Déjà vu for Hilltops at old Mosaic Stadium

Saskatoon posts second straight comeback win in Regina

Tailback Joshua Ewanchyna scores the Hilltops winning TD

    REGINA - The Saskatoon Hilltops last old Mosaic moment was a déjà vu one in the comeback department.
    On Saturday night at old Mosaic Stadium, the venerable Hilltops fell behind the host Regina Thunder 26-16 with 2:21 to play in the fourth quarter, when Thunder backup quarterback Brock Sich scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The Toppers were down, but not out in the Canadian Junior Football League clash.

    The visitors rallied with two touchdowns to pull out a 30-26 victory before 2,301 spectators. First, quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit receiver Sam Mike on an 18-yard touchdown toss with 1:37 to play to cut the Thunder lead to 26-23.

    After forcing the Thunder to go two-and-out on their ensuing series, the Hilltops drove down to the Regina one with the aid of three big Thunder penalties. From the one, Hilltops running back Joshua Ewanchyna ran in the winning score with 48 seconds to play.

Jared Andreychuk led another Hilltops rally.

    “It was unreal,” said Andreychuk. “We got down a little bit late.

    “Our spirits were down a little bit, but we had a shot, and we took advantage of it. We got into hurry up offence, and you don’t have to think about things. You just do it.

    “They started playing cover three (zone defence) in the fourth, and we took advantage of that, and we made some things happen.”

    The final Thunder series ended quickly. On their first play after the returning the Hilltops kickoff, Thunder starting quarterback Sawyer Buettner was intercepted by linebacker Cody Peters to seal the Saskatoon victory.

    Andreychuk had a huge night completing 21-of-43 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns. Besides Mike’s fourth quarter catch, Andreychuk hit running back Logan Fischer for a six-yard scoring throw in the second quarter and Mike for a 14-yard scoring connection in the third quarter.

    The fifth-year signal contributions grew in importance after Fischer left the game with a lower body injury shortly before halftime.

    “We had to put the ball in Jared’s hands, and he embraced that,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “The receivers stepped up.

    “Our passing game is getting better and better. We are ready for bigger and better things. You win these games that is character.”

Linebacker Cody Peters makes an interception for the Hilltops.

    Saskatoon’s victory at old Mosaic almost mirrored their trip to the historic facility last season. Just over a year ago on Sept. 12, 2015, the Hilltops trailed the Thunder 25-10 heading into the fourth quarter but rallied for a 26-25 victory. Andreychuk hit slotback Evan Turkington with the winning touchdown pass with 75 seconds to play in that contest, and linebacker Cole Benkic sealed the win with an interception after the Hilltops went ahead late.

    “I had déjà vu a couple of times in that game,” said Andreychuk. “Definitely that back shoulder throw to Sam (Mike) in the third quarter kind of got that going a little bit.

    “It kind of reminded me of Turk (Turkington) last year at the end of the game. It was just a fun one.”

    Buettner connected on 29-of-50 passes for 319 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss for the Thunder on Saturday. Receiver Kristopher Calcutt made an acrobatic 10-yard reception in the third quarter to account for the Thunder’s major through the air.

    The teams entered the fourth quarter locked in a 16-16 tie. Early in the fourth quarter, Thunder kicker James Reid booted a 21-yard field goal to give the hosts a 19-16 lead to set the stage for the dramatics in the final three minutes of the game.

Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder.

    Reid also hit field goals from 38, 30 and 17 yards out in the contest to round out the home side’s scoring. The Hilltops scoring was rounded out by a conceded safety by the Thunder and a long punt single by Des Vessey. The Hilltops failed to convert one of their convert attempts due to a botched snap.

    Since falling 36-21 to the Calgary Colts at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Aug. 28, the Hilltops have won their last four straight games to improve to 6-1.

    “From the Calgary game until now, we are a totally different team,” said Sargeant. “I have a proud coaching staff.

    “They have a belief in how we do business, and the players always respond and do what we need them to do.

    “What I am so proud about is we stay the process, we believe in each other, we coach hard and they play hard and good results happen.”

Hilltops DL Dillon Buckle closes in on a Thunder ball carrier.

    With two games left on their regular season schedule, the Hilltops are ensured of at least a second place finish in the Prairie Football Conference, and they will host a first round playoff match. The Colts lead the conference standings with a 6-0 mark.

    The Thunder fall to 3-4 to sit fourth in the PFC.

    The Hilltops return to action on Oct. 9, when they host the Edmonton Wildcats at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Thunder will host the Colts at 1 p.m. at old Mosaic Stadium also on Oct. 9.

