Completed seasons major victory for football in Canada

Andrew Harris (#33) and the Bombers are champs again.

Those involved with football in Canada should be popping the champagne corks to toast the completion of the 2021 season.

That has to be considered a major victory.

The campaign was capped in spectacular fashion on Sunday when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers downed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-25 in overtime to capture the Grey Cup as CFL champions. A sellout crowd of 26,324 spectators at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont., were treated to a highly entertaining contest, even though their hometown Tiger-Cats weren’t able to win.

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros was named the Grey Cup MVP. He forever cemented himself as a hero in Winnipeg having quarterbacked the Bombers to Grey Cup wins the last two times the trophy was awarded.

Bombers receiver Nic Demski was named the Grey Cup’s most valuable Canadian player, and it seemed fitting that award went to a Winnipeg product who is a proud grad of the University of Manitoba Bisons football team.

Had the Tiger-Cats made one or two more plays, they would have been walked away with the Grey Cup. With six seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Tiger-Cats kicker Michael Domagala booted a 13 yard field goal to create a 25-25 tie and force overtime.

One play before Domagala’s kick, a pass to the end zone that was tipped by Bombers defensive back Deatrick Nichols and still found its way to the hands of Tiger-Cats receiver Jaelon Acklin. Acklin was unable to make a catch, which would have allowed the Tiger-Cats to win the game.

In overtime, Collaros threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to veteran receiver Darvin Adams. Winnipeg sealed victory on an interception by linebacker Kyrie Wilson on Hamilton’s ensuing OT possession.

The Roughriders could host games without capacity limits.

Of course in a contest that was as thrilling as Sunday’s Grey Cup, people could point to a handful of other plays that could have changed the outcome of that game.

In the overall big picture, it was incredible the football season in Canada got to this point. With the world coming into the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with the first shutdown occurring in North American in March of 2020, the entire CFL season was lost in 2020.

The Bombers had beaten the Tiger-Cats 33-12 in the 2019 Grey Cup before the 2020 CFL campaign was nixed.

Actually, there was a decent amount of speculation thinking that the CFL might not comeback at all.

The Vanier Cup game, which crowns the U Sports football champion, was cancelled in 2020, and most U Sports conferences didn’t take the field. The CJFL campaign in 2020 was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tackle football was played in Canada in 2020, but those contests happened in pockets here and there mainly at the high school level.

When the CFL season kicked off on August 5 with the Bombers beating the Tiger-Cats 19-6 in Winnipeg, there were no guarantees the season would be completed.

When the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the British Columbia Lions 33-29 on August 6, a sellout crowd of 33,350 was on hand at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Sask. Up to that point in time, that gathering was the largest crowd that had watched a sporting event in Canada since March of 2020.

Mason Nyhus and the Huskies went to the Vanier Cup.

The CFL was the first league in Canada where some teams were able to start hosting games at the start of the season without capacity limits since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020.

By the end of the campaign, most teams played without capacity limits, but showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination was standard practice.

The CFL successfully completed a season where each team played a 14-game regular season and the circuit held playoffs in its standard format where champions of the East and West Divisions met for the Grey Cup.

In U Sports, the Vanier Cup was handed out on December 4 in Quebec City, Quebec, when the University of Western Ontario Mustangs downed the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 27-21 at Stade Telus – Universite Laval.

Out of the four conferences that make up U Sports, three played a shortened six game regular season as opposed to an eight-game regular campaign, but the season got done. The football for the most part was outstanding.

Also on December 4, the CJFL crowned a champion as the Langley Rams blanked the London Beefeater 37-0 to win the Canadian Bowl at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ontario. 

The CJFL had many exciting contests and the Prairie Football Conference and Ontario Football Conference held their usual eight-game regular seasons.

The Saskatoon Hilltops 33-31 victory over the Edmonton Huskies in a PFC semifinal played on November 7 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field will always be an all-time CJFL classic. Hilltops receiver Dillan Heintz caught the winning touchdown with 21.3 seconds to play in that contest.

Dillan Heintz scores the winning TD in a PFC semifinal.

With all that said, there are warts and worries when it comes to the game in Canada. In the CFL, attendances across the league for most of the season have to be a concern outside of the draws that came for a handful of games.

Adverse weather still seems to push a lot of fans away for games late in the campaign, and this had been a pre-existing problem for about five to six years at all levels of the sport.

There are other concerns, but those can be bantered about on another day.

