Hilltops’ Dale makes history as first female playing CJFL games

Emmarae Dale takes part in a drill at Hilltops practice.

The realization of a moment that wasn’t on Emmarae Dale’s radar became real the first time she ran out on to the field for a regular season game with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

On August 22 at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton Alta., Dale became the first female player to play in a CJFL game when she took the field as a linebacker with the Hilltops against the host Huskies.

The Hilltops has been part of Dale’s life since she was a little girl. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Dale went to games to support her older brothers Anthony and Donovan, when they played for the storied junior club.

When she was coming out of the tunnel to take the field with the Hilltops for her first game, Dale thought of her brothers. It hit her in that moment that she was now doing something her brothers did many times in coming out of a stadium tunnel to take the field with the “blue and gold.”

“That was really cool,” said Dale. “It made me kind of feel like I was really truly part of the legacy.

“I can’t even describe how much of an impact it kind of felt like. I think it is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Dale made one special teams tackle in helping the Hilltops pull out an 18-17 victory, which was their 30^th consecutive road victory including action in the CJFL regular season and post-season.

A week later on August 29, Dale recorded a solo defensive tackle, two assisted defensive tackles and two special teams tackles in a 35-18 win over the Colts in Calgary, Alta., at Shouldice Park. That was the Hilltops 31^st consecutive win on the road.

Emmarae Dale became the first female to play games in the CJFL.

Dale will make her home debut when the Hilltops host their home opener against their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The clash will be a battle of teams both sporting 2-0 records.

While watching her older brothers play for the Hilltops growing up, Dale saw football as a sport she would like to try one day. Becoming a member of the Hilltops wasn’t a thought that crossed her mind.

Dale played flag football in high school, where she caught the eye of personnel from the Saskatoon Valkyries. The Valkyries are a powerhouse tackle team in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

Michelle Duchene, who is the Valkyries general manager, Carisa Polischuk, who was a Valkyries player and director, and Jeff Yausie, who was the Valkyries head coach at the time and is the Hilltops defensive coordinator, talked Dale into giving the Valkyries a try.

In 2016, Dale joined the Valkyries as an 18-year-old rookie. She played middle linebacker for the Valkyries for four seasons from 2016 to 2019 helping them win two WWCFL championships in 2016 and 2019.

On top of playing for the Valkyries, Dale was a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s track and field team for four seasons specializing in throwing events. She helped the Huskies win three straight Canada West Conference team championships from 2018 to 2020.

On the football side of things, Yausie stepped down as Valkyries head coach following the 2016 campaign and remained the team’s defensive coordinator in 2017 before stepping away from that club.

Emmarae Dale (#45) in action for the Valkyries in 2019.

Yausie kept tabs on how Dale was doing with the Valkyries and thought she improved to the point where she could help the Hilltops. He brought the idea to legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, and the decision was made early in 2020 to recruit Dale to the club that has won 22 CJFL championships.

Dale was slated to play with the Hilltops last year, but that season was ultimately cancelled on August 6, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world.

The Hilltops completed all the paperwork to allow Dale to join the team before August 6, 2020. 

That allowed her to be eligible to play in the 2021 campaign, when the CJFL announced in early September of 2020 that players who were 22-years-old in 2020 could play as 23-year-olds in 2021.

Dale took part in the six weeks of practice the Hilltops were able to hold in September and October of 2020, and the official announcement she was on the team’s roster was made on September 15, 2020.

That eventually led to Dale getting on the field for the Hilltops regular season open on August 22 of this year. She can still feel the excitement from that day.

“It was pretty surreal,” said Dale, who has done numerous interviews with media outlets across Canada about joining the Hilltops. “I think it was just such a long time coming that it is kind of weird to think that it has already come and gone.

“It was the first game back since COVID. I think everyone is still just kind of getting the rust off after such a long wait, but it was awesome being there. I think even when I was just first putting on the shoulder pads and the Hilltops jersey it definitely kind of hit me that it was going to be a big game and very meaningful game.

Emmarae Dale followed two of her older brothers to the Hilltops.

“It was really awesome. It was definitely exciting and humbling. It was just a lot of emotions just kind of wrapped into one I think.”

During the first game, Sargeant said lots of people didn’t realize Dale was a female player. He said Dale deserved the opportunities she was given.

“She is just another football player,” said Sargeant. “She is one of the 45 players we took on the road trip.

“She was in some good situations. She did her job. She had some contain responsibilities.

“She got in on a tackle. Emmarae is such a positive kid. She works real hard, and she is a joy to be around.”

Sargeant said Dale has been perfect fit with the team.

“We really enjoy coaching her,” said Sargeant. “As I said, we don’t think anything else.

“She is number 45 in the blue and gold, and she is out there to try and help us win. That is all we care about.”

After getting that season opener under her belt, Dale said the focus quickly shifted to the rest of the 2021 campaign.

