Hilltops rumble past Thunder for fourth straight PFC title

DL Garth Knittig (#59) dives in for a Hilltops touchdown.

    Garth Knittig got to live a defensive lineman’s dream at a critical point of a championship game.

    On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the third year defensive tackle for the Saskatoon Hilltops was called upon to carry the ball on a first-and-goal from the one yard-line. The Hilltops were holding a slim five-point lead on the Regina Thunder with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the Prairie Football Conference final.

    Knittig, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 285 pounds, made no mistake diving over a pile of bodies at the line of scrimmage to score the touchdown that put the Hilltops up 36-24 with 96 seconds to play. That score held up as a final as the Hilltops claimed a fourth straight PFC championship.

    “All I knew was that I couldn’t be stopped,” said Knittig. “I just had to motor through anyone who was in my way.

    “The O-line had an unreal push, and they gave me a nice place to go through. It was my first touchdown ever in my life, so it was unreal. I will never forget it.”

Garth Knittig lines up at defensive tackle for the Hilltops.

    The 20-year-old from Delisle, Sask., was pumped he could help his Hilltops down their provincial rivals for another conference title.

    “It is an unreal feeling right now,” said Knittig. “I can’t even put it into words. It is unreal having this experience with the boys.”

    Knittig’s touchdown capped a hard-fought battle of a game that has become a trademark of the clashes between the Hilltops and Thunder.

    Just 90 seconds into the contest, Hilltops running back Adam Machart burst through the middle of the Thunder defence on a 48-yard touchdown run to put the hosts up 7-0. The Hilltops lead increased to 9-0, when fifth-year defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler forced a Thunder safety.

    Schnitzler knocked the ball out of the hands of Thunder star quarterback Sawyer Buettner, when the signal caller was throwing out of his own end zone.

Safety James Vauses runs back an interception for the Hilltops.

    Thunder offensive lineman Logan Ferland dived on the loose ball, and he was downed in the end zone, when Schnitzler tagged him in attempting to recover the ball as well.

    Regina responded with a 10-point surge to pull ahead 10-9. With 37.7 seconds to play in the first quarter, rookie kicker Eric Maximuik booted a 28-yard field goal to give the Thunder their first points. Early in the second quarter, Buettner hit star receiver Levi Paul with a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the visitors a one-point edge.

    The Hilltops answered back. Facing a third-and-one from the Thunder 40 yard line, the Toppers elected to gamble. Sophomore running back Joshua Ewanchyna broke a short-yardage play into a 40-yard touchdown run to give Saskatoon a 16-10 advantage.

    With 23.3 seconds to play in the first half, the Hilltops added another major score coming from a one-yard touchdown plunge from fullback Colin Stumborg to surge in front 23-10.

QB Sawyer Buettner threw for 325 yards for the Thunder.

    Regina wouldn’t allow Saskatoon to run away with the contest. Early in the third quarter, the Hilltops fumbled the ball on a punt return, and it was recovered by Regina defensive lineman Ryland Gibb.

    Buettner quickly drove the Thunder downfield on a short drive that was capped with a 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lee Brown to cut the Hilltops lead to 23-17.

    The Hilltops pushed their edge back out to 29-17 before the third quarter ended, when fourth-year safety/kicker James Vause hit field goals from 33 and 36 yards out respectively. Vause had a big night for the Hilltops making six solo tackles and a second quarter interception.

    The graduate of Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate was pleased he was able to come through with a big performance.

    “It was really good,” said Vause. “Honestly, I’ve had a tough year. I really just dialed in mentally this week, and I just did my job.

    “Those field goals have to go in. They are big points. I’m glad I could contribute that for the team as well.”

Joshua Ewanchyna (#18) ran for 81 yards on eight carriers for the Hilltops.

    With 7:55 to play in the fourth quarter, the Thunder cut the Hilltops lead to 29-24 with a diving one-yard touchdown run by star running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette.

    That set the stage for Knittig’s score near the end of the fourth quarter.

    “That was one of the most intense games I was a part of,” said Vause. “You have to be focused every play. It was a battle.

    “Give full credit to Regina. They battled back like they always do. We just have to stay the course and react and come back stronger every time they have a nice drive or a touchdown.

    “We pulled it together. I couldn’t be happier for the guys.”