After the exciting Grey Cup that was played on Sunday, those involved in football in Canada get to feel like they are with the WWE faction The New Day, where everything is coming up rainbows and unicorns and it is all about the power of positivity.

The fact the football season in Canada was played from start to completion should be celebrated.

Ochs takes final bow at Hilltops team awards banquet

Mason Ochs picked up Hilltops team awards on Saturday.

Mason Ochs took one last hurrah with the Saskatoon Hilltops during the team’s annual awards banquet which was held around the lunch hours on Saturday at the Delta Marriott Hotel.

The Hilltops all-time great took home the team’s Courtice Inspiration Award and the Drs. Landa-Doig Awards as the club’s most outstanding graduating player. Ochs was also awarded the Sadownick Family Scholarship and a Hilltop Club Scholarship.

The star left tackle was both a PFC all-star and a CJFL all-Canadian all-star in the last four straight CJFL seasons.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Tommy Douglas Collegiate Tigers football team was named the PFC’s most outstanding offensive lineman for this past season.

Defensive end Riece Kack captured the Past President’s Trophy as the team’s rookie of the year. Boundary corner Jared Giddings claimed the Blue and Gold Award for outstanding commitment to the team.

Graduating right tackle Jonathan Chisholm won the Ron Atchison “True Grit” award, Konner Johnson claimed the Don and Jim Seaman Memorial Award as the club’s top linebacker and defensive tackle Jaxon Funk captured the Ray Syrnyk Trophy as the team’s top lineman.

The Hilltops handed out a number of scholarships on Saturday too.

Funk took the Harold Mitchelmore Memorial Scholarship and the Carl Hoath Memorial Affinity Credit Union Scholarship.

Lachlan Horsley and Wade Keating were recipients of the Bill Trout Memorial Scholarship and Boston Davidsen was awarded the TCU Financial Group Scholarship.

Jonathan Chisholm won the Ron Atchison “True Grit” award.

The Don McDonald Memorial Scholarship went to Brady Fossen, the EY Scholarship was awarded to Ben Marce, the Dr. Gryba Academic Scholarship was given to Brant Morrow and the Rempel Brothers Construction Scholarship went to Matt Wist.

Ethan Paslowski and Jayson Kehler were recipients of the SMF Joe Baier Memorial/Tundra Electric Scholarship.

The recipients of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation Scholarships were Dillan Heintz, Evan Mantyka, Dylan Cook and Presley Peterson.

Football Saskatchewan Scholarships went to Giddings, Ethan Godson, Erik Barsness and Noah Flaman.

Evan Mantyka claimed the Ignite Conditioning Scholarship.

The Evan Kyba Memorial Scholarship went to Josh Wiebe and Carter Wingert.

Kinsmen Club Scholarships were awarded to Johnson, Boden Marley and Daylen Hartz.

Along with Ochs, Hilltops Club Scholarships went to Johnson, Funk, Giddings, Godson, Morrow, Wist, Matt Turple, Justin Adamko, Connor Bevans, Trent Kehrig, Pavel Lalonde, Jordan Levesque, Reace Michnik, Zach Moehler and Andy Scrivens.

The Hilltops posted a 6-2 regular season record in 2021, won the PFC title and concluded their campaign falling in a CJFL semifinal contest to the Langley Rams 17-14.

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Hilltops make memorable return in season like no other

2021 campaign a great one despite CJFL semi heartbreaker

The Hilltops celebrate a winning TD catch from Dillan Heintz.

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

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

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

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

Fans cheer on the Hilltops at SMF Field.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jonathan Chisholm played five strong seasons for the Hilltops.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both encounters were CJFL classics.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Damon Dutton emerged as the Hilltops starting QB.

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

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

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

Ethan Godson became a big play receiver for the Hilltops.

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

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

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

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

Carter McLean rolled off some big runs for the Hilltops.

The turnovers made that contest a heartbreaker for the Hilltops.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The coin toss of a Hilltops game versus the Rifles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Hilltops enjoy fun moments with their supporters.

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

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Hilltops’ one-two punch at tailback in top post-season gear

McLean, Davidsen may see bigger role as weather worsens

Carter McLean charges downfield for the Hilltops.

Carter McLean and Boston Davidsen won’t back down from the rain, snow, cold, wind or whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw their way.

