitive greatness which they did during the run of six straight CJFL title wins, the run actually had an auspicious start.

Going into the 2014 season, the Hilltops were looking to bounce back after falling 21-16 in the PFC final against the Regina Thunder at Griffiths Stadium. The Thunder went on to win the Canadian Bowl to become CJFL champions for the first time in team history.

The Hilltops and Thunder opened the 2014 campaign playing each other at Taylor Field in Regina, and the Thunder prevailed in that contest 19-16 in overtime. After rebounding with a 19-13 victory over the Edmonton Huskies in Week 2 at Griffiths Stadium, the Hilltops hit a low point that seemingly came out of nowhere.

On Sept. 6, 2014, the Hilltops were set to play at their long time home park, which was newly renovated and rechristened Saskatoon Minor Football Field, against the Thunder. A lot of extra functions took place around that contest to commemorate the improvements at the park.

It appeared it was going to be a great day for the Hilltops as they held a 25-3 lead at one point in the contest and were up 25-6 going into the final two minutes of the game. Before those final two minutes elapsed, the Thunder scored three touchdowns to pull out a shocking 26-25 victory.

Justin Filteau sets to make a tackle in the PFC final in 2014.

Sitting with a 1-2 record, the Hilltops were in a soul searching position, and they were looking to just win a game.

“We had lost at Griffiths to Regina at the end of the year (in 2013),” said Sargeant. “They kicked the door down, and they were rocking and rolling.

“The next year they showed up with a lot of confidence, and they took us down. I wasn’t worried about them. I was just worried about us.

“I remember meeting with our leadership group, and I said, ‘Guys, you keep playing like this at the end of the day I’m going to have to play young guys, and we’re going to have to move forward.’ I said, ‘If this isn’t ground zero then we are in trouble.’”

The Hilltops in 2014 were a younger team with only five fifth-year players. One of those was linebacker Justin Filteau, who got a read on what needed to be done.

Filteau, who passed away in a plane crash on June 1, 2019, called a players’ only meeting in the basement of the Hilltops old clubhouse building. He spoke to the team about coming together as a family and working on the brotherhood within the squad.

Wayndel Lewis, right, takes a handoff in 2014.

In unique Filteau fashion, he was able to pull on the heartstrings of his teammates.

“That is one of the things we ended up writing on our rings was the brotherhood,” said Hilltops safety James Vause, who was in his rookie year in 2014. “I think it probably stemmed from that players’ only meeting that we had downstairs after we were 1-2 there.

“He (Filteau) definitely did bring the guys together. We had a good chat and the leaders all spoke. It was mostly Filteau speaking, but it was good to have something without the coaches around.”

Jordan Walls, who was a first-year quarterback with the Hilltops in 2014, said it was perfectly accurate to say that the players’ only meeting Filteau called was the point the team that season truly came together.

“It was a bunch of strangers that came in the first couple of weeks and then kind of after that meeting we all bought in,” said Walls. “We started doing things a lot more together as a team and going out as a group and making sure everyone was feeling included.

“As a first year guy, I definitely felt that way.”

After an intense week of practice, the Hilltops traveled to Edmonton and crushed the Huskies 68-17, which started a run where they closed the campaign with eight straight wins. The 2014 season culminated on November 8 with a 39-14 victory over the Rams in Langley, B.C. in the Canadian Bowl to become CJFL champions.

The Hilltops celebrate winning the PFC final in 2014.

Hilltops fifth-year star running back Wayndel Lewis, whose season came to an end with a left ankle injury in the team’s first playoff game, was named the CJFL’s offensive player of the year. Filteau took home individual honours as a CJFL all-Canadian all-star. Vause said you couldn’t overstate the impact Filteau had on the team.

“He was super important,” said Vause. “He definitely led by example.

“Being a young guy and kind of seeing his stature for a linebacker and how many plays he made and how much heart he showed on the field, he really put his heart and soul into every single practice and game. As a young guy seeing that, it was something that I definitely wanted to try and emulate as well. There wasn’t too many fifth years on the team, but they were definitely great leaders and players that we looked up to.

“A huge mantra on the Hilltops is to always try to help our fifth years leave as champions. With only having a few of them on our team, we really wanted to do it for them. Being a young guy, you really played for them, so they could leave the program as national champions.”