    Buettner had a big day for the Thunder completing 29-of-39 passes for 325 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Paul topped all Thunder receivers hauling in nine passes for 86 yards to go with his major score.

Adam Machart (#20) ran for a massive 206 yards for the Hilltops.

    Regina linebacker Tanner Smith had nine solo tackles and two assisted tackles in the contest. The Thunder finished the season with a 6-4 overall record.

    The Hilltops did most of their damage offensively on the ground piling up 297 yards as a team rushing. Machart carried the ball 22 times for 206 yards to go with his rushing touchdown.

    With Hilltops fifth-year star running back Logan Fischer not dressed due to a lower body injury, Machart wanted to come through with a big outing and was pumped about another conference title win.

    “It feels amazing,” said Machart. “Our guys are super pumped. It feels really, really good.

    “This game meant a lot to the team and to our coaches. To come out and have a good game and get the “W” just feels amazing.”

The Hilltops begin celebrating their PFC title win.

    Ewanchyna had 81 yards rushing on eight carries to complement Machart’s efforts.

    Hilltops quarterback Jordan Walls completed 11-of-17 passes for 117 yards. Tom Schnitzler and middle linebacker Cameron Schnitzler both had sacks for the Hilltops.

    With the win, the Hilltops, who are 9-1 overall, have won 11 straight playoff games having claimed the last three straight Canadian Junior Football League championships. Saskatoon’s last post-season loss came back in the 2013 PFC final by a 21-16 score to the Thunder at Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.

    The Hilltops will host a CJFL national semifinal match this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at SMF Field against the Vancouver Island Raiders (8-3-1), who are based in Nanaimo, B.C.

The Hilltops raise the PFC championship trophy.

    Last Saturday, Raiders downed the Westshore Rebels 21-7 in Langford, B.C., to capture the British Columbia Football Conference title.

    The winner of the match between the Hilltops and Raiders advances to the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl. The Canadian Bowl will be held on Nov. 11 in Ontario against the winner of the Ontario Football Conference.

    The Windsor AKO Fratmen (8-1) host the Hamilton Hurricanes (6-3) in the OFC final, and the schedule of that clash is still to be announced.

    In the present, Machart is pumped his team gets to play the Raiders this coming Sunday.

    “I couldn’t be happier right now,” said Machart. “I love this sport, and we wanted to win today, and we got that.

    “To continue on in our season just feels awesome.”

    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 and Thunder show off CJFL at its best

Thunder RB Jonathan Thebaud (#30) and the Hilltops defence collide.

    On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder put on a show that was made for TV.

    For anyone that has seen these two clubs go at it over the years, that observation shouldn’t come as a shock. When the Hilltops and Thunder meet, spectators get to see the Canadian Junior Football League at its best.

    In their latest clash, the Hilltops led the Thunder 20-6 at halftime only for the Thunder to rally and pull out a heart stopping 29-26 victory. It was a reversal of script from the six previous encounters between these two teams, where the Hilltops came up victorious on each occasion. Four of those Saskatoon victories came by four or fewer points.

    While Saturday’s result was a tough one for the Hilltops and their fans to stomach, the end result doesn’t take away from the fact they took part in an outstanding game, which helps sell the CJFL.

QB Jordan Walls (#19) was on fire for the Hilltops.

    In Canada’s media cut age, circuits like the CJFL always have to embrace opportunities when they can sell themselves.

    The same can be said for the four head-to-head games the Hilltops claimed by four or fewer points in their previous six clashes with the Thunder. In those contests, the Thunder and their fans came away disappointed, but the fact the Hilltops won doesn’t take away from the fact the two clubs played an outstanding game on each of those occasions.

    Looking back at Saturday’s encounter, both teams will lament the fact they didn’t score more points, when the opportunities presented themselves. When the coaching staffs on both sides review video from that game, they will see the missed opportunities.

Thunder QB Sawyer Buettner, left, evades the Hilltops’ rush.

    On the statistical front, two spots showed how outstanding the game was.

    First comes from quarterback play, and the star signal callers for both teams had strong nights. Hilltops starter Jordan Walls completed 27-of-41 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Thunder starter Sawyer Buettner proved to be a touch better on the night completing 33-of-40 passes for 374 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

    The second statistical area that shows how outstanding the game was came on the turnover front. The Hilltops manufactured two takeaways, while the Thunder had one. Both sides did a sound job of looking after the ball.