The Saskatoon Hilltops running back duo was difference in powering their side to a 29-9 victory in the PFC final against the host Regina Thunder at Mosaic Stadium last Sunday. McLean carried the ball 25 times for 204 yards picking up PFC offensive player of the week honours, and Davidsen ran the ball 19 times for 143 yards and one touchdown in that same contest.

The tailback pair played an integral part in helping the Hilltops pile up an eye-popping 386 yards rushing as a team against a previously undefeated provincial rival.

With the win over the Thunder, the Hilltops, who are 8-2 overall, advanced in the CJFL playoffs to face the Langley Rams, who are 9-1 overall, on Saturday in a CJFL semifinal contest at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C. (4 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CJFLTV.com).

As this time of year in Canada, the chances of playing a football game in adverse weather conditions goes up substantially. When the weather gets worse, teams are forced to rely more on their running games, and McLean and Davidsen are expecting conditions will dictate that they shoulder an extra load.

“I am expecting it (the running game) to be pretty big, especially if it is super rainy and super snowy,” said McLean, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 180 pounds. “The running game is going to be a big part of that game, and we just have to play physical and hard like we did against Regina.”

“We’re thinking about that,” said Davidsen, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 188 pounds. “That is in the back of our minds that maybe passing might become more difficult.

“I think it will be really huge on top of the conditioning we’ve always done. Carter (McLean) and I will be able to go back and forth, and we will always have some fresh legs. There won’t be any fatigue maybe if only one of us was in there.

Boston Davidsen runs tough inside for the Hilltops.

“We will be able to keep the run game going strong.”

McLean and Davidsen both had breakout campaigns in 2021 after the 2020 CJFL season was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world. McLean, who is in his third full season with the Hilltops, finished third in the PFC in rushing yards during the eight-game regular season carrying the ball 125 times for 599 yards and four touchdowns.

Davidsen, who is in his second full season with the Hilltops, finished second in the PFC in rushing yards in the regular season carrying the ball 98 times for 634 yards and six touchdowns.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said it has been outstanding to have McLean and Davidsen develop into a one-two punch this season adding that neither had been a starter in previous CJFL campaigns.

“Carter (McLean) sort of started early and was our hot back,” said Sargeant, who team has won the last six straight CJFL titles. “Then Boston (Davidsen) started gaining confidence getting his touches.

“Now the two of them put together they are a feature pair with the O-line and Damon Dutton certainly got a great movement pattern as a quarterback too. He has allowed us to do some different things and create some flexibility to our offensive plan.

“This running attack is coming on, and it is needed. We plan to run the ball a lot this weekend against Langley as well.”

Sargeant said the Hilltops might be forced to run the ball more depending on the weather situation.

Last Saturday, the Rams won the British Columbia Football Conference final 7-4 over the Kelowna based Okanagan Sun at McLeod Stadium in a contest played in monsoon like conditions.

Carter McLean rushed for 599 yards in eight regular season games.

With the Canadian Bowl slated to be held on December 4 by the winner of Saturday’s Ontario Football Conference final between the St. Clair Fratmen (9-0 overall) and the London Beefeaters (7-2 overall) held in Windsor, it will mark the first time the CJFL campaign has finished past the end of November since 1947. That 1947 campaign marked the first time the current modern day version of the Hilltops hit the field for regular season play.

The four clubs still alive in the CJFL post-season could encounter more adverse weather conditions.

At the moment for the CJFL semifinal in Langley, B.C., Environment Canada is predicting an overcast day with high of 7 C and a 30 per cent chance of rain.

“What is the old saying?” said Sargeant, whose team is on a CJFL record post-season game winning streak of 22 contests. “The running game will always travel.

“Defence and running game travel. Special teams should travel. Outside conditions are always a little tougher on offence, because you have skill and just different mechanisms.

“The philosophy around here since I’ve been here is we always want to be a 50/50 team, but when in doubt, we are going to run the ball at you and get after you especially at the end of the year in critical situations at playoff time. We just want to let you know that we want a little bit more than you and how you do that is by running the ball ground and pound.”

McLean and Davidsen are more than willing to provide the ground and pound aspect, and they enjoy being able to do that together.

McLean said he gets pumped up on the sidelines watching Davidsen run the ball.

Boston Davidsen rushed for 634 yards in eight regular season games.

“Oh definitely that motivates me,” said McLean. “I’ll be like, ‘OK, he is playing super well today. I have to also play super well.’

“Through all that, we make ourselves play better for each other, and we push each other for sure. That is where all the motivation comes from is always trying to make each other better.”

