Hilltops romp over Rifles, take PFC semifinal 60-26

Charles Sawi (#18) jets home on a 27-yard touchdown run.

The Saskatoon Hilltops put on a running display that would have made the NFL’s famed 1972 Miami Dolphins proud.

On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops piled up 380 yards rushing as a team and romped over the visiting Winnipeg Rifles 60-26 in a PFC semifinal contest. Saskatoon jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter, improved their advantage to 29-12 at halftime and cruised to victory from there before a crowd of 528 spectators, who weren’t scared away by sporadic windy conditions and overcast skies.

For Hilltops fifth-year right tackle Victoire Bikulo, he couldn’t think of a better way to get his final run through the CJFL Playoffs started.

The Hilltops offensive line opened the way for 380 yards rushing.

“It felt amazing,” said Bikulo, who wasn’t able to dress for any post-season games due to a leg injury in 2023 when the Hilltops won their last CJFL championship. “I’ve been waiting for this for about three years.

“It felt pretty great. I am happy to be out here.”

The win allowed the Hilltops, who improved to 7-2 overall, to advance to the PFC final, while the Rifles finished out at 4-5 overall. For the fifth straight year, the PFC final will be contested between the Hilltops and their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder.

David Collins had 16 carries for 207 yards and two touchdowns.

The Thunder thumped the Edmonton Huskies 49-10 in the other PFC semifinal on Sunday that was played at Leibel Field in Regina to improve to 8-1 overall, while the Huskies finished out at 3-6 overall. Regina will host the PFC final this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

In the four previous meetings, the Hilltops picked up wins in 2021 and 2023, while the Thunder claimed victory in 2022 and 2024. For Bikulo, the Thunder are the only foe he has seen in the PFC final during his career with the Hilltops.

“We kind of always expect it to be them,” said Bikulo. “It is great to always play them, because they bring a lot of adversity, a lot of animosity and a lot of great energy that we kind of go against.

Corbin Ebben ran the ball six times for 24 yards and two TDs.

“It is pretty good there. They got a great team going on over there. They have a good running game, and we have a good one as well.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll be running the ball a lot, and it will be very interesting to see what their defence does this time. It will be fun. It will be interesting, and it is definitely something to look out for, for sure.”

In the win over the Rifles, the Hilltops relied on their stellar running back trio of David Collins, Charles Sawi and Corbin Ebben similar to how the 1972 Super Bowl winning 17-0 Dolphins relied on their ball carrying trio of Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick.

Collins ran the ball 16 times for 207 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught one pass for 21 yards. Sawi ran the ball three times for 104 yards and two touchdowns, and he returned three punts for 54 yards. Ebben ran the ball six times for 24 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 17 yards.

Rifles receiver Cole Davies holds on to this catch for a 79-yard gain.

Bikulo said it was pretty advantageous to be able to block for that trio.

“It is unbelievable,” said Bikulo. “Once you have those three guys in the backfield, it messes up a lot of defences.

“You throw Corbin (Ebben) out at wideout. You throw Charles (Sawi) out there. You throw any of them out there it kind of throws away their defence and really helps us hone in on our ground game.

“We can really do a lot of things out of those formations. We can make a lot of things work, because we have those three guys in our offence in the backfield. You have Brex (Brexton Elias) back there who can throw it anywhere really, and it gets pretty dangerous and pretty awesome.”

Kaiden Banfield ran the ball 24 times for 123 yards and two TDs.

Elias got into the running parade too carrying the ball four times for 37 yards and one touchdown. Due to the fact the running game was rolling, Elias only completed 3-of-5 passes for 40 yards and no interceptions before giving way to backup Griffin Sander with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter with the Hilltops holding a 50-18 advantage.

Sander completed 8-of-9 passes for 87 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions before third stringer Charlie Molder entered the contest late in the fourth quarter.

The Hilltops also benefited from outstanding play from their starting offensive line in left tackle Davin Johnson, left guard Simon Clark, centre Matt Elash, right guard Jack Erlandson and Bikulo. Erlandson and Elash were announced as PFC all-stars before the start of Sunday’s games.

Riley Element had 338 yards passing for the Rifles.

“We have two all-stars there,” said Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant. “We feel we could have maybe one or two more.

“We’re a team that loves the offensive line. We coach into that and the defensive line. Today, we won the line of scrimmage, and that was the difference in the football game.

“We challenged those players that is what it was going to be, and they answered the bell. That is why we’re moving on to the PFC final next week.”

The Hilltops jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter thanks to a five-yard rushing major by Ebben and a 16-yard touchdown run by Elias. The Rifles answered with a one-yard touchdown plunge by star 22-year-old running back Kaiden Banfield to cut the Hilltops lead to 14-7. Collins proceeded to break off a 56-yard touchdown run to push Saskatoon’s advantage out to 21-7.

The Hilltops defence deflects a Rifles pass into the air.

Right before the end of the first quarter, the Rifles elected to gamble on a third and goal situation from the Hilltops two yard line. Rifles star quarterback Riley Element threw a pass to star receiver Jarome Penner in the end zone. Penner stretched out attempting to make a diving catch where the ball hit his hands but he couldn’t haul it in.