    Both sides had missed plays, but in the overall view of a game, those missed plays really only stood out due to how well the rest of the game was played.

    Saturday’s contest had all sorts of turning points that could have really swung the fortunes to one side or the other.

Receiver Ryan Turple escapes upfield for the Hilltops.

    In the first quarter, the Hilltops had two long drives that ended in short field goals and gave the host side a 6-0 lead. The Hilltops could have had a touchdown in the first of those two series had receiver Jason Price been able to hold on to a perfectly placed pass in the end zone.

    With the Hilltops up 20-6, the Thunder had two long drives early in the third quarter that resulted in no points being scored due to turnovers. The first was a costly fumble by running back Ethan Hautz right before the goal-line of the Saskatoon end zone, and the second was an interception by Hilltops defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler.

    Hilltops kicker James Vause was wide on a 29-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter, and the Thunder ran the ball out of the end zone to prevent any points from being scored.

Receiver Isaac Foord jets downfield on a punt return for the Thunder.

    Still, the last three minutes turned out to be the huge climax. After the Thunder had taken a 21-20 lead, Walls found star receiver Sam Mike on a seven-yard touchdown pass to put the hosts up 26-21 with 2:47 to play. The Hilltops misfired on a pass for a two-point conversion.

    The Thunder proceeded to drive 80 yards in two-minute drill style that saw Buettner hit receiver Lee Brown from eight yards out for what turned out to be the game’s winning touchdown. Regina added a two-point conversion to lead 29-26.

    Still, 60 seconds remained on the clock and the Hilltops had both of their timeouts. That is like an eternity in the Canadian game.

    The Hilltops started on their own 30 yard line and drove to the Regina 20 yard line. The hosts had a first down situation with nine seconds to play and one timeout to use.

The Thunder and Hilltops get set in a short yardage situation.

    There was more than enough time to take a shot at the end zone before trying a potential game-tying field goal.

    Unfortunately for the Hilltops, the intermediate sideline throw that was intended for Mike was intercepted by Thunder defensive back Tyrel Latoski at his own five yard line. Saskatoon had run that exact play a few times in the game, and on this occasion, Latoski saw what was coming and he undercut Wall’s pass for the game-sealing turnover.

    If Saturday’s match was a CFL game involving the Saskatchewan Roughriders, there would have been all sorts of talking points.

The Thunder defence gets to Hilltops RB Joshua Ewanchyna.

    The fact the contest was an exciting CJFL game makes it a hidden gem.

    Will it mark a turning point for the rest of the season? Only time will tell.

    Going forward, the Hilltops and Thunder are currently tied with the Winnipeg Rifles for second in the Prairie Football Conference at 3-1. The Edmonton Huskies lead the way at 4-0.

    The Hilltops, who are the three-time defending CJFL champions, took the regular season series with the Thunder, who won the 2013 CJFL title, outscoring their provincial rivals 63-49 in two regular season meetings. Saskatoon took the first encounter 37-20 in Regina on Aug. 12.

    The CJFL was arguably the big winner with a showcase game. In Canada’s amateur sports scene, that is something that is always priceless.

Media watch an interesting game

Huskies head coach Scott Flory participates in a media scrum.

    With the start of the winter sports season, I have found that my head is on a swivel when head out to cover local sporting events.

    When I was in Regina back on May 14 covering the Seattle Thunderbirds winning the WHL title with a 4-3 overtime victory over the host Pats, I still have the air of finality imprinted on my mind from the media members in attendance while interacting in the media and scouts lounge an hour before that contest. Since the conclusion of that game, a number of my friends saw their time in the mainstream media and media overall come to an end.

    Due to the media cuts in Canada, I have found myself watching for differences on the media front compared to the previous campaign.

    On Friday night, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team hosted their home opener, and they romped over the University of Alberta Golden Bears 43-17 before 8,009 spectators in U Sports action.

    When I went on the sidelines to shoot pictures of that game, I felt like I was working a Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL game due to all the cameras that were circling the field. That caught me by surprise.

    It is also seemed like the majority of those cameras were shooting pictures or video for Huskie Athletics and the U of Saskatchewan. The one videographer I saw wore a jacket signalling he was part of a Huskies film crew.

