Still the heart of the Huskies

Klassen’s catches power U of S to 28-17 win over Rams

Colton Klassen (#7) celebrates his second TD on Saturday.

Colton Klassen proved he is still the heart of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

On Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the star fifth year utility player was difference maker hauling in eight passes for 135 yards and scoring two key touchdowns. His efforts helped power the Huskies past their archrivals the University of Regina Rams 28-17 in a U Sports regular season contest played before 2,543 spectators in extremely windy conditions.

On the season, Klassen has caught 20 passes for 357 yards and scored six touchdowns in helping the Huskies win three straight to post a 3-1 record to sit in a tie with the University of Manitoba Bisons for first place in the Canada West Conference.

While the regular season is four games old, Klassen is still grateful to just be playing.

Colton Klassen, works toward his first touchdown on Saturday.

Back on October 26, 2019, Klassen went down with a gruesome dislocated right ankle near the end of the first quarter in a 22-9 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team hit the comeback trail, and he was ready to go to CFL scouting combines at the start of March 2020.

The world then came under the grip of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and shutdowns started happening in North American on March 11, 2020. Still on April 30, 2020, Klassen, who is also a graduate of the CJFL’s Regina Thunder, was selected in the eighth round and 69^th overall in the CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes.

Colton Klassen (#7) scores his first touchdown on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 football campaigns on both the U Sports and CFL fronts.

This year, Klassen attended training camp with the Alouettes before he returned to the Huskies to play his final season of U Sports eligibility.

“The injury was terrible, and then COVID obviously we’ve all been through it,” said Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds. “I didn’t have that routine.

“I find it is nice to have that back again. The idea of sitting around and doing nothing is really nice until you do it for two weeks. Then, you are like OK, this isn’t what I want to do with my life.

Colton Klassen muscles his way to his second major score.

“I am really happy to be out here to just play again.”

With the Huskies and Rams locked in a 3-3 tie, Klassen made a key play right before halftime. Taking a short pass from Huskies star quarterback Mason Nyhus, Klassen willed and romped his way to a touchdown on a 27-yard scoring with 32.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Klassen’s major sent the Huskies into the halftime break holding a 10-3 lead.

The Rams got the momentum back early in the third quarter, when linebacker Chopper Hippe blocked a punt from Huskies kicker David Solie. Rams defensive back Jackson Sombach picked up the ball at the Huskies 10 yard line and ran it into the end zone for a major to even the score at 10-10.

Colton Klassen caught eight passes for 135 yards on Saturday.

On the ensuing Huskies possession, the host side put together a massive 10-play drive that covered 95 yards culminating in a six-yard touchdown reception from Klassen to go back in front 17-10.

Klassen came up big on that series catching three passes for 53 yards including his touchdown catch, where he had his helmet ripped off on a tackle attempt by Rams defensive back Brandon Gandrie.

“It is just good to be involved again,” said Klassen, whose mom, Candice, held the team flag the Huskies players ran to at centrefield during pre-game introductions. “After the injury, a lot of people didn’t know if I would be the same or be able to contribute, especially in those big times.

Mason Nyhus passed for 301 yards in tough windy conditions.

“It means a lot. That was a big touchdown going into the half on a high note. I think it definitely helped leading into the second half.”

The veteran playmaker’s efforts don’t unnoticed by his teammates. Nyhus has enjoyed getting the ball to Klassen on the field again and the settling influence the sure handed pass catcher has off the field.

“I love CK just as a leader in the locker room alone,” said Nyhus. “Obviously on the football field when you get him the ball, he makes plays.

“He is a running back in space for us at receiver. It has been awesome to have both him and (Sam) Baker rocking at receiver right now.”

The Huskie celebrate a sack from Nathan Cherry.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory just grinned at the fact Klassen had a big game again.

“He (Klassen) is that steady tried and true man,” said Flory. “He is a pulse guy for sure.”

The Rams scored opened the scoring in Saturday’s encounter going up 3-0 when veteran kicker Aldo Galvan hit a 43-yard field goal with the wind in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Rams conceded a safety electing not to punt into the wind deep in their own end reducing their edge to 3-2.

With 4:29 remaining in the second quarter, the Huskies evened the score at 3-3 on a long punt single from Solie.

That set the stage for Klassen’s two scores and the Rams major off their punt block.

