Menghestab earned status as Hilltops favourite

Saskatoon crushes Colts in Calgary 51-3

Nahom Menghestab reacts to getting a sack on August 24.

Nahom Menghestab is the Saskatoon Hilltops player everyone wants to hang out with.

As physical as he can play on the field from his nose tackle position on the defensive line, the 22-year-old has an easy to approach feel good vibe away from the game. He can flash a smile, and it feels like everything in the world at that point in time is as it should be.

“He is easy going,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “He can relate to anyone.

“With just how hard and aggressive he plays on the field, he is the opposite off the field. He is just very laid back. He has just sort of got a smile on his face and is just happy to be in the place and happy to be here, which makes me happy to be here.

“It is just one of those realities.”

Often, it catches Menghestab off guard when it materializes how much his teammates love him. On the field, a lot of the respect that comes his way is due to the fact he frequently attracts double teams to free up his teammates to make plays.

During the 42-15 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles on August 24 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Menghestab was reminded that his teammates care about him a tonne. When he got a quarterback sack late in the fourth quarter of that contest, all the Hilltops players on the field exploded with excitement and the Hilltops sidelines jumped into full jubilation.

The pumped up reaction by his teammates caught Menghestab off guard.

“I don’t even realize that,” said Menghestab. “I think I just made so many friends, and I always make sure we make it like a good brotherhood around this team.

Nahom Menghestab is playing out his final CJFL season.

“I’m happy they got hyped up with that sack. I definitely was and everyone was just telling me like we were all turned up and everything. I was like, “I appreciate you boys.””

The sack celebration by the team was one of the highlights for Menghestab in his fifth and final campaign with the team. Another came on September 6 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina against the host Thunder. On that night, Menghestab knocked down a pass attempt from Thunder quarterback Adam Mosher with 1:24 left in the quarter on a third down gamble that ultimately allowed the Hilltops to turn an 18-15 lead into an 18-15 victory.

More good memories were made by Menghestab and the entire Hilltops team on Sunday. They traveled to Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary and crushed the host Colts 51-3 in a CJFL regular season contest. Saskatoon jumped out to a 20-3 lead at halftime and cruised from there.

With the victory, the Hilltops push their winning streak out to four games improving to 4-1, while the Colts fall to 2-3. The Hilltops finish a stretch of playing three straight games on the road traveling to Sherwood Park, Alta., this coming Sunday to face the host Edmonton Wildcats (2-3) at 1 p.m. at Emerald Hills Regional Park.

Menghestab wants every moment in his final campaign to be cherished.

“I think it is just realizing how fast everything went by,” said Menghestab, who stands 6-feet and weighs 300 pounds. “My first year, I was enjoying it and everything.

“In the second year, I got hurt and missed my season. I had the rest of the three years, and it is just coming to my last year CJFL is amazing, but it goes by so fast. I make sure everyone knows that to enjoy it.”

Sargeant said Menghestab is a great Hilltops success story. The sideline boss remembers when Menghestab came to the Hilltops as an 18-year-old graduate of the St. Joseph High School Guardians Football Team in 2021 that the defensive tackle had a lot of potential to grow in a lot of different ways.

Nahom Menghestab (#69) is lined up next to Johnathon Stevens.

From that beginning, Menghestab became a starter on the Hilltops defensive line in his third year in 2023, when Saskatoon went 12-0 overall to win a 23^rd CJFL championship. Sargeant said it has been great to see Menghestab become a dominant run stopper and sort of like a team favourite.

“He is such a nice guy and wants to do well and wants to be respected by his teammates,” said Sargeant. “More importantly, I think he has gained respect of the league now.

“He is absolutely one of our top run defenders. Him and John Stevens inside the A and B gapers make the game so difficult for the opposition.”

Sargeant said Menghestab is big time appreciated by the team’s coaches for his relentless work taking on double teams and filling the role that sees others make plays and pile up statistics. With that said, Sargeant added Menghestab is finding ways to make plays.

“He has got the toughest job,” said Sargeant. “He is drawing double teams all the time.