    The Huskies also had an actual game program with a pair of stories, which was something you didn’t see a year ago.

    The cameras didn’t translate to interviews post game. Intent on writing a column, I didn’t do any post-game interviews. I did look in on the post-game scrums and saw three microphones from mainstream outlets and a Huskies staff filming video.

    For Saturday’s CJFL clash between the Hilltops and Thunder, I was one of only three people shooting photos for the entire game. I saw two other shooters arrive for part of the contest before leaving. When the game concluded, there were only four reporters, including myself, on the field doing interviews.

    The Hilltops also have different content in their game programs for each home contest this season.

    A year ago at both events, it seemed like there were more reporters at each game doing interviews. With that said, the media presence was there. It will be interesting to see what media personnel presence will be like when the Saskatoon Blades open their WHL regular season schedule.

    As for my own front, I will mirror what I wrote in a column back in May. My goal is to ensure that whatever I do cover it will be something I am passionate about.

    I find that when you do cover something you are not passionate about, the reader sees through it, and you do them a disservice.

    I just try to take things one day at a time and roll with the punches as they come.

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

Thunder finally get over Hilltops hump with comeback win

QB Sawyer Buettner throws the winning TD pass for the Thunder.

    Sawyer Buettner was pumped and relieved his Regina Thunder were finally the last team standing in a clash against the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    Trailing the Hilltops 26-21 with just under 2:47 to play in the fourth quarter of a Canadian Junior Football League clash Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Thunder found themselves set up on their own 30 yard line.

    Regina had lost its last six straight encounters with Saskatoon including action in the regular season and playoffs. 

    Four of those losses came by four-or-fewer points, where the venerable Hilltops, who have won the last three straight CJFL titles, always found a way to make two more plays than the Thunder to pull out victory.

    This time, the script was different. 

    Buettner, who is the Thunder’s star quarterback, drove his team 80-yards in two-minute drill style, and the march culminated with the signal caller hitting receiver Lee Brown with an eight-yard touchdown pass.

Receiver Lee Brown cradles the winning touchdown catch for the Thunder.

    After Brown’s catch, Buettner proceeded to hook up with receiver Levi Paul on a short five-yard pass for a two-point conversion to put the Thunder up 29-26 with 60 seconds to play.

    The Hilltops proceeded to march deep into Regina territory with their final possession, but Thunder defensive back Tyrel Latoski snuffed out the drive making an interception at his own five yard line with two seconds to play to ensure the 29-26 score held up as the final in Regina’s favour. The last time the Thunder prevailed over the Hilltops was back on Sept. 6, 2014 by a 26-25 final at SMF Field.

    “It was nice to finish the game off,” said Buettner. “It is kind of a relief to prove to ourselves that we can do it against a great team like the Hilltops, so it was good.”

Receiver Sam Mike (#4) celebrates a score to put the Hilltops up 26-21.

    The 20-year-old Moose Jaw, Sask., product added it had been some time since he helped win a game with a two-minute drill type drive.

    “I haven’t had one of those since high school,” said Buettner. “It was fun.

    “I told the (offence) we want to be great, when we have the last drive. I told the guys like I was proud of them no matter what happened.

    “We battled all the way back. It was just nice to score a touchdown there and win it.”

    Saturday’s game had a number of different swings. Right before the Thunder went on their game-winning scoring drive, the Hilltops had erased a slim 21-20 deficit, when quarterback Jordan Walls found veteran receiver Sam Mike with a short seven-yard touchdown pass to put the host side up 26-21. Saskatoon failed to score on a two-point conversion try after Mike’s major.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls threw for 351 yards in a setback.

    In the first quarter, the Hilltops tried to do their best to run away with the contest early. Saskatoon put together two long drives that ended in respective 20 and 25 yard field goals from safety/kicker James Vause, which gave the hosts a 6-0 edge.

    On the final play of the opening frame, Hilltops fullback Colin Stumborg muscled his way in from a yard out for a major score to put the Hilltops up 13-0.

    In the second quarter, Thunder kicker Eric Maximuik hit field goals from 29 and 35 yards out to cut the Hilltops lead to 13-6. With nine seconds to play in the first half, the Hilltops pushed out to a 20-6 lead, when Walls hit receiver Ryan Turple with a 13-yard scoring strike.

