Thunder stampede their way to PFC championship

Hilltops downplay no flag on head hit to Reider

The Thunder celebrate their PFC championship win.

The Regina Thunder continued to be their version of Bronko Nagurski and the Chicago Bears of the 1930s NFL.

On Sunday playing before 1,826 spectators at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Thunder stampeded their way to a 24-19 victory in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference final over their provincial rivals the Saskatoon Hilltops, who entered the contest as the defending CJFL champions.

The Thunder starting offensive line of left tackle Nolan Finn, left guard Caleb Barajas, centre Max McFadden, right guard Tristen Rapchalk and right tackle Eric Boyd hammered the Hilltops defence allowing the Regina side to pile up 321 yards rushing as a team on 49 carries for an average of 6.6 yards per rush attempt.

The Thunder O-line help their team rush for 321 yards.

Thunder star running back Sadik Sadik led Regina with 28 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Regina’s other star running back in Ryland Leichert also had a big day carrying the ball 20 times for 118 yards.

Before facing the Hilltops, the Thunder piled up 751 yards rushing in their two previous outings that included a regular season 40-21 victory over the Calgary Colts and a 64-7 PFC semifinal win over the Colts.

Sadik is playing out his final season of CJFL eligibility as he is 22-years-old. He was pumped his club could win the PFC title after falling in last year’s PFC final 21-13 to the Hilltops in Saskatoon.

Sadik Sadik ran the ball 28 times for 178 yards and two TDs.

“Coming out here, I told the boys I don’t’ want to end my season here in Saskatoon,” said Sadik. “This honestly couldn’t have been drawn up any better playing Saskatoon at their home.

“Coming out here dominating and making this place our territory, we own this place. It is really what it is.”

Despite the physicality of the Thunder, the Hilltops almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat taking the ball on one last offensive series from their own 15 yard line with 61 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and no timeouts at their disposal. After getting across midfield, the Hilltops went into their bag of tricks for a gadget play that resulted in the most controversial moment of the contest.

On what would ultimately be the second last play of the contest, the Hilltops ran their version of the “Philly Special.” Star fifth-year quarterback Trey Reider, who was named the MVP of the PFC for the 2024 campaign, passed the ball laterally in the right flat to star power running back Corbin Ebben.

Trey Reider charges downfield for the Hilltops.

Ebben took a couple of steps and fired a lateral pass back across the field to Reider. Reider took off down the left sideline before encountering Thunder star middle linebacker Stephen Smith at the Thunder 22 yard line. Smith made a head first driving tackle striking the crown of his helmet into the head of Reider dropping the signal caller to the turf.

The Hilltops bench was immediately calling for a major foul penalty for the obvious and visible helmet-to-helmet hit that has been banned in tackle football for some time now, but the officials didn’t throw a flag on the head shot. As a result, the Hilltops had basically one play to throw the ball into the end zone from the Thunder 22 yard line with 6.1 seconds remaining on the clock. Since Reider went down in bounds, the clock starts when the officials blow the play in.

A Hilltops final pass to the end zone in knocked incomplete.

Had a major foul penalty been called, the Hilltops would have been scrimmaging first and goal from the Thunder seven yard line, and the clock would not start until the ball was snapped. Saskatoon could have conceivably run two more offensive plays in that scenario.

Instead, Reider made a Hail Mary jump ball pass to star fifth-year receiver Drake Douglas about five yards deep in the end zone along the right sideline. Thunder safety Adam King knocked down the final toss to preserve the victory for his side.

Reider put the Hilltops offence on his back finishing the day completing 23-of-41 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown, while throwing one interception. He also topped the Hilltops with 102 yards rushing on nine carries.

The Hilltops react to losing in the PFC final.

At end of the contest, Reider didn’t have anything bad to say about the officials or what happened on the play when he was hit helmet to helmet.

“At the end of the day, you can try to blame the refs, but I just put this on myself,” said Reider, who finished his career with the Hilltops with a 25-2 record as their started quarterback. “You can’t really blame anyone.

“I could have made him miss maybe. That is just on me. I’m not going to put anything on the refs or anyone else.

The Thunder raise the PFC championship trophy.

“I am going to put it on myself.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was diplomatic when asked about the head shot Reider took.

“That is a variable we don’t control,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, referees are working hard doing their job.

“I have a lot of respect for what they do. Being in these big games and at the end of the day, their job is to make sure our players are protected. If they felt that was the case, then we got to agree with what was in front of us.”

Ryland Leichert (#32) ran the ball 20 times for 118 yards.

Overall, Sargeant said his storied club didn’t perform at a level that was needed to pull out a victory.

“We didn’t play well enough to win,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, full credit goes to the Regina Thunder.