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

Rams/Huskies take centre stage at new Mosaic

Noah Picton gets set to fire a pass downfield for the Rams.

    The action on the turf at new Mosaic Stadium might match the majestic look of the new state of the art facility itself.

    On Saturday at 2 p.m. in Regina, the host University of Regina Rams will face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the first game at what will be best known as the new home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. The clash is expected to be seen by over 16,500 spectators, and it will be a test event for the facility that cost $278-million to build.

    That contests also opens the festivities for “Football Day in Saskatchewan.” Following the match between the Rams and Huskies, the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops will face the Regina Thunder for the final time at old Mosaic Stadium in a clash of powerhouse Canadian Junior Football League teams at 7 p.m.

    While the majority of the people attending the university game will be out to see what it is like to attend an event at new Mosaic Stadium, they will also see a very meaningful tilt. The surprising Rams enter the contest as the fourth ranked squad in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top 10 ratings, and they top the very tight Canada West standings with a 3-1 mark. A year ago, U of R suffered through an 0-8 season.

    The U of Calgary Dinos also have a 3-1 mark, but the Rams hold first due to their 32-27 victory over the Dinos on Sept. 23 at old Mosaic Stadium.

    The Huskies sit in fifth place in Canada West with a 2-2 record, and they still have the potential to surge up the standings.

    The majority of the crowd will be made up of people from Regina, but a sizable contingent is heading down from Saskatoon. Since the Rams joined the CIS ranks in 1999, their rivalry with the Huskies has been more of an up and down one as far as intensity goes.

    U of S has dominated the regular season encounters with a 21-6 record, but the Rams have a 3-2 edge in five post-season meetings.  Only one of those playoff encounters came in the Canada West final back in 2002, when the Huskies came away with a 44-28 victory at old Mosaic Stadium.

    The rivalry hasn’t had the bite it should have due to fact there hasn’t been frequent meetings in the Canada West final. Also, the Dinos won every Canada West title from 2008 to 2013, and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds went all the way and won the Vanier Cup last year.

Since 2007, games between the Rams and Huskies have been really for bragging rights against each other, while someone else gets all the championship trophies.

Tyler Chow has piled up big yards on the ground for the Huskies.

    On Saturday, the only thing fans at new Mosaic will care about is what happens on that day. A victory would be key for each team’s hopes of making the Canada West playoffs and possibly hosting a post-season game.

    The players will likely provide a lot of excitement as well. Rams quarterback Noah Picton has had insane numbers over his team’s first four games completing 117-of-170 passes for 1,714 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. Picton gets to throw to a wide array of skilled pass catchers like Mitchell Picton, Khalid Kornegay and Riley Wilson, who are all averaging over 100 yards receiving a game. The U of R’s reputation of being “Receiver U” is definitely in good hands.

    Tyler Chow has emerged as the Huskies biggest offensive weapon over the first four weeks. The feature tailback has piled up 572 yards rushing on 84 carries and scored two touchdowns.

    The Huskies passing attack took a big hit in their last outing, when they dropped a 38-17 decision to the U of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg on Sept. 24 due to receivers dropping a number of passes. They still have a strong quarterback in Kyle Siemens, who has completed 81 of 134 passes for 934 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. U of S also has a talented group of receivers, who will likely have a bounce back game as a unit.

    The crowd noise should get up high too. If you had the chance to visit the open house showing of new Mosaic Stadium during the Labour Day weekend, you will have learned the stadium design traps noise like CenturyLink Field in Seattle, which is home to the NFL’s Seahawks. Cheers echo and circle through the facility.

    There will likely be some bumps on Saturday afternoon, but the chance to see what should be a great game at new Mosaic Stadium will likely be an early Christmas gift.

Lots on the line for Hilltops and Thunder

Hilltops QB Jared Andreychuk rolls away from pressure.

    After the university game wraps up at new Mosaic Stadium, the Hilltops and Thunder will do battle at old Mosaic Stadium in a CJFL clash that has a lot on the line as the post-season approaches.

    Both teams have combined to win the last six CJFL championships. The Hilltops won the Canadian Bowl in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, while the Thunder captured the CJFL’s top prize in 2013.

The Hilltops enter the contest sitting second in the Prairie Football Conference with a 5-1 mark. The Thunder are third with a 3-3 record, but their three losses have come again either the Hilltops or the PFC leading Calgary Colts, who are 6-0.

    If the Hilltops win, they will guarantee at least a second place finish in the PFC standings, which means they will host a PFC semifinal playoff tilt. If the Thunder win by three or more points, they will take the season series with the Hilltops and place some pressure on Saskatoon to win its final two regular season games to hold on to second place.

