Riley’s day – Huskies OL goes seventh overall to Roughriders

Mattland Riley will be looking to open up huge holes for the Roughriders.

    Mattland Riley will become the latest to live out the Saskatchewan football dream, and he totally deserves that opportunity.

    On Thursday, the Melfort, Sask., product and left guard with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team was selected in the first round and seventh overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Draft. 
    Riley’s selection helps the Huskies uphold their reputation as “O-line U” as the storied U Sports program has a history of sending numerous offensive linemen to the Canadian professional ranks over the years.

    The 23-year-old becomes the latest player to go on the journey of growing up in a smaller Saskatchewan learning the game of football there, moving on to the university ranks and finding his way to the province’s CFL team.

    Riley, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 300 pounds, played high school football in the nine-man ranks with his hometown Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate Comets before joining the Huskies in the U Sports ranks.

    Over the past two seasons, Riley piled up the individual accolades with the Huskies.

Mattland Riley has been an elite pass protector.

    In 2018, Riley was a Canada West all-star and a second team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. He helped the Huskies win the Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference champions.

    In 2019, Riley was again named a Canada West all-star and a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. The Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with a 5-3 record and advanced to the Hardy Cup title game falling 29-4 to the eventual U Sports champions and Vanier Cup winners in the University of Calgary Dinos.

    Riley, who has used four years of U Sports eligibility, has all the physical tools to succeed at the professional level. He is really skilled at using his hands to tie up the hands and arms of on-rushing defensive linemen.

    The engineering major has smarts too.

    On top of all that, Riley is pretty down to earth, easy going and enjoys each day as it comes. He is pretty humble and never likes to have himself put in front of his teammates as individual awards pile up.

    When he arrives with the Roughriders, he is going to find he has a lot in common personality wise with veteran star offensive left guard in Brendon LaBatte, who grew up in Weyburn, Sask. The main difference between the two is LaBatte likes to race fast stock cars and does that as a hobby.

    Riley is one who legitimately puts the team first. He knows that if the team succeeds he will ultimately find success.

Mattland Riley, right, was a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star.

    He always notes he plays along with some really good guys on the Huskies offensive line.

Riley will also get to renew some old football ties and seen an old friend when he begins working out with the Roughriders.

    In late November, the Roughriders signed offensive lineman and fellow Melfort product Logan Ferland to their main roster. Ferland was on the Roughriders practice roster last season and played his fifth and final CJFL campaign at left tackle with the Regina Thunder.

    Riley and Ferland were former teammates on the Comets and will now get to reunite in the professional ranks.

    While the spectre of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hangs over the world having shutdown most walks of life in Canada, Riley has continued to work out at home turning the spare room at his place into a weight room.
    On Thursday, he got to enjoy a great day as all the hard work he has put in and continues to put in has resulted in the chance to live out the Saskatchewan boyhood dream, because he will have a chance to play for the Roughriders.

Mattland Riley, right, is at locking up a D-lineman’s hands.

    Overall, Riley was one of five Huskies player to be selected in the CFL Draft. Defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds, was selected in the fifth round and 46^th overall by the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

    Receiver Sam Baker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, was picked in the sixth round and 48^th overall by the Toronto Argonauts.

    Right tackle, Nick Summach, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 330 pounds, was selected in the seventh round and 57^th overall by the Edmonton Eskimos. Summach’s selection helps further cement the Huskies reputation as “O-line U.”

    Utility player Colton Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds, went in the eighth round and 69^th overall to the Montreal Alouettes. Klassen made an amazing recovery from a season ending broken right leg.

    Defensive end Tom Schnitzler, who played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and is an alumnus of the 22-time CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops, was selected in the eighth round and 72^nd overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Schnitzler, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, is an accomplished long snapper too.

Mattland Riley (#55) has enjoyed being part of the Huskies O-line.

    The University of Regina Rams had two players picked in the CFL Draft.

    Offensive lineman Theren Churchill, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 280 pounds, went in the first round and ninth overall to the Toronto Argonauts.

    Offensive lineman Andrew Becker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds, was selected in the sixth round and 49^th overall.