The Hilltops would concede a safety due to the bad field position early in the second quarter to cut their own lead to 21-9. Saskatoon would proceed to get a 49-yard punt single from Molder and a 27-yard rushing major from Sawi on a reverse to allow the hosts to have a 29-9 lead.

Johnson, who is in his fourth year with the Hilltops, said it is fun to be able to block for Collins, Sawi and Ebben.

Nate Gallant had two interceptions for the Hilltops.

“It is nice having those three guys,” said Johnson. “They each have their own style, and they each can make big plays.

“As long as we stay or just catch someone and make sure that we’re getting a body on someone, they will make a big play out of it.”

Before the second quarter ended, Rifles kicker Gabriel Yaipen hit a 30-yard field goal to shave the Hilltops lead to 29-12.

The Hilltops started the third quarter rolling off 21 unanswered points to push their advantage out to 50-12. Sawi ripped off an 80-yard rushing touchdown on another reverse, Collins ran home a score from 55 yards out, and Ebben added a nine-yard rushing touchdown.

Winnipeg replied with Element connecting with Penner on a 30-yard touchdown pass. After a failed two-point conversion, the Hilltops lead sat at 50-18.

Brexton Elias jets to the end zone on a 16-yard TD run.

Right before the third quarter came to an end, Sander hit fifth-year receiver David Boyd Jr. with a 29-yard touchdown pass to push the Hilltops advantage out to 57-18.

In the fourth quarter, Hilltops kicker Ryden Gratton hit a 35-yard field goal to make his team’s lead sit at 60-18.

Banfield ran home a major from two yards out for the Rifles. After another failed two-point conversion attempt, Saskatoon’s lead sat at 60-24. The Hilltops would concede a safety late in the fourth quarter to round out the 60-26 final score in their favour.

When the game ended, Johnson admitted the Hilltops offensive line does take pride in helping the squad put up a big rushing yardage total.

The Hilltop Cheerleaders perform at halftime on Sunday.

“It is always exciting,” said Johnson. “It shows that everybody is working hard, (and) everybody is coming together.

“We’re making good blocks. The running backs, they’re always doing their job. They are making good runs.

“It is good to see.”

The Rifles did put up some good offensive numbers in defeat. Element completed 24-of-45 passes for 338 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions. He also had one carry for 12 yards.

Hilltops RT Victoire Bikulo blocks out a Rifles defensive lineman.

Penner caught eight passes for 119 yards to go with his major through the air. Receiver Cole Davies hauled in seven passes for 116 yards including a monster 79-yard reception that set up Winnipeg’s first major.

Banfield ran the ball 24 times for 123 yards to go with his two majors along the ground. He also hauled in one pass for three yards.

Hilltops second-year safety Nate Gallant led his squad with 6.5 total tackles and two interceptions. He almost had a third interception on Sunday too. Defensive end Noah Chelsom had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for Saskatoon.

The Hilltops were without the services of fifth-year defensive tackle Nahom Menghestab and receiver/safety Isaiah Vallderruten due to injury.

Jarome Penner caught eight passes for 119 yards and one TD.

Middle linebacker Derek Gumieny recorded 6.5 total tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the Rifles. Outside linebacker Kyler Banfield and defensive back Gage Richey each had 6.5 total tackles for Winnipeg. Defensive end Brock Beauchemin had one quarterback sack for the visitors.

“For three quarters, that is as good as we played all year,” said Sargeant. “The coaches did a great job of defining and setting what the game plans need to be, and the players did a heck of a job executing it.

“For 45 minutes, I was very happy with who and what we are, and then hey, our young guys got in and got to see that is a good football team there. You just have to look at the stats and see what they’ve accomplished this year. We need to be on point.

Charles Sawi (#18) rockets downfield on an 80-yard TD run.

“We got to jump to that early lead, and then boom, they came right back and hit us with a big shot up the middle. We learned a lot about ourselves. As a coach, I was very proud of the effort that I saw on this field today.”

Now, the Hilltops turn their attention towards the Thunder. The provincial rivals split their two head-to-head encounters in the regular season. Johnson expects the PFC final to be a physical contest and wasn’t surprised the Saskatoon versus Regina matchup materialized.

“That is what we expect when we come into the season,” said Johnson. “We know it is going to be them.

Griffin Sander completed 8-of-9 passes for 87 yards and one TD.

“They are a tough team. We’ve just got to be tougher, and it really comes down to the little things.”

NOTES – On Saturday, the Okanagan Sun downed visiting the Westshore Rebels 45-26 in the BCFC final at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C. The Sun improved to 12-0 overall, while the Rebels finished out an 8-4 overall.

Also on Saturday, the defending CJFL champion St. Clair Saints blanked the visiting London Beefeaters 54-0 in the OFC title game at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont. The Saints improved to 10-0 overall, while the Beefeaters finished out at 7-3.

This coming Saturday, the Sun host the Saints in a CJFL national semifinal set for 1 p.m. local time at the Apple Bowl. The winner of that contest will travel to Saskatchewan to face the winner of the PFC final between the Hilltops and Thunder on November 9 in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

David Boyd Jr. (#82) celebrates a 29-yard TD reception.

The CJFL announced the PFC all-stars before Sunday’s game. That announcement 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.

-------

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.