    The Hilltops slipped past the Thunder 20-18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field back on Sept. 10, which was the only other clash between these two clubs this season.

    Saskatoon also wants to keep the heat on Calgary as far as the race for first goes. The Colts are in the driver’s seat in that dash due to the fact they downed the Hilltops 36-21 back on Aug. 28 at SMF Field , which was the only head-to-head regular season clash between the two sides in the current campaign. Thanks to holding that standings tiebreaker, the Colts can lock up first place winning two of their final three games.

Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder.

    Last year, the Hilltops and Thunder staged a classic at old Mosaic. The Thunder took a 25-10 lead into the fourth quarter, and the Hilltops rallied to pull out a 26-25 victory.

    Quarterback Jared Andreychuk led that Toppers comeback, and he is having a solid campaign completing 83 of 135 passes for 1,256 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Saskatoon has great balance as running backs Logan Fischer, Joshua Ewanchyna and Adam Machart are all having solid years.

    Fischer tops the team with 521 yards rushing on 90 carries, while scoring six touchdowns. Ewanchyna has piled up 329 yards rushing on 40 carries and scored three majors, while Machart has 265 yards rushing on 38 carries and has scored one touchdown.

    Second-year Thunder quarterback Sawyer Buettner has turned a lot of heads completing 141 of 209 passes for 1,784 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Receiver Kristiane Desautels has been Buettner’s favourite target catching 24 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns.

    The first battle between these two squads this season had the intensity of a playoff clash, and Saturday’s encounter will likely have the same feel. Another classic might be on the way.

It always feels good to give

    As “Football Day in Saskatchewan” draws near, it has popped into my head that I have supported all four of the provinces post-secondary teams that will take the field on Regina on Saturday.

    I have donated to the scholarship funds of the Rams, Hilltops and Huskies and attended the Thunder’s Dinner of Champions fundraiser. Besides those four football teams, I have also donated to the scholarship funds of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U of R Cougars women’s hockey team.

    It makes me feel good when I can give money to any of these programs, and I would love to keep making similar donations in the future and add a few more teams to the list too. I want to thank you the readers for supporting me in my independent media endeavours to make this possible.

    I humbly hope I can keep earning and holding your respect as I continue onwards.

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

Blades nail it with “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day”

Gordie Howe's four children take part in a ceremonial faceoff.

    The Saskatoon Blades got it right when it came to remembering Gordie Howe.

    On Sunday morning, the hockey icon’s ashes and those of his wife, Colleen, were interred at the base of the Gordie Howe statue that sits in front of the SaskTel Centre. Gordie passed away earlier this year on June 10 at age 88. Colleen passed away on March 6, 2009 at age 76.

    A private interment ceremony open to 61 members of the Howe family started off a day a festivities to honour Gordie in his hometown area in what the Blades dubbed as “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day.”

    The makings of what happened on Sunday started when Blades president Steve Hogle contacted members of the Howe family over the summer looking for permission to hold a special day to honour Gordie in Saskatoon. Gordie was born in a farmhouse in Floral, Sask., which is just south of Saskatoon, and moved to “the Bridge City” at age 9.

A fan gets her picture taken with the Gordie Howe statue.

    While talking to Gordie and Colleen’s children, Hogle discovered that one of Gordie’s wishes was to have his and Colleen’s ashes interred at the base of the Gordie Howe statue at the SaskTel Centre. Hogle made the offer to make that happen setting the wheels in motion for a tribute day, which also led into the Blades WHL regular season home opening game against the Swift Current Broncos.

    Following the ceremony, the Howes were taken to Lookout Point in Diefenbaker Park to see the name of the Circle Drive South Bridge was renamed the Gordie Howe Bridge. They then proceeded to visit King George School, which Gordie attended, and one of Gordie’s childhood homes.

    Everything shifted back to the SaskTel Centre from there. A tailgate party started in the parking lot at 12 p.m., and the doors to the rink opened at 1 p.m.

Logan Flodell and the Blades warm up in Gordie Howe jerseys.

    Spectators flocked around the Gordie Howe statue in the two hours leading up to the game, and many had their pictures taken with the statue. Inside the rink, fans checked out a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit that featured a number of Howe items including one of his Detroit Red Wings jerseys from his NHL days and a Houston Aeros jersey from his WHA days.

    Some Howe family photos were also on display at various locations on the main concourse area.

    The Blades players also took the ice for warm up all wearing #9 Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings jerseys.

    At 2 p.m., the Blades started into a stirring 25-minute pre-game tribute ceremony for Gordie. Fans got to see an impressive tribute video featuring a whole bunch of archival footage of Gordie’s playing days and also interviews that were done on local television. In some instances, it was surprising to realize that some of that footage still existed.