The Hilltops returned most of their roster in 2015, which in a lot of ways made it feel like a continuation of the 2014 season. A total of 16 players were playing out their final campaign of junior eligibility.

Jared Andreychuk, right, throw a pass in the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

It could be argued the Hilltops in 2015 were the most talented group out of the teams that won six straight CJFL titles from 2014 to 2019.

Jared Andreychuk was the cool and calm leader at quarterback. Logan Fischer was the star all-purpose running back, who could run hard through the tackles or make catches and big plays in space in the passing game. Des Vessey started at fullback, but he could carry the load at tailback if needed.

At receiver, Andreychuk seemingly had five or six number one receivers to throw to in Chad Braun, Evan Kopchynski, Davis Mitchell, Preston Njaa, Tyson Sawatzky and Evan Turkington.

On defence, outside linebacker Cole Benkic would be named the CJFL’s defensive player of the year, and he was joined by a highly talented duo in middle linebacker Cam Schnitzler and outside linebacker Quinn Pierce. The secondary was loaded with playmakers in Vause, Dylan Larson, Arnold Osam, Austin Thorarinson and Derek Sadownick.

The most remembered part of the 2015 Hilltops team were the starting offensive and defensive lines, which were arguably the best the team ever had. The starting offensive line featured Jordan Hydomako at centre, Tyler Hoath at right tackle, Terry Thesen at left tackle, Drayke Unger at right guard and Nathan Heide at left guard. The defensive line benefited from the stellar play of Blake Adams and Matt Kozun at the inside tackle spots and Tom Schnitzler and Blake Hermann at the defensive end positions.

Cole Benkic, right, sets to make a hit in the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

“(Matt) Kozun and (Blake) Adams were probably two of the best interior D-linemen that I’ve ever played with,” said Vause. “They were a force.

“Of course, you add the athleticism of (Tom) Schnitzler and (Blake) Hermann on the side, it was really fun to watch. You sit back and watch them play.”

The Hilltops rolled to a 7-0 start before having a hiccup and dropping their last regular season game to the Calgary Colts 34-4 at SMF Field. Saskatoon quickly reset for the post-season holding homefield advantage through the entire CJFL playoffs.

The “Blue and Gold” downed the Winnipeg Rifles 49-21 in the PFC semifinal and rocked the Colts in the PFC final 38-16. In the Canadian Bowl on November 7, 2015, the Hilltops battled the Okanagan Sun in a tightly contested game.

The 38-24 victory was only sealed when Andreychuk hit Turkington with a 33-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter to give the Hilltops their 14-point lead. Fischer ran the ball 23 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught seven passes for 107 yards.

“Probably, my greatest memories as a Hilltop were that season,” said Vause, who became the Hilltops starting safety late in the regular season after Thorarinson went down to injury. “Winning at home in front of that crowd, it was an incredible experience.

Blade Adams kisses the Canadian Bowl in 2015.

“I still sort of think that 2015 team is one of the most dominant teams ever to play, which is a huge credit to Okanagan as well, because they gave us a really good game in that final. That 2015 team from top to bottom had a loaded roster. When I sort of think about Hilltop football, it was that season.”

After a mass amount of graduations, the Hilltops looked to be in a reloading phase in 2016, but one of their key fifth-year players was Andreychuk. While Andreychuk was throwing to a younger group of receivers outside of Sawatzky, who was also in his fifth year, the signal caller’s leadership showed through as the younger Hilltops grew.

 The Hilltops took it on the chin in an early season loss to the Colts but pulled out a number of close games to again finish first in the PFC with an 8-1 mark.

With Andreychuk calling the signals, the Hilltops got past the Colts 43-31 in the PFC final and advanced to the Canadian Bowl to play the Westshore Rebels in Langford, B.C. In the Canadian Bowl played on November 12, 2016, the Hilltops trailed the Rebels 19-16 late in the third quarter before hitting high gear to pull out a 37-25 victory.

Tom Sargeant eyes up the action in the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

Andreychuk finished his CJFL career posting a 9-0 record as a starting quarterback in the post-season and became just the third starting quarterback in CJFL history to lead his team to three straight CJFL championships.

“It was very eye-opening about how you need to play,” said Walls, who backed up Andreychuk from 2014 to 2016. “He (Andreychuk) was so good, so dialed in with everything he did.