Collins soaks in his Canadian adventure with Hilltops

RB one of storied CJFL team’s first three U.S. born players

David Collins completes a 65-yard TD run this past Sunday.

A call to a friend started David Collins on a path to a country and a football team he knew very little about.

After playing the 2023 season for the Central Lakes College Raiders Football Team in Brainerd, Minn., in the National Junior College Athletic Association, Collins, who is a talented running back, took a year off from the game. The St. Michael, Minn., product was looking for a way to return to playing the game, so he called friend and former Raiders teammate David Boyd Jr., who he knew was playing in Canada.

Collins asked Boyd Jr. what team he was going to be playing for in 2025. Boyd Jr. said he was going to play for the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops in 2025, and Collins asked if he could have the phone number for Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant.

“Then I made a highlight tape, and sent it to coach,” said Collins. “Coach said he loved how explosive I was, so he said he’d take a chance on me.”

With that initial contact, Collins arrived in Saskatoon in late July for the start of his one and only CJFL campaign being a 22-year-old. For Collins, leaving the United States and just coming to Canada was a big step.

“Truth be told, it was my first time out of the country, so I didn’t really know much about Canada or like anywhere,” said Collins, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 195 pounds. “It was a good experience.

“I’m really glad I’m here. I’m glad I’m learning a different culture other than my own and learning a lot about Canada, actually. I didn’t know this much about it, so it is really good.

“I can go back and tell my family and friends about it.”

David Collins ran fo 1,028 yards in the CJFL regular season.

As far as adjusting to football went, Collins felt welcomed in right away by everyone in the storied and historic Hilltops program, which has won 23 total CJFL championships.

On Sunday, Collins begins his one and only run in the CJFL Playoffs with the Saskatoon side. The Hilltops (6-2) host the Winnipeg Rifles (4-4) in a PFC semifinal contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops were rated fourth in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings released on October 10.

Thanks to an early season injury to star fourth-year running back Corbin Ebben, Collins was thrown into the fire playing a lot out of the gate at the running back spot.

He excelled becoming the team’s leading rusher and the leading touchdown scorer in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference. The seamless fit extended to the Hilltops two other United States born players in Boyd Jr., and Isaiah Vallderruten. Body Jr. suits up at receiver, and Vallderruten plays both ways at receiver on offence and at safety on defence.

Collins, Boyd Jr. and Vallderruten are the first three United States born players to ever play for the Hilltops. Collins said it has been cool to see how quickly they have all fit in with the Hilltops.

“It was super neat,” said Collins. “We were just ready for the opportunity and ready to work.

“I feel like we knew what we came here for and knew exactly what we had in store for us, so we just came and did that.”

During the regular season, Collins ran the ball 126 times for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns. He put up the 11^th individual 1,000-yard rushing season in team history and his 13 majors led the PFC.

David Collins came to the Hilltops from St. Michael, Minn.

Sargeant, who is the Hilltops legendary head coach, noted that, while his club is deep at running back with Ebben and fourth-year veteran Charles Sawi having great seasons, it was big for the team to have Collins step up coming out of the gate.

“It started from day one when he got here,” said Sargeant. “He certainly had a special skill set.

“When we gave him the ball, we got to see some glimpses of what it could be. When Corbin (Ebben) got hurt, there were some quick realities of we had to put him (Collins) in some different spots, and he responded.”

When it came to bringing in the three players born in the United States, Sargeant said it became something the venerable Saskatoon side had to do.

“In the rest of the league, every other team was doing it,” said Sargeant. “Either, you complain about it, or you do something about it.

“I met with the directors and (Hilltops) president (Greg) Peacock, and we came up with a game plan. Then, I went to work. I had to actively start recruiting.”

Under CJFL rules, each of the clubs on the junior circuit are only allowed to have three United States born players on their respective rosters. When it comes to his first recruiting class from the United States, Sargeant said the trio of Collins, Boyd Jr. and Vallderruten have exceeded his expectations.

“Ultimately, it turned out the way it is right now,” said Sargeant. “The first thing I’d say is all three of them are just great kids.

“They’re great kids to be around. They have absolutely come in and fit our systems well. They’ve handled themselves great, and they’ve made us a better football team.”

David Collins (#10) jets past Edmonton Huskies defenders on Aug. 17.

While Collins made the initial reach out to Sargeant, the shifty ball carrier was happy the long time sideline boss got him running to Saskatoon.

“I’m glad that I was one of the guys that he found truth be told,” said Collins. ““Sarge” (Sargeant) is great, and I’m glad that he picked the other two Americans that came along.

“We’ve been working super hard to try to make a difference on this team.”

On the field, Collins said it has been a joy to play with the rules of the Canadian game.

“I kind of like the Canadian rules better,” said Collins. “The only thing I wish the Canadian football game had was fourth down, but I love the bigger end zone.

“I love the longer field. It gives more opportunity for the offence to make more plays. I guess it is harder for the defence, but defence in general is always going to be hard.

“You just got to get used to it for the defence.”

Collins loves the 65-yard width of the Canadian field, and he said it allows him to make more plays running to the outside compared to the United States field that has a width of 53.3 yards.