    Legendary Hockey Night In Canada play-by-play voice Bob Cole was the emcee for the tribute. Former NHL players in Hockey Hall of Fame member Bryan Trottier, Morris Lukowich and Gerry Pinder all took attention grabbing Gordie stories.

Bryan Trottier speaks to the SaskTel Centre crowd.

    All three had deep Saskatchewan roots as Trottier is from Val Marie, Lukowich was born in Speers and played his minor hockey growing up in Saskatoon and Pinder is a Saskatoon product.

    Howe's children in sons Mark, Marty and Murray and daughter Cathy all took part in dropping the puck for a ceremonial faceoff.

    “I think a reflection on Saskatoon and the province of Saskatchewan is absolutely magnified because of Gordie Howe,” said Trottier in a media scrum after the ceremony. “All of us who know the name Gordie recognize what he meant to the game of hockey.

    “For the kids that have ever played hockey, for all the hockey that is going on in Canada in and around these little small communities, there is a belief. There is a belief that you can make it. Gordie provided that for all of us. “

    Due to playing a combined 32 seasons in the NHL and WHA, Howe was idolized by a few generations of hockey players, and Trottier, Lukowich and Pinder all looked up to “Mr. Hockey.”

    No matter where Gordie went or how famous he became, he returned to Saskatoon on a regular basis, and the citizens of Saskatoon always saw Gordie as one of their own.

    “This is his hometown,” said Trottier. “This is our guy that grew up here in Saskatchewan.

    “He reflects well on all the values that are from Saskatchewan whether it is family (or) whether it is hockey.”

Centre Jesse Shynkaruk zips up ice for the Blades.

    The only thing that didn’t go right was the fact the Blades, who wore special Gordie Howe themed jerseys, dropped a 6-0 decision to the Broncos before 6,359 onlookers. Calvin Spencer scored twice for the Broncos, while Noah King, Brandan Arnold, Tyler Steenbergen and Tyler Adams had singles. Travis Child made 28 stops to earn the shutout in goal for Swift Current, while Brock Hamm turned away 25 shots suffering the loss in goal for the Blades.

    The result of the clash between the Blades and Broncos seemed secondary, because everyone was caught up in Gordie Howe fever.

    As you walked out the door, the Blades had one more surprise. Everyone that left received a Gordie Howe poster, and three of the pictures on the bottom came from the festivities of the day. Somehow, the Blades were able to put the mechanics in motion to the point you were able to go home with an unexpected cool keepsake.

    The Blades hit all the positive checkmark points, which included ones you didn’t even think of.

    Somewhere, you had to think Gordie was grinning. For those that came to the SaskTel Centre, they got to enjoy a day they will always remember, as Saskatoon’s biggest hero came home to rest forever.

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

Howe's legend will always be larger than life

The Gordie Howe statue that sits outside the SaskTel Centre.

    Gordie Howe.

    When you mention the late hockey icon’s name, you almost don’t know where to start.

    Along with Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, Howe was one of those first hockey stars that was idolized by children. Due to the fact he played 32 seasons in the NHL and WHA, children that idolized “Mr. Hockey” grew up to be parents and watched their children also look up to Howe.

    Growing up in the 1980s, I remember getting into debates and arguments with my late father about who was the greatest hockey player of all-time. For me, the obvious answer was Wayne Gretzky due to the scoring records and ridiculous offensive point totals he was putting up at that time with the Edmonton Oilers.

    My dad would always say I was wrong, and that Howe was the best. Howe was my dad’s childhood hero. The debate always turned to the fact that Howe played most of his years with the Detroit Red Wings in the “Original Six” era of the NHL where the competition wasn’t as watered down as a league that contained 21 teams like the 1980s NHL did.

    Also, no other player had the offensive grace and toughness that Howe possessed, which gave the “Gordie Howe hat trick” life of getting a goal, an assist and a fighting major in the same game.

    Sunday will be “Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day” in Saskatchewan. During a private family ceremony in the morning, the ashes of Gordie and his late wife Colleen Howe will be interred at the Gordie Howe statue that sits outside the SaskTel Centre.

    Gordie, who was born in a farmhouse in Floral, Sask., and moved to Saskatoon at age 9, passed away earlier this year on June 10 at age 88. Colleen passed away on March 6, 2009 at age 76.

    After the ceremony, Howe’s family will make their way to the newly built Circle Drive South Bridge, which has been renamed the Gordie Howe Bridge.