“They battled, and they competed for sixty minutes. I’m proud of my kids, you know what? At the end of the first half, they took it to us.

“We responded, regrouped, and you know, just didn’t make the right plays at the right time. As I said, it just wasn’t enough. We kept on fighting, scratching and clawing to the end, but it wasn’t good enough today.”

The Thunder opened the contest with an impressive first series that ended with starting quarterback Ethan Hugg hitting receiver Zak Woidyla for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the visitors up 7-0.

Drake Douglas caught seven passes for 121 yards.

Before the first quarter ended, the Hilltops got on the scoreboard with a 22-yard field goal from kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas to trim the Thunder lead to 7-3.

At the 3:29 mark of the second quarter, Thunder kicker Shawn Green hit a 26 yard field goal to give his squad a 10-3 lead at halftime.

The Thunder pushed their lead out to 17-3 with a four-yard rushing major by Sadik at the 5:51 mark of the frame. With 2:18 remaining in the third, Green had to concede a safety due to bad field position to make the Thunder lead stand at 17-5.

On the ensuing offensive series, the Hilltops quickly drove downfield. With 59.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Ebben ran home a major from 14 yards out to cut the Thunder advantage to 17-12.

Corbin Ebben (#34) scored a pair of touchdowns for the Hilltops.

Early in the fourth quarter, disaster struck the Hilltops on special teams. Douglas muffed a punt return deep in his own end, and defensive back Owen Effa recovered the ball for the Thunder. Zadik proceeded to score on a two-yard run at the 3:20 mark of the fourth quarter to give the Thunder a 24-12 advantage.

With 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, Reider hit Ebben with a 14-yard touchdown pass to trim the Thunder lead to 24-19. That set the stage for the dramatics at the end of the game.

Coming into Sunday’s contest, the Thunder had lost five straight overall to the Hilltops, who finished the 2024 campaign with a 9-1 overall mark. The Hilltops had also won 21 straight games overall. Sadik was overjoyed his squad beat the Hilltops to capture the PFC title in his final CJFL season.

Trey Reider (#3) completed 23-of-41 passes for 305 yards.

“It means a lot,” said Sadik. “There is a lot of work that went into this you know what I mean?

“(There were) a lot of ups and downs. At the end of the day, we came out here, and we did what we had to do and we came out with the win.”

The Thunder, who improved to 8-2 overall, have now won their last three straight overall. Their last loss came on September 28, when they were thumped 36-11 by the Hilltops at SMF Field.

Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay was pumped his team rebounded from that drubbing to ultimately claim the PFC title.

“It feels fantastic,” said MacAulay. “It wasn’t an easy season.

Zak Woidyla makes a 10-yard touchdown catch for the Thunder.

“We had to do a lot of changes. I think the turning point was the last time we played against the Hilltops. We had to go back and take a look at what our assets were on our team and make sure we tried to use them a little bit more and put the ball in the boys’ hands and let them do the job.”

MacAulay said the players and coaches on his club concluded their strengths on offence were their offensive line and their talented veteran running backs. Since pushing all the chips in on the running game, the Thunder have been riding high.

“Our guys worked out hard during the off-season,” said MacAulay. “They’re physically fit, and this is what they wanted.

Stephen Smith had seven total tackles for the Thunder.

“The players were the one stepping up and saying that they wanted to run the rock and were holding the coaches accountable. It was a great couple of weeks.”

Douglas led the Hilltops with 121 yards receiving on seven catches. Ebben finished with 52 yards rushing on 13 carries to go with his major score on the ground. He caught 10 passes for 114 yards.

“We worked pretty hard, and this is not the outcome we wanted at the end of the day,” said Reider. “There is not really a lot to say right now.”

Hugg completed 7-of-9 passes for 53 yards and one touchdown. Former Thunder starter Carter Moberg saw spot action completing 1-of-2 passes for 11 yards.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) shows he made a fumble recovery.

Defensive back Nathan Young led the Hilltops with nine total tackles and one pass knockdown. Hilltops defensive end Kai Kukurudza and defensive tackle Ryan Adamko each had one fumble recovery.

Thunder cornerback Tristan Bergquist led his squad with seven solo defensive tackles and three pass knockdowns. Smith record five solo defensive tackles and four defensive tackle assists for the Thunder.

Middle linebacker Mitchell Tanchak had an interception for Regina.

Sargeant said he was going to be realistic with his final address with the club.

“(I will tell them) just how much I love them and how far we grew as a team,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day when you’re a Hilltop, the expectations are always high.

Ethan Hugg completed 7-of-9 passes for 53 yards and one TD.