“Now that game is done, I think it kind of feels like a little bit less pressure,” said Dale. “I’m excited to just keep getting better for the rest of this season.

Michelle Keene, left, with Emmarae Dale. (Photo courtesy Michelle Keene)

“I think we still all have a lot of learning to do. We’re a young, fast and talented team. I think we are just going to keep growing from here.

“It is definitely not the peak of the Hilltops for that first game, so we’re excited to keep going.”

 

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.

Last dance with Hilltops means the world to Giddings

Saskatoon surges past Colts in Calgary 35-18

Jared Giddings is pumped to be back on the field.

Jared Giddings’ last dance with the Saskatoon Hilltops has already been better than he imagined.

When the 2020 CJFL season was canceled in early August of that year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Giddings wondered if his chance to play his fifth and final season with the Hilltops was gone.

On September 8, 2020, the CJFL announced players who would have been in their 22-year-old years that season would be able to play in 2021, while players who were 21-years-old in 2020 would be eligible to play through to 2022.

With that decision, Giddings was able to return to the Hilltops as a 23-year-old to play his fifth and final campaign. The Humboldt, Sask., product wasn’t going to let that opportunity pass him by.

“It means the world,” said Giddings, who also took part in the Hilltops six weeks of practice in September and October of 2020. “This program has been a big part of my life.

“Ever since high school, I’ve been here. You build bonds with these guys. I had the option to comeback with the CJFL extending eligibility.

“I just couldn’t be more thankful. I really wanted to take that opportunity to just come back and be with these guys for one more year. I made so many memories.”

On Sunday, Giddings stepped into his boundary cornerback position and helped the Hilltops down the Calgary Colts 35-18 at Shouldice Park in Calgary.

Before joining the Hilltops as a player in 2016, Giddings attended Hilltops games as his older brother, Josh, played for the team in their 2012 CJFL championship winning season and 2013.

Jared Giddings attended winter camps with the Hilltops during his high school years and earned a roster spot after attending the team’s spring camp in 2016.

Jared Giddings makes an interception at Hilltops practice.

He always cherished his time with the team helping the Hilltops win CJFL titles in his first four seasons in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Giddings was a Prairie Football Conference all-star in 2018.

After there was no CJFL season in 2020, Giddings found he appreciated the chance to be on the team and play in the CJFL that much more. When the Hilltops took the field for their regular season opener and downed the Huskies in Edmonton 18-17, Giddings found that pre-game jitters returned.

“I was pretty nervous to be honest after a year off of football,” said Giddings, who stands 6-feet and weighs 185 pounds. “I was so excited just to be back out there.

“You never knew if it was going to happen again just because I was a little older guy. There was a little uncertainty there. I was so appreciative just to be able to step on the field.

“Just to see the atmosphere and the fans again, that was just an amazing feeling.”

Giddings is the only players on the Hilltops defensive unit who is in his fifth full season with the team.

The graduate of the nine-man Humboldt Collegiate Institute Mohawks football team is one of just three players who are in their fifth full season with the Hilltops. That short list includes a pair of offensive linemen in left tackle Mason Ochs and right tackle Jonathan Chisholm.

Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was pumped to have Giddings back for one last season and said the defensive back’s experience is extremely valuable.

“Jared (Giddings) is a primetime player,” said Sargeant. “He is one the few all-stars we have coming back.

“He absolutely understands the game. He brings a lot of confidence and a lot of swag. He is our top lockdown cover guy.

Jared Giddings provides a steady presence on the Hilltops defence.

“In critical spots, we are putting him in those physical and aggressive spots. He seems to take advantage of it. He makes our defence a lot better, and he also brings real good leadership too.”

Sargeant said Giddings provides a calming influence to the Hilltops defensive secondary.

“He has been around here now for six years, so you look at him and you just feel good,” said Sargeant. “You feel right.

“You know he is going to do what you want him to do. You know he is going to lead the group properly. He is a pretty quiet guy, but he practices hard.

“He just makes everyone around him better, because they just have to watch his practice habits and how he conducts himself. He is a true winner and a true leader for the Hilltops.”

Giddings said the Hilltops defensive secondary has some good chemistry. He noted that fourth-year safety Brant Morrow and third-year defensive halfback Evan Mantyka were both starters in 2019.

Giddings said converted receiver Steven Gilewicz has found his groove at the field side cornerback position in his second season with the team.

“The defensive back group, it seems like we have some experience compared to the rest of the defence,” said Giddings. “Being with (Brant) Morrow and (Evan) Mantyka, we started 2019 together.

“Steveo (Gilewicz), he has been with us for a couple of years now. It felt normal out there. I feel comfortable with those guys just to be having that experience.

“I wouldn’t actually want to be with anyone else to be honest. I know what those guys are going to bring, and I know what they are going to do. We all trust each other.”

As the season marches onwards, Giddings plans to soak each day for that day. After there was no CJFL campaign in 2020, Giddings has a new appreciation of the journey through a season.

Jared Giddings has helped the Hilltops win four CJFL titles.