Davidsen said he gets an extra jolt of energy seeing McLean doing well, and two really try to build on each other’s momentum

“It is some healthy competition,” said Davidsen. “Carter (McLean) would come off to the sideline, and he would give you some advice.

“He’d say this is looking good and this one is good. Then, he takes a break, and I go in and use his advice and make some plays. I come back off and give him my feedback.

“We’re pretty interchangeable, and we are using our knowledge that we are learning on the field to help the other succeed.”

While the Hilltops have had lots of success on the ground, Dutton did have a strong season throwing the ball. During the eight game regular season, he completed 127-of-183 passes for 1,528 yards and 12 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.

Receiver Ethan Godson led the Hilltops and was fourth in the PFC in receiving yards hauling in 30 catches for 524 yards and six touchdowns.

Hilltops star left-tackle Mason Ochs was named the PFC’s most outstanding offensive lineman.

On defence, Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson had a massive year finishing second in the PFC in defensive points. 

The Hilltops celebrate a TD from Boston Davidsen (#24).

Over eight regular season games, Johnson recorded 26 defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, 12 special teams tackles, three special teams tackle assists, one quarterback sack, five pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery and five interceptions.

The Rams had three players capture four major BCFC awards.

Rams defensive back Kyle Clarot was named the BCFC’s most outstanding defensive player of the year and most outstanding defensive back. Rams linebacker Colten Dejong took honours as the BCFC’s most outstanding linebacker.

Rams receiver Daniel Kubongo was named the rookie of the year for the BCFC.

The Hilltops and Rams met in the CJFL’s title game – the Canadian Bowl – in 2018 and 2019.

The Hilltops claimed the 2018 clash 58-21 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field and prevailed 11-6 in the 2019 encounter at McLeod Stadium.

“It is great to have them again,” said McLean. “We have such a good rivalry the last I don’t know over how many years.

“I know three years for sure. All my years of playing Hilltops we play against Langley. They are a good team.

“They are coached well. It will be a good game. It will be a good game to play for sure and a physical game.”

Davidsen joined the Hilltops in 2019, but he wasn’t on the travel roster that went to Langley for the team’s CJFL title win that season. He is looking forward to the trip to Langley to play the Rams on Saturday.

The Hilltops are focused on business in the CJFL semifinal.

“It will be my first experience,” said Davidsen. “I’ve been trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can from these other vets who have made that trip before.

“I’m just going to try and go out there and make sure this isn’t the last game for our fifth years (the Hilltops graduating players).”

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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O-line powers Hilltops to bruising PFC title victory

Saskatoon piles up 386 yards rushing against Thunder

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

REGINA, Sask. – In a frightening display of power, the Saskatoon Hilltops offensive line allowed the storied CJFL club to steamroll to a seventh consecutive PFC championship.

Due to the work of left tackle Mason Ochs, left guard Jayson Kehler, centre Luciano Jolly, right guard Ethan Paslowski and right tackle Jonathan Chisholm, the Hilltops piled up 386 yards rushing as a team to flatten the host Regina Thunder 29-9 in the PFC final before 1,347 spectators at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday.

In the win, the Hilltops two star running backs were both able to gain over 140 yards in rushing. Boston Davidsen carried the 19 times for 143 yards and one touchdown, and Carter McLean ran the ball 25 times for 204 yards.

Ethan Paslowski, middle, leads the way for Carter McLean, left.

Quarterback Damon Dutton accounted for the rest of the team’s rushing total running the ball seven times for 39 yards and two touchdowns.

When the dust settled, the Hilltops had captured the PFC title for a seventh straight season.

“Honestly, it feels so amazing like rallying up with the boys and making sure we get down into the end zone and scoring on our plays,” said Chisholm, who is in his fifth and final season with the Hilltops. “It was a fight.

“They (the Thunder) put out a great fight, and we just had to buckle down and play harder. The O-line played phenomenal. The receivers are playing great.

Ethan Paslowski (#63) and Luciano Jolly (#58) lead the way.

“The defence was stopping the run and stopping the pass. We just had to come together and win.”

The physical tone was set in the first half as the Hilltops rumbled for 157 yards on the ground over the first 30 minutes.

Despite controlling the line of scrimmage, the Thunder went into the halftime break holding a 9-7 edge on the scoreboard.

After forcing the Thunder to punt on the first possession of the third quarter, the Hilltops went back to work on the ground.

Jonathan Chisholm sets up at his right tackle position.

