Thunder finally get over Hilltops hump with comeback win

QB Sawyer Buettner throws the winning TD pass for the Thunder.

    Sawyer Buettner was pumped and relieved his Regina Thunder were finally the last team standing in a clash against the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    Trailing the Hilltops 26-21 with just under 2:47 to play in the fourth quarter of a Canadian Junior Football League clash Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Thunder found themselves set up on their own 30 yard line.

    Regina had lost its last six straight encounters with Saskatoon including action in the regular season and playoffs. 

    Four of those losses came by four-or-fewer points, where the venerable Hilltops, who have won the last three straight CJFL titles, always found a way to make two more plays than the Thunder to pull out victory.

    This time, the script was different. 

    Buettner, who is the Thunder’s star quarterback, drove his team 80-yards in two-minute drill style, and the march culminated with the signal caller hitting receiver Lee Brown with an eight-yard touchdown pass.

Receiver Lee Brown cradles the winning touchdown catch for the Thunder.

    After Brown’s catch, Buettner proceeded to hook up with receiver Levi Paul on a short five-yard pass for a two-point conversion to put the Thunder up 29-26 with 60 seconds to play.

    The Hilltops proceeded to march deep into Regina territory with their final possession, but Thunder defensive back Tyrel Latoski snuffed out the drive making an interception at his own five yard line with two seconds to play to ensure the 29-26 score held up as the final in Regina’s favour. The last time the Thunder prevailed over the Hilltops was back on Sept. 6, 2014 by a 26-25 final at SMF Field.

    “It was nice to finish the game off,” said Buettner. “It is kind of a relief to prove to ourselves that we can do it against a great team like the Hilltops, so it was good.”

Receiver Sam Mike (#4) celebrates a score to put the Hilltops up 26-21.

    The 20-year-old Moose Jaw, Sask., product added it had been some time since he helped win a game with a two-minute drill type drive.

    “I haven’t had one of those since high school,” said Buettner. “It was fun.

    “I told the (offence) we want to be great, when we have the last drive. I told the guys like I was proud of them no matter what happened.

    “We battled all the way back. It was just nice to score a touchdown there and win it.”

    Saturday’s game had a number of different swings. Right before the Thunder went on their game-winning scoring drive, the Hilltops had erased a slim 21-20 deficit, when quarterback Jordan Walls found veteran receiver Sam Mike with a short seven-yard touchdown pass to put the host side up 26-21. Saskatoon failed to score on a two-point conversion try after Mike’s major.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls threw for 351 yards in a setback.

    In the first quarter, the Hilltops tried to do their best to run away with the contest early. Saskatoon put together two long drives that ended in respective 20 and 25 yard field goals from safety/kicker James Vause, which gave the hosts a 6-0 edge.

    On the final play of the opening frame, Hilltops fullback Colin Stumborg muscled his way in from a yard out for a major score to put the Hilltops up 13-0.

    In the second quarter, Thunder kicker Eric Maximuik hit field goals from 29 and 35 yards out to cut the Hilltops lead to 13-6. With nine seconds to play in the first half, the Hilltops pushed out to a 20-6 lead, when Walls hit receiver Ryan Turple with a 13-yard scoring strike.

    The Thunder offence began to really hit stride in the second half but started out having trouble finding the end zone. On Regina’s first series of the second half, Thunder running back Ethan Hautz fumbled the ball away right before the Hilltops goal-line and Saskatoon defensive back Luke Melnyk recovered the ball in his own end zone to turn away the scoring threat.

RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette (#31) ripped off a long touchdown run.

    Regina’s next series was stopped thanks to an interception by Hilltops defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler deep in Saskatoon’s end of the field.

    With nine seconds to play in the third quarter, the Thunder finally found the end zone, when Buettner hit receiver Isaac Foord with an 11-yard scoring toss to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 20-13. Maximuik’s ensuing kickoff went 85 yards through the Saskatoon end zone for a single to further cut the Hilltops edge to 20-14.

    Around the midway point of the fourth quarter, the Thunder took their first lead of the contest, when star running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette burst 45 yards downfield for a major to put Regina in front 21-20. That set the stage for the dramatics in the contest’s final three minutes.

    “It (Saturday’s win) is a big one for us,” said Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay. “We haven’t had too much success against these guys in the last couple of years.

    “To be able to come up here into their own house and come out with this win, it is a big deal for our team. I think it is going to bring us a lot closer.”

The Hilltops defence forces a fumble near their goal-line.

    Buettner was pleased his side was able to overcome some re-occurring difficulties that helped the Hilltops build a six game head-to-head winning streak against the Thunder.

    “We’ve had issues with this team before of driving down and kicking field goals and turning over the ball, which we did today,” said Buettner. “When it counted, we drove down and we scored touchdowns when we needed to.

    “We came up big when it counted.”

    Buettner completed 33-of-40 passes for 374 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win for the Thunder. Walls connected on 27-of-41 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the loss for the Hilltops.

The Thunder celebrate their comeback win over the Hilltops.

    Saturday’s result creates a logjam at the top of the Prairie Football Conference standings. The Edmonton Huskies sit alone in first place at 4-0, while the Hilltops, Thunder and Winnipeg Rifles are all tied for second to fourth with identical 3-1 marks.

    The Calgary Colts sit fifth at 1-3, while the Edmonton Wildcats are last at 0-4. The top four clubs in the conference make the post-season.

    Having defeated the Thunder 37-20 back on Aug. 12 in Regina, the Hilltops hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker against the Thunder outscoring their provincial rivals 63-49 in the teams’ two regular season meetings.

    The Hilltops return to action on Sept. 17, when they travel to Calgary to face the Colts. The Thunder return home to face the Rifles on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at new Mosaic Stadium.

Kinsmen Football League celebrates 50^th season

KFL players were part of the halftime festivities at the Hilltops game.

    The players of Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League took centre stage during a halftime ceremony of the CJFL contest between the Hilltops and Thunder.

    To celebrate the league’s 50^th anniversary season, the teams from the amateur league were introduced to the crowd at SMF Field. It is estimated that around 450 players will suit up as part of the Kinsmen Football League this season.