“No one is going to feel sorry for the blue and gold. It is the reality. We played well, but we didn’t play well enough to win. We’ve got to live with that, and we’ve got to deal with that.

“At the end of the day, we’ll move on. That is life. You move on.”

The Thunder will move on to host a CJFL semifinal this coming Sunday against the BCFC champions Okanagan Sun (12-0) at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field in Regina. When the Thunder last won the PFC title in 2022, they fell to the Sun 21-19 in the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

MacAulay is giving his squad the chance to soak in the PFC final victory first before the Thunder turn their attention to the Sun.

Thunder members enjoy the PFC championship trophy.

“We’re going to celebrate tonight,” said MacAulay. “Winning in the PFC, there are six great teams.

“I think you’ve got to relish in the moment and worry about the Sun come tomorrow. We’re definitely excited to be moving on and have that opportunity.”

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Keating soaks in swan song run with storied Hilltops

LB says Saskatoon ready to go against Thunder in PFC final

Wade Keating returns an interception for a TD in a PFC semifinal.

Before his junior football career concludes, Wade Keating wants to increase the number of CJFL championship rings in the Saskatoon Hilltops dressing room.

The Hilltops outside linebacker, who is playing out the final weeks of his CJFL career as the post-season moves on, is one of six players currently with the venerable squad who owns a CJFL championship ring. The other five include middle linebacker Matt Wist, defensive back Carter Wingert, running back Boston Davidsen, defensive lineman Craig Torgerson and receiver Evan Ward. All six were rookies with the Hilltops in 2019, when the storied squad posted a 12-0 record on the way to winning the CJFL title.

One of the Hilltops goals year in and year out is to try and help their graduating players depart the program as champions. While Keating is part of the 2023 class of graduates, he would like to help all the players that haven’t experienced a CJFL championship win before get to that point in the team’s current post-season run.

“That has been on our minds since last year when we lost to Regina,” said Keating. “I think we’re a really determined group.

“That’s definitely the way we want to go out as champions.”

Wade Keating is one of the Hilltops defensive captains.

The loss to Regina that Keating refers to was the 2022 PFC final, where the Hilltops dropped a 39-21 decision to the host Thunder at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on October 30 of that year. Those two sides went at it in the 2021 PFC final at Mosaic Stadium, where the Hilltops prevailed 29-9.

This season’s PFC final will be held at the Hilltops home park in Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Hilltops head into that clash with a 9-0 overall record, and the Thunder go into that heavyweight tilt with a 7-2 overall mark.

“We see them three times a year most years,” said Keating, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 185 pounds. “This group is ready to go.

“We’ll see them on Sunday.”                                                                                 

In 2023, Keating is part of a Hilltops defensive unit that appears intent on carving out a memorable place in team history. During the team’s eight-game regular season, the Hilltops allowed 51 points against, which is the team’s lowest total in that department since 1949.

During the regular season, Keating recorded 17 solo defensive tackles, 10 defensive tackle assists, two special teams solo tackles, one special teams tackle assist, one pass knockdown, one fumble recovery and one interception. 

Last Sunday in the Hilltops 53-2 romp over the Calgary Colts in a PFC semifinal, Keating had two solo defensive tackles, three defensive tackle assists and one interception that he returned 26 yards for a touchdown. It was the first pick six of his CJFL career.

Wade Keating can play at the line of scrimmage and in coverage.

Keating said it seems like everyone on the Hilltops defensive unit is stepping up to make plays in 2023.

“For guys that weren’t starters last year, we had guys stepping up this year and just making crazy plays,” said Keating, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate Chargers Football Team. “(Defensive tackle) John Stevens, how many turnovers has he had this year?

“Matthew Wist, Dalton Urban and the list goes on. I think that is just the veteran leadership and carrying over to everyone else as well.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Keating’s toughness and ability to lead by example have been highly valuable for the club.

“Wade has been absolutely outstanding,” said Sargeant. “Here is a guy a couple of years ago we moved to linebacker.

“He was a starting halfback, but he just has that innate toughness that we need. We wanted to move him close to the line of scrimmage, but we still put him in cover situations. He has just been on point.

“He has been one of our smartest players. He has been one of our toughest players, and he’s been a great leader and a great captain for this defence.”

Going into the 2023 campaign, Keating said he focused on doing well in his off-season workouts to help increase his self-belief on the field.

Wade Keating (#20) walks to the SMF Field surface with his parents.

“I really bought in this off-season, and it really transferred over to the field with just confidence,” said Keating. “Bigger, faster and stronger and especially just between the ears has just been a major difference.”

Keating said the current campaign has been his most fun season with the Hilltops. As the post-season moves on, he wants to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented and soak in and enjoy each day as they come.

