Wist becomes force at middle linebacker for Hilltops

Saskatoon routes Wildcats on road 64-7

Matt Wist has been a playmaker at MLB for the Hilltops.

A highlight play in his first post-season game as a rookie might have foreshadowed Matt Wist’s future campaigns with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

In 2019, Wist was a fresh faced newcomer middle linebacker with the Hilltops having graduated from Bethlehem Catholic High School. In a PFC semifinal playoff game on Oct. 20 of that year, Wist entered the game on defence as the Hilltops were closing out a 31-7 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

A Wildcats ball carrier got caught in the clutches of three Hilltops defenders, who caused the ball to shoot straight up into the air. Wist was pursuing in on the play and plucked the ball out of the air for a fumble recovery.

He charged downfield with the hopes of adding a defensive score, but the Wildcats were able to track him down to prevent the Saskatoon side from getting another major. Still, memories of that play bring a smile to Wist’s face.

“It got striped, and it popped right into me,” said Wist. “It came right to me, and I started running.”

That was Wist’s biggest personal highlight in a 2019 campaign that saw the Hilltops post a perfect 12-0 record in winning the Canadian Bowl as CJFL champions for a sixth straight year.

On Sunday at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta., Wist and the Hilltops were making all sorts of big plays in a CJFL regular season clash with the host Edmonton Wildcats. The Hilltops romped to a 64-7 victory to win their second straight game and improve to 4-3 to sit third in the PFC regular season standings.

The Wildcats led the contest 3-2 after the first quarter, but the Hilltops hit high gear in the second quarter scoring 35 points to hold a 37-6 advantage at halftime. Saskatoon cruised to victory from there dropping the Wildcats to 0-7.

Matt Wist returns a fumble in the 2019 CJFL post-season.

Out in Calgary on Sunday, the Colts dropped a 39-14 decision to the visiting Regina Thunder to fall to 2-5, which meant the Hilltops officially clinched a berth in the CJFL playoffs. The Thunder improved to 7-0 to lock up first place in the PFC and homefield advantage through the entire CJFL playoffs.

Also on Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, the host Huskies won their fourth straight downing the visiting Winnipeg Rifles 33-8. 

The Huskies improved to 5-2 to lock up a playoff berth and sit second in the PFC, while the Rifles fell to 3-4 to remain fourth in the PFC.

The Rifles clinched the final playoff spot in the PFC due to the fact they won their lone head-to-head meeting with the Colts 31-28 back on Sept. 11 in Winnipeg.

With each team in the PFC having one regular season game left on their schedule, the lowest the Hilltops can finish is third due to the fact they hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with the Rifles. The two sides split their two regular season encounters, but the Hilltops took the season series outscoring the Rifles 35-29 in those head-to-head meetings.

The Hilltops could finish second in the PFC, if they win their last regular season game and the Huskies lose their last regular season outing. Saskatoon holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Huskies taking the lone regular season clash between the two sides 38-10 back on August 21 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Hilltops close their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 16, when they host the Colts at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. The Huskies conclude their regular season schedule also on Sunday, October 16, when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder.

Looking back on his rookie season, Wist said being part of that campaign still gives him motivation to carry on the Hilltops legacy and tradition that has seen the storied club win 22 CJFL championships dating back to when the team was formed in 1947.

Matt Wist (#44) helps chase down a ball carrier.

Having played with the Stars football program during his time at Bethlehem Catholic High School, Wist had his sights set on joining the Hilltops.

“They’re the best organization in the CJFL,” said Wist, who had two punt singles in the Hilltops win on Sunday. “Of course, I want to be part of them.

“As soon as I came out of high school, I wasn’t ready to go to school, and I wanted to play junior football.”

After the 2020 CJFL season was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Wist found out he had earned the starting role at middle linebacker going into the 2021 campaign.

“I was surprised,” said Wist, who had 41.5 total tackles, three quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery in the Hilltops eight regular season games in 2021. “I was excited.

“It was an opportunity for me to show what I could do. It was great.”

Going into Sunday’s game, Wist sat fourth in defensive points in the PFC with 30 solo tackles, 17 tackle assists and one interception.