“I really fed off of him. We did a lot of things together during the season. We always sat together at films and roomed together on the road.

“Every rep he took in practice I was watching and just trying to soak everything in from him, because he is one of the all-time great quarterbacks for the Hilltops. (It was big) getting the front row seat to see how he performed and how he acted and prepared and just ultimately on game day went out and performed at a very high level every single game. I can’t remember a game where he was ever bad.”

Walls took over the starter’s role at quarterback in 2017, and the Hilltops machine kept rolling. Their only loss came on September 9 of that year, when they dropped a 29-26 decision to the Thunder at SMF Field. That ultimately would be the last game the Hilltops would lose until 2021.

The Hilltops finished first in the PFC with a 7-1 record in the regular season. In the PFC final, a one-yard touchdown plunge from defensive tackle Garth Knittig with 96 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter sealed a 36-24 victory over the Thunder. Saskatoon proceeded to host the Nanaimo, B.C., based Vancouver Island Raiders in a CJFL semifinal contest and romped to a 48-0 victory.

Logan Fischer runs the ball in the 2016 PFC final.

On November 11, 2017, the Hilltops became the first club to win four straight CJFL championships overwhelming the host Windsor AKO Fratmen 56-11 in the Canadian Bowl. For Vause, the Canadian Bowl win over the Fratmen marked an end to his playing career with the Hilltops.

“I would have done anything to have another year with the Hilltops,” said Vause. “I still think that those years playing football were some of the best years of my life.

“(There were) so many memories during those times. Aside from even the football aspect, it is just the relationships you build. It is the brotherhood that really makes you love the program.”

The 2018 campaign might have been one of the most dominant statistical seasons the Hilltops ever had. They opened the regular season on August 18 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina and thumped the host Thunder 41-7. The Hilltops took off and never looked back.

They went 8-0 in the regular season outscoring their opponents 402-70. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Hilltops trailed on the scoreboard for a combined 81 seconds. The Thunder held a 17-16 lead for an 81-second span in the second quarter in a regular season game against the “Blue and Gold” at SMF Field September 22, which the Hilltops took by a 48-24 final score.

“We played a lot as rookies, because the old guys would get up so much,” said Hilltops linebacker Konner Johnson, who was a rookie in 2018. “I think every home game we got the rookies in for at least the fourth quarter and some of the third quarter sometimes.

Rylan Kleiter holds up the PFC Championship Trophy in 2016.

“That is huge in getting the young guys developed. It has definitely paid dividends for us.”

Saskatoon’s closest margin of victory came in the PFC final with a 28-9 triumph over the Edmonton Huskies. In the Canadian Bowl played on November 17 at SMF Field, the Hilltops stormed out to a 28-0 lead and cruised to a 58-21 victory over the Langley Rams.

“Reflecting back on that season, I think we all just had the most fun not necessarily because we were winning, but because we were such a developed team at that point,” said receiver Jason Price, who was a CJFL all-Canadian all-star in 2018. “We were such a brotherhood.

“We always talk about the Hilltops brotherhood. It was just like that was our family. We just had the most fun with our family kind of thing.”

With the Hilltops becoming the first team to ever win five straight CJFL titles, Sargeant had the team’s eight fifth-year players take the field for the final knee down snap of the Canadian Bowl. The group included Walls, Price, receiver Adam Ewanchyna, right tackle Kirk Simonsen, defensive end Connor Guillet and linebackers Cody Peters, who was the CJFL’s defensive player of the year in 2018, Bobby Ehman and Adam Benkic.

All eight players played their entire CJFL careers from 2014 to 2018 with the Hilltops.

Garth Knittig scores a touchdown in the 2017 PFC final.

“That was probably one of my fondest memories as a Hilltop just being out there with the guys that you had been through it all with from year one to year five,” said Walls. “It was a nice gesture of ‘Sarge’ to do that and put us out there and make sure that we were all bonded over that thing and we were kind of remembered for that.”

The Hilltops returned a veteran roster in 2019 that would see 15 players graduate at the end of the campaign. The club had a different dynamic as a number of fifth-year players were starting for the first time due to how deep the team was in previous seasons.