    The British Columbia Lions traded up to get the first overall selection from the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL Draft. In a trade that was announced at the draft, the Lions sent the third and 12^th overall selections to the Stampeders for the first overall pick and 15^th overall selection.

    With the first overall pick, the Lions selected linebacker Jordan Williams, who stands 6-feet and weighs 230 pounds, from the East Carolina University Pirates football team in the NCAA Division I ranks.

CFL seeks financial aid from federal government, other notes

Will the COVID-19 pandemic crush the CFL?

    On Tuesday evening, The Canadian Press broke a story the CFL was looking to the Canadian federal government for financial assistance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    After The Canadian Press broke that story, it blew up on all of Canada’s mainstream media outlets. It was even covered by FOX News in the United States.

    The CFL is looking for $30-million in Canadian funds now to manage the impact COVID-19 has had on league business. The circuit is asking for additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season and up to another $120-million in Canadian funds for a completely lost season.

    In other words, the CFL is looking for $150-million in financial assistance if its nine teams are unable to play the 2020 regular season and playoffs.

    The CFL isn’t the only sports organization looking for financial assistance from a government in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 22, the British Columbia Hockey League, which is a junior A circuit, asked the provincial government in B.C. for financial aid.

    On Tuesday, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, which is a junior B circuit that has 19 out of its 20 located in B.C., said in a release it will be seeking financial assistance from both the B.C. provincial government and the Canadian federal government.

Will fun times like this return to Mosaic Stadium in Regina?

    On Wednesday, it came out the Canadian Premier League, which is an eight-team professional soccer league, is asking the Canadian federal government for $15-million in financial aid.

    Also on Wednesday on the profession basketball front, Devin Heroux of CBC Sports reported the Canadian Elite Basketball League is looking for a $5-million loan from the Government of Canada to help with finances.

    I have no problem with the CFL going after financial assistance from the Government of Canada. I believe the CFL is a Canadian institution that needs to be preserved.

    I could see the CFL folding if it doesn’t have a season in 2020 and doesn’t receive financial assistance.

    Actually, I do not have a problem with any sports league, sports entity or non-sports business seeking out financial assistance from the Canadian federal government of any of Canada’s provincial governments.

    In order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, all these governments have ordered shutdowns and prevented all of these entities from doing business. The ability of any of these outlets to bring in revenue has been extremely hampered due to no fault of their own.
    It is highly unlikely any of these sports leagues, sports entities or businesses would be asking for aid if a pandemic didn’t happen. 

Will Canadians like Evan Johnson (#64) be able to show off their skill.

    If the pandemic didn’t happen, all of these entities would go on with business as usual and be healthy.

    They weren’t mismanaged, and they didn’t ask to be forced to shut down by governments.

    If you shut down the entire whole non-essential work sector in society, there will be massive consequences, and these financial aid requests are part of the consequences.

    On Wednesday, Global News national telecast said Statistics Canada had complied data with the cooperation of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the numbers aren’t good.

    In that story, Statistics Canada said 53 per cent businesses surveyed reported revenue decreases of 20 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three month of last year.

    Statistic Canada said one-third of businesses surveyed reported revenues dropped by 40 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three months of last year.

    Out of the businesses surveyed, 41 per cent of businesses have been forced to lay off some employees. In the accommodation and food services sector, 24 per cent of those businesses surveyed said they have laid off all of their workers.

Will Zack Evans, right, be able to keep playing in his home city?

    I suspect if you take out what happened in January and February out of that Global News report the gloom of those numbers would be worse.

    I have no problems with sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses asking for financial assistance from governments in these COVID-19 times. I also realize that there is only so much money to go around.

    Unless the governments of Canada elects to throw open the economy for business as usual, it is hard to optimistic about what could happen to these sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses on the business front.

    One thing is for certain, I can’t see life in Canada returning to what it was on March 10 of this year before all the shutdowns happened until after a lengthy stretch of time passes.