“If I’m running laterally like I’m running a stretch play, I’ll be able to pick my own time to pick when I want to puncture the line of scrimmage,” said Collins. “It won’t be just because I’m running out of real estate or running out of yards to run.”

With the regular season having come to a completion, Collins is looking forward to playing in the CJFL Playoffs. He believes it is great the CJFL has a post-season single elimination bracket style tournament that mirrors what is traditionally seen in the NFL.

David Collins, left, walks with his mom Sadia VaPond.

Collins wants to experience the feeling of getting a win to move on to the next round making it possible to keep playing the game in the process.

“I’m going to try to elongate it as long as possible,” said Collins, who said he is looking forward to snow games having played in those growing up in Minnesota. “(I will be) trying to win as many games, try to make as many sacrifices in order for us to be ready as a team.

“I’m just really excited for what the team has in store, what I have in store, what the weather has in store for us and all that. We have to stay warm. We have to stay bonded up and just make sure that we’re mentally ready, mentally strong and we’re physical.”

Zimmer cracks into play of week awards, other notes

Colton Zimmer (#7) was named the PFC special teams player of the week.

The Saskatoon Hilltops downplay individual accolades, but this one likely got a big cheer somewhere during this past week.

On Tuesday, fifth-year long snapper Colton Zimmer was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week. The long-time veteran from Langham, Sask., has been a favourite inside the Hilltops dressing room pretty much since he arrived with the venerable club as a rookie.

In last Sunday’s 31-6 victory over the Calgary Colts concluding regular season play for both sides, Zimmer was perfect on his long snaps in fairly dreadful weather conditions. The Hilltops’ clash with the Colts started in rainy weather which turned into snowy weather by game’s end.

He also had 3.5 total special teams tackles and recovered a fumble on a missed field goal return. Zimmer received big cheers from the Hilltops bench after his special teams tackles and his fumble recovery.

The PFC offensive players of the week went to the entire Regina Thunder starting offensive line for their performance in their team’s 56-3 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats last Sunday at Leibel Field. The Thunder piled up a CJFL record 632 yards rushing as a team for one game running behind left tackle Caleb Barajas, left guard Tristen Rapchalk, centre James Lucio, right guard Nolan Finn and right tackle Ethan Kreutzer.

The old CJFL record for most rushing yards posted by one team in one game was held by the Edmonton Huskies, who put up 588 yards rushing in one contest back in 2002.

Thanks to the work of Barajas, Rapchalk, Lucio, Finn and Kreutzer, Thunder star running back Peter Boersch ran for 218 yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown. Carter Ashman, who is having a breakout season at running back, put up 205 yards rushing on 10 carries and scored one touchdown.

Barajas, who is a 22-year-old veteran, got to run the ball once for 11 yards scoring a touchdown.

Winnipeg Rifles outside linebacker Cohen McCluskey was the PFC defensive player of the week for his efforts in his team’s 47-11 victory over the host Edmonton Huskies last Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl. McCluskey piled up 9.5 total defensive tackles and one pass knockdown in his team’s victory.

The Thunder, who topped the PFC standings with a 7-1 record, host the Huskies (3-5) in one PFC semifinal set for 1 p.m. this coming Sunday at Leibel Field. Regina is rated third in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings released on October 10.

The Rifles (4-4) travel to Saskatoon to face the host Hilltops (6-2) in the other PFC semifinal set for 1 p.m. this coming Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops are rated fourth in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings.

·         The Okanagan Sun (11-0) host the Westshore Rebels (8-3) on Saturday in the BCFC championship game set for 1 p.m. local time at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C. The Rebels are based out of Langford, B.C., which is a suburb of Victoria. In the battle for the Cullen Cup, the Sun were rated second in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings, while the Rebels were placed at fifth.

·         The St. Clair Saints (9-0) will host the London Beefeaters (7-2) on Saturday in the OFC title contest set for 7:30 p.m. local time at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont. The contest is dubbed the Ontario Conference Teddy Morris Championship Game. The defending CJFL champion Saints topped the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings, while Beefeaters placed seventh.

·          The BCFC champion will host the OFC champion in this year’s CJFL national semifinal set to be held on October 25.

·         Winnipeg Rifles middle linebacker Kyler Banfield topped the PFC with 129 defensive points. He tallied up that total recording 37 defensive solo tackles, 26 defensive tackle assists, three special teams solo tackles, one special team tackle assist, two quarterback sacks, four pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Saskatoon Hilltops middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk was second in the PFC with 116 defensive points. He collected that total recording 32 defensive solo tackles, 22 defensive tackle assists, one special teams solo tackle, four special teams tackle assists, three pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three interceptions.

·         Winnipeg Rifles receiver Jarome Penner caught 40 passes for 794 yards and three touchdowns this season. His receiving yardage total topped the PFC.

·         Saskatoon Hilltops running back Charles Sawi led the PFC in punt returns (50) and punt return yards (451).

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 best Colts and weather, finish second in PFC

Collins surpasses 1,000 yards rushing in regular season finale

Ryan Adamko (#65) looks for a play call in snowy conditions.

Would you like rain gear or snowshoes?

That seemed to be the question facing both the Saskatoon Hilltops and Calgary Colts as they closed their respective CJFL regular season schedules playing each other on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. As far as the natural elements went, it rained through the entire first half and turned into snow early in the third quarter.

