Hilltops’ Keating ready for final home bow in PFC final

Riley Keating (#47) stands for the national anthem before a PFC semifinal.

    For the Saskatoon Hilltops fans that will see him play live one last time in person, Riley Keating wants to leave a final good impression.

    Keating’s Hilltops, who are 9-0 overall, are set to host the Edmonton Huskies, who are 7-2 overall, on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference final. The winner will advance to a CJFL semifinal contest expected to be played on either Nov. 2 or 3 and hosted by the champion of the Ontario Football Conference.

    With the CJFL championship game - the Canadian Bowl - set to be held Nov. 16 at the home of the champion of the British Columbia Football Conference, the Hilltops will play at home for the last time with coming Sunday in 2019 no matter what the final outcome is of the PFC final.

    Keating, who is a popular fifth-year weak side linebacker with the team, will make his final home start in that contest.

Riley Keating, left, closes in on a Calgary Colts quarterback.

    “I’m pretty nervous, because it is my last home game here as a fifth-year,” said Keating. “If we win this game, I know the rest of the games are going to be road trips.

    “This game is very special to me, because it is going to be my last home game as a fifth year, and I’m very excited to take that opportunity and show everybody what I have.”

    Keating came to the Hilltops from the Centennial Collegiate Chargers in Saskatoon’s high school football ranks before the start of the 2015 season. Due to the depth the Hilltops had at linebacker, the 22-year-old found himself playing on special team throughout his first four campaigns with the club.

Riley Keating sizes up the opposing offence.

    During the last two seasons, Keating received more and more snaps with the squad’s main defensive unit as a regular substitute.

    The 2019 campaign marked his first and only season as a starter, and Keating cashed in on the opportunity. The 22-year-old finished second in the PFC with 94 points on defence recording 34 defensive tackles, 11 defensive tackle assists, five special teams tackles, three special teams tackle assists and one pass knockdown.

    He shared his starting experience with middle linebacker Jadyn Pingue, who like Keating played on special teams and substituted in on defence for his first four seasons before starting in his final CJFL campaign.

    “It has been awesome,” said Keating, who stands 6-feet and weighs 205 pounds. “Me and Jadyn Pingue we were waiting for this day to come, because we’ve had a lot of older guys in front of us.

    “We just played special teams since our second year. We just kept grinding. We were waiting for this day.

    “We always talked about it in our second, third and fourth year. Finally this day came, and we were both very excited. We both had a great season.”

Riley Keating (#47) lines up with DT Jesse McNabb.

    During his football career, Keating had to overcome the fact that he was born deaf. His doctors confirmed that fact when Keating turned three-years-old.

    A cochlear implant that was put in his head via surgery has allowed Keating to hear. He said the impairment hasn’t affected his ability to play football.

    “The nice thing about playing defence is the coach does signal calls, so it is not like I have to hear or anything,” said Keating. “When the coach makes a signal, I know the play automatically, and everybody is on the same page.

    “Sometimes when we are audibling, I usually can hear, because it is usually the middle linebacker making the audibles. I haven’t had any issues, so it has been good for me.”

    Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said it has been rewarding to see Keating improve and grow over the years as a member of the team. Even with that in mind, the legendary sideline boss said he was impressed Keating placed second in defensive points for the PFC.

Riley Keating (#47) charges on to the field with his teammates.

    “That shows you the type of high-end player he is,” said Sargeant. “He has a natural nose for the football, likes to get there and loves to make plays.

    “He is just a high-energy guy, one of our captains that we’re very proud to watch him perform.”

    Keating has always been very popular amongst his teammates during his time with the Hilltops, and his 18-year-old brother, Wade, joined the venerable CJFL club this season as a rookie defensive back.

    Sargeant said the elder Keating is so well liked due to the fact he has truly taken the team to heart.

    “He is a five-year Hilltop,” said Sargeant. “He cares greatly for our tradition.

    “He has a brother on the team in Wade (Keating). It just means a lot to him. He’s put a lot into it.

    “It is great to see him perform and represent us and lead this team to the PFC final. With all our fifth-years, we expect Riley and all fifth-years to play their best game of the year Sunday afternoon at one.”

Riley Keating became a starter this season for the Hilltops.

    Riley Keating said one of the characteristics he loves about the Hilltops is the program has a supportive environment. While everyone with the squad is competitive in practice, the players, coaches and staff are constantly trying to help each other improve.

    “That is why I love this Hilltop program, because everybody just continues to support each other,” said Keating. “If someone goes down, we always bring that person up.

    “If I am doing something wrong, everybody helps bring me up.”

    Riley said it has also been special to play alongside Wade for one season. With the siblings being four years apart in age, Riley said there aren’t many sports or leagues where the pair have played together on the same team.

    With Wade on the Hilltops, Riley has extra motivation to help Saskatoon win a sixth straight CJFL title, because he wants his younger brother to have that experience with the team.

Riley Keating (#47) enters SMF Field with parents Peter and Teresa.