• On Wednesday, Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press wrote a story that quoted a trio of people involved with the now defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League being upset about men’s professional sports leagues asking for financial assistance. The CWHL folded on May 1, 2019 due to financial difficulties. The article quoted others who worried this will widen the gender gap in sports. Spencer’s piece can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup hockey tournament, which is an under-18 national team best versus best event, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup was set for Aug. 3 to 8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
• On Tuesday, the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede summer festival scheduled for July 22 to 25 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, the Clunie-Cooper Memorial Professional Bull Riding event slated for June 12 to 13 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, it was announced the Saskatchewan Summer Games set to run July 26 to Aug. 1 in Lloydminster have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now slated to be held in Lloydminster July 18 to 24 2021.
• On Monday, the Saskatoon Blades signed offensive defenceman Tanner Molendyk to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Blades selected the McBride, B.C., product in the first round and fifth overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Wednesday, the Prince Albert Raiders signed defensive defenceman Terrell Goldsmith to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Raiders selected the Fort St. James, B.C., product in the first round and 15^th overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Thursday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team announced that 21-year-old forward and Saskatoon product Dawson Holt has committed to the team. Holt played for four and a bit seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants from 2014 to 2019. Last season, he started the campaign in the WHL with the Regina Pats before joining Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League in the junior A ranks.

    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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Huskies’ Dheilly pumped for first Hardy Cup dance

Nicholas Dheilly charges on to the field with the Huskies.

    The third time ended up being a charm for Nicholas Dheilly when it came to experiencing his first U Sports post-season win.

    Last Saturday, the star defensive end had three solo tackles and two pass break ups helping his University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team down the University of Alberta Golden Bears 28-23 in a Canada West semifinal contest. 

    The win propelled the Huskies (6-3 overall) into the Canada West Conference championship game - the Hardy Cup - to face the University of Calgary Dinos (7-2 overall) this coming Saturday in Calgary, Alta.

    The two sides played in last year’s Hardy Cup in Calgary with the Huskies posting a 43-18 victory.

Unlike most of his Huskies teammates, Dheilly hadn’t experienced the thrill of post-season victory at the U Sports level. He is playing through his third year of U Sports eligibility after spending his first two seasons with his hometown University of Regina Rams in 2016 and 2017.

    In 2016, the Rams fell in a Canada West semifinal 40-34 to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at Taylor Field in the Saskatchewan capital. 

Nicholas Dheilly (#99) hits a Dinos ball carrier.

    In 2017, the Rams were again eliminated from the playoffs in a Canada West semifinal contest falling 28-21 to the Thunderbirds in Vancouver, B.C.
    “I’ve never played in a Hardy Cup,” said Dheilly. “On the Rams, we lost first round in playoffs every time, so this is a hell of an experience to be with the Huskies and this kind of group of guys and the coaches and play my first Hardy Cup at the U Sports level.”

    Early in 2016, Dheilly committed to joining the Huskies but had a change of heart over summer and elected to suit up for the Rams.

    A graduate of Regina’s Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School, Dheilly turned heads with the Rams. He was named the rookie of the year for the Canada West Conference in 2016.

    In 2017, Dheilly was named a Canada West all-star piling up 6.5 sacks with the Rams that tied a team record for sacks in a season that was originally set by Akiem Hicks in 2011. Hicks currently stars as a defensive tackle with the NFL’s Chicago Bears.

    Following that 2017 campaign, Dheilly decided he needed a change of scenery. He played last season in the CJFL with the Okanagan Sun registering eight sacks in five regular season games.

Nicholas Dheilly had five sacks for the Huskies.

    Having sat out of U Sports for a full season, Dheilly was able to join any program he wanted to. As he is eligible for the CFL Draft this coming spring, Dheilly decided to get back together with the Huskies expected they would have another strong campaign.
    After winning the Canada West title, the Huskies made it the Mitchell Bowl last season and fell to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs 47-24 in the U Sports semifinal contest.

    “I came to this school to win games and get to the Hardy and kind of like play in bigger games,” said Dheilly. “I couldn’t be happier about this team and how they played (last Saturday) to get us to where we need to be.”

    During the Huskies eight regular season games, Dheilly posted five sacks and 17.5 total tackles. For his efforts, Dheilly was again named a Canada West all-star.

    He was an all-star selection along with Huskies fifth-year defensive tackle Evan Machibroda. Dheilly has enjoyed playing on the Huskies defensive line along with Machibroda and defensive end Riley Pickett.

    “It is me, Machibroda and Riley (Pickett),” said Dheilly. “We run a three-man front.