    The league contains two age groups for players. The peewee age group is for players 11 and 12-year-olds. Peewee league games are played under Canadian nine-man rules.

    The league also contains a bantam age group for player 13 and 14-years-old. Bantam league games are contested under Canadian 12-man rules.

    A total of 41 players on the Hilltops current roster got their start playing in the Kinsmen Football League, which held its first season way back in 1968.

Thunder player with rare chronic pain condition needs funds

    A GoFundMe campaign was started on Thursday to help a Regina Thunder player, who is suffering a rare chronic pain condition.

    In 2015, Jarrett Seck was playing his third season of Canadian Junior Football League eligibility as a 20-year-old linebacker for the Thunder. He was also attending the University of Regina to become a physiotherapist.

    Seck was injured in a game in September of 2015 causing pain in his left leg. The pain never went away, and in December of 2016, he was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

    CRPS is believe to be caused by damage or malfunction of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The cause is not definitively known and there is no cure.

    Seck is forced to lay in bed all day. Having exhausted all treatments locally, the family is seeking treatments outside of Regina and Canada, and the expense is expected to be $81,000.

    Those looking to donate to help Seck can do so by clicking here.

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

Roll on, roll on Saskatchewan

Huskies football provides great early returns under Flory

Huskies QB Kyle Siemens (#19) celebrates with R Mitch Hillis.

    It was a great night to cheer and get excited at Griffiths Stadium.

    On Friday night, a crowd of 8,009 packed the storied park to watch the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies bomb the University of Alberta Golden Bears 43-17.
    The Dogs annual homecoming game was the home debut for the team under the guidance of first-year head coach Scott Flory and the squad’s vastly revamped coaching staff.

    It was safe to say the onlookers liked what they saw.

    Star quarterback Kyle Siemens rained down five touchdown passes on the Golden Bears completing 19-of-27 passes for 271 yards helping the Huskies improve to 2-0. In his first two outings, Siemens has been on fire completing 50-of-67 passes for 690 yards, nine touchdown passes and no interceptions.

    In the romp over the Golden Bears, Siemens hit four different receivers with touchdown strikes. He hooked up on two nice ones with fifth-year veteran receiver Mitch Hillis.

    With the Huskies holding a slim 7-6 edge in the second quarter, Siemens found Hillis on a swing pass, and the graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School made two defenders miss on tackle attempts and muscled his way past a third defender for a score.

Scott Flory mans the sideline as the Huskies first-year head coach.

    The second hook up was a perfectly timed 43-yard bomb early in the fourth quarter that put the Huskies up 34-9 and effectively sealed the final outcome of the contest.

    Siemens first touchdown strike found running back Colton Klassen alone in the end zone on the final play of the first quarter to erase a 3-0 Golden Bears lead and put the Huskies up 7-3.

    Early in the third quarter, Siemens hooked up with second-year receiver Sam Baker on an intermediate route, and Baker zipped home the rest of the way on a 53-yard touchdown pass to put the Huskies up 21-6.

    The signal caller’s final major scoring strike came late in the fourth quarter on a short five-yard in route to fifth-year receiver Evan Kopchynski to put the Huskies up 43-9.

    The Huskies scoring was rounded out by a pair of Sean Stenger field goals coming from 23 and 35 yards out respectively. Stenger added two rouges with one coming off a kickoff and the other off a 90-yard punt.

QB Kyle Siemens (#19) slings one of his five TD tosses.

    The Golden Bears, who fell to 0-2, scored a single on a 49-yard punt from Brad Baker and two points on a Huskies conceded safety to hold a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Kicker Brent Arthur hit a pair of field goals including one from 25 yards out in the second quarter and one from 22 yards out in the third quarter for the visitors.

    With Huskies holding a 43-9 edge, Golden Bears backup quarterback Ben Kopczynski hit rookie receiver Nathan Rowe on a 28-yard touchdown toss with 77 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Rowe connected with sophomore receiver Jonathan Girma on a five-yard toss for a two-point conversion on the ensuing play to round out the final outcome.

    Kopczynski completed 9-of-13 passes for a team high 103 yards through the air for the Golden Bears.

    Klassen had a strong night for the Huskies carrying the ball 18 times for 82 yards and hauling three passes for 26 yards in the win. Huskies defensive back Clovis Lumeka and linebacker Kyle Newton had one interception each in the victory.

    While Friday night’s win was a crowd pleaser, the Huskies coaching staff will likely tell you their team still has to keep improving and there were down stretches for hosts in the contest.

Receiver Mitch Hillis motors downfield on a TD reception for the Huskies.

    The most glaring problem was the fact the Golden Bears ran for 324 yards as a team, which included fifth-year running back Edward Ilnicki piling up 199 yards rushing on 26 carries.

    The Golden Bears held the ball for 36 minutes and 39 seconds, which was a little over 13 minutes more than the Huskies. The visitors hurt themselves taking 13 penalties for 150 yards.

    The Huskies defence took a hit when third-year linebacker Ben Whiting left the first half of Friday’s game due to injury.

    Overall, the down parts won’t cast a shadow over what was a pleasing performance for the home side’s fans.

    The Huskies return to action on Sept. 16, when they travel to Vancouver to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (1-0). The Golden Bears travel to Regina on Sept. 16 for a clash with the University of Regina Rams (1-1).

Blades’ Hajek and Fiala go camping in NHL

Blades D Libor Hajek will attend Tampa Bay Lightning training camp.

    Saskatoon Blades defencemen Libor Hajek and Evan Fiala are off to make an impression at the respective NHL training camps for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings.

    Hajek, who is an import defenceman from the Czech Republic, left Saskatoon on Wednesday to join the Lightning rookies in Nashville, Tenn., for a series against the rookies from the Predators starting on Saturday and running through to Tuesday. After that series, Hajek will attend the Lightning’s main training camp.

    The start date and the location of the Lightning’s main training camp is still up in the air due to threat of Hurricane Irma to the state of Florida.

    The Lightning selected Hajek, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 205 pounds, in the second round and 37^th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. They signed him to a three-year NHL entry-level contract following the conclusion of the 2016-17 WHL campaign.