The snow continued to fall through to the end of the contest. Throughout the game, sporadic winds would come into play creating another challenge for both clubs.

When the fourth quarter came to an end, the Hilltops claimed a 31-6 victory. With the win, the Hilltops improve to 6-2 and finish second in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference.

David Collins, left, walks to the field with his mom Sadia VaPond.

“You know what, (it was) a little sloppy today,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “We were matching the conditions at times.”

The loss was a fourth straight one for the Colts eliminating them from CJFL post-season contention as they finish with a 2-6 mark. They conclude having an identical record with the Edmonton Wildcats.

The Wildcats and Colts split their two head-to-head regular season meetings, but the Wildcats finish fifth in the PFC due to outscoring the Colts 50-38 in those two contests. That caused Calgary to settle out in the basement of the conference.

David Collins reaches the end zone after a 65-yard TD run.

The Wildcats were eliminated from CJFL post-season contention on Sunday when they traveled to Regina and were wiped out by the host Thunder 56-3 at Leibel Field. The Thunder finished first in the PFC with a 7-1 mark.

In the clash between the Hilltops and Colts, those on both sides will probably remember the havoc the weather played on the afternoon’s festivities, which saw the Hilltops honour their graduating players pre-game. Saskatoon’s graduating players made a walk to the field with their parents, and that walk has been a Hilltops tradition for decades.

Both the Hilltops and Colts combined for 16 turnovers. The Colts turned the ball over 10 times including twice on interceptions, four times via fumbles and four times on downs. The Hilltops gave the ball away six times including once by an interception, three times via fumbles and twice on downs.

David Collins finished the regular season with 1,028 yards rushing.

The teams were playing competitively and with fairly decent intensity until the 3:53 mark of the third quarter. With the Hilltops holding a 21-0 lead, one of the Colts players got injured on the field of play. The teams had to go through a wait of about 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived to tend to the injured Colts player.

The Colts and the officials returned to the dressing room, while the Hilltops remained on the field and went through some exercises to remain warm. When it was time to resume play, the Colts went through a short warm up when they came out of their dressing room.

After the action resumed, the competitive play for both sides took a drop. By the time play got going again, the rain turned to snow and the intensity drop persisted through to the end of the contest.

Ryan Adamko (#65) celebrates recovering a fumble.

“It is definitely one for the books,” said Hilltops fifth-year defensive tackle Ryan Adamko. “At that break (where the injured Colts player was tended to), we just tried to keep ourselves warm out here moving.

“We were keeping our boys trying to not lock up. I am happy with the way it ended, but now, we have to look forward and get ready for next week.”

The Hilltops came out of the gates on fire. Just 1:54 into the first quarter, star running back David Collins broke off a 65-yard touchdown run to give the host side a 7-0 lead.

A short time later, Collins surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season marking the 11-time in team history a Hilltops player has hit the 1,000-yard barrier for rushing in one regular season. After getting past 1,000 yards rushing, Collins ran in a major score from three yards out at the 10:25 mark of the first quarter to push the Hilltops advantage out to 14-0.

Charles Sawi (#18) ran the ball nine times for 51 yards and two TDs.

On the day, Collins ran the ball 12 times for 119 yards to go with his two major scores. On the season, the St. Michael, Minnesota, product carried the ball 126 times for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“It is nice to see D.C., David Collins, get that thousand yards,” said Sargeant. “You know, we blocked well, and you know, it wasn’t a good day for throwing.

“Defence was on point and played real well. Special teams were a little loose. We just seemed to be struggling a little bit.

“At the end of the day, we’re 6-2. We know we’re in second place, and we’ve got work to do.”

Some of the Hilltops hearty supporters watch their team.

Just past the midway point of the second quarter, fourth-year star running back Charles Sawi ran home a touchdown from two yards out to give the Hilltops a 21-0 lead heading into halftime.

After the injury stoppage early in the third quarter, the Hilltops increased their lead to 24-0 on the final play of that frame thanks to a 22-yard field goal from place kicker Ryden Gratton. Saskatoon’s field goal special teams unit struggled in the adverse conditions as Gratton made 1-of-4 field goal attempts in the contest.

Members of the Hilltop Cheerleaders battle the elements.

At the 3:31 mark of the fourth quarter, Sawi ran home a major score from five yards out to make the Hilltops advantage stand at 30-0 after a one-point conversion try was unsuccessful. On the ensuing play, Gratton scored a rouge off an 85-yard kickoff to make Saskatoon’s lead sit at 31-0.

It appeared the Hilltops were going to hold on to the shutout, but that changed late in the fourth quarter. At that point, Colts middle linebacker Davin Bajema intercepted Hilltops back-up quarterback Charlie Molder and returned the ball 50 yards deep into the Saskatoon end.

Colts reserve quarterback Jan Djoumessi concluded a short drive with a three-yard touchdown run with 2:48 remaining in the fourth quarter. Calgary wasn’t able to add a two-point convert causing the 31-6 score in favour of the Hilltops to settle out as the final outcome of the contest.

Colts QB Noah Makkreel (#13) is taken down by the Hilltops defence.

While the Colts got the late score to break up the shutout bid, Adamko was pleased with how things went defensively for his team.