The Rams block a punt from Huskies kicker David Solie, right.

With the Huskies holding a 17-10 advantage, the Rams started the fourth quarter at the Huskies 10 yard line. On a third and goal gamble from the Huskies four yard line, Rams backup quarterback Bryden O’Flaherty hit rookie receiver D’Sean Mimbs with a touchdown toss to even the score at 17-17.

The Huskies had the wind for the fourth quarter and finished the frame scoring the final 11 points of the game to pull out the 28-17 victory.

The final scoring surge started with Nyhus hitting Baker with a 16-yard touchdown pass. Solie hit a field goal from 42 yards out and closed the surge with a single from a 44-yard missed field goal.

Rams DB Jackson Sombach scores a major off a punt block.

Due to the fact the regular season schedule for the Canada West Conference started on Sept. 25, Flory was anticipating his team would play in games with adverse conditions like the windy outing on Saturday. He addressed that with his players in off-season meetings leading to the current campaign noting his squad would have to adjust to weather conditions.

“There are a lot of ways to win a football game,” said Flory, whose Huskies were rated sixth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. “Just look at when we start and the possibility of when we finish.

“We know what the historical temperatures are in Saskatchewan from the middle of October on. We understand that. We just have to eliminate our own mistakes to be honest with you.

The Rams defence gangs up on Huskies RB Adam Machart.

“That is the part that frustrates me the most. If we eliminate those things, we have a chance. We have a chance to continue to win football games and put ourselves in better positions than we did today.”

Nyhus completed 22-of-32 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Huskies.

Huskies star running back Adam Machart ran the ball 19 times for 98 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards in the win.

Sawyer Buetter started the contest at quarterback for the Rams completing 8-of-18 passes for 54 yards. He was pulled early in the third quarter in favour of O’Flaherty.

Sam Baker secures a touchdown catch for the Huskies.

O’Flaherty completed 7-of-13 passes for 55 yards and the one touchdown toss in the relief effort.

Defensive back Charlie Ringland and defensive ends Riley Pickett and Nathan Cherry had single sacks for the Huskies.

The Huskies defence held the Rams to 109 yards passing and 58 yards rushing.

Defensive end Anthony Bennett and linebacker Josh White had single sacks for the Rams.

Flory was pleased with Nyhus’s play on Saturday.

“He (Nyhus) has been dialed in,” said Flory. “For sure these last couple of games, I think himself with everybody is just getting  better and better and just getting more command of the offence and what we are doing.

The Huskies defence gangs up on Rams FB Christian Katende.

“That is what you want to see out of a quarterback is him just seeing things and seeing the whole field and not just lock in on guys. That is really encouraging to see.”

With the loss, the Rams, who were rated 10^th in the U Sports Top 10 rankings fell to 1-3. They return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The Huskies return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel Winnipeg, Man., to face the Bisons. The winner of that match will sit alone in first place in the Canada West Conference and officially lock up a playoff berth in the shortened six-game regular season.

The Huskies do a cheer after their win on Saturday.

Klassen is expecting that contest to be an intense encounter.

“They are a talented team,” said Klassen. “They always are.

“They are going to play hard too. Every regular season game this year is a playoff game, because there are only six of them. We just have to be prepared and get our bodies right and get ready.”

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Hilltops focus on Rifles, not bye

Damon Dutton and the Hilltops are focused on the Rifles.

The Saskatoon Hilltops don’t want to go on a premature bye before going on an actual bye.

The Hilltops are locked into finishing second in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference with a 5-2 record as the conference sets to play the final week of its regular season schedule. The Hilltops travel to Winnipeg to face the Rifles (2-5) at Maple Grove Rugby Park in the final regular season clash for both teams.

The two sides have met once this season back on September 26, where the Hilltops claimed a 25-10 victory at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Following Sunday’s encounter with the Rifles, the Hilltops head off on a bye week before hosting a PFC semifinal contest.

While that contest won’t have any effect on where the Hilltops end up in the standings, head coach Tom Sargeant said his squad is going to play this contest out with the same mindset that they had going into each of their other regular season games.

“It is real simple, we are going there to win a football game,” said Sargeant. “It is that simple.

“We are going to do anything we can, because we know we have the bye the following week. We’re not going all that way to play a lot of our young players. We want to keep building on this.”