Some of the Hilltops first time fifth-year starters who had stellar campaigns included quarterback Tyler Hermann, receiver Connor Graham, and linebackers Jadyn Pingue and Riley Keating. Pingue was named the CJFL’s defensive player of the year for the 2019 campaign, and he said winning that award, which is named after Hilltops all-time great Larry Wruck, was life changing in opening doors in the sport.

Going into the 2019 campaign, Pingue said he wasn’t on anyone’s radar when it came to staying in football after his time with the Hilltops was complete, because he had been a backup. He just wanted to have a good season in his final campaign with the Hilltops to show he could be at a league best level as a player.

“I didn’t just want to be an all-star,” said Pingue, who is still playing football with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds with aspirations to make the professional ranks. “I wanted to be the best.

James Vause runs back and interception in the 2017 PFC final.

“I knew I was going to be doubted a lot, because not a lot of people have seen me play, and it was my first year as a starter. I put my heart into that season to be the impact player and a leader immediately. I knew that they needed to count on me to make it in the defence and to help our team win.

“I spent the off-season working, training, watching film of NFL players that I knew, and I took time to manifest on how I could be the best player possible and a national champion again. That award and season were really special for me, because it set a new standard for me that I knew how to achieve.”

The Hilltops were in tight battles in the first four weeks of the season. In Week 3, they downed the Huskies in Edmonton 24-22, and in Week 4, they outlasted the Thunder 28-21 at SMF Field. 

In both those games, the Hilltops needed rushing touchdowns from star power running back Ben Abrook to erase deficits inside the final two minutes of play.

“Those games were down in the final two minutes, and it took a drive to kind of come back and win,” said Hermann. “To me, that showed a lot of character in the team including myself.

Jordan Walls throws a pass in 2018.

“That gave me the kind of confidence that you know what it is not always sunshine and roses in the Hilltop world. There is adversity, and it is nice to know that when were facing that we can rise above it and rally around each other.”

Saskatoon proceeded to roll from there. In the PFC final, the Hilltops downed the Huskies 30-14 at SMF Field and bombed the Beefeaters on London, Ont., 51-1 in a CJFL semifinal contest.

In the Canadian Bowl played on November 16, 2019, the Hilltops took on the Rams for a second straight year with this clash taking place McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C. 

Saskatoon claimed the defensive slugfest 11-6 thanks to three field goals coming from receiver/kicker Rylan Kleiter.

“I hadn’t cried like that in five years before or five years after,” said Hermann. “That was the most special moment being able to enjoy it with my parents and those coaches and specifically with one of my best friends Connor (Graham), and we able to do this whole thing together.

“I just remember hugging him on the field after and just crying. All that hard work and all those times when we were like questioning if it was worth it, we were just putting in so much time. We were just kind of buried in the depth chart.

“At the end of the day, feeling that moment at the end of the game, and it wasn’t the most beautiful game from an offensive standpoint, but I didn’t even care at the time. I was just so happy to climb that mountain and done it with my brothers and all the people that believed in me and really supported me throughout.”

Jason Price runs downfield after a catch in 2018.

Johnson hopes he can help the Hilltops defence emulate this year what they did in 2019, when he was a sophomore with the team.

“It was unreal, and that is what we are trying to get back to this year,” said Johnson. “Close games like that where it is low scoring and defences are kind of ruling the field both ways, it is super exciting as a defensive player.

“You’re kind of the star of the show out there and what everyone is watching. Hopefully our defence can stand up like that again this year.”

The 2019 season had extra special meaning for Pingue due to Filteau’s passing before that CJFL campaign began. Pingue was wearing the same #45 number that Filteau wore, and he was aware of the impact Filteau had on the program.

Pingue said the Hilltops played that season to honour Filteau, and one of his best memories was Sargeant being lifted on the shoulders of the Hilltops players while raising the Canadian Bowl to the sky to Filteau after the CJFL title win in Langley.

Jadyn Pingue in action for the Hilltops in 2019.

“Wearing the #45 that season had a new meaning for me,” said Pingue. “I had that number since my rookie season right after Filteau graduated from the program.

“After Justin’s passing, it turned into a number that meant more than my own, and it became one that I needed to honour as it had another legacy that needed to be respected. Back in that season, I went to ‘Sarge’ and the coaches in their office before the season kicked off to offer his number up for retirement, and I was open to changing my number. In my head at that time, it was the right thing to do, and I was open to changing my number.