“I think that is part of the whole fifth-year mantra as well,” said Keating. “Definitely, it has been a tonne of fun.

“These are my brothers, so it’s been awesome.”

Davidsen racks up three major PFC awards

Boston Davidsen is the PFC’s Most Valuable Player.

When it came to handing out the PFC’s major individuals awards for 2023, the spotlight shined brightly on Boston Davidsen.

The Saskatoon Hilltops star power running back picked up three individual honours when the conference’s awards were announces on Friday. Davidsen was named the PFC’s Most Outstanding Running Back, Most Valuable Player and the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the year.

During the CJFL’s regular season, Davidson topped the PFC in carries (170), rushing yards (1,184) and rushing touchdowns (nine). He also caught four passes for 33 yards.

Hilltops signal caller Trey Reider took honours as the PFC’s Most Outstanding Quarterback. During the regular season, Reider completed 108-of-167 passes for 1,571 yards and 16 touchdowns, while throwing five interceptions. His 114.6 quarterback rating topped the PFC.

Hilltops defensive end Riece Kack captured the PFC’s Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman award. Kack led the PFC with 7.5 quarterback sacks. He recorded 11 solo defensive tackles, seven defensive tackle assists, four special teams solo tackles, two special teams tackle assists, one pass knockdown and two fumble recoveries.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant claimed honours as the PFC’s Coach of the Year.

The Hilltops (9-0) host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (7-2) in the PFC final on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Thunder linebacker Stephen Smith was named the PFC’s Most Outstanding Linebacker and Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. Smith led the PFC with 127 defensive points during the regular season coming off 43 solo defensive tackles, 30 defensive tackle assists, one special teams tackle, one quarterback sack, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

Thunder centre Riley Schick captured honours as the PFC’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.

Thunder defensive tackle Liam Sellwood was named the PFC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. Sellwood had two solo defensive tackles, one defensive tackle assist and an interception during the regular season.

Saints march to OFC title, Rebels and Sun advance

The St. Clair Saints are holding on to the Teddy Morris Memorial Trophy as champions of the CJFL’s Ontario Football Conference.

On Saturday, the host Saints slipped past the London Beefeaters 32-31 at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont., in the OFC final. The win marked the second straight year the Saints have captured the OFC championship.

With the win, the Saints improve to 10-0 overall, while Beefeaters finish out with a 7-3 overall record.

The Saints will travel to Saskatchewan to take part in a CJFL semifinal contest with the time of that clash still to be announced. They will face the winner of the PFC final between the host Saskatoon Hilltops (9-0) and Regina Thunder (7-2) that is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Also on Saturday in Kelowna, B.C., the defending CJFL champion Okanagan Sun downed the visiting Valley Huskers 33-16 in a British Columbia Football Conference semifinal. The Sun improve to 9-1 overall with the win, while the Huskers finish up at 7-4 overall.

In Saturday’s other BCFC semifinal, the Westshore Rebels romped over the Langley Rams 40-14 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, which is a suburb of Victoria, B.C. The Rebels improve to 11-0 overall, while the Rams finish out at 5-5 overall.

The Rebels will host the Sun in the BCFC final with the time of that clash still to be announced. In the lone regular season encounter played between the two squads back on August 26 at Starlight Stadium, the Rebels downed the Sun 52-23.

The BCFC champion will host the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl – on Saturday, November 11.

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Hilltops romp in the rain to lock up first in PFC

Saskatoon downs rival Thunder 19-10 to improve to 7-0

The Hilltops celebrate a big defensive play on Saturday.

The weather forced the Saskatoon Hilltops to win gritty and ugly.

Playing in a steady rain on Saturday night before 1,584 spectators at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the host Hilltops slugged out a 19-10 CJFL regular season victory over their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder.

The win allowed the Hilltops to improve to 7-0 and clinch first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference, while the Thunder fell to 5-2 to sit second in the PFC. Saskatoon also locked up home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs up until the Canadian Bowl, which is the circuit’s championship game.

The Hilltops received five field goals from third-year kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas to pull out the win over the Thunder. Regina got the game’s only touchdown thanks to a one-yard plunge by star 20-year-old running back Ryland Leichert with 2:23 remaining in the second quarter to trim an 8-0 Hilltops lead to 8-7.

Boston Davidsen carried the ball 33 times for 131 yards.

“It was a great win for this young football team,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “The coaches had to grit and grind.

“The players had to grit and grind. At the end of the day, throw out all the stats it’s Regina. You know it is going to be a great game, and it certainly was today.

“I love how my boys fought especially in the second half. Boy, they played mentally and physically tough.”