On their first offensive series of the third quarter, the Hilltops rolled off a number of powerful runs in a physically dominant drive. The drive culminated with a three-yard touchdown run by Davidsen to put the visitors in front 14-9.

The Hilltops never looked back powering their way to victory from that point piling up 229 yards on the ground.

By game’s end, the Thunder looked like they have been run over by an 18-wheeler semi-truck on the Trans-Canada Highway.

“The O-line was absolutely amazing today and the running backs with Carter (McLean) and Boston (Davidsen) are just jelling,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “We got a great one-two punch.

“I’m just proud of all they’ve done. This team is only getting better, and we’re going to work them harder. They are going to play better.”

Mason Ochs gets set to make a block in pass protection.

The Hilltops got on the board first at the 11:29 mark of the first quarter, when Dutton connected with receiver Boden Marley on a shovel/jet sweep style pass play that went four yards for a touchdown to put the visitors up 7-0.

In the second quarter, Thunder kicker Eric Maximuik hit three field goals from respective distances of 43, 39 and 27 yards out to give the host side a 9-7 edge. The first field goal was set up after the Hilltops were stopped on a third-and-two gamble at the Thunder 44 yard line, and the third field goal came off a series that was set up by an interception from linebacker Stephen Smith.

The Hilltops had a chance to take the lead on the final play of the first half, but kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas came up short on a 40-yard field goal attempt to allow the Thunder to go into the break with a two-point lead.

Luciano Jolly (#58) and Jayson Kehler, right, gang up on a block.

After Davidsen put the Hilltops up 14-9 on their first offensive series of the third quarter, Abel-Douglas hit a 10-yard field goal before the frame expired to increase the ’Toppers advantage to 17-9.

The field goal was set up by an interception from Hilltops defensive back Wade Keating.

Near the start of the fourth quarter, the Thunder had a chance to cut into the Hilltops lead, but Maximuik misfired on a kick after he stalled on his approach to the ball resulting in no points being scored for the host side.

Luciano Jolly gets set to snap the ball from his centre position.

Just past the midway point of the fourth quarter, Dutton ran a quarterback draw up the gut from six yards out for a touchdown that put the Hilltops up 23-9. The snap on the ensuing convert attempt was botched resulting in no extra point.

With 2:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Dutton scored another rushing touchdown from six yards out, but this major score came on a bootleg run. The Hilltops tried to go for a two point conversion, but a pass to Ochs on a lineman eligible play fell incomplete to allow the game’s final score to sit at 29-9.

“The first half, it was just a low scoring game,” said Chisholm. “We had to make sure our skilled guys were catching the ball and making sure that we were going down the field.

“The O-line played a great game. The defence played a great game. The second half we just had to get in the locker room and just regroup and just focus in and just be that fourth quarter team.”

Jayson Kehler sets up at his left guard position.

Dutton did enough in the passing game to keep the Thunder off balance completing 15-of-22 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions. Hilltops star receiver Ethan Godson hauled in three passes for a game high 98 yards receiving.

Thunder star quarterback Carter Shewchuk completed 16-of-34 passes for 197 yards, while throwing one interception.

Thunder receiver Rylan Sokul, who was named the PFC’s most valuable player, caught four passes for just 31 yards. Isaac Foord, who is the Thunder’s other star receiver, was held to one catch for 25 yards.

On the ground, the Thunder ran for 130 yards as a team.

Luciano Jolly (#58) locks up in pass protection.

Hilltops star outside linebacker Konner Johnson said his squad worked a lot on disrupting the Thunder’s passing game.

“I think we were great at cluing in where their stars were in number 80 (Rylan Sokul) and number eight (Isaac Foord),” said Johnson, who had five defensive tackles, three defensive tackle assists and one sack in the win. “We spied them a lot of the game.

“They didn’t get a lot of catches, and that was huge on defence for us.”

 Defensive back Evan Mantyka had a sack for the Hilltops.

Veteran linebacker Davin Williamson had four defensive tackles and three defensive tackle assists for the Thunder, while linebacker Ryan Mills had an interception for Regina.

Ethan Paslowski (#63) ensures QB Damon Dutton throws deep.

When the game came to an end, Johnson was pumped to have helped the Hilltops win another PFC title.

“It feels amazing,” said Johnson. “They never get old.

“This was a hell of a game. You hear the huge crowd. It was the best day.”

The Hilltops, who have won six straight games, improved their overall record to 8-2. They entered the PFC final as slight underdogs with the Thunder having won both regular season encounters between the two sides by three points on each occasion.