“‘Sarge’ had a better idea and said that it would be better to honour it by wearing it for him, not by retiring it at that time. We added the JF45 decal on the back of our helmets to keep the memory alive of our Hilltop brother. We wanted to win not only for ourselves but for him too.”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world caused the cancellation of the 2020 CJFL season.

In 2021, the Hilltops finished second in the PFC with a 6-2 regular season record, but traveled to Regina and downed the Thunder 29-9 in the PFC final at Mosaic Stadium. 

Saskatoon proceeded to fall in a CJFL semifinal contest 17-14 to the Rams in Langley, B.C., on November 20 to end the quest to win a CJFL title for the seventh straight year.

Tyler Hermann throws a pass in 2019.

During the run of winning six straight CJFL championships, the Hilltops won a CJFL record 22 straight post-season games. 

The 2021 season saw an overall winning streak of 33 games and a road winning streak of 31 contests including play in the regular season and post-season come to an end for the Hilltops. It is believed both of those streaks are CJFL records.

For many of the team’s followers, the Hilltops run of winning six straight CJFL titles is arguably the most memorable era of the modern version of the club that first took the field in 1947. 

Walls said he was humbled by any type of praise that comes the way of the Hilltops teams of that era.

“You’re honoured to be a part of it,” said Walls. “You’re honoured to be involved with the entire team.

“For the guys that had been around for the majority of the years and they’ve seen a lot of football, for them to say that six year stretch out of the all years they’ve been there is the one of the most memorable, that means a lot. You just start to think about all the teams and all the guys you’ve played with.

The Hilltops celebrate their Canadian Bowl win in 2018.

“We’ve all kind of gone our separate ways now, but when you get together for things outside of football or you see them at the field and you are coaching against them, that is one thing you always think back to. There were just so many guys that were involved with it. It was a good time for sure a good time.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. This piece originally ran in the Saskatoon Hilltops game program for their home game on August 14, 2022. A huge thanks goes out to Louis Christ for supplying a large number of photos for this feature.

-------

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’ family feeling continues to live on, key in “drive for five”

Josh Ewanchyna and Garth Knittig share a funny moment.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops have a real family feeling, and it powered them to complete the “drive for five.”

    Most elite sports teams shoot to have a family feeling, and very few reach what the “Hilltop family” has. The family feeling the Hilltops have is one that has been built since the modern day version of the club formed in 1947.

    As soon as new players become part of the venerable Canadian Junior Football League team, the Hilltops family feeling quickly becomes part of who you are. You quickly begin to genuinely care about everyone who is part of the organization.

    Everyone from the alums, players, coaches, training staff, directors, volunteers and the cheerleading team all see each other as family.

    That family feeling was one of the reasons the Hilltops had an incredible 2018 campaign that resulted in an unprecedented fifth straight CJFL title.

    The Hilltops capped their “drive for five” going 11-0 to complete the fourth perfect season in team history and first since 2003.

The Hilltops fifth-years get set to accept the Canadian Bowl.

    Saskatoon concluded the 2018 season with an impressive 58-21 victory over the Langley Rams in the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – held last Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    Between the regular season and playoffs, the Hilltops trailed on the scoreboard for a combined 81 seconds.

    In posting an 8-0 regular season, the Hilltops outscored their opponents 402-70. Looking at all 11 games they played, the Hilltops closest margin of victory came in the PFC final, when they downed the Edmonton Huskies 28-9.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls (#19) calls signals in short yardage.

    Everyone involved with the Hilltops knows how to keep each other accountable, and criticisms are always taken constructively. Everyone in this family wants to see each other get better and improve.

    When you see members with the Hilltops interact with each other, the ease and the high comfort level with those interactions are amazing. It creates some humourous looking moments too like when star defensive tackle Garth Knittig sat on lap of Josh Ewanchyna, who is the team’s star running back, and shared a laugh in the final minutes of a 58-5 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles in a Prairie Football Conference semifinal contest at SFM Field.

LB Cody Peters backpedals into pass coverage.

    The collection of people involved with the Hilltops come from all sorts of backgrounds, and being part of the “blue and gold” unites them.