Abel-Douglas was good on five-of-six field goal attempts on Saturday. His lone miss game on his final attempt of the game that came from 37 yards out and counted for a single point to put the Hilltops up by the eventual final score of 19-10 with 2:41 to play in the fourth quarter.

Charles Sawi tries to run to the outside for the Hilltops.

Had Abel-Douglas been able to make that last kick, he would have equaled the Hilltops team record for most field goals in one regular season game at six. That accomplishment was achieved on two occasions.

On August 26, 1984, Rick Barrack was the first Hilltops player to make six field goals in one regular season game. That mark was matched on October 3, 1999 when Jody Kerr made six field goals in one regular season contest.

Abel-Douglas was pleased he was able to come through with his five made field goals on Saturday to capitalize on the work his teammates did to get in field goal range.

Teijon Abel-Douglas (#80) made five field goals on Saturday.

“It was good, because the offence drove down the field,” said Abel-Douglas. “The defence had a few turnovers, and that put us into good spots.

“It is all about execution. I missed one today, so obviously, there is still room for improvement. We were put in good positions, and they were kicks I see every day in practice.

“That is comfortable. You go out and you put your head down and kick the ball.”

Hilltops star power running back Boston Davidsen was doing his best to get Abel-Douglas into field goal range. Davidsen carried the ball 33 times for 131 yards to top all ground gainers.

That performance allowed Davidsen to hit the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for a second straight season. In the Hilltops seven regular season outings to date, Davidsen has carried the ball 150 times for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had one catch for six yards.

Ryland Leichert dives in for a rushing touchdown for the Thunder.

On Saturday, Davidsen said Abel-Douglas played a huge role in helping the Hilltops pull out the win.

“We leaned on him (Abel-Douglas) today, and he really answered the call,” said Davidsen. “It is a blessing to have a guy like Teijon (Abel-Douglas) on your team, you know a really upbeat and positive guy.

“He does his job on the field as well.”

Abel-Douglas hit a 24-yard field goal to account for the only points in the first quarter giving the Hilltops a 3-0 lead. The Thunder conceded a safety just 14 seconds into the second quarter and Abel-Douglas followed with a 19-yard field goal to give the Hilltops an 8-0 advantage.

Thunder RB Justin Reiger (#31) is stopped by a Hilltops defender.

That set the stage for Leichert’s one-yard touchdown plunge that cut the Hilltops advantage to 8-7 going into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Hilltops got a 49-yard punt single from middle linebacker/punter Matt Wist, and Abel-Douglas nailed 20-yard field goal with one second remaining in the frame to push the Hilltops edge out to 12-7.

At the 4:14 mark of the fourth quarter, Shawn Green hit a 21-yard field goal for the Thunder to trim the Hilltops lead to 12-10.

Abel-Douglas proceeded to add field goals from 19 and 34 yards out to give the Hilltops an 18-10 advantage. That set the stage for Abel-Douglas’s missed field goal single that rounded out the 19-10 final score in favour of the Hilltops with 2:41 left to play in the quarter.

Isaiah Woodley, right, makes a catch for the Thunder.

The Thunder had two final drives that ended in an interception and a turnover on downs.

“I think we did our job, but now, the season is really just going to get to start,” said Davidsen, who team has won both head-to-head encounters with the Thunder this season. “We have first place, and now, we put ourselves in the best position for this next part of the season, which is the biggest part.

“Playoff football, we’re excited for it. There is a lot of work ahead of us. We played a good team today.

“There is a chance we will see them again, so we’ll have to regroup and focus up and get ready for the next opponent.”

QB Trey Reider, right, runs upfield for the Hilltops.

Due to the weather, Hilltops quarterback Trey Reider had quiet day throwing completing 8-of-12 passes for 136 yards with one interception. He ran the ball five times for 26 yards. Receiver Noah Flaman topped the Hilltops with 81 receiving yards coming off three catches.

Thunder backup quarterback Ethan Hugg started in place of Carter Moberg, who was out for undisclosed reasons. Hugg completed 20-of-32 passes for 202 yards, while throwing two interceptions.

Star receiver Isaiah Woodley led the Thunder with 10 catches and 107 yards receiving. Leichert led all Thunder ground gainers with 61 yards rushing coming on 20 carries to with his major score.

Hilltops defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens recorded 4.5 total tackles and a pair of interceptions, which included a pick that came on the Thunder’s second last offensive series. Outside linebacker Noah Gedir topped the Hilltops with 10.5 total tackles. Ben Marce and Jace Mowles had fumble recoveries for Saskatoon.

Matt Wist (#44) plugs a hole for the Hilltops.

Linebacker Stephen Smith led the Thunder with 12 total tackles. Linebacker Kenten Effa had a sack, and defensive back Elijah Norris had an interception for Regina.