“We’re seeing the evolution as each game goes along,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant about Wist. “He has always been in the top 10 of defensive points.

“He has become a real quality run stopper and a good special teamer, and he adds a role as a punter as well. He gives you a lot of good things. He came out of high school as a heralded middle linebacker.

Matt Wist (#44) helps made a stop in the 2021 CJFL post-season.

“He has come as advertised, and he is only a fourth-year player. We think he will be stepping up his leadership as we move forward.”

Away from the football field, Wist is a high level lacrosse player, who has played the last three seasons for the Saskatchewan SWAT junior A program. Wist took up football first, but he has been playing lacrosse since Grade 7.

Sargeant said the experience of the physicality with lacrosse does transfer over and help Wist with football.

“Any time you get into physical sports like hockey, lacrosse or whatever, you just have that edge,” said Sargeant. “Football is a physical contact sport.

“When you show up with that edge, it certainly makes things a lot better. We’re happy with everything that he does inside and outside the football team. We’re blessed to have him.”

Going forward, Wist said he is focused on the present but believes the Hilltops can do big things in the rest of the current campaign. 

Stepping back and looking at the big picture, Wist is pumped he still has the rest of this season and all of next season to play with the Hilltops before his CJFL eligibility comes to an end.

He embraces every day he gets to suit up with the storied team.

Matt Wist cherishes every day he gets to suit up for the Hilltops.

“My first couple of years flew by that is for sure,” said Wist. “The rest of this year and next year, I’m really going to cherish being with all the guys and just being with this organization.”

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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Matthews named NLL MVP, Rush players get all-star nods

Rush F Mark Matthews was named NLL MVP.

    The fourth time was a charm for Mark Matthews when it came to winning National Lacrosse League MVP honours.

    On Tuesday, the star forward with the Saskatchewan Rush was named the MVP for the NLL this past season. This was the first time Matthews claimed league MVP honours after being a finalist for the award in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

    In claiming MVP honours for this past season, the 28-year-old from Oshawa, Ont., beat out Rush teammate in forward Robert Church and New England Black Wolves forward Kevin Crowley.

    The individual honours didn’t stop there for Matthews. On Wednesday, the grad of the University of Denver Pioneers men’s lacrosse team was named a first team NLL All-Pro on Wednesday marking the fourth team he claimed those honours.

    Matthews, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 pounds, topped the NLL in scoring this past season for the first time in his six-year career piling up 32 goals and 84 assists for a team record 116 points appearing in all 18 of the Rush’s regular season games. 

    His 84 assists were a league record for most assists in one regular season beating the old mark of 83 held by Josh Sanderson from the 2015 campaign with the Toronto Rock, Shawn Evans from the 2015 season with the Calgary Roughnecks and Callum Crawford from the 2016 campaign with the Colorado Mammoth.

Mark Matthews set a new NLL regular season record for assists at 84.

    Matthews had the previous Rush record for most points in one regular season piling up 115 points in the 2015 campaign.

    The Rush topped the entire NLL regular season standings with a 14-4 mark this past season, and they claimed their third league title in the past four years. The Rush won their first NLL championship in 2015 in the franchise’s final season in Edmonton and their second title in 2016 in their inaugural campaign in Saskatchewan.

    Matthews joined the Rush franchise as the first overall selection in the 2012 NLL Draft. He turned heads right away being named the NLL’s rookie of the year for the 2013 campaign piling up 38 goals and 31 assists in 16 regular season games.

    During his time with the Rush, Matthews has appeared in 106 career regular season games, and he is the franchise’s all-time regular season leader in goals (234), assists (366) and points (600).

    Church joined Matthews on the NLL’s All-Pro first team at forward for this past season. Church finished second in NLL regular season scoring with 47 goals and 60 assists appearing in all of the Rush’s 18 regular season games.

Mark Matthews helped the Rush win their third NLL championship.

    Rush defender Kyle Rubisch was named the NLL’s All-Pro second team. Rubisch appeared in 17 regular season games for the Rush recording one goal, eight assists, 25 caused turnovers and 130 loose ball pickups.