    In 2018, the family feeling within the squad hit new heights like the impressive performance of the team on the field. There were very few valleys in this campaign.

    Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant and his staff deserve boatloads of credit for what took place.

    With that said, the family feeling was really set by the group of players Sargeant dubbed “The Great Eight,” who happened to be the eight members of the club who were in their fifth and final years of CJFL eligibility.

    Sargeant always says the goal of the Hilltops each season is to play for the fifth-years and help them graduate from the CJFL as league champions. It was pretty easy to get motivated to play for the fifth-year group in 2018.

    Quarterback Jordan Walls, receiver Jason Price, right tackle Kirk Simonsen, receiver Adam Ewanchyna, defensive end Connor Guillet and linebackers Cody Peters, Bobby Ehman and Adam Benkic are all gems.

Hilltops receiver Adam Ewanchyna goes up and over a Rams tackler.

    Besides being great players and great sportsmen on the field, all are outstanding persons away from the game. Wherever they go, the atmosphere in any play they enter becomes more positive.

    At the team’s annual awards banquet held on Thursday at the Radisson Hotel, the fifth years were appropriately honoured and that included winning six of the possible seven team awards they could take.

    Walls, who is the club’s star quarterback, claimed the Ron Atchison “True Grit” award. During his first three years with the Hilltops, Walls played behind star quarterback Jared Andreychuk.

    Taking over as the starter last season, Walls showed he was more than ready for his opportunity. Compiling a 22-1 career record as the team’s starting quarterback, Walls showed great command of the offence and was the composed Joe Montana type leader that everyone wanted to follow.

MLB Bobby Ehman springs into action for the Hilltops.

    The Blue and Gold Award for dedication and commitment went to Price, who came through with big plays for the team game after game as a star pass catcher. Price built a big reputation for being a consistent deep threat.

    Simonsen claimed the Ray Syrnyk Trophy as the team’s top lineman. He has been one of the anchors on a standout offensive line and was the longest serving starter on that unit dating back to the beginning of the 2016 campaign.

    The Courtice Inspiration Award went to Ehman. During his first four seasons with the team, Ehman was a standout on special teams and stepped in wherever he could on defence. After star middle linebacker Cameron Schnitzler graduated for the club following the 2017 season, Ehman stepped into that vacated role for his well-deserved moment in the sun.

    The Don and Jim Seaman Memorial Award for the top linebacker went to Benkic, who fought through a number of injuries in his career to either often hold a starting spot or be a regular in the linebacker rotation.

RT Kirk Simonsen, left, gets set to lock on a block for the Hilltops.

    The Drs. Landa-Doig Award as the team’s most outstanding graduate was presented to Peters. Peters was named the top defensive player in the CJFL in 2018.

    He attended the training camp for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and was on the Roughriders practice roster before rejoining the Hilltops for his final CJFL campaign. Peters deserves another shot to crack a CFL roster in 2019.

    Ewanchyna would fill in at any receiver position and became a strong kick returner for the team. He enjoyed getting to play three seasons with and see Josh, who is his younger brother, grow into a star.

    Guillet built an inspirational story returning to play in all of the Hilltops games in the 2018 season after missing the entire 2017 campaign with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Guillet had 2.5 sacks in the regular season and one to conclude his career in the fourth quarter of the Canadian Bowl win over the Rams.

Connor Guillet (#76) and friends pose for pictures with the Canadian Bowl.

   It is the fitting this group holds the distinction of being the only players to win five CJFL championship rings during their playing careers.

    Defensive back Evan Mantyka took the Past President’s Trophy as the team’s rookie of the year. In Mantyka and the rest of the Hillltops returning players, the team’s future is in good hands.

The Hilltops will be in the “mix for six” in 2019.

    While attention will begin to turn to the next CJFL season, the contributions of “The Great Eight” fifth-year players from 2018 will live on in Hilltops lore forever.

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

-------

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

Hilltops’ fifth years hammer home “drive for five”

Saskatoon wins fifth straight Canadian Bowl, 21^st CJFL title

The Hilltops players get five fingers up for five straight CJFL title wins.

    It was only fitting head coach Tom Sargeant sent the all of the Saskatoon Hilltops fifth years on to the field for the final snaps of the Canadian Bowl.