    Last season with the Blades, Hajek appeared in 65 regular season contests recording four goals, 22 assists and a minus-17 rating in the plus-minus department. As a 19-year-old, Hajek has to be assigned back to the Blades, if he doesn’t crack the Lightning’s NHL roster.

Blades D Evan Fiala is heading to Detroit Red Wings training camp.

    Fiala will join the Wings for their main training camp, which runs Sept. 15-18 in Traverse City, Mich. The 20-year-old rearguard attended Wings development camp back in July, where he earned an invite to main camp.

    The Clavet, Sask., product leaves Saskatoon this coming Wednesday. Attending camp as an undrafted invite, Fiala will try to turn heads in an effort to earn an NHL entry-level contract.

    A physical defender who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 205 pounds, Fiala appeared in 70 regular season games in 2016-17 split between the Spokane Chiefs and Blades posting four goals, 15 assists, a plus-11 rating and 139 penalty minutes.

    The Blades acquired Fiala in a trade with the Chiefs last December. As an overager, Fiala could play professionally, if he signs an NHL entry-level contract or a minor league professional contract. If he signs an NHL entry-level contract, he could still be assigned back to the Blades.

    On Friday night, the Blades traveled to Prince Albert and fell 3-2 in an exhibition match against the Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre. Seth Bafaro and Josh Paterson had singles for the Blades (2-2). Nolan Maier turned away 17-of-18 shots playing the first 30:04 in goal for the Blades, while Joel Grzybowski stopped 9-of-11 finishing the game for the visitors.

    Sean Montgomery scored twice for the Raiders (1-1), while Carson Miller netted a single. Curtis Meger stopped 20-of-22 shots going the distance in goal for Prince Albert.

    The two teams will face each other on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Legends Centre in Warman.

Thunder player with rare chronic pain condition needs funds

    A GoFundMe campaign was started on Thursday to help a Regina Thunder player, who is suffering a rare chronic pain condition.

    In 2015, Jarrett Seck was playing his third season of Canadian Junior Football League eligibility as a 20-year-old linebacker for the Thunder. He was also attending the University of Regina to become a physiotherapist.

    Seck was injured in a game in September of 2015 causing pain in his left leg. The pain never went away, and in December of 2016, he was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

    CRPS is believe to be caused by damage or malfunction of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The cause is not definitively known and there is no cure.

    Seck is forced to lay in bed all day. Having exhausted treatments locally, the family is seeking treatments outside of Regina and Canada, and the expense is expected to be $81,000.

    Those looking to donate to help Seck can do so by clicking here.

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

Lots on the line as Hilltops and Thunder collide

Hilltops running back Logan Fischer (#21) cuts past two Thunder players.

    To date, the upcoming clash between the Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder might be the biggest game of the Canadian Junior Football League season.

    While battles between the Hilltops and Thunder are always intense due to their provincial rivalry and their meetings are always key in determining playoff positioning, both squads have to be aware of where they sit with the rest of their Prairie Football Conference rivals.

    Both the Hilltops and Thunder had byes last week, while the conference’s other four teams all had games. At the moment, the Edmonton Huskies lead the PFC with a 4-0 record, the Hilltops sit second at 3-0, the Winnipeg Rifles are third at 3-1, the Thunder are fourth at 2-1, the Calgary Colts sit fifth at 1-3 and the Edmonton Wildcats are last at 0-4. The top four clubs make the post-season.

    The Hilltops and Thunder face each other on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, while the conference’s other four teams all have a bye this week. Besides trying to claim the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with each other, the Hilltops and Thunder also want to keep pace with the Huskies and Rifles in the race for first and second place.

    The top two teams in the PFC host conference semifinal playoff matches. When the match between the Hilltops and Thunder concludes, the first half of the CJFL’s regular season will be in the books and each team will have four games on their respective schedules.

    Looking beyond Saturday at the season’s second half, both the Hilltops and Thunder will play the Huskies just once. The Thunder travel to Edmonton to take on the Huskies on Sept. 24, and the Hilltops and Huskies will conclude their respective regular season schedules in a head-to-head match on Oct. 8 in Edmonton.

    Both Saskatchewan based teams want to win to keep pace with the Huskies just in case their respective single matches with that club have ramifications on the standings tiebreaking front.

    At the moment, the most pressing concern for the Hilltops and Thunder is winning the season series between each other. Back on Aug. 12, the Hilltops downed the Thunder 37-20 in the regular season opener for both sides in the first CJFL game played at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

Quarterback Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder.

    The Thunder need to win Saturday’s match by 18 or more points to take the regular season head-to-head series. A Regina win of any kind would force the Hilltops, Thunder and Rifles to sit tied for second in the PFC at 3-1.

    A win by the Hilltops would obviously lock up the season head-to-head series with the Thunder and vault Saskatoon back into a first place tie with the Huskies at 4-0.

    Saturday’s battle between the Hilltops and Thunder should prove to be a better game than the regular season opener. The first meeting between these two squads displayed the unpredictable nature that often shadows the regular season opener in any league.

    Both sides made a number of errors. The Hilltops pulled out victory scoring 21 points off turnovers and playing a smooth second half. Still, the Toppers were penalized 16 times for 124 yards, and that could have been a statistic that haunted them.

    The Thunder had to lament the turnovers they committed and the points the Hilltops put up on them. Regina also botched a couple of snaps which were costly in the game. Falling behind 22-8 at halftime, the Thunder abandoned the ground game and relied on the pass in an attempt to mount a comeback.

    Since the first meeting, both sides have had a couple of weeks to work out kinks, so the play in Saturday’s contest should be smoother.

    Both teams are led by starting quarterbacks that can gun it out at any time in Jordan Walls of the Hilltops and Sawyer Buettner of the Thunder.

    The Hilltops have a large stable to standouts in the likes of running back Logan Fischer, receiver Jason Price, defensive end Tom Schnitzler and linebacker Cameron Schnitzler. The Thunder counter with standouts like receivers Kristopher Calcutt and Levi Paul, linebacker Davin Williamson and defensive back Parker Scott.