“Not only is he taking two guys on to free up our linebackers to allow them to run to the ball, he is doing all the dirty work. What makes him so unique is he has got an unreal ability to get off those blocks and make plays. (In the win over the Rifles), he got a big sack and you know he is always getting eight to 10 defensive points, which as a nose, you don’t see that in the rest of the league.

“He is a very unique talent, and I’m sure glad he is on our team and just how he goes about business. He is in the film room leading guys and asking questions. He is always growing.”

Nahom Menghestab (#69) is skilled at getting past blockers.

Menghestab has never shied away from the contact side of the game. He has always enjoyed that aspect of the sport from when he started playing in the Kinsmen Football League in Saskatoon in Grade 5. He is always up for the challenge of facing a double team, which is something he has been dealing with since his high school days.

“I’ve definitely got used to it because of Joe’s and everything,” said Menghestab. “I was always played as a nose (tackle).

“I think just with (defensive line) coach “Fish” (Dave Fisher), coach “Sarge” (Tom Sargeant) and (defensive coordinator) coach Jeff (Yausie) telling me like it is a selfless job (helps). You have to be helping your linebackers not getting touched. I think it is that feeling knowing that I have that as something on my shoulders that gives me strength to do it.

“I do have those times where I do want to take that one guy and just get it. I definitely am happy that my linebackers can get that chance to get that tackle.”

Looking back on his entire football career, Menghestab said he has fond memories playing high school football with the Guardians. He still believes the team could have done great things in his Grade 12 year, which was nixed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world. Still, that didn’t take away from the memories he already made.

“When I was playing at St. Joe’s, there were amazing players there,” said Menghestab. “We had Trey Reider.

“We had a crazy running back in Kayden Miller and Nathan Jule and Chase Tataryn. Our team was really good and stacked. It is just with the coach and everything it was like a new feel, a new vibe.

“I wish we still had that year in Grade 12 to dominate again, but Grade 11 definitely made an impact in that. I’m glad to have Dalton (Urban) and some of the guys here from Joe’s to play with.”

Nahom Menghestab is living in the moment with the Hilltops.

As the 2025 campaign goes forward, Menghestab is all about staying in the moment. 

He believes that is the best way to go about enjoying his final season with the team.

“I’m definitely trying to make sure I go game by game like every week,” said Menghestab. “I try not to go overhead and think about the future and all that.

“It is something where I do want to win it all, because it is the last year with me and Johnny (Stevens) and Ryan Adamko. Those guys were with me since first year. It is just trying to win that “ship” one more time.”

Johnson to speak at End Zone Dinner

Evan Johnson in action for the Roughriders on July 15, 2023.

One of the CFL’s all-time steady veterans on the offensive line is coming to the Saskatoon Hilltops End Zone Dinner.

Evan Johnson, who played seven CFL seasons from 2017 to 2024, will be the guest speaker for the annual event that raises money for the Hilltops scholarships and bursaries. The End Zone Dinner is slated for Saturday, September 27, at the main hall in the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building located on the south end zone of Saskatoon Minor Football Field on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

The doors open at 4:15 p.m. and the dinner follows at 5 p.m. A ticket to the End Zone Dinner includes a ticket to that night’s regular season contest against the Hilltops provincial rivals the Regina Thunder. That game is slated for 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Johnson graduated high school from Regina’s Campbell Collegiate and moved on to play football in the U Sports ranks from 2012 to 2016 with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He would be selected in the first round and ninth overall by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2017 CFL Draft.

From 2017 to 2019, Johnson played 52 regular season games with the Redblacks making starts at left guard, right tackle and left tackle. He suited up for the Redblacks in their 27-16 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the 2018 Grey Cup played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alta.

From 2021 to 2023, Johnson played 48 regular season contests with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He moved on from the Roughriders to appear in 10 games with the Hamilton Tigers-Cats in 2024.

Johnson, who is 31-years-old, is married to Dallis (Aiken) Johnson, who is a former defensive back with the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the WWCFL. They reside in Saskatoon where Evan Johnson works for an engineering firm.

Tickets for the Hilltops End Zone Dinner can be purchased by clicking right here.

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

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Hilltops get redemption in romp over Rifles at SMF Field

Saskatoon storms over Winnipeg 42-15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jace Mowles makes his second of two interceptions on Sunday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fans at SMF Field cheer on the Hilltops.