    From there, everything shifts back to the SaskTel Centre, where Howe will be honoured in a pre-game ceremony at 2 p.m. before the Saskatoon Blades hit the ice for their WHL regular season home opener against the Swift Current Broncos.

A Gordie Howe card from the 1980s.

    A tailgate party starts in the parking lot at 12 p.m. and the doors to the rink open at 1 p.m.

    It should also be noted the WHL’s Vancouver Giants will also be honouring Howe in a pre-game ceremony before their home opener on Friday against the Everett Silvertips. Howe was a former minority owner of the Giants, and his family members will be in Vancouver before making the journey to the right-winger’s hometown area.

    Both the Giants and Blades games will be shown on Shaw.

    There will be a lot of emotions on both nights. It seems everyone has a Gordie Howe story to tell.

For me, my father’s stories of Howe danced in my head the first and only time I interviewed him.
    The interview occurred in December of 1999, when I was an intern general assignment reporter for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. I was working with fellow interns Jillian MacPherson and Vanessa Lee compiling a list of what Saskatchewan’s movers and shakers were doing to ring in the new millennium.

    When I got on the phone with Howe, I was so nervous. I had to keep from freaking out that I was actually talking to Gordie Howe. It was one of the rare times I was caught being in awe of the celebrity of a person.

    The quote I used from Howe was, “Well, we won’t be doing a heck of a lot of anything. If our grandson is playing on New Year’s, I’ll go watch him play. And that’s Nolan Howe. That’s Mark’s son.

    “Nothing concrete. We’re just laid back, like we were in Saskatchewan.”

    To me, the quote was cool, because it came from Howe.

    The other time I encountered Howe was at the 2007 Memorial Cup tournament, when I was a beat writer covering the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers for the Medicine Hat News. At that time, I wasn’t awestruck, but I felt it was cool to see Howe at the tournament.

    My big memory came from the CHL awards ceremony that year. A bunch of the high rollers that sponsored the Memorial Cup were in attendance. They were nice to talk to, but the mingling had an upper class feel to it.

    I looked at Howe, and he looked like the lost prairie boy. He was being polite and courteous to everyone, but you almost could see a vibe that he wasn’t with his crowd. I totally identified with him at that moment, because I was feeling that way too.

A Gordie Howe card from the 1990s.

    The thing that put Howe over the top for being great was the fact he was ordinary. He did all these limitless spectacular things on the ice, but off of it, he was that kind next door neighbour.

    The public viewed him as being like “you and me.”

    Over the years, I have heard a number of other cool stories featuring Howe. A couple of my favourites were told to me by former NHL players Morris Lukowich and Bryan Maxwell. Those I will pass on via word of mouth otherwise this column would go on forever.

    While hockey took Howe all over the map, he always managed to return to Saskatoon. His last public appearance was at the 55^th annual Saskatoon Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner back in February 2015, when a huge number former hockey stars flocked into town.

    It just seems fitting that Howe’s remains will be laid to rest in his hometown area.

    The Blades are expecting 61 members of Howe’s family to be in Saskatoon on the weekend. There will never be a better chance locally to give a heartwarming salute and thanks for all the good things Howe did in his life and the recognition he brought for Saskatoon and Saskatchewan.

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

Hilltops hit road to B.C., hammer Sun 58-2

Logan Fischer and the Hilltops stomped out the Sun.

    So much for the Canadian Bowl rematch.

    The venerable Saskatoon Hilltops hit high gear on Saturday night in Kelowna, B.C., and the rest of the teams Canadian Junior Football League likely took notice of butt kicking that happened. Participating in their first regular season cross-conference match, the Hilltops took a 4-1 record into the Apple Bowl to face the host Okanagan Sun, who entered the contest with a 6-1 mark.

    The Hilltops downed the Sun 38-24 in last year’s CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl – in Saskatoon.

    On Saturday, the Hilltops, who play out of the Prairie Football Conference, scored early and often to tune of a 58-2 beat down of the Sun, who are annually a powerhouse club in the British Columbia Football League.

    What made the victory even more impressive was the fact the Hilltops flew out Saturday, had to wait through a three hour flight delay and rushed through various preparations to be ready for the game’s 7 p.m. local start time at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna.

    Even with all those factors going against them, the Hilltops showed the pedigree of a team that has won the last two CJFL championships and a total of five CJFL championships in the last six years.

    Veteran power back Logan Fischer gave the Hilltops a big jump start scoring the team’s first touchdown on a nine yard run and the club’s third major on what was listed as a 27 yard run. Fischer finished with 105 yards rushing on 13 carries and had a catch for seven yards.
    Hilltops starting quarterback Jared Andreychuk completed 9-of-15 passes for 173 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran in a major from four yards out.
    Sam Mike was the Hilltops leading receiver catching six passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
    Defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler had five tackles and a fumble recovery for the Toppers.