    The Hilltops, who are the defending three-time CJFL champions, have an elite coaching staff headed up by Tom Sargeant, while the Thunder counter with an elite staff headed up by Scott MacAulay.

    Saskatoon has won the last six straight meetings between these clubs, but four of those wins have come by four or fewer points. Saturday’s game should have all the twists and turns fitting for a rivalry game.

    ENDZONE DINNER – The Hilltops are holding their In the Endzone Dinner before Saturday’s game at the clubhouse complex at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. This year’s guest speaker is Don Narcisse, who entered the Canadian Football Hall of Fame after a legendary career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Gate open for the dinner at 4:15 p.m. and the meal starts at 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $680 for a table of eight and $85 for a single ticket, and they can be purchased by clicking here.

Football Huskies gain respect with win, host Golden Bears

Mitch Hillis was big in the Huskies opening win.

    It took just one win for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team to break into the U Sports top 10 media rankings.

    After not being rated in the opening media poll and ranked to miss the post-season in the Canada West pre-season coaches’ poll, the Huskies were rated eighth in this week’s top 10 U Sports media poll that was released on Wednesday. The rating was a result of the Huskies having beaten the University of Manitoba Bisons 44-23 in Winnipeg in the regular season opener for both sides last Friday.

    In the win over the Bisons, the Huskies led 27-6 at halftime, saw their edge shrink to 27-23 after three quarters before surging ahead for a 44-23 victory.

    The Huskies were impressive on a number of fronts. Quarterback Kyle Siemens 31-of-40 passes for 419 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

    Running back Colton Klassen ran the ball 26 times for 136 yards and caught four passes for 38 yards. Receiver Mitch Hillis hauled in eight passes for 120 yards and one touchdown.

    Linebacker Brad Kotania topped the Huskies with seven tackles and defensive back Payton Hall came up with an interception. Kicker Sean Stenger made all three of his field goals, all five of his converts and averaged 39.9 yards per punt.

    Of course, Scott Flory picked up his first win as Huskies head coach.

    The Huskies will try to keep the roll going on Friday, when they host their homecoming game against the University of Alberta Golden Bears at 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

Koroll commits to Thunderbirds

Hannah Koroll will join UBC in 2018-19.

    Hannah Koroll has celebrated a huge personal highlight, and her season hasn’t even started with the Prince Albert Northern Bears.

    On Wednesday, the star 17-year-old defender committed to joining the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds women’s hockey team for the start of the U Sports season in 2018-19. 

    Last season, Koroll, who is from Saskatoon, netted four goals and 14 assists in 26 regular season games for the Bears.

    In nine SFMAAAHL playoff games, Koroll, who stands 5-foot-8, had four goals and one assist as the Bears captured the Fedoruk Cup as league champions for the second time in team history and went on to advance to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament for the first time in team history.

    In August, Koroll attended the selection camp for Canada’s under-18 women’s team in Calgary.

    Koroll is entering her fourth and final season with the Bears collected 13 goals and 29 assists in 82 career regular season games. 

    The Bears open the regular season on Oct. 7 hosting the Battlefords Sharks at 2 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

Labour Day Classic spit incident draws to a close

Roughriders receiver Duron Carter fights to break out of a tackle.

    The spit incident from the annual Labour Day Classic battle between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders last Sunday has drawn to a close.

    Before the Roughriders 38-24 victory over the Bombers, Saskatchewan’s star receiver Duron Carter was high-fiving fans that line the first row of Pil Country. He came across a gather of Bombers fans, and one of them spat on the pass catcher.

    Talking with reporters on Tuesday, Carter said he informed security about what happened, and security escorted the fan out of the game. He said he didn’t want to press any criminal charges and that having the fan get kicked out of the game was punishment enough. Carter said everyone makes mistakes.

    The Roughriders head to Winnipeg to play the Blue Bombers on Saturday at 1 p.m. Winnipeg time at Investors Group Field.

    Carter was asked about the possibility of the Bombers fans in the Manitoba capital giving him the gears, and he said he welcomed it. He also suggested they could do anything outside of physically touching him like making signs or doing something else that is creative.

    “I love it,” said Carter to Arielle Zerr of 980 CJME. “It’s fans watching football – they love Winnipeg, our fans love the Riders.

    “It’s a great rivalry, and I’m just happy to be a part of it and add a little bit if fuel.”

Back in the Express with Walls

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls tosses a warm up throw.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature story on Saskatoon Hilltops quarterback Jordan Walls.

    Walls is the Hilltops new starting quarterback this season taking over from Jared Andreychuk, who led the Toppers to wins in the last three straight CJFL championship games. 

    So far this season, Walls has won his three starts completing 49-of-80 passes for 700 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.

    Besides being the starting quarterback for the Hilltops, Walls doubles as the offensive coordinator of the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

    The story on Walls can be found by clicking here.

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

Roughriders’ Carter has right to be upset at alleged incident

This photo of Duron Carter led to uncovering an alleged incident.

    I never expected posting a harmless photo on social media would uncover a disappointing alleged incident.

    Following the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-24 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina, I posted a photo of Roughriders receiver Duron Carter giving high-fives to fans of the host side during the pre-game introduction of the team.
    Since joining the Roughriders, Carter has been tremendous in interacting with Rider Nation, and that photo of him meeting the faithful along the bottom row of the Pil Country section was a great representation of that.

    What I didn’t clue into was the fact something ran afoul, when I was at that contest as a ticket buyer. During my drive from Regina back to Saskatoon on Monday, I received a couple of messages that my picture of Carter was going viral.

    Upon arriving in Saskatoon, I found Carter’s Twitter post alleging a Bombers fan spat on him and that my photo was taken before that alleged incident happened.

This is before a trash ass bombers fan spit on me... Worst fans in the league... can't wait to kick y'all ass again! https://t.co/ezU9XHbhqD

— Duron Carter (@DC_CHILLIN_8) September 4, 2017

#Saskatchewan #Roughriders receiver @DC_CHILLIN_8 mets #RiderNation before the LDC. #CFL. pic.twitter.com/9iThXi6M1M

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) September 4, 2017

    He wrote that Bombers fans were the “Worst fans in the league.”