The Thunder were undefeated heading into Sunday’s game and finish the 2021 campaign with an 8-0 regular season record and a 9-1 overall mark.

Wade Keating (#20) returns an interception for the Hilltops.

Sargeant got to experience another special PFC final victory in Regina way back in 1985, when the Hilltops upset the Regina Rams 31-24 at historic Taylor Field. The Rams, who moved to the U Sports ranks in 1999, had an 8-0 regular season record in that 1985 campaign, while the Hilltops were 5-3 in the regular season.

Sargeant was a tight end on that 1985 Hilltops squad, which would go in to win the CJFL championship. It was the first of 16 total CJFL title wins Sargeant would experience with the Hilltops.

The sideline boss said he remembers that 1985 PFC final victory over the Rams, but he said it was a unique special to win a PFC final in Regina for the first time as a coach.

Eric Maximuik (#1) makes one of his three field goals for the Thunder.

“When you become a coach, it is different, because now you get to live through the players,” said Sargeant, whose team has won a CJFL record 22 consecutive post-season games. “You live it through their eyes.

“Look at the joy, the excitement, the family, everybody coming together and it just makes you proud. The Hilltops are about being proud, and we’re proud in what we did today. It was extra special, because it was a hostile environment, and these kids just wanted it more at the end.

Konner Johnson had five defensive tackles for the Hilltops.

“They deserve everything. As I said, we have a long ways to go. I see two more games in front of us, and I’m not stopping now.”

The Hilltops, who have won the last six straight CJFL championships before the 2020 campaign was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, advance to play a CJFL semifinal contest this coming Saturday against the Langley Rams at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C.

The two sides met the last two times the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – was contested. The Hilltops took the 2018 Canadian Bowl in Saskatoon 58-21 and the 2019 Canadian Bowl in Langley 11-6.

Johnson expects another tough battle with the Rams.

“We’re going back there, and they are a tough team,” said Johnson. “They are well coached.

The Hilltops meet their supporters after their PFC final win.

“We’ll just have to get into film tomorrow and see what they have.”

NOTES – The Rams (9-1 overall) took the British Columbia Football Conference final 7-4 against the Okanagan Sun (8-2 overall) in a rain soaked game in Langley this past Saturday.

Also this past Saturday, the St. Clair Fratmen (9-0 overall) rolled to a 47-3 win over the Quinte Skyhawks (2-7 overall) in one Ontario Football Conference semifinal in Windsor, while the London Beefeaters (7-2 overall) posted a 24-0 victory over the visiting Hamilton Hurricanes (4-5 overall) in the other OFC semifinal.

The Hilltops O-line crew is pictured with the PFC championship trophy.

The Fratmen host the Beefeaters this coming Saturday in the OFC final. The OFC final winner will host the CJFL semifinal game winner in the Canadian Bowl on Dec. 4.

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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Ochs sets standard for Hilltops in post-season

Saskatoon set to face Thunder in PFC final in Regina

Mason Ochs had a big fumble recovery in a PFC semifinal game.

Mason Ochs was looking for an opportunity to make another block, when he made one of the biggest plays to date in the 2021 CJFL post-season for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Last Sunday with the Hilltops locked in a 24-24 tie with the Edmonton Huskies inside the final six minutes of the fourth quarter in a PFC semifinal contest at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the ’Toppers were driving to go ahead on the scoreboard.

On the Huskies side of midfield, Hilltops quarterback Damon Dutton connected with receiver Dillan Heintz on a pass and run play that gained a first down. After the first down was gained, Heintz fumbled the ball away.

Ochs, who is the Hilltops star left tackle, had run downfield after the pass completion looking to make another block somewhere to help Heintz gain more yards. When Ochs saw the football lying loose on the SMF Field turf, he charged past everyone to pounce on the loose ball to allow the Hilltops to retain possession.

That drive ultimately resulted in Hilltops kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas hitting a 23-yard field goal to give the hosts a 27-24 edge with 3:58 to play in the frame.

The Hilltops ultimately pulled out a 33-31 victory to advance to the PFC final, which will be hosted by the Thunder in Regina at 1 p.m. this coming Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.

“I started running to hopefully like spring a block,” said Ochs about the play where he made the key fumble recovery. “I wasn’t thinking about a fumble.

“I’m running down there I just kind of had tunnel vision and didn’t see much. I’m just kind of doing what I was coached to do and that is about it. It shows the small things count.