The Hilltops lost second-year starting right guard Victoire Bikulo to a lower leg injury on the game’s first offensive play. Bikulo had to be taken off the field on a cart on a stretcher.

Quinton Pike, who is also in his second year, played a strong game in Bikulo’s place.

“Boy, losing Victoire (Bikulo) on play one certainly doesn’t help anything, but you know what, I love how everyone responded and took ownership of what was in front,” said Sargeant, who expects Bikulo will likely be out for the rest of the season. “You know what, Quinton Pike came in and played hard and played well, and the O-line played hard and played well, because that is an outstanding front seven.”

The Hilltops huddle up on offence.

The Hilltops will now close their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 8, when they host the Winnipeg Rifles at 1 p.m. at SMF Field.

The Thunder will also conclude their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 8, when they host the Edmonton Huskies at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

When the final gun sounded in Saturday’s clash between the Hilltops and the Thunder, Davidsen was pumped his side took the rain-soaked affair.

“Winning is more fun in the rain than losing is in the rain,” said Davidsen. “I’m happy we got the win, but I think we still have a lot of work to do.

The Hilltops react to their hard-fought victory on Saturday.

“That is a really good team we played, and it is likely we will see them again.”

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Hilltops chase first place, Davidsen on cusp of 1,000

Boston Davidsen is nearing 1,000 yards rushing.

The offensive linemen know the magic number for Boston Davidsen is 95.

The Saskatoon Hilltops 22-year-old star power running back is 95 yards away from hitting the 1,000 yard rushing plateau for the second consecutive year. Davidsen is also striving to record the 10^th all-time individual 1,000 yard rushing season in regular season play in the history of the modern version of the Hilltops club, which began play in 1947.

In the team’s eight regular season games in 2022, Davidsen carried the ball 149 times for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns for the ninth all-time individual 1,000 yard rushing season in the history of the Hilltops. His rushing yardage total in 2022 topped the Prairie Football Conference.

Over the Hilltops first six regular season games in 2023, Davidsen tops the PFC in carries (117), rushing yards (905) and rushing touchdowns (eight).

During early team practices this week, members of the Hilltops offensive line were talking about getting Davidsen that last 95 yards to hit the 1,000-yard plateau again. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints Football Team said it was special that his teammates felt that highly of him and the chase for the 1,000-yard rushing season.

“It is a very blessed position to be in to have teammates that care about me like that,” said Davidsen, who is playing out his final campaign of CJFL eligibility. “To have a team that wants this stat for me even though it is a team stat, we’re pursuing it together.

“At the end of the day, the win is more important. It is nice if we can shoot for accomplishments like this, but that 6-0 is what we’ve been going for, and we’re looking to keep adding to that and keep going for the rest of the season.”

To that end, the Hilltops have a huge outing coming up. After playing three straight games on the road, the Hilltops (6-0) host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (5-1) in a CJFL regular season contest on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The clash is a battle between the two top teams in the PFC.

If the Hilltops win on Saturday, they will clinch first place in the PFC and lock up home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs up until the league’s championship game – the Canadian Bowl. 

Boston Davidsen has piled up 905 rushing yards this season.

The two sides met back on September 9 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, where the Hilltops claimed a 36-6 victory. 

The Thunder need to beat the Hilltops by 31 or more points to claim the head-to-head standings tiebreaker.

The Hilltops haven’t been in the position to lock up first place in the PFC since 2019, when the team posted a 12-0 overall record and last won the CJFL title. 

Davidsen is one of five holdovers who was a rookie on that 2019 Hilltops squad and played sparingly in that campaign. He is enjoying the opportunity to play a bigger role in helping the Saskatoon side.

“It is a new experience for me to shoot for this, because when I was a rookie, I was one of the practice roster guys not playing too much,” said Davidsen. “It will be a unique experience.

“It is something that we are shooting for. We love to play at home. We think we have the best fans in Canada.

“We like that they can come out and watch our games. They fuel us.”

Of course, the Thunder are also bringing in a large number of standout players into Saturday’s clash like their star 20-year-old running back in Ryland Leichert. Leichert is also chasing the 1,000-yard rushing plateau.

Over the Thunder’s first six regular season contests, Leichert has carried the ball 114 times for 831 yards and five touchdowns. He sits second behind Davidsen in each of those statistical categories in the PFC and needs 169 yards rushing to hit the 1,000-yard mark.

On Wednesday, both Davidsen and Leichert shared PFC offensive player of the week honours for their efforts in their clubs’ respective wins this past Sunday. Davidsen carried the ball 24 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns and added two catches for 21 yards to power the Hilltops to a 40-7 victory over the Huskies in Edmonton.