    Okanagan’s only score came on a conceded safety touch. The Sun fell to 6-2 with the loss.

    The Hilltops improve to 5-1 to still sit alone in second place in the PFC. The Calgary Colts downed the Regina Thunder 15-12 in a neutral site game at Medicine Hat on Saturday to remain first in the PFC with a 5-0 mark. The Thunder are third in the PFC with a 3-3 record.

    Saskatoon heads into a bye week along with Regina. The Toppers return to action on Oct. 1, when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder at old Mosaic Stadium at 7 p.m. If the Hilltops win that contest, they would take a huge step towards locking up at least a second place finish in the PFC and a home playoff date for the first round of the post-season.

Rams upset Thunderbirds 20-10

Noah Picton and the Rams topple UBC.

    The University of Regina Rams ensured the first game at new Mosaic Stadium will be significant, when it comes to the playoff picture in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.

    On Saturday in Vancouver, the Rams upset the defending Vanier Cup champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 20-10. The Thunderbirds led 10-3 at halftime before the Rams rallied with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to claim victory.

    In the third quarter, Rams quarterback Noah Picton threw two touchdown strikes to Mitchell Picton from 10 and five yards out. Daniel Scraper hit a pair of field goals in the contest for the U of R.

Colton Zayshley returned a fumble for a touchdown for the Thunderbirds, who also received a field goal from Greg Hutchins.

    Noah Picton completed 24-of-33 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Rams. Khalid Kornegay topped the Rams with 109 yards receiving on three catches.

Michael O’Connor completed 32-of-48 passes for 337 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions starting at quarterback for the Thunderbirds.

    The Rams improved to 2-1 to sit third in the Canada West Conference. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies hold on to second in Canada West with a 2-1 record thanks to their 41-39 head-to-head overtime victory against the Rams in Week 1.

    The Thunderbirds fall to 1-2.

    The Rams and Huskies will play the first ever game at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. The single game tickets for this contest are already soldout. Tickets for that contest can still be purchased by buying “flex” ticket packages from the Rams, which include tickets to other games.

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

"Dinos jinx" goes on for Huskies

U of Calgary gets 10^th straight win over U of Saskatchewan

Niko DiFonte (#45) boots the winning field goal for the Dinos.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies just can’t seem to get a Dinos sized load off their collective backs.

    For a short time in Friday night’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport football encounter at Griffith’s Stadium in Saskatoon, the host Huskies appeared poised to earn their first victory against the University of Calgary Dinos in six years. The Dinos had other ideas.

    With 2:04 to play in the fourth quarter, the Huskies led 19-17 and had the Dinos pinned at their own six yard line. To make matters worse for the visitors, they had to drive into a fairly stiff breeze.

    Those obstacles didn’t seem to matter to fifth-year Dinos quarterback Jimmy Underdahl. Underdahl drove his team 101 yards in nine plays to put U of C in range for a 10-yard chip shot field goal. 

    Kicker Niko DiFonte booted home the winning points with 40.8 seconds remaining on the clock to ultimately give the Dinos a 20-19 victory before a packed house of 7,938 spectators. The win allowed U of C to sit alone in first place in the Canada West Conference with a 3-0 mark, while U of S falls to 2-1.

Quentin Chown (#31) pushes the Dinos into range for a winning field goal.

    Including action in the regular season and playoffs, the Dinos have won 10 straight head-to-head meetings with the Huskies. The Huskies last win over the Dinos came back on Oct. 15, 2010, when U of S claimed a 36-17 decision at Griffiths Stadium.

    Going into Friday’s battle, it seemed like the Huskies, who were rated 10^th in the CIS top ten rankings, were due to break the jinx.

    Before Friday’s contest, the last time these two teams met was in a Canada West quarter-final playoff match last year. The Huskies led that encounter 22-19 early in the fourth quarter only to fall 37-29.

    During the off-season, the Huskies strengthened their depth landing some key recruits from the Saskatoon Hilltops 2015 Canadian Junior Football League championship team. It was hoped the additions of those recruits would get the Huskies over a few humps, which included ending the head-to-head skid with the Dinos, who are rated second in the CIS rankings.

Jimmy Underdahl (#16) fires a pass downfield for the Dinos.

    The visitors got out of the gates with a fast start on Friday going up 10-0 in the first quarter thanks to 22-yard field goal by DiFonte and a 12-yard touchdown run by running back Quentin Chown.