    At that point, I wanted to check my photos immediately after the one I posted of Carter and the Roughriders fans. Thinking back, I remembered fullback Spencer Moore followed Carter to start high-fiving fans too, and I tried to get photos of Moore as well.

    I remember seeing Carter peel back to the Roughriders bench looking upset. I found a shot later on in my sequence further down the row of a small group of Winnipeg fans mixed in with the Roughriders supporters.

    I tweeted to Carter asking if those Bombers fans in the picture were the problem ones. He replied by identifying the alleged spitter as the fan with blue and gold face paint.

Wow! That's him with the blue and gold face paint! https://t.co/7J8uGT8zQx

— Duron Carter (@DC_CHILLIN_8) September 4, 2017

Hey @DC_CHILLIN_8. On serious side, I checked photos after the high-five one I posted. Were these the problem WPG fans? You look upset. pic.twitter.com/F3KZAFYISp

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) September 4, 2017

    On top of that, I found another post of a picture of a Winnipeg fan trying to rip the head off of Roughriders mascot Gainer the Gopher.

    CBC reporter Alicia Bridges contacted Regina Police, and they said they were aware of an incident between a fan and the mascot. The Police said there were no formal complaints and no criminal investigation into either claim.

    On Twitter, fans responded with most expressing sympathy for Carter, and some apologized on behalf of Bombers fans. There were fans that sent chirps Carter’s way too, but those were in the minority.

    I am pretty certain something happened to upset Carter, and due to the fact the alleged incident happened pre-game, there is a likelihood it was on the unprovoked side. When Carter scored a touchdown in the south end zone in front of Pil Country in the second quarter, he did taunt the Winnipeg fans in that section likely due to what happened pre-game.

Duron Carter, left, does a TD celebration on Sunday.

    The 26-year-old had an outstanding game hauling in 10 passes for 101 yards.

    At this point, I believe Carter’s claims of the alleged incident. How it plays out for the rest of the week remains to be seen.

    I suspect the incident will come up during media interviews on Tuesday.

    Overall no matter what walk of life you are in, you morally can’t spit on a person. It is just wrong, and it crosses all sorts of lines. Carter has every right to be upset over what happened.

    On the Winnipeg side, the actions of a couple of people don’t reflect the entire fanbase.

    Back in the day, the Bombers had their section of rowdies that inhabited the east side of their former home in the now demolished Winnipeg Stadium. There were a lot of times you didn’t want to sit on the east side of Winnipeg Stadium, if you were a fan of a Bombers opponent due to fears that you might be harmed.

    In today’s day, the large majority of Bombers fans, especially the one that travel to Regina for the Labour Day Classic, are good. At this year’s Labour Day Classic, I spent an hour pre-game hanging out with Winnipeg fans at “Wayne’s World,” which is the party spot for Bombers fans located across the street from Taylor Field, which is the Roughriders old stadium.

    All my interactions with Winnipeg fans were good ones, and just over a year ago, I wrote a column about how Winnipeg fans add to the atmosphere of the Labour Day Classic in a good way.

    With that said, every sports team has bad apple fans, and Carter wrote in another tweet he wouldn’t condone terrible “fansmanship” for any team.

Just to let you know! I wouldn't condone terrible "fansmanship" for any team... y'all stop comparing who is worse...

— Duron Carter (@DC_CHILLIN_8) September 4, 2017

    At the moment, I believe it is too early to determine what affect it will have on the next encounter between the Roughriders and Bombers, when the Bombers host “the Banjo Bowl” at 1 p.m. Winnipeg time on Saturday at Investors Group Field.

    A search over Twitter occurred on Monday in an effort to find the accused spitter.

    If the accused spitter is found, I would suspect there would be some sort of ban from attending CFL games, but depending what is said, I don’t believe the ban should be a permanent one.

    As far as a criminal aspect is concerned, that would rely on how Carter felt about how things play out in the coming days. The same would go for how the person inside the suit of Gainer the Gopher felt about the Bombers fan that tried to rip his mascot head off, if an accused is found in that situation.

    When the Roughriders and Bombers meet on Saturday, I hope everyone in attendance remembers the two teams are just playing a game, and it is not life versus death struggle.

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

Rams prove a point in sound win over Thunderbirds

The Rams defence stops the Thunderbirds on a third-and-one gamble.

    REGINA - The University of Regina Rams showed their 6-2 regular season record last year was no illusion.

    In 2016, the Rams were guided by a first-year U Sports head coach in Steve Bryce and were coming off an 0-8 campaign in 2015. U of R posted one of the greatest single season turnarounds in U Sports history in Bryce’s first season placing first in the Canada West Conference for the first time in team history.

    In the playoffs, the Rams were one and done falling 40-34 to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a Canada West semifinal match. Before last season, the last time the Rams posted a .500 or better record was when they went 6-2 in 2012 and lost that year’s Canada West final to the U of Calgary Dinos.

    Looking at the recent past, one might think what the Rams accomplished last season might be just a one year thing. It appears the wins are going to keep coming in 2017.

Rams receiver Mitch Thompson (#82) zips home for a major score.

    On Friday night at new Mosaic Stadium, the Rams soundly beat the Thunderbirds 36-20 before a crowd of about 3,000. At one point in the third quarter, the Rams were up 33-6.

    The Thunderbirds are guided by U Sports head coaching great Blake Nill, whose teams have won seven of the last nine Canada West titles. Nill guided the Dinos to six straight Canada West titles from 2008 to 2013 before joining the Thunderbirds in 2015. During his first year with UBC, Nill coached the Thunderbirds to a Canada West title and a Vanier Cup championship as U Sports national champions.

    Going into 2017, the Thunderbirds were ranked second in Canada West’s pre-season coaches’ poll, which means they are expected to meet the lofty bars that Nill’s teams usually do. UBC’s 3-5 regular season record from a year ago appears to have been viewed as an anomaly.

Rams LB Nick Cross sacks Thunderbirds QB Cole Meyer.

    That means the Rams, who were rated third in the pre-season Canada West coaches’ poll, pulled out a significant result in their win on Friday night.