Boston Davidsen wants the Hilltops keep piling up wins.

Leichert ran the ball 22 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns to allow the Thunder to stampede over the Colts in Calgary 50-14.

Tom Sargeant, who is the Hilltops legendary head coach, said his club has a lot of pride in Davidsen.

“Boston is a special player,” said Sargeant. “Last year, he sort of put the team on his back with some of his running, and he is doing the same thing this year.

“He has had a phenomenal off-season. He’s done everything right. We just trust him in all situations.

“He’s as big of a prime time player as we got. Everybody in the league knows that, but he always comes out and does his job.”

The sideline boss said his veteran running back has been businesslike and professional throughout his CJFL career.

“He (Davidsen) is not looking for a pat on the back,” said Sargeant. “He’s just a football player who knows how to play and certainly makes this football team better.

“We’re going to honour him. One of our goals is to make sure Boston (Davidsen) hits 1,000 this week. That involves the O-line, the receivers, quarterback and everybody else.

“As I said, one of the big reasons we’re 6-0 is because of Boston Davidsen.”

If both teams need to, they can take it to the air as well. Hilltops starting quarterback Trey Reider has completed 93-of-139 passes for 1,310 yards and 15 touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions. Thunder starting quarterback Carter Moberg has completed 91-of-171 passes for 1,449 yards and 13 touchdowns, while throwing eight interceptions.

On defensive, Hilltops defensive end Riece Kack leads tops the PFC with 7.5 quarterback sacks along with making two fumble recoveries and safety Dalton Urban has pulled down four interceptions and recovered one fumble. 

Boston Davidsen ran for 1,037 yards in 2022 to lead the PFC.

Thunder linebacker Stephen Smith leads the PFC with 92 defensive points collected on 41.5 total tackles, one quarterback sack, one blocked kick and one fumble recovery.

Sargeant said the Hilltops focus is always on improving and getting better, and that this week’s challenge deals with helping his players navigate through a rivalry clash. He said the games with the Thunder always give his players a good test.

“We’re very fortunate that we have Regina coming in this weekend,” said Sargeant. “They are our archrival.

“In those games, you throw out all the stats anyways. It is about who wants it more. It is going to be a real physical game, so we have to step up, show up and have a great game plan and these players need to come out and execute it.

“At the end of the day, there is lots on riding for the Thunder more than there is on us, so we know they’re going to come out guns a blazing.”

During the 2021 and 2022 campaign, the Thunder were 5-1 against the Hilltops in action that included the regular season and post-season, which included winning all three head-to-head encounters last year. 

Davidsen said the setbacks in recent years against the Thunder were in the back of the minds of the returning Hilltops players during off-season workouts, but the head-to-head record between the two clubs in 2021 and 2022 was forgotten when the 2023 campaign got going.

“It is a big rivalry when we play them,” said Davidsen, whose father, Donnie, is the Hilltops offensive line coach. “We do try to put our best foot forward.

“At the same time, we try to go into every game day with the mindset that we’re going to win. The past is in the past. If we live in the past, it is going to affect our future.

“I think that those losses did motivate us in our off-season training. This is a new season and new team. They’re a new team, and we’re look to just go out there and do whatever it takes to win.”

The Hilltops celebrate a touchdown from Boston Davidsen (#24).

NOTES – On Wednesday, Huskies defensive back Sam Kolkman was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week. Kolkman had a pair of interceptions, five solo defensive tackles and a forced fumble in his club’s loss to the Hilltops this past Sunday. Winnipeg Rifles kicker Alex Minor took honours as the PFC’s special teams player of the week making a field goal, five converts, recording a kickoff single and averaging 29.8 yards per kick on eight punts in a 39-0 win over the visiting Edmonton Wildcats this past Saturday.

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Hilltops pumped for big time bout with Thunder

First place PFC battle a test to see where Saskatoon stands

Boston Davidsen leads the PFC with 458 yards rushing.

The Saskatoon Hilltops will never have a problem getting up for rivalry week, especially when first place is on the line too.

On Saturday, the Hilltops travel to Regina to take on their provincial rivals in the Thunder (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). Both teams sport identical 3-0 records heading into their first CJFL regular season clash of the 2023 campaign and are tied for first in the Prairie Football Conference.

The Hilltops have outscored their opponents 149-20 over three games, while the Thunder have beaten their three foes this season by a combined score of 134-55.

“We’re excited,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “They’re 3-0, and we’re 3-0.

“It is two good football teams. Something is going to happen. We both want to be in first place by the end of Saturday night.