“Defence, it seemed like all the boys were clicking,” said Adamko, who had one solo defensive tackle, two defensive tackle assists and one fumble recovery in the win. “Everyone knew what they were doing, and we all just did our jobs.

“It all worked out in our favour.”

Hilltops starting quarterback Brexton Elias completed 3-of-9 passes for 18 yards before being pulled at halftime as the Saskatoon coaches elected to get everyone on their roster into the game. Colts starter Noah Makkreel completed 9-of-16 passes for 87 yards before being pulled.

Colton Zimmer makes a special team tackle for the Hilltops.

Sawi ran the ball nine times for 51 yards including his two rushing majors.

The Hilltops had 235 yards rushing and 53 yards passing as a team, while the Colts had 64 yards rushing and 89 yards passing.

Rudolph Osborne topped the Hilltops with 5.5 total tackles to go with one pass knockdown. Defensive end Anthony Roepe had one quarterback sack for Hilltops.

Cornerback Aiden Rosa and middle linebacker Maddox Huynh each had one interception for Saskatoon. Long snapper Colton Zimmer and defensive ends Huntur Johnson and Noah Chelson each had one fumble recovery for the ’Toppers.

The Hilltops huddle up as the snow falls.

Colts middle linebacker Sean Gunnip led his club with nine total tackles to go with one quarterback sack and one fumble recovery. Defensive end Jordan Southern also had a fumble recovery for Calgary.

With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, Adamko is looking towards going on his final post-season run with the storied and historic Hilltops.

“It is surreal to think five years have already been gone by,” said Adamko. “I am excited to go through it and keep on playing.”

Also on Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, the visiting Winnipeg Rifles trailed the host Huskies 11-0 after the first quarter, but roared to a 47-11 victory. The win was a second straight one for the Rifles, who finished third in the PFC with a 4-4 mark. Huskies finish fourth in the PFC with a 3-5 record.

Hilltops QB Griffin Sander eludes a Colts tackler.

The Hilltops will host the Rifles in one PFC semifinal set for this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. The Thunder host the Huskies in the other PFC semifinal set for this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

Way back on August 10, the Hilltops and Rifles opened their respective regular season schedules playing each other in Winnipeg, and the host Rifles claimed a 31-11 win. They met again on August 24 at SMF Field, and the Hilltops romped to a 42-15 victory.

“They showed us what we were about early in the year, and that loss was something that moved us forward,” said Sargeant. “I think ultimately in the long run we played well in the second game.

Hilltops players keep warm on their bench area on Sunday.

“Now, it is sort of let’s rally up, and hey, game three. Let’s see what happens.”

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’ Collins chases 1,000-yard club for rushing

David Collins has 909 yards rushing this season.

Individual milestones were not on David Collins’ mind when he joined the Saskatoon Hilltops but getting to enjoy the game of football for one more season was.

The 22-year-old running back, who is from St. Michael, Minnesota, joined the CJFL’s storied and historic Hilltops after taking a year off from the sport. Collins last played the sport in 2023 for the Central Lakes College Raiders in Brainerd, Minn., who are members of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

After seven games with the Hilltops, Collins, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 195 pounds, has carried the ball 114 times for 909 yards and 11 touchdowns. His rushing yardage total ranks second in the Prairie Football Conference, and his 11 rushing majors top the conference in both rushing and total touchdowns.

The Hilltops (5-2) close their regular season on Sunday when they host the Calgary Colts (2-5) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. If Collins can collect 91 yards rushing in that contest, it will mark the 11^th time in the history of the modern version of the Hilltops dating back to 1947 that one player hit 1,000 yards rushing in one regular season.

“I am very blessed for the opportunity and being able to play for this long of a season, and hopefully we can go as far as we can go in the championship game,” said Collins. “(I am) really thankful for the O-line.

“Thank you for my team. Thank you for the coaches for giving me the opportunity and believing in me to even get this close to the chance.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Collins is going to get his chance to hit the 1,000-yard rushing barrier as the Hilltops aim to get going in an upward trend as the CJFL playoffs are just around the corner for the Saskatoon side. 

In their last outing, the Hilltops dropped a 24-21 decision at Saskatoon Minor Football Field to their provincial rivals in the Regina Thunder back on September 27. Following action on September 27 and 28, all teams in the PFC headed out on a bye week.

David Collins leads the PFC with 11 total touchdowns.

Sargeant said the Hilltops path forward includes ensuring Collins is a major part of the offence.

“He (Collins) has got to touch that ball 20 to 25 times this weekend,” said Sargeant. “There is no question about it.

“The offence has got to go through him. That is the mentality. That is the reality.

“Let’s go out there and make it happen. When he is touching the ball, if he is getting his carries, that means we’re moving the chains and first downs lead to touchdowns, and that is the type of offence we want to run.”

Going into the final weekend of the regular season for the PFC, the Hilltops, who are rated fourth in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings on Friday, still have an outside shot at top spot in the conference. If they beat the Colts and the Thunder (6-1) fall in their final regular season clash with the Edmonton Wildcats (2-5), the Hilltops would take top spot in the conference.

The Thunder and Wildcats go at it on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field in Regina. The Colts and Wildcats need to win their final respective contests, which would be big upsets, to keep their respective post-season hopes alive.