    “We rush three a lot. They (the Huskies coaches) put a lot of pressure for us to get to the quarterback with three, and I think we’ve done a great job. We have a great D-line.

Nicholas Dheilly (#99) closes in on a Golden Bears ball carrier.

    “We have a great D-line coach (Tony Michalchuk) and great defensive coordinator (Warren Muzika) who sets up great plays for us, so I am not worried about anything with us.”
    Now the Huskies will be looking to Dheilly, Machibroda and Pickett to disrupt Dinos star fifth-year quarterback Adam Sinagra. Appearing in seven regular season games with the Dinos, Sinagra completed 159-of-256 passes for 2,014 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

    The Huskies downed the Dinos 29-15 in the only regular season meeting between the two sides on Sept. 27, and the U of S defence forced Sinagra to leave that contest due to injury.

    Dheilly is ready to get things rocking in the upcoming meeting between the two sides.

    “We got Calgary, right,” said Dheilly. “It is just another rematch for the Hardy Cup in Calgary, and I can’t wait.”

Machart takes playoff player of the week honour

Adam Machart scores a touchdown for the Huskies.

    The accolades keep adding up this season for U of Saskatchewan Huskies star running back Adam Machart.

    On Monday, Machart was named the Canada West Conference offensive player of the week for his performance in the Huskies 28-23 victory over the U of Alberta Golden Bears in last Saturday’s Canada West semifinal contest.

    In that contest, Machart ran the ball 23 times for 162 yards and scored one touchdown. He also caught five passes for 42 yards.

    Machart had a dream regular season for the Dogs. The skilled and tough running back carried the ball 156 times for 1334 yards and eight touchdowns to break the Huskies team record for most rushing yards in one regular season.

    In the passing game, Machart caught 20 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns. He piled up 1,538 all-purpose yards to set a new Huskies team record. Machart was named a Canada West all-star for the current campaign.

Lokombo picks up defensive player of the week nod

Nelson Lokombo, right, charges off the field after making an interception.

    Nelson Lokombo was a force in the secondary for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies, and that allowed him to pick up a weekly Canada West Conference accolade.

    On Monday, the third-year defensive back was named the Canada West player of the week on defence for his performance in the Huskies 28-23 win over the U of Alberta Golden Bears in a Canada West semifinal contest held last Saturday.

    In that win, Lokombo recorded seven total tackles, an interception and a forced fumble.

Lokombo was named a Canada West all-star this season.

    In the Huskies eight regular season game, Lokombo posted 23.5 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and four interceptions. He returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns.

Blades’ captain Wouters tabbed for Canada Russia series

Chase Wouters will play in the CIBC Canada Russia Series.

    Saskatoon Blades captain Chase Wouters is going to skate with some of the WHL’s best in front of a national audience.

    On Tuesday, Wouters was named to Team WHL’s roster for the CIBC Canada Russia series. The 19-year-old centre has played in all of the Blades 18 regular season games collecting 10 goals and seven assists helping the team post a 9-7-1-1 record.

    Wouters is playing in his fourth full season with the Blades, and he has appeared in 214 career regular season games with the club posting 49 goals and 79 assists for 128 points. He was the WHL Eastern Conference scholastic player of the year in the 2017-18 campaign.

    Wouters was played on the WHL squad along with Edmonton Oil Kings forward Josh Williams.

    The two are taking the spots that were originally given to forward Kirby Dach and Peyton Krebs.

    Dach hasn’t returned to the Blades to play his 18-year-old season, because he cracked the roster of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks on a full-time basis.

    Krebs, who is a star 18-year-old centre, hasn’t suited up for the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice this season after injuring Achilles in an off-ice training session during the off-season.

    The first two games of the Canada Russia series were split between team QMJHL and Russia. On Monday, Russia downed the QMJHL 4-3, and the QMJHL rebounded with a 4-3 overtime victory on Tuesday.

    Team WHL faces the Russians on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre and on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Sask.

    All games of the Canada Russia series are being broadcast nationally on Sportsnet. The event is used by the staff at Hockey Canada as a final evaluation before sending invites for the main selection camp for Canada’s world junior team.