    Besides Friday’s win over the Thunderbirds, the Rams knocked off the Dinos 39-3 in a neutral site pre-season tilt in Medicine Hat, Alta., on Aug. 23. The Dinos topped the pre-season Canada West coaches’ poll.

    Against the Thunderbirds on Friday, the Rams looked really good during a number of stretches. Like usual regular season openers, the Rams also had spots that didn’t go as smoothly shown by the fact they took 18 penalties that cost them 131 yards.

    The Thunderbirds were worse in the penalty department taking 23 infractions for 210 yards.

    Rams quarterback Noah Picton, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy last year as the most valuable player in U Sports football, was solid throughout the contest mixing up plays completing 23-of-35 passes for 335 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. One of those interceptions wasn’t his fault due to the fact one of his passes deflected off the hands of a Rams receiver into the hands of Thunderbirds defensive back Payton LaGrange.

Receiver Mitchell Picton caught six passes for 120 yards for the Rams.

  Rams receiver Mitchell Picton, who is Noah’s cousin, caught six passes for 120 yards. The Rams defence held the Thunderbirds offence to 318 yards of total offence and stopped the Thunderbirds on a key third-and-one gamble on the UBC 54 in the third quarter.

    Thunderbirds starting quarterback Michael O’Connor completed 14-of-25 passes for 155 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception before giving way to backup Cole Meyer on two occasions.

    Linebacker Cole Benkic, who was the 2015 Canadian Junior Football League’s defensive player of the year suiting up for the Saskatoon Hilltops, and defensive back Polis Koko both almost ran interceptions back for touchdowns for the Rams.

    U of R’s runaway win started slow before picking up steam. The Rams held a 1-0 after the first quartered ended thanks to kicker Thomas Huber scoring a single on a missed 37-yard field goal.

Rams quarterback Noah Picton throw a pass over a defender.

    Early in the second quarter, Noah Picton hit receiver Kyle Moortgat on a deep corner pattern for a 28-yard touchdown toss to put the Rams up 8-0. On the ensuing kickoff after the major, Daniel Scraper booted the ball into the end zone, and it was downed there to give the Rams another single to go up 9-0.

    Shortly before the midway point of the second quarter, Rams standout running back Atlee Simon pushed his way into the end zone from two yards out to put the hosts up 16-0.

    The Thunderbirds battled back when kicker Greg Hutchins booted a field goal from 41 yards out near the end of the second quarter and a field goal from 31 yards out early in the third quarter to cut the Rams lead to 16-6.

    The Rams restored order scoring 17 straight point to exit the third quarter with a 33-6 edge. Huber hit a field goal from 45 yards out, Mitch Thompson hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Picton and backup quarterback Tyler Vieira plunged in from a yard out to complete the surge.

RB Atlee Simon darts upfield for the Rams.

    Thunderbirds running back Shane Noel ran the ball in from a yard out early in the fourth quarter to cut the Rams edge to 33-13.

    Scraper hit a field goal from 15 yards out to put the Rams up 36-13.

    Inside of the game’s final three minutes, the Thunderbirds rounded out the scoring with a Hutchins 47-yard punt single and a 23-yard touchdown toss from Meyer to receiver Marcus Davis. The Thunderbirds failed to score on a two-point conversion try after Davis’s major to cement the final at 36-20.

    UBC returns to action on Sept. 9, when they host the U of Manitoba Bisons (1-0).

    Overall on Friday night, the Rams had an impressive performance. While they made mistakes that need to be corrected, it appears the Rams ability to pile up victories in 2016 will continue in 2017.

    Next up, they travel to Calgary to face the Dinos on Sept. 8. The Dinos flattened the U of Alberta Golden Bears 55-26 in the regular season opener for both those teams on Friday in Edmonton.

    If the Rams can beat the Dinos on their turf, U of R would cement its status as being a U Sports powerhouse.

Rams honour 2000 Vanier Cup finalist team

Members of the 2000 Rams and their family watch a video highlight reel.

    The Rams honoured their 2000 Canada West championship team that advanced to that year’s Vanier Cup during halftime of Friday’s game.

    A number of players from that team and their families marched out on to the field to be saluted by the fans. They also watched a video tribute filled with various highlights of the 2000 campaign.

    The 2000 season marked the Rams second season in the Canadian university ranks after moving from the CJFL. They finished 4-4 in the regular season before catching fire in the playoffs.

    They downed the Dinos 33-32 in a Canada West semifinal match, the Bisons 25-22 in the Canada West final and the St. Mary’s University Huskies 40-36 in the Atlantic Bowl. The Rams fell 42-39 in the Vanier Cup to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

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

“Man of Steel” will make admirable Pats captain

Soft-spoken centre leads Regina in Memorial Cup season

Sam Steel was named the Pats captain for the 2017-18 season.

    Sam Steel’s actions always speak louder than his words.

    When you watch the Regina Pats superstar centre on the ice, his special talents for the game of hockey are obvious. If you try to get him to talk about himself during a scrum or an interview session, his modesty is a great as his actions on the ice.

    Steel plays with a great passion on the ice, and he is a great supporter of his teammates. When it comes to talking, Steel is very soft spoken, because that is just who he is.

    His interview skills have improved as his WHL career has gone on, but it is truthful to say most of the other members of the Pats are likely better in the talking department. While Steel is quiet, he exudes a vibe of being a great guy and a very well-mannered person, and that is noticed among media members in Regina and elsewhere on the WHL circuit.

    It is safe to say media members enjoy reporting on Steel’s exploits, and you want to see him succeed. You find a way to work with the fact he is soft-spoken.

    It is almost common to blurt out after a Pats win with both excitement and dread something along the lines, “Sam Steel scored four tonight!”

    The excitement come from seeing a great guy do something special. The dread comes from the fact you are trying your best to phrase questions to encourage him to talk.

Sam Steel controls the puck in the offensive zone.

    You also don’t want to give the impression to Steel that he might be a bad interview subject for fear of hurting his feelings, because he is a nice guy. You realize that is who he is.