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

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

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

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

Riley Element put up 342 yards passing for the Rifles.

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

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

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

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

Kaiden Banfield had one rushing TD and one receiving TD.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Johnathon Stevens had a pair of sacks for the Hilltops.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Kukurudza sealing spot as prime time player on Hilltops’ defence

Saskatoon crushes Colts in Calgary 52-19

Kai Kukurudza (#73) is a mainstay at DE for the Hilltops.

Curiosity started Kai Kukurudza’s path to becoming a key playmaker on the Saskatoon Hilltops defence.

Growing up in Medicine Hat, Alta., Kukurudza first found his love of sport out on the ice surface with hockey. When the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world starting in March of 2020, Kukurudza decided to see what life would be like on the football field and suited up for the Monsignor McCoy High School Colts in 2021. 

“I didn’t play until Grade 12,” said Kukurudza, who has become a standout defensive end for the Hilltops. “I played hockey my whole life.

“COVID hit, so I kind of took a break from sports and thought I’d try football out, and it went really well. I sent my film to ‘Sarge,’ and now, I’m here.”

Kukurudza enjoyed his one season of football so much that he didn’t want to give the sport up. He received some positive feedback which encouraged him to try to find a way to continue in the sport.

He knew about the Hilltops and their storied tradition in the CJFL. Kukurudza put together a highlight package of his rookie Grade 12 campaign and sent it off to legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant.

“I just want to go to a good program,” said Kukurudza, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 225 pounds. “I knew the Hilltops are good, so I’d give it a try.”

Kukurudza remembered how much he enjoyed playing his one season for the Colts, but he was hoping his lack of experience playing the game wouldn’t be a drawback to keep him from playing at the post-secondary level. He said he got into the sport for simple reasons and didn’t think things would grow from there.

“It was mostly just for fun, you know, hang out with my friends,” said Kukurudza. “I really kicked things off.

“I felt really good playing the sport and really comfortable. I had really good film. I remember ‘Sarge’ saying he didn’t know how good my opponents were, so he wanted me to come out and see how good I really was.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) only played one high school football season.

“I guess he liked me.”

Traditionally, the Hilltops haven’t recruited a whole lot outside of the province of Saskatchewan. Sargeant appreciated the initiative Kukurudza showed in emailing off his game film. The longtime Hilltops sideline boss was impressed with the raw ability Kukurudza showed on the footage that an invite was made to bring him to Saskatoon.

“We haven’t had a lot of players from Medicine Hat,” said Sargeant. “He sort of reached out to us, and I went through it (Kukurudza’s game film) and liked what I saw.

“I talked to his high school coach, and then he came out to a couple of our practices. I said, ‘You’ve got a spot on the team.’ I saw potential in him.

“Two and a half years later, he is in his third year now, we’re seeing the fruits of his labour in terms of how hard he’s worked, how well he’s learned from others and the good coaching he’s received from (defensive line) coach (Dave) Fisher. Now the sky is the limit, so let’s keep moving him forward.”

On Sunday at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary, the defending CJFL champion Hilltops jumped out to a 24-0 lead at halftime and crushed the host Colts 52-19 in a CJFL regular season clash. The win allows the Hilltops to improve to 3-0, while the Colts fell to 1-2.

When Kukurudza joined the Hilltops in 2022, he said he felt nervous mainly due to being on a team where he was surrounded by older athletes. In limited playing time, he recorded his first career quarterback sack in regular season play and was motivated to get bigger, stronger and faster for his second campaign.

Going into his second season with the Hilltops in 2023, Kukurudza said he had more confidence than he did going into his rookie campaign.

“It was a lot different,” said Kukurudza, who is studying commerce at the University of Saskatchewan. “I put on lots of size, probably 30 pounds or 40 pounds on.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) comes into to finish off a play in 2023.

“I was definitely a lot more comfortable. I think the coaches made me a lot smarter. I really understood the game and their schemes a lot better.

“I was way better.”