The Edmonton Huskies (3-4) will host the Winnipeg Rifles (3-4) at Jasper Place Bowl on Sunday at 1 p.m. local time. The winner will lock up third place in the conference. A tie would clinch post-season berths for both squads.

Currently, the Colts hold the tiebreaker over the Rifles. The Huskies hold the tiebreaker over the Colts. The Rifles hold the tiebreaker over the Wildcats.

The Wildcats hold the tiebreaker over the Colts and Huskies. If there ends up being a three-way tie for fourth place and the final playoff berth in the PFC, the points for and against ratio for each team could be the deciding tiebreaker.

When the Hilltops and Colts met back on September 14 in Calgary, Saskatoon romped to a 51-3 victory. Sargeant said that was his club’s most complete game of the 2025 campaign, and he wants his club to get back to and surpass that performance to make a long post-season run possible.

David Collins is enjoying his lone season with the Hilltops.

“I’m just trying to build this football team so that when we hit the playoffs we hit our stride, and we play with great confidence and get the ball to the right guys,” said Sargeant. “David Collins is certainly one of those guys.”

Going forward, Collins is looking forward to embracing all the remaining experiences with the Hilltops. He almost can’t believe his team will only play one more regular season contest before starting a journey through the single-elimination CJFL post-season.

“It (the 2025 season) has been super fast,” said Collins. “Especially like coming in late July and soon as like the season got started and going, it just was every day was like game after game.”

Saints and Sun rolling in 2025, other notes

The St. Clair Saints and Okanagan Sun have cemented themselves as the teams to beat in the CJFL in 2025.

Last year, the Saints and Sun met in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl. The host Saints claimed a 37-22 victory at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont.

This year the defending CJFL champion Saints have topped the Ontario Football Conference with an 8-0 mark and are rated first in the final CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings released on Friday. The Sun claimed first place in the British Columbia Football Conference with a 10-0 mark.

Due to the fact the champion of the Prairie Football Conference hosts the Canadian Bowl, the post-seasons in the CJFL Playoffs begin this weekend for teams in the OFC and the BCFC, while the PFC concludes its regular season.

The Saints open their post-season schedule hosting the Sault Ste. Marie Cougars (4-4) in an OFC semifinal at Acumen Stadium at 1 p.m. local time. The Sun host the Vancouver Island Raiders (5-4-1) in a BCFC semifinal at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C., at 1 p.m. local time.

The BCFC champion will host the OFC champion in this year’s CJFL national semifinal set to be held on October 25.

• Winnipeg Rifles receiver Jarome Penner leads the PFC in receptions (39) and yards (760). He also has three receiving touchdowns on the campaign.
• Winnipeg Rifles linebacker Kyler Banfield leads the PFC with 118 defensive points. He tallied up that total recording 34 defensive solo tackles, 25 defensive tackle assists, one special teams tackle, one special teams tackle assist, two quarterback sacks, four pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
• Saskatoon Hilltops defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens leads the PFC with three quarterback sacks.
• On Thursday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on Bedford Road Collegiate Redhawks Football Team star in Parker Bond. Bond is a natural middle linebacker, and has filled the roles of running back, fullback, receiver, starting quarterback and played on all special teams with the Redhawks this season. The piece on Bond can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that is dominated by images of high school football and the Toon Squad Female Flag Football League. The photo roundup also contains photos from baseball, softball, track and field and a couple of other surprises. That post 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.

-------

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.

Invincible – Hilltops and Thunder are not

Squads built PFC leading records on work ethic

David Collins (#10) races downfield for the Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops and the Regina Thunder are vulnerable.

That seems like a strange thing to say about two squads that are cemented to finish in the top two of the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference in 2025. The Thunder lead the PFC with a 6-1 mark, while the Hilltops are second at 5-2.

All PFC teams are currently on a bye week and they all have one regular season contest remaining on their respective schedules.

The Hilltops and Thunder split their two head-to-head games in their regular season series playing to a tie 39-39 score in those two contests. At the moment, the Hilltops hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker holding a 121 differential in points for and against in the regular season. Regina has a 104 differential in points for and against.

The Thunder can lock up top spot in the PFC by winning their final regular season contest against the visiting Edmonton Wildcats on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field. If the Wildcats pull off an upset, the Hilltops would be able to move back into first place in the PFC by winning their final regular season contest against the visiting Calgary Colts on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Hilltops and Thunder first went head-to-head on September 6 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Saskatoon pulled out an 18-15 victory in a defensive slugfest.

The two sides met again this past Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Thunder prevailed in this encounter 24-21.

It is common to see the Hilltops and Thunder in the top two of the PFC. In 2025, it doesn’t feel like those two clubs are head and shoulders above everyone else like in past years.

During their first encounter, it felt like both sides had their starting quarterbacks in Hilltops pivot Brexton Elias and Thunder signal caller Adam Mosher act as game managers and play into the hands of their respective defences. There was more offence in the second encounter resulting in a more exciting contest, but there still seemed to be a reliance on the running game on both sides.

Peter Boersch leads the PFC with 1,117 yards rushing.

The signal callers on both sides haven’t played to a superstar level, which would make one club or the other untouchable. 