    During a press conference in Regina on Wednesday, the Pats named the 19-year-old Steel as captain for the 2017-18 campaign, where the franchise will celebrate its 100^th anniversary and host the 100^th Memorial Cup running from May 18 to 27, 2018. Steel had been an assistant captain the previous two seasons.

    For Steel to succeed as a captain, he just has to be who he is and try not to be someone he is not.

    At times, it seems there is a public perception that the captain of the team has to be the fiery guy that always raises the roof in the dressing room.
    Barret Jackman, who was the Pats captain when the franchise hosted the Memorial Cup in 2001, was the heart on the sleeve fiery guy that could put up points, penalty minutes and was always game to say something in the dressing room. That also isn’t the only way to lead.

    Steel is one of the ultimate examples of the lead-by-example type player. He is the Pats most talented player, and he is the team’s hardest worker. Over three seasons, he has built a reputation of being able to lift the club with an outstanding play at a critical time.

    Just being who he is, Steel inspires others to be better.

    When the Medicine Hat Tigers won the WHL title in 2007 and ultimately lost the Memorial Cup title game to the host Vancouver Giants 3-1, Kris Russell led the Tigers as a lead-by-example captain. He made the game look easy as an offensive defenceman, who was also sound defensively.

Sam Steel looks to set up one of his teammates in the offensive zone.

    As a 19-year-old in the Tigers 2007 WHL championship campaign, Russell piled up 32 goals, 37 assists and was a plus-14 in the plus-minus department in 59 regular season games, and he was named that season’s WHL player of the year, the WHL’s Defenceman of the Year and the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year award winner.
    Russell was never a vocal shouter, but he calmly said things when they needed to be said and talked more one-on-one with teammates. He took a genuine interest in the personal lives of his teammates and was very positive and encouraging with them.

    If the Tigers were running away with a blowout win on the scoreboard, Russell turned away chances to boost his statistics and often told coaches to give more ice time to younger guys, who always seemed to be working hard in practice.

    When younger guys at the WHL level see an older player do these types of things, they become motivated to go to the rink every day, and they try that much harder because someone is investing in them.

    Now that Steel is the captain of the Pats, it would be a safe educated guess to predict his leadership style with the Pats will mirror what Russell did with the Tigers. 

    Last season, Steel was named the WHL’s most valuable player and he led the entire Canadian Hockey League in scoring with 50 goals and 81 assists in 66 regular season games. He has been inspiring his teammates with his actions for some time now including last season’s run to the WHL Championship series.

Pats centre Sam Steel circles around the net in the offensive zone.

    Steel will have great help in the leadership department as well. The Pats named 18-year-old centre Jake Leschyshyn, 19-year-old defenceman Josh Mahura and overage centre Matthew Bradley as assistant captains. All three are quality persons.

    Both Steel and Mahura have signed NHL entry-level contracts with the Anaheim Ducks and will be attending Ducks training camp. The fact the Pats named Steel captain and Mahura an assistant captain likely mean both will play in the WHL this season.

    Due to being drafted out of the major junior ranks, Steel, who was a first round selection, and Mahura have to play in the WHL, if they don’t make the NHL club as 19-year-olds. They could still stick in the NHL, but with them being named to the Pats leadership, the odds are way greater they will be playing in the major junior ranks.

    The Pats made a good choice in naming Steel captain. If the past is any indication, he will continue deliver with passion in big moments and continue to speak softly while doing it.

de Wit hat trick powers Pats past Blades

Jeff de Wit in action last season for the Pats.

    Jeff de Wit’s hat trick helped push the Regina Pats past the Saskatoon Blades 5-3 in an exhibition tilt on Thursday night at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

    The 19-year-old centre’s third marker at the 9:37 mark of the third period gave the Pats a 4-2 lead and ultimately held up as the game winner. Rookie 17-year-old Russian import Igor Zamula and 16-year-old centre Tristen Robins potted singles for Regina.

    Overage centre Cameron Hebig, 18-year-old defenceman Jackson Caller and centre Gage Ramsay, who turns 19 in October, replied with singles for the Blades.

    Nolan Maier, who is a 16-year-old from Yorkton, went the distance in goal for Saskatoon making 36 saves.

    Max Paddock, who is a 17-year-old from Brandon, Man., started in goal for the Pats turning away 22-of-23 shots fired his way. Kurtis Chapman, who is a 19-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., entered the contest at the 9:46 mark of the second period and stopped 12-of-14 shots sent in his direction. Paddock is the nephew of Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock.

    Thursday’s game was the first pre-season contest for both the Pats and Blades. The Pats return to action on Saturday, when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. The Blades will stay in Regina and face the Swift Current Broncos on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

“Willo” nears 100-point plateau for Huskies

Kaitlin Willoughby, front centre, might celebrate some milestones.

    With university classes set to begin next week, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey teams have started skating at the Rutherford Rink, and women’s team star forward Kaitlin Willoughby begins the campaign nearing a few career milestones.

    The 22-year-old Prince Albert product has piled up 41 goals and 51 assists in 106 regular season games, and her total of 92 points ranks fifth all-time on the Huskies career list one behind the 93 compiled by Julie Paetsch, who played from 2009 to 2012. Besides being on the verge of passing Paetsch, Willoughby is set to become the fourth player in the history of the Huskies women’s team to record 100 career points.

    Cara (Wooster) Muench, who played from 2010-13, sits third on the Huskies all-time career scoring list with 100 points, Danny Stone, who played from 2008 to 2013, is second with 106 points and Breanne George, who played from 2007-12, tops the list with 149 points.

    Willoughby is third on the career goals list with 41 sitting behind Stone’s 57 goals and George’s 86 goals. On the career assists list, Willoughby sits fifth behind Paetsch’s 60, George’s 63, Muench’s 64 and the 66 helpers complied by Julia Flinton, who played from 2011-16.

    The Huskies women’s team opens their regular season on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink against the University of Regina Cougars. The two squads meet again on Oct. 7 in Regina at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

    The Huskies men’s team opens their regular season on Oct. 6 traveling to Regina to face the U of Regina Cougars at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre. The two squads meet again on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

Tuer memorial service set for Tuesday

    The memorial service for long time hockey builder Graham Tuer is set for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Queensbury Convention Centre in Regina.