    On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field with a 58-21 final cemented on the scoreboard in favour of the Hilltops over the visiting Langley Rams, all eight of the Hilltops fifth year players were sent on to the field to take the final kneel down snaps in a dominant Canadian Junior Football League championship performance. 

    When fifth-year star quarterback Jordan Walls took a final knee with zeros on the scoreboard clock, the Hilltops completed a perfect 11-0 season and became the first team to ever win five straight CJFL titles.

The Hilltops fifth-year players lead the team on to the field.

    At that moment, the Hilltops fifth-year players in Walls, receiver Jason Price, right tackle Kirk Simonsen, receiver Adam Ewanchyna, defensive end Connor Guillet and linebackers Cody Peters, Bobby Ehman and Adam Benkic all got to be first to celebrate and experience the euphoria of the win.

    “It is special,” said Walls, who finishes with an overall 22-1 career record as the Hilltops starting quarterback. “We’ve spent a lot of time together and shared a lot of moments.

Hilltops DE Tristan Hering sacks Rams QB Duncan Little.

    “That was definitely one I will never forget. This will be for the rest of my life.

    “I am going to go and definitely enjoy this one, celebrate, and I look forward to see what happens next.”

    With the win, the Hilltops added to their lengthy list of growing accomplishments. They captured their eighth CJFL championship in the last nine years and 21^st CJFL title in team history.

    The Toppers extended their current overall winning streak to 19 games and post-season winning streak to 16 games. They only trailed on the scoreboard for a combined 81 seconds all season.

    Finishing at 11-0, the Hilltops completed their fourth perfect season in team history. Saskatoon pulled off that feat for the first time since going 12-0 in 2003. The two other perfect seasons came in 1978 at 12-0 and 1958 at 11-0.

Hilltop RT Kirk Simonsen blocks out a Rams pass rusher.

    In Saturday’s, romp the Hilltops piled up the second most points ever in a CJFL title game. The 2003 Hilltops team holds the record for scoring the most points in a CJFL title game having crushed the Victoria Rebels 59-0 in the Canadian Bowl in Chilliwack, B.C., that season.

    Saskatoon showed very little signs having gone 19 days between playing games after downing the Edmonton Huskies 28-9 in the Prairie Football Conference final at SMF Field on Oct. 28.

    Playing before 1,465 spectators on Saturday, the Hilltops started making big plays on the game’s second play, when fourth year defensive lineman Tristan Hering came off the edge and nailed Rams quarterback Duncan Little with a thunderous sack deep in the Langley end of the field.

Hilltops receiver Jason Price slips out of bounds after a 44-yard reception.

    The Rams, who finished at 10-4 overall, had to concede a safety two plays later due to the bad field position to give the Hilltops a 2-0 lead.

    The big plays continued and ended with Hilltops star third-year defensive tackle Garth Knittig recovering a fumble inside of the final two minutes of the fourth quarter to set up the series, where the Hilltops ultimately ran out the clock with kneel downs.

    “These kids weren’t going to be denied today,” said Sargeant, who picked up his 15^th CJFL title win with the Hilltops including 12 victories as head coach, two as an assistant coach and one as a player. “It was pretty obvious.

    “As I said, I couldn’t be more proud of the coaching staff and the players to accomplish a tremendous goal. To win five, you think that is easy. Come on now. That is unreal, because those are unreal kids.”

Jordan Walls finished his CJFL career 22-1 as the Hilltops starting QB.

    After falling behind 2-0, the Rams put up a fight in the first quarter against the Hilltops. They stopped Saskatoon on the goal-line and Rams defensive back Nathan Murray made an interception deep in his own end to stall another Hilltops offensive series.

    At that point, the flood gates opened.

    Hilltops star running back Josh Ewanchyna, who would be named the game’s most valuable offensive player, ran in a major score from a yard out to give the Hilltops a 9-0 lead late in the first quarter. It was the first of three rushing touchdowns Ewanchyna would score on the afternoon.

    Kicker David Solie added a single early in the second quarter from a missed 32 yard field goal to bump the Hilltops lead up to 10-0.

The Hilltops celebrate defensive TD by Logan Bitz (#23).