Regina saw that type of quarterbacking in the past at the CJFL level not with the Thunder but when Darryl Leason quarterbacked the Regina Rams from 1992 to 1995. Leason would again be the Rams signal caller in 2000 and 2001 after they moved to the U Sports ranks in 1999.

Saskatoon saw that type of quarterbacking when the late Chase Bradshaw was calling signals for the Hilltops from 2007 to 2011. The Hilltops also got stellar quarterbacking from Jared Andreychuk and Jordan Walls through most of the 2010s making the Saskatoon side fairly close to invincible.

With that noted, it feels like the players including the quarterbacks on the Hilltops and Thunder are bringing the work ethic and giving everything they have in 2025. When those clubs have posted lopsided victories against other foes in the PFC, those results were created by hard work.

Offensively, the Hilltops and Thunder are mirror images of each other in 2025. The Thunder top the PFC with 1,844 yards rushing, while the Hilltops are second with 1,680 yards rushing.

The passing attacks for both squads are at the other end of the spectrum. The Thunder are last in the PFC with 1,183 yards passing, and the Hilltops are second last in the PFC with 1,310 yards passing.

Traditionally, the Thunder are usually a pass-happy team that mirrors their U Sports cousins and CJFL predecessors in the Rams.

On defence, the Hilltops have given up the fewest gross yards of offence at 2,234, while the Thunder have surrendered the second fewest gross yards at 2,375.

Brexton Elias directs traffic on the run for the Hilltops.

For both teams, it makes sense to rely on the running game as both have strong offensive lines. The running backs on both sides are next level.

Thunder running back Peter Boersch had turned into a legitimate star leading the PFC in carries (156) and rushing yards (1,117) to go with three majors on the ground. Regina has also benefited from the strong play of sophomore running back Carter Ashman.

American import running back David Collins has had a spectacular campaign in the lone season he will be able to play for the Hilltops. 

The 22-year-old has carried the ball 114 times for 909 yards and 11 touchdowns. Collins sits second in the PFC in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns.

Saskatoon has benefitted from the strong play of veteran running backs Corbin Ebben and Charles Sawi.

On defence, Saskatoon has lots of big play players like middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk and defensive tackles Johnathon Stevens and Nahom Menghestab. Regina also has a lot of big time players on defence including middle linebackers Devin Baumann and Kenten Effa along with boundary cornerback Cooper Filazek.

At quarterback, Elias and Mosher feel like they have much greater potential than they’ve shown. During the CJFL post-season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both had breakout games.

Still, it feels like the Hilltops and Thunder could potentially be upset in their respective PFC semifinal games, if they are not at their best. One squad that could cause upset wins is the 3-4 Winnipeg Rifles.

The Rifles thumped the Hilltops 31-11 on August 10 at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg. 

Adam Mosher calls out signals for the Thunder.

On top of beating the Hilltops, the Rifles were one unsuccessful two-point conversion away from upsetting the Thunder falling 41-40 on September 21 at Maple Grove Rugby Park.

With that noted, the Hilltops and Thunder could continue to keep bringing top efforts, which ultimately leads to one squad winning another CJFL championship. In that situation, the winning coaching staff will have a special sense of pride for their players in how far they have come over the campaign.

Going forward, another PFC final between the Hilltops and Thunder is expected, but in the back of the mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both teams didn’t make it that far. They have to continue to bring a top level work ethic to have a third meeting in the 2025 campaign.

PFC players of the week nods Thunder heavy

Jake Mayo is the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

An exciting win over their provincial rivals have resulted in Regina Thunder players claiming two of the three PFC player of the week awards.

On Tuesday, Thunder cornerback Jake Mayo was tabbed as the PFC’s defensive player of the week, while Thunder place kicker/punter Shawn Green was the special teams player of the week. Both had big outings in their team’s 24-21 victory over the Saskatoon Hilltops this past Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

In the Thunder victory, Mayo intercepted two passes returning one pick 34 yards for a touchdown with 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Mayo also had four solo defensive tackles and one pass knockdown.

Green made his lone field goal attempt from 35 yards out and connected on all three of his one-point converts. He punted 11 times for 373 yards for an average of 33.9 yards per kick. Green kicked off four times for 174 yards for an average of 43.5 yards per kick.

Edmonton Wildcats receiver Mekhi Tyrell took honours as the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts in his team’s 28-26 setback this past Sunday to the Winnipeg Rifles at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg. Mekhi caught 11 passes for 160 yards and carried the ball once for 23 yards. On special teams, Mekhi returned three punts for 30 yards and one kickoff for 15 yards.

Shawn Green is the PFC’s special teams player of the week.

All teams in the PFC have one game remaining on their respective regular season schedules. The Rifles hold third place at 3-4, while the Edmonton Huskies sit fourth at 3-4. The Wildcats are fifth at 2-5, while the Calgary Colts are sixth at 2-5.

The top four teams in the conference make the CJFL playoffs.

All six PFC teams will play their final regular season contests on Sunday, October 12.

The Huskies will host the Rifles at Jasper Place Bowl at 1 p.m. local time. The winner will lock up third place in the conference. A tie would clinch post-season berths for both squads.

The Saskatoon Hilltops (5-2) host Colts at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, and the Regina Thunder (6-1) host the Wildcats at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

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.