    Tuer died at the age of 87 in a Regina hospital on Aug. 29. He entered hospital after suffering two heart attacks.

    Tuer was born in North Battleford on May 23, 1930 and spent more than 50 years in and around arenas in Western Canada in various roles with various teams, leagues and organizations. He had been with the Pats as a scout and their liaison with Hockey Regina since 2015, and served with the team earlier in his hockey travels.

    Besides the Pats, Tuer had roles in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Kelowna Rockets and NHL Central Scouting. He had a huge positive impact on many people in the sport.

    He will be missed by countless numbers of people, and a lot of fond memories will likely be shared at his memorial service.

    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 get to play with house money in 2017

Noah Picton, left, sets up to fire a pass downfield for the Rams.

    Judging by the pre-season Canada West Conference coaches’ poll, Saskatchewan’s two university football programs aren’t expected to do squat in 2017.

    On Wednesday, Canada West released the annual pre-season coaches’ rankings for the six-team conference, and the University of Regina Rams were rated third and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies placed fifth. The University of Calgary Dinos topped the poll, and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds came in second. The University of Manitoba Bisons are ranked fourth, while the University of Alberta Golden Bears are sixth.

    At this snapshot in time, the coaches in the conference are predicting the Dinos and Thunderbirds will square off in the Canada West final for the third straight year and battle for the Hardy Cup. Last year, the Dinos fell in the U Sports title game, the Vanier Cup, 31-26 to the Universite Laval Rouge et Or. In 2015, the Thunderbirds won the Vanier Cup downing the Universite de Montreal Carabins 26-23.

    While it would be natural to rank the Dinos and Thunderbirds where they are due to recent history, the coaching staffs of the Rams and Huskies should take full aim at playing the disrespect card. 

Huskies QB Kyle Siemens (#19) escapes Rams DL Nicholas Dheilly (#99).

    The rankings reinforce the notion that neither Saskatchewan university team will get to the point where they can win the conference title.

    The Rams topped the Canada West regular season standings with a 6-2 record last season, which was a first for the program since leaving the Canadian Junior Football League for the university ranks in 1999. They fell in a Canada West semifinal contest 40-34 to the Thunderbirds.

    U of R posted a 6-2 mark on the heels of an 0-8 campaign in 2015. The coaches’ poll is basically saying the season the Rams had in 2016 under first-year head coach Steve Bryce is an aberration. They are expected to fall back in the Canada West pack.

    So much for Rams quarterback Noah Picton becoming the first player from his program to win the Hec Crighton Trophy as the most valuable player for U Sports football in 2016.

    The Huskies finished third in the conference with a 5-3 record last year before seeing a three game winning streak end in the other Canada West semifinal playoff game. The Dinos thumped the Huskies in that playoff encounter 47-17.

Atlee Simon (#36) motor downfield for the Rams.

    Since that time, the Huskies have undergone an overhaul in the coaching department. Legendary head coach Brian Towriss, who will be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on Sept. 14 in Hamilton, Ont., resigned last December.

    Former Montreal Alouettes star offensive lineman Scott Flory, who was the Huskies offensive coordinator, became the new head coach. Former CFL quarterback Marcus Crandell was brought on as the new offensive coordinator, former CFL linebacker and Huskies player Warren Muzika rejoined the program as the new defensive coordinator and veteran U Sports coach Jerry Friesen assumed the role as special teams coordinator.

    The Huskies return a large chuck of their players from last year, but the coaches’ poll says the program will take a big step backwards under the guidance of a new sideline staff. That step backwards predicts missing the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

    The first reaction in seeing the Canada West coaches’ poll was that both the Rams and Huskies are better than where they lined up in the rankings.

    In the inaugural U Sports top 10 football rankings voted on by select members of the media, the Dinos are rated fourth, the Rams fifth, the Thunderbirds are seventh, and the Bisons are 10^th. The Rouge et Or are rated first.

    Anyone who has watched the Canada West Conference knows the results can go all over the place. Teams that lose badly one week can rebound and beat a good team the next week.

RB Colton Klassen, right, attacks the hole on a run for the Huskies.

    The Thunderbirds can always be viewed as a favourite due to the fact Blake Nill is that team’s head coach. Nill guided the Thunderbirds to the 2015 Vanier Cup title win, and before joining UBC before the start of the 2015 campaign, he was the head coach of the Dinos when they won six straight Canada West titles from 2008 to 2013.

    Going into the current season, the Rams and Huskies are in position where they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They are both capable of having outstanding campaigns.

    Both teams open their respective regular seasons on Friday. The Rams host the Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. at new Mosaic Stadium, and the Huskies travel to Winnipeg to face the Bisons at 7 p.m. local time at Investors Group Field.

    At this point in time, both the Rams and Huskies have been slighted. Here is hoping they will go out and earn a new sense of respect.

Canada West football back on television

The Huskies O-line lines up against the Dinos D-line last season.

    After being dropped by Shaw following last season, Canada West football will be back on television for anyone that gets SaskTel maxTV in Saskatchewan and Telus Optik TV in Alberta and British Columbia.

    Canada West announced the TV developments for the 2017 season on Wednesday. A total of 12 regular season games and all three conference playoff games will air on the SaskTel and Telus cable brands.

    Every regular season game will feature at least one of Saskatchewan’s two university teams. The Rams will appear on television at least seven times, while the Huskies will be on at least six times.

    “Canada West is thrilled to showcase our outstanding football student-athletes across Western Canada on our new distribution network,” said Canada West VP of marketing and communications Adrienne Healey in a release.

    “University football provides a highly entertaining product for our fans, who appreciate the hard work it takes for our student-athletes to excel on the field and in the classroom. We look forward to highlighting the abilities of our players, who go on to become pros both on the gridiron and in their communities.”

    Healey doubles as the athlete services officer at the U of Saskatchewan.

    Kudos needs to be given to those in Canada West marketing arm for finding a new television home for the conference’s football games. It will be interesting to see if this will cause some to switch their cable provider.

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