“That is not something you really think about during the game. You chase the play down at the end it is a little thing. It pays off sometimes.”

Ochs’ hustle provided an important teaching and reminder point in the video room for legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant for the rest of the team. Sargeant said that play was highlighted in team meetings this week.

Mason Ochs (#73) makes a block on the Hilltops winning TD.

“As coaches, we always say play to the whistle, and there was a great example of a player playing to the whistle,” said Sargeant. “When your best player is doing that, that should really motivate everyone else.

“There is a fifth-year player that is on borrowed time. He is not going to cut a corner. You watch that game tape and there were other players that were cutting corners.

“It was good learning for all of us. The evidence is always on the game film and proof is in the pudding.  Hopefully, every player has learned from that lesson, and we will get a more consistent and sturdy performance by everyone come this Sunday.”

When Ochs made his fumble recovery last Sunday, it gave the Hilltops and infusion of energy at that point in time.

“That was the biggest play of the game for us was seeing Ochs come down and just firing down the field and just seeing him as animated as he gets,” said Hilltops defensive tackle Jaxon Funk, who is in his fourth full season with the team. “It really gets the guys going, and it just shows you what it means to our fifth year players and how much we want to win for them.”

While Ochs effort on his fumble recovery showed the rest how much it means to continue playing, the four-time PFC all-star, three time all-Canadian all-star and this season’s PFC most outstanding offensive lineman wasn’t dwelling on finality.

The 23-year-old said he treating every game this season as an opportunity. When the 2020 CJFL campaign was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Ochs had moments where he thought his CJFL career was over.

When the Hilltops downed the Rams in Langley 11-6 in the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – at McLeod Stadium on November 16, 2019, Ochs thought that might have been his final CJFL contest.

The graduate Saskatoon’s Tommy Douglas Collegiate Tigers football team later found out he would get to play his fifth season with the Hilltops when the CJFL ruled that players that were 22-years-old and on CJFL rosters in 2020 would be able to play as 23-year-olds in 2021.

With that new lease on his CJFL football life, Ochs treats every game as an extra chance to do something good.

Mason Ochs has piled up lots of accolades with the Hilltops.

“I thought my last game could have been that last game in Langley with COVID and all of that,” said Ochs. “I didn’t know we were going to get the year back, so every game is a gift.

“It is special every time you get to run out there.”

The Hilltops enter the PFC final with a 6-2 regular season record and a 7-2 mark overall. The Thunder were 8-0 in the regular season and have a 9-0 mark overall.

Regina won both head-to-head meetings between the two sides.

During the regular season, Hilltops starting quarterback Damon Dutton completed 127-of-183 passes for 1,528 yards and 12 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.

Thunder starting quarterback Carter Shewchuk connected on 104-of-164 passes for 1,630 yards and 14 touchdowns, while throwing four interceptions.

On the ground, Hilltops running backs Boston Davidsen and Carter McLean finished second and third respectively in the PFC in rushing yards. Davidsen carried the 98 times for 634 yards and scored six touchdowns, while McLean had 125 carries for 599 yards and four touchdowns.

Ryland Leichert led the Thunder in rushing yards carrying the ball 86 times for 498 yards and four touchdowns.

Receiver Ethan Godson led the Hilltops and was fourth in the PFC in receiving yards hauling in 30 catches for 524 yards and six touchdowns.

PFC MVP Rylan Sokul led the conference in receiving yards hauling in 38 catches for 621 yards and six touchdowns.

On defence, Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson had a massive year finishing second in the PFC in defensive points. Over eight regular season games, Johnson recorded 26 defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, 12 special teams tackles, three special teams tackle assists, one quarterback sack, five pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery and five interceptions.

Mason Ochs (#73) sees every game of the 2021 season as a gift.

Thunder linebacker Ryan Mills finished fourth in the PFC in defensive points. Over eight regular season games, Mills recorded 26 defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, 4.5 sacks, two pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions.

The Hilltops enter the PFC final as slight underdogs, but Funk said any of the outside noise doesn’t change how his team prepares for the game.

“We’re going to take the same approach to it,” said Funk. “The coaches are going to put us in great spots, and we’re going to play it like we play every game.

“We’re just going to work hard and make sure everyone does their job. We’re just going to make sure we come out and play the best game of the year.”

Funk in right spot for key interception

The Hilltops celebrate an interception by Jaxon Funk (#77).