    The Blades return to action on Friday, when they host the Red Deer Rebels at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    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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Down go the Golden Bears, Huskies advance to defend Hardy Cup

The Huskies celebrate a touchdown run from Adam Machart (#20).

    The University of Alberta Golden Bears landed the first big blows, but the University of Saskatchewan Huskies rallied back to win the fight.

    When the dust settled on Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies came away with a 28-23 victory over the Golden Bears in a Canada West semifinal played before 1,191 spectators. It marked the first time the Huskies won a U Sports playoff game at home since downing the University of Regina Rams 53-23 on Nov. 7, 2009.

    The win over the Golden Bears, who finished at 4-5 overall, allows the Huskies, who improved to 6-3 overall, to advance to the Hardy Cup to defend their Canada West title. They will face the University of Calgary Dinos, who are 7-2 overall, in Calgary for a second straight conference title tilt with this year’s final slated in seven days time on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Mason Nyhus threw for 334 yards for the Huskies.

    “It was a great feeling,” said Huskies defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, who had three tackles in the win over the Golden Bears. “We kind of came off a little slow.

    “We let up a few points in the first (quarter). We kind of settled it down after halftime. We just told each other it is on us, and we have to go make some plays out there.

    “Our defence held it down.”

    In the clash between the Huskies and Golden Bears, the visitors jumped quickly out to a 14-0 lead.      On the first offensive series of the contest, the Golden Bears drove 86 yards on eight plays, and quarterback Brad Launhardt capped the series with a one-yard touchdown run.

    On the Golden Bears second possession, Launhardt hit fifth-year receiver Daniel Bubelenyi with an 80-yard touchdown bomb to give the visitors a two-major advantage.

The Golden Bears celebrate a TD catch from Daniel Bubelenyi (#13).

    “They punched us in the mouth pretty good,” said Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus. “They pulled out all the stops.

    “We expected them to. They are a very good team. We just had to stay high, stay calm and stick to our game.”

    With 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Huskies kicker David Solie booted a 32-yard field goal to cut the Golden Bears lead to 14-3.

    On the first play of the second quarter, an errant long snap went over the head of Golden Bears punter Reece Oldenburg, who was forced to boot the ball through his own end zone giving up a safety cutting his squad’s edge to 14-5.

    The Huskies proceeded to trim the Golden Bears edge to 14-12, when quarterback Mason Nyhus hit veteran receiver Sam Baker for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 9:43 remaining in the second quarter.

Brad Launhardt threw for 285 yards for the Golden Bears.

    The Golden Bears responded pushing their lead out to 21-12, when Launhardt scored a major on a two-yard run with 5:35 remaining in the second quarter.

    Before the first half ended, Solie hit a 29-yard field goal to cut the Golden Bears advantage to 21-15.

    “Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and just play,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “That is what I encouraged them to do in the second half, and they did.”

    The game’s momentum changed at the start of the third quarter, when the Golden Bears saw their first three drives halt due to respective interceptions coming from Huskies defenders Nelson Lokombo, super rookie Ramsey Derbas and fifth-year veteran Ben Whiting.

Sam Baker (#85) caught seven passes for 107 and one TD for the Huskies.

    Following Lokombo’s interception, the Huskies drove 51 yards in seven plays culminating in a seven-yard touchdown run by star running back Adam Machart to take a 22-21 lead.

    After Derbas’s interception, the Huskies started a drive at the Golden Bears 15 yard line. U of S wasn’t able to get a first down, but Solie hit a 22-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 25-21 advantage.

    Lokombo was pumped to see the defence get interceptions on three straight series.

    “It was awesome,” said Lokombo. “It just goes to show that we’ve prepared the way we are supposed to, and it shows in the game.”

    Lokombo topped the Huskies with four interceptions during the regular season, but he didn’t have one over the course of the squad’s final four regular season contests. The Abbotsford, B.C., product was pumped to get another one on Saturday.

Ramsey Derbas celebrates making an interception for the Huskies.

    “It felt nice,” said Lokombo. “I was really shocked that it was coming.

    “I looked up, and the ball was there.”

    Solie proceeded to hit a 30-yard field goal with 9:03 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Huskies up 28-21.