    The Hilltops then proceeded to complete a three play drive that covered 102 yards that resulted in the game’s second touchdown. On the drive, Walls hit Price with a deep 44-yard pass, Ewanchyna broke a 44 yard run and receiver Keegan Dicks hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Walls.

    With 2:25 remaining before halftime, Hilltops defensive back Logan Bitz, who would be named the game’s most valuable defensive player, returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown to give the host a 24-0 advantage.

    The Rams showed life, when on the ensuing kickoff, kick returner A.J. Blackwell ran the ball back 100 yards for Langley’s first major score to cut the Hilltops lead to 24-7.

    Saskatoon responded to that score with a seven yard rushing major from Ewanchyna coming with 14.9 seconds remaining in the first half giving the Hilltops a 31-7 lead.

    “It was like anything,” said Sargeant. “We were going to be aggressive.

Josh Ewanchyna, left, darts home on a 40-yard touchdown run.

    “Certainly, that (102-yard scoring drive) was good, and then I also liked the answer at the end of the half, when they got the kick return, and we answered back and scored. It is just a group of men that they knew what they needed to do and how they needed to do it.

    “It is one thing talking about it, and it is another thing to execute it. They were locked in and focused. It is a great game by our coaches and players.”

    Early in the third quarter, Solie hit a 32-yard field goal to put the Hilltops up 34-7.

    The Rams answered back when Little hit star receiver Jevon Cottoy with a 42-yard touchdown pass to cut the Hilltops edge to 34-14.

The crowd at SMF Field cheers on the Hilltops.

    Saskatoon answered by piling up 24 straight points to surge ahead 58-14.

    Ewanchyna ran in a major from 40 yards out, Solie hit a 38-yard field goal and Walls hit receiver John Brown with a 41-yard touchdown pass to give the Hilltops a 51-14 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

    Knittig was inserted in at fullback on offence in a short yardage situation near the start of the fourth quarter and he ran in a touchdown from a yard out to round out the Hilltops scoring increasing their lead to 58-14.

    Cottey ran in a touchdown from four yards out for the Rams with 3:57 to play in the contest to conclude the 58-21 final.

 

DE Caleb Haight gets a strip sack for the Hilltops.

  Guillet was pumped about the fifth straight championship win at game’s end.

    “I’m speechless,” said Guillet. “I don’t know how to put it into words to be completely honest.

    “It is just an incredible feeling.”

    The veteran defensive end, who was playing his final CJFL game, was pleased to get a quarterback sack in the fourth quarter, when the Rams put in a package that featured Cottoy at quarterback.

    “It felt pretty good to get that sack,” said Guillet. “They put (Jevon) Cottoy back there.

    “It was a special formation that they use once in a while. It felt pretty good to stop that.”

    Walls completed 16-of-21 passes for passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Ewanchyna ran the ball 28 times for 245 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

    Price was the Hilltops leading receiver hauling in three passes for 75 yards.

    Bitz had making four total tackles to go with his 48 yard interception return for a touchdown. Defensive ends Connor Delahey and Caleb Haight each had sacks for the Toppers.

Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant contemplates a play call.

    Little completed 20-of-31 passes for 265 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Rams. He was knocked out of the game due to injury late in the third quarter on Delahey’s sack.

    Cottoy hauled in five passes for 109 yards to go with his major score through the air and on the grounds.

    The Hilltops defence held the Rams to 40 yards rushing total as a team.

    Following the game, Simonsen had a blooper moment, when the Canadian Bowl broke apart at the neck during the Hilltops on field celebrations.

    “I don’t know what happened there,” said Simonsen with a laugh. “I just lifted it, and it fell apart.”

    He was overjoyed to help the Hilltops win five straight CJFL titles and be part of all those wins.

The Hilltops fifth-year player take the final kneel down play.

    “This is crazy,” said Simonsen. “When you start, you are never thinking you are going to win five for five.

    “No one has ever done it, so that is an awesome feeling for sure.”

    Sargeant admitted it seemed fitting that the Hilltops capped their “drive for five” with a perfect season.

    “It is real cool and very deserving, and we are very proud of that,” said Sargeant. “To go to our new facility, you just don’t know how things are going to go.

    “These kids, they just locked in. They are a tough team. They are tough and physical. 

The Hilltops celebrate with three parts of the Canadian Bowl.

    “They really went after things today. I’m very proud.”

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

-------

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