    Back on Aug. 2, Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan was named the winner of the NLL’s Les Bartley Head Coach of the Year award. That marked the fourth time in his overall career Keenan was named the NLL’s coach of the year.

    Also on Wednesday, the Rush announced their home opener for the upcoming regular season is slated for Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 at the SaskTel Centre against an opponent that is still to be determined.

Blades push Canada to Hlinka Gretzky Cup semi, other notes

Nolan Maier has two wins for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

    The Saskatoon Blades contingent has helped Canada’s under-18 start 3-0 at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and earn a berth in one of Friday’s two semifinal games.

    On Wednesday night, Blades netminder Nolan Maier made 21 saves to backstop Canada to a 4-3 victory over Sweden (2-1) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta. Josh Williams, Alexis Lafreniere, Matthew Robertson and Bowen Byram all had singles for Canada.

    Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz and Elmer Soderblom all had singles for Sweden, while Jesper Wallstedt turned away 31 shots to take the setback in the Swedish net.

    Maier has won both his starts for Canada turning away 33-of-36 shots fired his way for a .917 save percentage to go with his 1.50 goals against average and one shutout.

    Blades centre Kirby Dach has dressed in all three of Canada’s games collecting one goal and two assists.

    Blades first year head coach Mitch Love is an assistant coach for Canada.

    Sweden will face Russia (3-0) in a semifinal on Friday at 3 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Canada face the United States (2-1) in Friday’s other semifinal set for 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton.  The tournament final is slated for Saturday at 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

• Saskatoon Stars alumnae Sophie Shirley has an assist in two games for Team Heaney in a series of exhibition contests that are going on as part of the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team being held in Calgary, Alta. Jaycee Gebhard, who is another Stars alumnae, has the only goal Team James has scored in the two games they have played at the selection camp. Team Heaney is 2-0, while Team James is 0-2. Shirley will play her first season for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in Madison, Wisconsin, this coming season, while, Gebhard will join the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in Moon, Pennsylvania, for her third season.
• Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team, is suiting up for the U Sports all-star team at the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. She has an assist in two games as the U Sport all-stars are 1-1.
• Japan’s national women’s team rounds out the teams taking part in a series of exhibition games at the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. Japan is 1-1 after two games.
• The selection camp for Canada’s under-18 women’s national team featured its first intrasquad game on Wednesday in Calgary. Grace Shirley, who is a centre for the Saskatoon Stars and Sophie’s younger sister, had a goal for Canada Red in a 3-1 victory over Canada White. Former Regina Rebels forward Kennedy Bobyck, who now plays for the Calgary based Edge School Mountaineers female prep team, is playing for Canada Red. Stars forward Joelle Fiala and Melville Prairie Fire defender Allison Hayhurst are playing for Canada White.
• On Wednesday, the junior B Delisle Chiefs of the Prairie Junior Hockey League announced Ryan Marushak will be returning to serve a fourth season as the club’s general manager. Last season, Marushak won the PJHL’s Terry Rak Memorial Builder of the Year award. Marushak was the Chiefs assistant general manager in 2014-15 before becoming the general manager. He was also with Chiefs for two other season from 2008 to 2010 serving as an assistant coach and director of player personnel.

Back in the Express with Berglof

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature story on two-sport athlete Colin Berglof.

    Berglof is one of seven players from the Saskatchewan SWAT junior A lacrosse team that is playing for Canada at the three-team indoor World Junior Lacrosse Championship that started Wednesday night at the SaskTel Centre. Canada opened the event on Wednesday with a 26-9 victory over the Iroquois team. Berglof, who is playing transition for Canada, had a pair of goals and an assist in that contest.

    Canada finishes opening round play facing the United States on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. The tournament’s championship game is slated for Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

    The six other members of the SWAT that are part of the Canadian team include Tanner Deck, Quinn Ingalls, Keagan White, Wyatt Haux, Mitch Linklater and Laine Hruska.

    Berglof plays forward for the SWAT and defence for the Delisle Chiefs junior B hockey team. The Express story on him can be found 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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    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.