    Inside of the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears drove down to the Huskies nine yard line for a first and goal. U of A would turn the ball over on downs.

    The Huskies ended up conceding a safety with 35.1 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to round out the game’s final outcome at 28-23. An errant long snap on a punt went over head of Solie, who doubles as the Huskies punter, and he kicked the ball through his own end zone to give up two points.

    Launhardt threw three straight incompletions on the ensuing and final U of A series.

Ben Whiting (#4) make an interception for the Huskies.

    Nyhus knelt down twice to run out the final seconds on the clock.

    The Regina, Sask., product completed 29-of-44 passes for 334 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for the Huskies. Baker caught seven of those throws for 107 yards to go with his major score.

    Flory thought Nyhus had one of his best games on Saturday.

    “I know he (Nyhus) was feeling it,” said Flory. “He and Sam (Baker) have a special connection.

    “It is what we anticipated coming out of him. He (Nyhus) had an awesome game. I am proud of him.”

    Machart ran the ball 23 times for 162 yards to go with his one major score.

    Launhardt completed 20-of-36 passes for 285 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Bubelenyi topped the Golden Bears with 122 receiving yards on three catches.

Adam Machart had another huge game for the Huskies.

    U of A was held to 36 yards rushing as a team.

    Connor Delahey posted six total tackles and one sack for the Huskies. He played most of the contest at middle linebacker after Tom Whiting left the contest early in the first quarter with an injury.

    Defensive back Clovis Lumeka and defensive tackle Evan Machibroda both had sacks for the Huskies.

    Linebacker Josiah Schakel led the Golden Bears with 10 total tackles. Defensive back Matthew Peterson had a sack for the Golden Bears.

    Flory was pleased with how his team’s defence rebounded in the second half after a bit of a rough first half.

    “They just made adjustments,” said Flory. “It all breaks down to one-on-one football.

    “It breaks down to you versus me or me versus you and who is going to win. Our guys, they manned up in the second half and they said, ‘We’re just going to be better.’ They were.

The Huskies faithful enjoys “Sweet Caroline.”

    “Guys make plays, and that is what we needed to do.”

    In Saturday’s other Canada West semifinal, the Dinos slipped past the University of Manitoba Bisons 47-46 in Calgary. The Bisons finished the campaign with a 4-5 overall record.

    The Huskies beat the Dinos 43-18 in last year’s Hardy Cup in Calgary. The two sides met just once this season back on Sept. 27, when the Huskies downed the Dinos 29-15 at Griffiths.

    Nyhus, who is in his third year of U Sports eligibility, was the Huskies backup quarterback last season, and he is looking forward to starting in this year’s Hardy Cup.

Jonathan Leggett (#95) and the Huskies are all smiles after Saturday’s win.

    “Obviously, it is pretty different,” said Nyhus. “The body is a bit more sore this year for sure.

    “It is still that same energy. This team is great. We have a great leadership group on this team.

    “I am just very excited to be going to Calgary.”

    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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Huskies opening day implosion disappointing but just one game

The Huskies will be looking to clean up mistakes in practice.

    Well that bubble burst quickly.

    The pundits and the Canada West Conference coaches had the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team tabbed as a powerhouse going into their regular season opener Friday against the U of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg, Man.

    In the initial U Sports Top 10 rankings released on Tuesday, the Huskies, who are the defending Canada West champions, were rated fourth, and they were the highest ranked team from Canada West.

    In the Canada West football pre-season coaches poll released on Wednesday, the U of Calgary Dinos were rated first, the Huskies second, the Bisons third, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds fourth, the U of Alberta Golden Bears fifth and the U of Regina Rams sixth.

    The initial high expectations for the Huskies came crashing down to earth. Before 1,001 spectators at IG Field in Winnipeg, the Bisons claimed a 43-19 landslide victory.

    The Huskies beat themselves almost as much as the Bisons contributed to their own cause. 

Adam Machart (#20) had 93 yards rushing for the Huskies on Friday.

    U of S turned the ball over seven times including three fumbles, two interceptions and twice on downs.

    U of M didn’t have a single giveaway.