Saskatoon Hilltops defensive tackle Jaxon Funk said he was in the right place in the right time to make a game sealing interception in his team’s PFC semifinal win last Sunday at SMF field.

After the Hilltops took a 33-31 lead over the Edmonton Huskies with 21.3 seconds to play, Saskatoon’s victory was cemented with an interception from Funk.

Funk made his interception after Hilltops defence end Riece Kack forced Huskies quarterback Declan O’Flaherty to send the ball high into the air. That preserved the 33-31 final outcome.

“I mean that was a gift for me,” said Funk. “Riece Kack had a great rush off the edge.

“He forced that whole play. I was just in the right spot at the right time to be able to come down with the ball. It was a great way to finish off the game, but obviously, a lot of other players made a lot of better plays than that.”

Before joining the Hilltops Funk played for the Hague High School Panthers six-man football team. Back in those days, he got a bit of experience when it came to holding on to the football.

“We didn’t have a tonne of players, so I played both ways on defence and offence,” said Funk. “I had some time as a receiver just as a kind of an end on there, so I got the ball a bit.

“I love playing defence now.”

Can Hilltops channel spirit of 1985?

A team picture of the 1985 Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops are heading into this year’s PFC final in Regina as slight underdogs, but there was a time the Hilltops went into that game when it was held in the Saskatchewan capital as huge underdogs.

This year, the Hilltops, who were 6-2 in the regular season and 7-2 overall, will face the Regina Thunder, who were 8-0 in the regular season and are 9-0 overall, in the PFC final at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mosaic Stadium. The Thunder took both head-to-head encounters with the Hilltops posting victories by three points in each of those outings.

Way back in 1985, the Hilltops in that year appeared to have a daunting task of trying to win the PFC final against the Regina Rams at historic Taylor Field in Regina.

In 1985, the Hilltops finished second in the PFC regular season standings with a 5-3 record and had a 6-3 overall mark going into the PFC final.

The Rams topped the PFC standings with an 8-0 record and were 9-0 overall against CJFL foes going into that contest. Actually, the Rams were 10-0 overall having defeated the University of Alberta Golden Bears of the U Sports ranks 22-17 in an exhibition game at Taylor Field on September 7th of that year.

The Rams ultimately joined the U Sports ranks in 1999. The Thunder took their place in the CJFL in 2000.

The Hilltops in 1985 were guided by a first year head coach in Kevin Scott. They also had to deal with a number of injuries to key players early in the campaign.

In their home opener and second regular season game, the Hilltops fell to the Edmonton Wildcats 24-16.

Saskatoon lost both regular season head-to-head encounters with Regina. The Rams romped to a 40-16 victory in the first meeting.

As the campaign went on, the Hilltops started to get their injured players back. In their last regular season game, the Hilltops fell again to the Rams, but the contest was a close one with Regina prevailing 38-32.

Tom Sargeant circa 1985.

When the Hilltops advanced to the PFC final to play the Rams, the Saskatoon side wasn’t given much hope when it came to pulling out a victory.

In the words of famed NFL football broadcaster Chris Berman, “That’s why they play the game.”

The Hilltops would pull off a stunning 31-24 upset victory over the Rams in that PFC final.

Following that victory, the ’Toppers returned home to Gordie Howe Bowl, which is now known as SMF Field, and prevailed in the CJFL’s Western final 28-26 over the Richmond Raiders from B.C.

In the CJFL title game, the Hilltops traveled to Ottawa to play the host Sooners, who were the defending CJFL champions. Playing before 8,500 spectators, the Hilltops downed the Sooners 29-11 to capture the Armadale Cup as CJFL champions.

It marked the seventh time the Hilltops had won the CJFL title.

By the end of the season, the 1985 Hilltops were known as a team of heart and character, and a club that bent but didn’t break. They were the team that wasn’t supposed to win, and ultimately did win it all.

That 1985 Hilltops team had a tight end on their roster named Tom Sargeant. That season marked the first time Sargeant experienced a CJFL championship win.

Of course, Sargeant would go on to win two more CJFL championships as a Hilltops assistant coach, and as the team’s current head coach, he has won 13 CJFL titles.

Current Hilltops defensive backs coach Brent Turkington was also a player on that 1985 Hilltops team.

Graduating star quarterback Tony Gagnon was the best known player from that Hilltops squad.

Still to this day, the 1985 Hilltops have to be credited with pulling out the club’s biggest PFC final win, when that contest is played in Regina.

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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