On August 27, 2023, Kukurudza had his breakthrough game with the Hilltops recording three sacks and three total tackles in 50-18 victory over the Calgary Colts at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. He finished the 2023 regular season with 13.5 total tackles, four sacks and a pass knockdown playing as part of the team’s defensive line rotation

In the Hilltops 53-2 victory over the Colts in the PFC semifinal on October 15, 2023 at SMF Field, Kukurudza showed he has the skills to be on the Hilltops hands team. When the Colts attempted a high and short onside kick to start the second half of that contest, Kukurudza astutely jumped up and secured the ball for the Hilltops.

“At the end of the day, the growth of Kai (Kukurudza) has been exceptional,” said Sargeant. “He’s worked real hard.

“He’s got himself bigger, stronger and faster. He has learned our systems real well. We’re excited to see him continue to grow and become more explosive with his playmaking.”

Kukurudza added it was pretty surreal to help the Hilltops win their 23^rd CJFL championship in team history in 2023 and be part of a defence that gave up the team’s lowest points against total for the regular season and overall between the regular season and post-season since 1949.

Kukurudza came into the current campaign as one of the Hilltops starters. Over the team’s first two contests, he has recorded 10.5 total tackles, two quarterback sacks and an interception.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) field a short kickoff in the 2023 PFC semifinal.

The 20-year-old said he was able to collect his statistics thanks to the play of veteran defensive tackles Nahom Menghestab and Johnathon Stevens. Menghestab and Stevens are in their fourth and third seasons respectively with the Hilltops.

“It is so nice, because I know the guys beside me are also working just as hard, and it makes my job a lot easier,” said Kukurudza. “If I mess up, I know guys have my back.

“On that interior line with Nahom (Menghestab) and Johnathon Stevens, they’re pushing quarterbacks right back to me for sacks. Sometimes, I don’t have to work hard. My teammates really, really help me out.”

This season has been a little extra special for Kukurudza, because his younger brother Kash is a rookie defensive lineman with the team. Kash came to the Hilltops after graduating from the Medicine Hat High School Hawks Football Team, who are guided by their local legend head coach Quinn Skelton.

“I can’t be too hard on him (Kash), but I can’t cater to him either,” said Kukurudza. “I have to treat him like everyone else, but it’s good.

“I think he is lucky. He has a guy to learn from like me. I just want him to be as good as me or better.

“I just have to teach him right.”

In Sunday’s clash with the Colts, the Hilltops opened the game’s scoring with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas in the first quarter. Before the opening quarter ended, Hilltops went up 17-0 thanks to a touchdown reception from receiver Datiel Fountaine and a receiving major from Corbin Ebben.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) has made big plays for the Hilltops in 2024.

In the second quarter, Ebben added a second pass reception touchdown catching a fake field goal throw from holder Drake Douglas to give the visitors their 24-0 edge at halftime. Ebben added a third receiving touchdown and Fountaine hauled in a second catch for a major to push the Hilltops lead out to 38-0 to start off the third quarter.

The Colts hit a 27-yard field goal before the third quarter ended to make the Hilltops advantage sit at 38-3.

Saskatoon got majors from an interception return touchdown from defensive back Nathan Young and 70-yard touchdown hookup through the air between third string rookie quarterback Charlie Molder and rookie receiver Hayden Day.

Veteran star starter Trey Reider and veteran backup Brexton Elias we well on the sidelines helping Molder out, when the first-year signal caller entered the contest.

Calgary got two touchdowns with a pair of two point conversions to round out their scoring for the contest in the fourth quarter.

The entire Prairie Football Conference that the Hilltops play out of now heads out on a bye week. The Hilltops return to action on Saturday, September 7, when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder (3-0) at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

Looking forward to the rest of the campaign, Kukurudza believes his club can make a run to another CJFL title, but noted the Thunder and the Okanagan Sun, who are leading the British Columbia Football Conference with a 5-0 record, are having impressive campaigns.

“I think we have another shot for sure,” said Kukurudza. “Regina is definitely good.

“Okanagan is looking good too, but I think it is nothing we can’t handle. The offence is definitely stepping their game up. I think our defence is solid.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) with the D-line crew and the PFC title trophy in 2023.

“I have no worries. I’m pretty confident.”

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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