    In the second quarter, one interception and two fumbles by the Huskies were turned into 17 points by the Bisons, who held a 27-9 edge at halftime.
    From that point, the Huskies faced an uphill battle on the scoreboard, and they could never get one of those serious momentum surges that Canada West football contests are known for to get back in the game.

    The turnovers took away from the fact the Huskies were able to move the ball on offence and hold ground on defence.

    Making his first career regular season start, Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus connected on 27-of-39 passes for 313 yards and one touchdown to go with his one interception.

    The Huskies ground game piled up 174 yards rushing. Starting running back Adam Machart ran the ball 13 times for 93 yards, and running back Josh Ewanchyna posted 66 yards rushing on eight carries scoring one touchdown.

    Ewanchyna would have had a bigger night had two monster long runs not been negated by holding penalties.

    Defensively, the Huskies held the Bisons to 359 yards of total offence with 163 yards coming through the air and 196 yards on the ground.

Mason Nyhus threw for 315 yards for the Huskies on Friday.

    Defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, defensive tackle Evan Machibroda and defensive back Nelson Lokombo all had sacks for the Huskies.

    Despite facing field position situations that favoured the Bisons offence, the Huskies defence forced their foes to attempt five field goals, which were all made by Bisons kicker Matt Riley.

    Still, Bisons starting quarterback Des Catellier was efficient for his squad completing 14-of-19 passes for 163 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
    The 196 yards rushing the Bisons piled up on the ground was also noticeable. The bulk of those yards came from their talented running back stable in Michael Ritchott, Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette and Logan Fischer, who all had star careers in the Canadian Junior Football League.

    With all that said, one wonders what the score would have been had the Huskies not turned over the ball. They were able to execute large parts of their game plan, but seven turnovers will always foil those plans.

    In football, it is always known that crazy and unpredictable things can happen on opening day.

    On Friday in Edmonton, Alta., the visiting Dinos led the Golden Bears 30-13 at halftime in the regular season opener for both those squads. The Dinos lead shrunk to 33-31 in the fourth quarter.

    U of C was up 34-31, when Dinos defensive back Deane Leonard intercepted Golden Bears quarterback Brad Launhardt and returned the ball 62 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game to seal a 41-31 victory.

Head coach Scott Flory, right, will look for his Huskies to bounce back.

    If the Huskies were going to have an outing where they turned the ball over seven times, it is best to get it out of the way in Week 1. There is still a lot of time to recover.

    All the Huskies can do is focus on their next game, which is their homecoming game this coming Friday at 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium against the Thunderbirds.

    The Huskies can still repeat and better their special season in 2018. They were reminded the can still be humbled if their focus slips like they were in the opening loss to the Bisons.

    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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The time for Nyhus to shine with Huskies has arrived

The Huskies will be Mason Nyhus’s team to lead.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team graduated a star quarterback, but they have a signal caller in waiting that might become a bigger star.

    Veteran Kyle Siemens went out on a high quarterbacking the Huskies in his fifth and final year of eligibility. He guided them to their first playoff victory since 2009, first Canada West Conference championship since 2006 and first appearance in a U Sports national semifinal bowl since 2006.

    Siemens 604 total career pass completions in the regular season rank first on the Huskies all-time list and his 7,932 career yards passing in the regular season rates second overall in team history. He completed 604-of-998 passes for 7,932 yards, 55 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

    For any successor, those are huge shoes to fill.

    The Huskies have a player that might end up being more than capable of filling those shoes.

    Back in 2016, Mason Nyhus came to the Huskies as highly-touted prospect from the Riffel High School Royals football team in Regina. To put it bluntly, Nyhus was a blue chipper.

    Nyhus, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 190 pounds, quarterbacked Saskatchewan’s provincial team to a bronze medal win at the 2015 Football Canada Cup in Saint Jean, Que. At the International Bowl series that ran Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, 2016 in Arlington, Texas, Nyhus was calling signals for Canada’s under-18 team.

Mason Nyhus throws a pass in a controlled scrimmage in 2016.

    In July of 2016, Nyhus was a member of Canada’s Junior National Team that won the International Federation of American Football under-19 World Championship in Harbin, China.