    “He (Wade) has been playing in a lot of games,” said Riley. “He is doing pretty good for a rookie.

    “I’m guiding him in the right path showing him what has to be done and how things should be done. He is doing really good, and I am impressed by him. I was really excited when he made the team.

    “It is awesome to play with my younger brother.”

    The elder Keating knows the next step on the playoff trail will be the Hilltops biggest test of the campaign.

    The Hilltops and Huskies met once during the regular season back on Sept. 1 in Edmonton. The Huskies jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter of that contest and held a 19-7 edge at halftime.

Saskatoon rallied in the second half and cut the Huskies advantage to 22-17 in the fourth quarter.  
    With 1:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, Hilltops star power running back Ben Abrook scored the winning touchdown to give Saskatoon a 24-22 victory.

Riley Keating, right, pictured with the PFC championship trophy last year.

    Offensively, the Huskies hit the field with a number of strong players including quarterback Declan O’Flaherty, running back Brandt Buzruk and receivers Ronnie Oling and Sam Clayton.

    The Hilltops made the PFC final after downing the Edmonton Wildcats 31-7 in one PFC semifinal contest last Sunday, while the Huskies claimed last Sunday’s other PFC semifinal game 20-17 over the Thunder in Regina.

    “We are going to come out, and we’re going to play our best game,” said Keating. “We’re going to play a full 60 minutes, and that is our main goal.

    “The Huskies are a great team. They are fine tuned. They beat Regina, so we know this game is going to be tough and physical.

    “We’re just going to grind and be physical and do all in our power to beat those guys.”

Abrook takes third PFC offensive player of the week honour

Ben Abrook gets up in the air to try and fly over the Wildcats.

    Another big game from Saskatoon Hilltops star power running Ben Abrook means another PFC offensive player of the week award.

    For the third time in the 2019 campaign, Abrook was named the PFC’s top offensive player for the week, when the CJFL announced its players of the week on Thursday.

    Abrook had huge outing last Sunday, when the Hilltops downed the Edmonton Wildcats 31-7 in a PFC semifinal contest. 
    He carried the ball 29 times for 153 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns.

    During the regular season, Abrook topped the PFC in rushing carrying the ball 199 times for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns in the Hilltops eight regular season games. 
    For his efforts, Abrook was named a PFC all-star on Tuesday.

Fourth time a charm for Kleiter and weekly special teams nod

Rylan Kleiter launches a punt for the Hilltops.

    After a one-week absence, Rylan Kleiter returned to the top of the weekly PFC special teams list.

    On Thursday, Kleiter, who a receiver/kicker for the Saskatoon Hilltops, was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week. Kleiter, who is a star curling skip, has captured the CJFL’s weekly PFC player of the week honour for the fourth time in the last five weeks.

    This week’s award likely came due to Kleiter’s punting prowess. In the Hilltops 31-7 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats in a PFC semifinal contest held last Sunday, Kleiter punted the ball eight times for 299 yards for an average of 37.4 yards per kick.

    Kleiter was handling the Hilltops punting duties due to the fact the squad’s regular punter in John Brown is undergoing concussion protocol.

    Besides the punting game, Kleiter hit his only field goal attempt from 25 yards out and made all four of his converts. He kicked off five times for 247 yards for an average of 49.4 yards per kick.

    On top of his special teams contributions, Kleiter hauled in touchdown catches from 16 and 30 yards out in the Hilltops victory last Sunday.

    During the regular season, Kleiter led the PFC in scoring with two touchdowns, 18 field goals, 33 converts and one single in the Hilltops eight regular season games. He was named a PFC all star on Tuesday at the place kicker position.

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

-------

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

Hilltops, Huskies to battle in first place showdown

Expect the Hilltops to come out fired up for a first place showdown.

    In the 2018 season to date, it will be the biggest game in the Prairie Football Conference and arguably the biggest game in the Canadian Junior Football League.

    On Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Saskatoon Hilltops will take on the Edmonton Huskies for first place in the PFC in what will be the only regular season meeting between the two sides. The Hilltops currently hold top spot in the PFC with a 5-0 mark, while the Huskies sit second at 4-1.

    If the Hilltops win this contest, they will lock up first place in the PFC. If the Huskies win, they will sit in first place due to holding the standings tiebreaker with the Hilltops.

    Edmonton’s schedule gets quite a bit easier after facing Saskatoon over the final two weeks of the regular season. The Huskies close their regular season slate hosting the Calgary Colts (0-5) on Oct. 6 and the Edmonton Wildcats (2-3) on Oct. 14.

    The squad that finishes first in the PFC locks up home field advantage though the entire CJFL playoffs including the Canadian Bowl national title game.

    “This is really our first playoff game at the end of the day, because it is major ramifications for what takes place,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “Every team wants home field advantage.

    “That is certainly a goal we have set, so we’re going to do everything in our power to come up with a great game plan, make sure the players come out and execute it well and see where it takes us. Film study tells us the Edmonton Huskies are a well-coached, physical football team.”