U of S responded rolling off 16 straight points in the second quarter to hold a 16-10 edge at halftime.  
    Huskies quarterback Kyle Siemens fired a 13-yard touchdown strike to Hilltops grad Chad Braun and an eight-yard scoring toss to Samuel Baker. U of S kicker Sean Stenger contributed singles from a missed field goal and a kickoff rouge to round out the Huskies second quarter surge.

    It also appeared luck was going to shine the Huskies way too. The Dinos first possession of the second half ended when DiFonte nailed the right upright on a 40-yard field goal attempt preventing the visitors from cutting into the Huskies lead.

    After a scoreless third quarter, the Dinos went in front 17-16, when Chown ran in a four-yard major score for his second rushing touchdown of the day with 9:16 to play in the fourth quarter.

Chad Braun hauls in a touchdown catch for the Huskies.

    U of S responded on its next series when a five play 78 yard drive culminated with a 20-yard field goal by Stenger to give the hosts a 19-17 edge. That set the stage for the dramatics on Dinos scoring drive late in the frame.

    After the Dinos went ahead 20-19, the Huskies had a chance to get in range for the winning field goal with the wind at their backs, but the offence turned the ball over on downs after three plays.

    Underdahl had a solid night completing 29-of-43 passes for 383 yards. He didn’t have any touchdown passes, but he also didn’t have any interceptions.

    Siemens was sound too connecting on 20-of-35 attempts for 283 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Hilltops grad Matt Kozun had a pair of sacks being named the Huskies player of the game.

Huskies LB Brad Kotania (#40) nails Dinos SB Austen Hartley.

    When the dust settled, the difference in Friday’s game was the fact the Dinos were able to put together that long drive late in the fourth quarter to get in range for the winning kick. The Huskies played valiantly in the setback. With that said, it was still agonizing for the Huskies to drop their 10^th straight to U of C.

    The only thing the Huskies can do now is wait for their next opportunity to break the “Dinos jinx.” The two teams meet again on Oct. 22 in Calgary.

    Before contest comes around, both teams will be focuses on their respective upcoming schedules. The Huskies return to action on Sept. 24, when they travel to Winnipeg to take on the U of Manitoba Bisons. The Dinos remain on the road and travel to Regina this coming Friday to take on the U of Regina Rams.

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

Win gives Rams much needed confidence boost

The Rams celebrate their win over the Bisons.

    The University of Regina Rams rid themselves of that “here we go again” sinking feeling with one win.

    Last Thursday, they rallied from a 38-27 fourth quarter deficit to down the University of Manitoba Bisons 41-38 on a touchdown catch with 25 seconds to play by receiver Ryan Schienbein in their home opener at Mosaic Stadium. The win allowed the Rams to improve to 1-1 in the young Canadian Interuniversity Sport football season.

    Now, they have the potential to erase the painful memories of an 0-8 campaign in 2015, which was the only season they played under the guidance of head coach Mike Gibson. During that winless campaign, the Rams dropped four games by seven or fewer points. The most heartbreaking of those setbacks came in the final game of the season, where the Rams held a 34-11 lead over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies late in third quarter at Mosaic Stadium only to fall 38-37.

    It seemed like even if the Rams were on their game they would still find a way to lose.

Ryan Schienbein catches the winning touchdown for the Rams.

    Gibson left the Rams on Jan. 17 to join the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos as their offensive line coach and run game coordinator. For a large number of team’s alumni, the departure couldn’t have come soon enough, as they began to feel disconnected with the program with Gibson guiding the ship as head coach. Behind the scenes, there was more turmoil than most likely knew.

    Searching for Gibson’s replacement, the Rams looked to their past hiring former player Steve Bryce as the team’s new head coach. Bryce played five seasons on the Rams offensive line from 1987 to 1991 during their days in the Canadian Junior Football League, which included a national championship win in his rookie campaign.

    After exhausting his junior eligibility, Bryce went down to the United States to play four seasons with the North Dakota based Jamestown College Jimmies. From there, Bryce moved to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., where he spent 15 season coaching the football team at Etiwanda High School including the last seven as head coach.

    He returned home to Regina in August of 2015 with his wife and two daughters and applied for the Rams job after Gibson resigned.

Noah Picton (#4) threw for 499 yards and four touchdowns for the Rams.

    With Bryce as head coach, the Rams started to reconnect with their alumni. A new different type of good feeling started to arise about the team.

    The positive emotions seemed to transfer over to the field. In Week 1, the Rams traveled to Saskatoon and were poised to pull out an upset win against the Huskies.