“Football is a grind, and sometimes coming to practice isn’t easy,” said Giddings. “Honestly, it is all just a little bit easier now.

“When we were off, you don’t know what is happening. You don’t know what is going to happen next. Every day, it is like it is a blessing.

“I don’t mind coming to practice and getting bruised up a bit and hitting some guys. It is a lot of fun. I think it brought the fun back into football for me personally.”

In the win over the Colts on Sunday, Hilltops kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas kicked a 14-yard field in the first quarter to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, running back Carter McLean ran the ball in from eight yards out for a major to give the Hilltops a 10-0 edge.

The Colts responded with quarterback Cole Belway hitting receiver Joel Pipke with a four-yard touchdown pass to cut the Hilltops lead to 10-7.

With less than three minutes to go in the second quarter, the Hilltops scored 18 straight points to go ahead 28-7.

The surge started with the Colts electing to concede a safety after being pinned deep in their own end. On the ensuing Saskatoon offensive drive, Hilltops quarterback Doug Fleming hit third-year receiver Presley Peterson with a 40-yard touchdown pass.

The Colts again got pinned in their own end, and Belway was sacked in the end zone by Mantyka for another safety score for Saskatoon. The Hilltops surge closed when Fleming scored a rushing touchdown with 20 seconds remaining in the half.

At the start of the third quarter, the Colts picked up a single as kicker Austin Griffiths booted the opening kickoff into the end zone. Griffiths hit a 31-yard field goal before the third quarter ended trimming the Hilltops lead to 28-11.

Jared Giddings has made big plays for the Hilltops.

On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Belway hit receiver Brendt Adams on an eight-yard touchdown toss for the Colts to further cut the Hilltops edge to 28-18.

Saskatoon dashed any hopes of a Calgary comeback when running back Jordan Tabin ran the ball in from five yards out to round out the scoring in the 35-18 victory causing the Colts to fall to 0-2.

Sunday’s contest was the physical one causing the Hilltops to make some regular substitutions. On the offensive line, Mitchel Clarke entered the game at left tackle replacing Ochs, who is a three-time all-Canadian all-star, and Jayson Kehler went in a right tackle for Chisholm.

Clarke is in his third full season with the Hilltops, while Kehler is in his fourth full season with the team.

The Hilltops return to action on Saturday, September, 11 at 7 p.m. hosting their home opener against their provincial rivals in the Regina Thunder. Both teams enter that contest with identical 2-0 records and the winner will sit alone in first place in the Prairie Football Conference.

’Toppers RB Tabin picked by NLL’s Rush

Jordan Tabin runs the ball for the Hilltops in 2019.

Saskatoon Hilltops running back Jordan Tabin is going to get the chance to crack the professional ranks in lacrosse.

During the National Lacrosse League Entry Draft that was held virtually on Saturday, Tabin was selected in the sixth round and 89^th overall by his home province team in the Saskatchewan Rush, who are a league powerhouse. The Rush captured NLL titles in 2016 and 2018 playing out of the SaskTel Centre and when the franchise was still located in Edmonton, Alta., in 2015.

The 20-year-old Tabin plays defence for the Saskatchewan SWAT junior A lacrosse team.

On the football field, Tabin is playing in his third full season with the Hilltops having also suited up for the storied CJFL club in 2018 and 2019 CJFL championship seasons.

In the 2019 CJFL campaign, Tabin carried the ball seven times for 103 yards in the Hilltops eight regular season games and ran the ball six times for 81 yards scoring one touchdown in four post-season contests.

During the fourth quarter of the Hilltops 35-18 victory over the Colts in Calgary, Alta., at Shouldice Park, Tabin ran in a touchdown from five yards out in the fourth quarter.

Hilltops’ In The End Zone Dinner returns

A Scott Schultz card.

The Saskatoon Hilltops traditional In The End Zone Dinner to raise funds for the team’s scholarship program is returning this season.

The club wasn’t able to hold the fundraising dinner a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s dinner will be held on September 11 at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. The guest speakers will be a pair of former Saskatchewan Roughriders members in defensive lineman Scott Schultz and linebacker Mike McCullough.

Schultz, who is originally from Moose Jaw, Sask., played for the Roughriders from 2002 to 2009 and helped Saskatchewan win the 2007 Grey Cup as CFL champions.

McCullough suited up for the Roughriders for 11 seasons from 2003 to 2013 helping the team to Grey Cup wins in 2007 and 2013. The 2013 championship was won at the Roughriders historic home park in Taylor Field.

A Mike McCullough card.

Doors for the In The End Zone Dinner open at 4:15 p.m. with dinner to be served at 5:15 p.m.

Following dinner, the Hilltops will hold their home opener at 7 p.m. hosting their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which is right next to the Gordie Howe Sports Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

Single tickets for the dinner are $100 or a table of eight can be bought for $725.

Tickets can be purchased online by clicking on a link 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.

-------

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.