    The Hilltops and Huskies had a major rivalry in the 2000s with the two sides combining to win the CJFL title in five straight seasons. The Hilltops claimed three straight national titles from 2001 to 2003, while the Huskies won back-to-back national titles in 2004 and 2005.
    The Huskies hit a downturn, but they have returned to their powerhouse form from the past in recent years finishing 6-3 in 2016 and 7-1 last season. Their recent clashes with the Hilltops have been hard fought.

    In the only meeting between the two sides in 2016, the Hilltops pulled out a 29-20 win in Edmonton in Week 2.

Joshua Ewanchyna, right, has been piling up yards for the Hilltops.

    Last season, the two clubs met in the final week of the regular season in Edmonton with first place on the line. The Huskies held a 14-10 lead at halftime before the Hilltops stormed back for a 38-28 victory.
    “We’ve been looking forward to this especially after the game we had against them last year,” said Hilltops star fifth-year receiver Jason Price. “That game was so intense trying to get that first place last year too.

    “This one we’re amped up. We’re ready. We’re going to throw the ball around and fire it up and hopefully take it to them.”

    The Hilltops, who have claimed the last four straight CJFL titles, enter the contest having won their last 13 straight games including action in the regular season and playoffs. Saskatoon has been impressive so far in 2018 having trailed on the scoreboard for just a total of 81 seconds through five outings.

    Fifth-year star quarterback Jordan Walls leads the PFC with 1,270 yards passing having completed 78-of-126 throws for 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.
    Price leads the PFC with 422 yards receiving on 19 catches scoring two touchdowns.

    Hilltops third-year running back Joshua Ewanchyna sits second in the PFC with 442 yards rushing coming off 58 carries and scoring six touchdowns.

    Defensively, sophomore defensive end Connor Delahey leads the Hilltops with three sacks, while defensive tackle Jesse McNabb and linebacker Cody Peters each have two-and-a-half sacks.

    Huskies second-year quarterback Tommy Yanchuk has completed 80-of-148 passes for 1,108 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Yanchuk’s yardage total ranks third in the PFC.

    Edmonton’s second-year running back in Brandt Burzuk leads the PFC in rushing having run the ball 67 times for 488 yards and scoring five touchdowns.

    Sam Clayton leads the Huskies in receiving hauling in 21 passes for 301 yards and scoring four touchdowns.

    Defensive lineman Kolton Densmore leads the Huskies with three sacks. Defensive back Oshane Samuels has been outstanding making 32 total tackles and one interception.

    Sargeant has a lot of respect for the Huskies.

Cody Peters, left, and Tristan Hering get set to rush the passer.

    “They’re good,” said Sargeant. “Trust me, that is what the film tells you.

    “They do everything proper. They’ve got good plans, and they work hard to execute them.

    “Their defence has always given us fits. They run a thirty-four, a different look than what we are used to, so we have lots of things to sort out and figure out compared to how we played in earlier parts of the year.”

    The Huskies last visited SFM Field way back on Sept. 20, 2015 in a campaign where they failed to make the CJFL playoffs. The Hilltops cruised to a 49-17 blowout victory in that encounter.

    That contest in 2015 seems like a distant memory now.

    In Sunday’s upcoming encounter, Price believes his side will rise to the occasion with a big performance again, because the Hilltops coaching staff prepares their players like they are going to play a powerhouse squad every week.

    “We feel like our team is big enough and strong enough to take it to them,” said Price. “We’re just going to have to play the game that we know we can play and just let our play do the talking.”

    The Hilltops will be powered by some extra emotion in Sunday’s game. Last Friday, legendary Hilltops executive and Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Don McDonald passed away at age 86. McDonald first joined the Hilltops as a player in 1951 and 1952.

    The majority of members on the team found out about his passing right before facing the Regina Thunder at SMF Field last Saturday posting a 48-24 victory. The Hilltops found themselves down 17-16 for a short time before surging to the win.

    A celebration of life for McDonald is set for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Saskatoon Inn, and the Hilltops will take the field against the Huskies the following day.

    “We’re going to play with him (McDonald) in our hearts,” said Price. “We’re going to come out there and play hard for him.

    “(He is) an alumni, director and like a big deal in this community. We’re going to go out there with him in our hearts and play Hilltop football the way he would want us to play it.”

    Sargeant said it is hard to find the words to describe what McDonald meant to the team.

Don McDonald, left, with Lyle Hislop in 2016.

    “There will be a lot of emotion through that, because he has been such an impactful and key leader for the Saskatoon Hilltops,” said Sargeant. “As I said, there is a lot of pride and blessing knowing and working with him. 

    “He is one of the big reasons the Saskatoon Hilltops are on the map. We appreciate what all he has done for us. It was good enough to get him into the (Canadian Football) Hall of Fame.

    “That certainly makes all of us feel pretty prideful about that. We also know that we have a job to do. (There is) a little more incentive to keep honouring his name and doing the right things the way the Saskatoon Hilltops are supposed to be doing them.”

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

-------

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