    They led 31-28 with about a minute to play, and the Huskies were facing a third and 20 from their own 20 yard line. Again, the Rams would watch the other side rise to the occasion and pull out a key big play to win the game.

    Huskies quarterback Kyle Siemens proceeded to hit receiver Yol Piok with a deep throw that gained 35 yards. U of S forced overtime and pulled out a 41-39 victory.

    Against the Bisons in Week 2, the Rams led 13-10 at halftime and 27-14 after three quarters. The visitors rallied with 24 straight points to pull ahead 38-27, and you had to wonder if that “here we go again” feeling was starting to sink in.

Rams LB Zack McEachern nails Bisons RB Cam Fox.

    This time things were different.

    Rams star quarterback Noah Picton began to resemble his father, Dean. Dean was a superstar signal caller for the team in the 1980s guiding the squad to CJFL title wins in 1986 and 1987.

    Noah led the Rams on an 11 play, 87 yard drive that culminated with him scoring a touchdown on a one-yard quarterback sneak with 1:35 to play. The score cut the Bisons lead to 38-33. A U of R two-point conversion attempt was not successful.

    The Bisons recovered an onside kick and appeared set to put the finishing touches on a win. Two plays later, Rams defensive back Korey Greene forced Bisons running back Alex Christie to fumble. U of R linebacker Zack McEachern recovered the ball, and the Rams were in business but also 104 yards away from the U of M end zone.

    Miraculously, Noah Picton drove the Rams those 104 yards in 55 seconds with eight plays. Picton hit Schienbein with the winning touchdown on a 15 yard pass in the middle of the end zone, which had the Rams bench erupting with joy.

Mitchell Picton makes a tough catch in traffic for the Rams.

    A Hail Mary pass attempt by Bisons quarterback Theo Deezar on the last play of the game was picked off by Rams linebacker Joey Dwyer. U of M fell to 0-2.

    The U of R win brought an end to a 10 game losing skid for the Rams, which included nine regular season games and one playoff match.

    The Rams last win came back on Nov. 1, 2014, when they defeated the University of Alberta Golden Bears 35-31 in the final home and regular season game under the guidance of legendary head coach Frank McCrystal. Picton guided the Rams to victory that day as a first-year signal caller rallying the team from behind twice in the fourth quarter.

The Rams celebrate Ryan Schienbein's winning touchdown catch.

    Against Bisons last Thursday, Picton completed 40-of-60 passes for 499 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. For the second straight week, he was named the offensive player of the week for the Canada West Conference.

    The bigger thing for the Rams was they were able to make the key plays in a close game to pull out victory, and the season is still young. Now that they have this experience, the chances of pulling out a tight game in the future improve greatly. On top of that, winning creates a confidence that all your work in practice and the film room will pay off.

    The next test for the Rams is this coming Saturday, when they travel to Vancouver to take on the defending Vanier Cup champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (1-1). The chance for the “Boys in the Horns” to again do something special awaits.

Back in the Express with cover story on new Blades GM

Blades general manager Colin Priestner expects a good season.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with the cover story on the Saskatoon Blades new general manager Colin Priestner, who was extremely genuine in the one-on-one interview I did with him.

    In the story, the 32-year-old discussed the enormity of the rebuild the Blades had to undergo when his father, Mike, purchased the charter Western Hockey League franchise in September of 2013, transitioning to his new position, the experienced staff he surrounded himself with and the challenge of being the boss’s son.

    While talking about a variety of subjects, Priestner was upbeat about the possibilities that lay ahead for the team.

    Part of the discussion that didn’t make the story included the brilliant work Blades president Steve Hogle has done putting on great pre-game and post-game events over the past three seasons.

    The next of those is coming on Sept. 25, when the Blades host their regular season home opener at 2 p.m. against the Swift Current Broncos. The Blades will honour late hockey icon Gordie Howe that day. Howe’s ashes along with those of his wife, Colleen, will be interred at the Gordie Howe statue that sits in front of the SaskTel centre in a private ceremony at 9:30 a.m. that same day.

    Priestner’s aim is to get the action on the ice during the game to equal the happenings that Hogle has going on around the game.

    “He (Hogle) is just a tireless worker,” said Priestner. “He cares about the city and cares about the people.

    “You sometimes just take for granted how many great things we’ve tried to do. The unfortunate part is when you have a losing team and you have a great pre or post-game event, it is still a losing team. When you do lose 4-1, people forget about the powerful ceremony before the game.

    “Hogle has done so many great things with the game day (experience). I just feel like I and we all owe it to him on this side to bring that winning team to really show the people of Saskatoon all the great things we are doing.”

    The Express cover story on Priestner can be found 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.