    The Thunder offence began to really hit stride in the second half but started out having trouble finding the end zone. On Regina’s first series of the second half, Thunder running back Ethan Hautz fumbled the ball away right before the Hilltops goal-line and Saskatoon defensive back Luke Melnyk recovered the ball in his own end zone to turn away the scoring threat.

RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette (#31) ripped off a long touchdown run.

    Regina’s next series was stopped thanks to an interception by Hilltops defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler deep in Saskatoon’s end of the field.

    With nine seconds to play in the third quarter, the Thunder finally found the end zone, when Buettner hit receiver Isaac Foord with an 11-yard scoring toss to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 20-13. Maximuik’s ensuing kickoff went 85 yards through the Saskatoon end zone for a single to further cut the Hilltops edge to 20-14.

    Around the midway point of the fourth quarter, the Thunder took their first lead of the contest, when star running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette burst 45 yards downfield for a major to put Regina in front 21-20. That set the stage for the dramatics in the contest’s final three minutes.

    “It (Saturday’s win) is a big one for us,” said Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay. “We haven’t had too much success against these guys in the last couple of years.

    “To be able to come up here into their own house and come out with this win, it is a big deal for our team. I think it is going to bring us a lot closer.”

The Hilltops defence forces a fumble near their goal-line.

    Buettner was pleased his side was able to overcome some re-occurring difficulties that helped the Hilltops build a six game head-to-head winning streak against the Thunder.

    “We’ve had issues with this team before of driving down and kicking field goals and turning over the ball, which we did today,” said Buettner. “When it counted, we drove down and we scored touchdowns when we needed to.

    “We came up big when it counted.”

    Buettner completed 33-of-40 passes for 374 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win for the Thunder. Walls connected on 27-of-41 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the loss for the Hilltops.

The Thunder celebrate their comeback win over the Hilltops.

    Saturday’s result creates a logjam at the top of the Prairie Football Conference standings. The Edmonton Huskies sit alone in first place at 4-0, while the Hilltops, Thunder and Winnipeg Rifles are all tied for second to fourth with identical 3-1 marks.

    The Calgary Colts sit fifth at 1-3, while the Edmonton Wildcats are last at 0-4. The top four clubs in the conference make the post-season.

    Having defeated the Thunder 37-20 back on Aug. 12 in Regina, the Hilltops hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker against the Thunder outscoring their provincial rivals 63-49 in the teams’ two regular season meetings.

    The Hilltops return to action on Sept. 17, when they travel to Calgary to face the Colts. The Thunder return home to face the Rifles on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at new Mosaic Stadium.

Kinsmen Football League celebrates 50^th season

KFL players were part of the halftime festivities at the Hilltops game.

    The players of Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League took centre stage during a halftime ceremony of the CJFL contest between the Hilltops and Thunder.

    To celebrate the league’s 50^th anniversary season, the teams from the amateur league were introduced to the crowd at SMF Field. It is estimated that around 450 players will suit up as part of the Kinsmen Football League this season.

    The league contains two age groups for players. The peewee age group is for players 11 and 12-year-olds. Peewee league games are played under Canadian nine-man rules.

    The league also contains a bantam age group for player 13 and 14-years-old. Bantam league games are contested under Canadian 12-man rules.

    A total of 41 players on the Hilltops current roster got their start playing in the Kinsmen Football League, which held its first season way back in 1968.

Thunder player with rare chronic pain condition needs funds

    A GoFundMe campaign was started on Thursday to help a Regina Thunder player, who is suffering a rare chronic pain condition.

    In 2015, Jarrett Seck was playing his third season of Canadian Junior Football League eligibility as a 20-year-old linebacker for the Thunder. He was also attending the University of Regina to become a physiotherapist.

    Seck was injured in a game in September of 2015 causing pain in his left leg. The pain never went away, and in December of 2016, he was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

    CRPS is believe to be caused by damage or malfunction of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The cause is not definitively known and there is no cure.

    Seck is forced to lay in bed all day. Having exhausted all treatments locally, the family is seeking treatments outside of Regina and Canada, and the expense is expected to be $81,000.

    Those looking to donate to help Seck can do so by clicking here.

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