“That is why we are out here grinding, coaching hard and practicing hard. As I’ve said, they’ve gotten off to a good start, and so have we. We’re excited for what is in front of us.”

After the 2020 CJFL season was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world, the Thunder are 5-1 against the Hilltops in the regular season and playoffs when the CJFL resumed play in 2021. The Hilltops lone victory in that stretch came on November 14, 2021, when they downed the Thunder 29-9 in that year’s PFC final played at Mosaic Stadium.

The Thunder won all three encounters between the two sides in 2022. The last win came on October 30, 2022, when the Thunders downed the Hilltops 39-21 in the PFC final.

Ryland Leichert has 373 yards rushing this season.

Hilltops emerging star receiver Drake Douglas said a big game vibe has been going around the team at practice this week. A graduate of Regina’s Balfour Collegiate Bears Football Team, Douglas got to play for Team South in Team South versus Team North all-star encounters put together by Football Saskatchewan.

He said the Saskatoon versus Regina rivalry mirrors those Team North versus Team South contests, so there is extra excitement and focus on the Hilltops side this week as they prepare to face the Thunder.

“I think the boys are definitely locked in,” said Douglas. “We know that this week is a little different than the other weeks.

“We have the two top teams in the division definitely. Regardless, Regina versus Saskatoon has always been a rivalry even since I played U16 South playing the North. It has always been a rivalry.

“I think everybody is locked in. We’re all excited for it.”

During the off-season, both squads had significant turnover. As a result, the top performers on both teams see some familiar names come to the surface, while players stepping into new and bigger roles are making noise too.

Star fifth year power running back Boston Davidsen is a familiar name that is having another stellar season for the Hilltops. Davidsen has carried the ball 49 times for 458 yards and three touchdowns, and his rushing yardage total tops the PFC.

Douglas leads the PFC in receptions at 18 and piled up 254 receiving yards to go with one receiving touchdown. Quarterback Trey Reider has completed 45-of-68 passes for 716 yards and eight touchdowns, while throwing one interception. The Hilltops signal caller’s completion percentage of 66.2 per cent is first in the PFC.

Drake Douglas, right, muscles his way past two defenders.

Hilltops defensive ends Riece Kack and Kai Kukurudza have 4.5 and three quarterback sacks respectively. Matt Wist, Wade Keating, Justin Adamko, Andy Scrivens, Dalton Urban and Denym Mantyka all have single interceptions for Saskatoon this season.

For the Thunder, they have a pair of familiar veteran star players piling up big statistics once again in running back Ryland Leichert and receiver Isaiah Woodley. Leichert has carried the ball 51 times for 373 yards and two touchdowns.

Woodley, who was a second team CJFL all-Canadian all-star in 2022, has caught 14 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns, and his receiving yardage total leads the PFC.

“They are high end football players,” said Sargeant about Leichert and Woodley. “You know what you are going to get out of them game in and game out.

“You know that with Regina they’re going to get a lot of touches. I think 30 per cent of their throws have gone to Woodley and Leichert has had over 50 carries. They are high end football players and productive football players, and their schemes centre around them.

“We have to be on point. We have to know where they are at all times, and we have to have good game plans to defend them. We’re excited for that chess match that is in front of us.”

Quarterback Carter Moberg, who is a first-year starter and more of a fresh face for the Thunder, has completed 51-of-91 passes for 1,025 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing two interceptions this season. His passing yard and touchdown pass totals sit first in the PFC.

Isaiah Woodley lead the PFC with 383 receiving yards. 

Regina Thunder linebacker Stephen Smith leads the PFC with 48 defensive points coming on 14 solo defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, one solo special teams tackle, one quarterback sack and one blocked kick. 

He is following up on a strong 2022 campaign where he was named a second team CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

Along with the hype, Douglas gets extra pumped to go back and play in Regina, because it was his old stomping grounds. 

After finishing his final high school season in 2019, Douglas originally committed to joining the Thunder on June 1, 2020, when most of society was facing various government imposed restrictions.

After those restrictions had been in place for a lengthy stretch leaving uncertainly when most sports would get going in Canada, Douglas actually hung up the cleats and left football to move to Saskatoon for a work opportunity. He resurrected his playing career joining the Hilltops part way through the 2022 campaign.

Douglas said it is special for him to play in Mosaic Stadium.

“It is exciting,” said Douglas. “A lot of my family is going to be there.

“I’ll see some familiar faces there. Even when I look across the line of scrimmage, I see some faces that I played with before, and I’ve played against in high school. It is definitely exciting.

The Hilltops aim to be celebrating a win on Saturday.

“It always fun when you get to play in Mosaic Stadium. I remember doing that for the first time in high school, and now it is just surreal playing in there. It is just a whole different thing.”

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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