    Since Nyhus stepped foot on the U of S campus, there has been anticipation among football followers in Saskatchewan to see what he could do as the starting quarterback of the Huskies. Nyhus put on a display in the Huskies controlled scrimmage against the University of Alberta Golden Bears in 2016 firing lasers all over the field, which further added anticipation to him becoming a starter one day.

    Nyhus has enough talent that Huskies coaches could have chosen to start him as a rookie in 2016, but most quarterbacks that start in U Sports right out of high school endure their share of rough waters and bumps.

    The Huskies coaching staff wisely elected give Nyhus the chance to get acclimatized to the U Sports game. He was redshirted his rookie year in 2016, which was the last campaign the Huskies were guided by legendary head coach Brian Towriss.

    For the past two seasons under the team’s new head coach in Scott Flory, Nyhus backed up Siemens.
    In 2017, Nyhus came off the bench completing 15 of 22 passes for 243 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. 

Mason Nyhus took part in Roughriders training camp.

    Last May and June, the 20-year-old attended Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp as part of the CFL’s Canadian quarterback internship program.

    This past season for the Huskies, Nyhus completed 28-of-47 passes for 448 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

    He will be going into his third season of U Sports eligibility as a 21-year-old next season, and it will be his time to shine.

    During his spot duty with the Huskies, Nyhus has shown great poise and good command of the Huskies offence. He throws the ball downfield with a purpose, and he knows where he wants to attack a defence.

    There is a very good chance the Huskies won’t miss a beat on offence when Nyhus takes over as the starting quarterback. He has been groomed for this moment.

    Of course, there is always a chance someone else could rise up to become the Huskies new starting quarterback, but in all reality, that is Nyhus’s job to lose.

    Nyhus will have a whole host of receivers to get the ball out to who will be that much more seasoned and experienced in Jesse Kuntz, Carter Dahl and Joseph Trumpy. The Huskies expect to get star pass catcher Sam Baker back from injury and running back Colton Klassen became a star receiver cementing himself as the Huskies most dynamic offensive weapon.

    The Huskies will return powerhouse running back Adam Machart and will have a strong offensive line anchored by Mattland Riley, Nicholas Summach, Connor Berglof and Tanner Secord.

Mason Nyhus calls a play from his wristband.

    The Huskies next challenge will be to try and make long playoff runs like the one they were just on a habit. Having Nyhus under centre makes that challenge something that can be met.

    With that said, Flory has hit the recruiting trail hard since the Huskies fell in the Mitchell Bowl in London, Ont., 47-24 to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs on Nov. 17.

    Since returning to Saskatoon, Flory has received commitments from defensive lineman Nicholas Dheilly from Regina. Dheilly played for the University of Regina Rams in 2016 and 2017.

    He was the Canada West rookie of the year in 2016 and a Canada West all-star in 2017. He played in the Canadian Junior Football League this past season with the Okanagan Sun in Kelowna, B.C.

Dheilly originally committed to the Huskies in 2016, but ended up with the Rams as the Huskies were going through changes on their coaching staff.

    The Huskies signed receiver D’Sean Mimbs from Winston Knoll Collegiate in Regina, linebacker Ramsey Derbas and running back Tanner Szakacs from Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon.

    Also committing to the Huskies is quarterback Keegan Kaytor from Regina’s Sheldon-Williams Collegiate and defensive back Aiden Sommacal from Saskatoon’s St. Joseph High School.

    Last Saturday, the Huskies football team gave a final celebration to the 2018 campaign with their team awards banquet at the Cathedral of the Holy Family. Siemens was named the most valuable player on offence, fourth-year defensive lineman Evan Machibroda was named the most valuable player on defence and fifth-year running back Tyler Chow took overall most valuable player honours.

Mason Nyhus follows through on a pass.

    Fifth-year defensive end Tristian Koronkiewicz was named the lineman of the year, fifth-year kicker Sean Stenger was the special teams player of the year, second-year linebacker Thomas Whiting was named the most improved player, Klassen claimed the coaches award and defensive back Charlie Ringland was the freshman of the year.

    The graduating veterans like Siemens, Chow, Koronkiewicz and Stenger showed the Huskies can win conference titles and compete on the national stage again.

    Now players like Nyhus, the rest of the returnees and new recruits are passed the torch to take the Huskies into the future. The belief is there that future will be a bright one.

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

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