The Hilltops started the season winning their first two games before losing two straight both to their provincial rivals Regina Thunder. The Thunder have first place in the PFC locked up at 7-0 and have a bye to host the PFC’s other semifinal post-season contest.

Following those two losses to the Thunder, the Hilltops have won three straight. In their last game this past Sunday at SMF Field, the Hilltops thumped the Edmonton Wildcats 44-7. Their 44 points was a season high for points scored in a game and the seven points allow stands as the fewest points they’ve given up in a contest in the current campaign.

Boston Davidsen has scored six touchdowns this season.

The Hilltops also piled up 528 yards of total offence in the win over the Wildcats, which was also a season high.

“We have some momentum now,” said Sargeant. “It took us awhile to get here.

“We want to keep climbing that mountain of confidence of playing hard and playing physical. As I said, we want to go out there and the goal is to play our best game of the year. That is the focus, and that is the purpose.”

Going into the encounter with the Rifles, the Hilltops traditionally vaunted running game is again in top form. Running back Carter McLean sits second in the PFC in rushing piling up 558 yards on 112 carries, while scoring three touchdowns.

Power back Boston Davidsen sits third in the PFC in rushing compiling 552 yards on 86 carries, while scoring six touchdowns.

The Hilltops passing game has rounded into form as Damon Dutton cemented himself as the team’s starting quarterback after Doug Fleming started the first three games of the regular season.

So far this season, Fleming has completed 99-of-146 passes for 1,169 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

Dutton wants to keep the groove his team has right now going and build on it.

“We’re definitely not going to take the foot off the pedal,” said Dutton. “We’re going to keep going and keep that same energy we just had.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a similar result in the next game. They (the Rifles) are good competition. We’re going to have to have a good week at practice and move forward as we have.”

DT Jaxon Funk has handled unglourious work in the trenches.

On defence, the Hilltops have given up the fewest points in the PFC at 118. Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson sits second in defensive points in the PFC with 106 collecting 20 defensive tackles, 12 defensive tackle assists, 11 special teams tackles, three special teams tackle assists, one quarterback sack, one fumble recovery and four interceptions.

Rifles linebacker Brandon Kamenz sits third in the PFC in defensive points with 93 recording 33 defensive tackles, six defensive tackle assists, one forced fumble and two interceptions.

Hilltops stout defensive tackle Jaxon Funk said it is important to head into the post-season on a good note and not have a drop off against the Rifles.

“We just need to keep momentum going into playoffs,” said Funk. “We just need to make sure that we are executing our jobs and just keep it simple.

“We have to make sure our starters are doing their thing. We have to not put too much worry on playoffs yet. We have to get that game over with.”

At the moment, the Rifles might need a win on Sunday to host a PFC quarter-final contest. With their 2-5 record, the Rifles sit fourth in the PFC due to having beaten the fifth place 2-5 Wildcats in the lone regular season clash between the two sides.

The Calgary Colts sit in sixth place and in the basement of the conference with a 1-6 mark.

The Edmonton Huskies at 4-3 are locked into third place and know they will host at PFC quarter-final contest. The Huskies can’t catch the Hilltops for second place, because the Hilltops swept the seasonal series between the two sides 2-0.

The Huskies host the Wildcats at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton on Saturday. The Thunder host the Colts at Leibel Field in Regina on Sunday.

The Hilltops want to finish the regular season on a high note.

Going into the post-season, Sargeant wants to set a tone against the Rifles in case the two sides happen to cross paths later on. The legendary sideline boss notes his Hilltops didn’t have the best outing in the Sept. 26 win over the Rifles, where the Saskatoon side won despite turning the ball over an uncharacteristic seven times.

“At the end of the day, you never know if you might be playing Winnipeg again down the way,” said Sargeant. “You just don’t know.

“It is football. We have to make sure we let them know our style and how we play. Hey, our worst game of the year was against the Winnipeg Rifles.

“I don’t want that to happen this weekend.”

Thunder’s Maximuik lands player of the week nod once again

Thunder kicker Eric Maximuik continues to be clutch.

One has to wonder if the Regina Thunder’s foes are advocating to professional teams on behalf of kicker Eric Maximuik.

On Tuesday, Maximuik was named the special teams player of the week for a huge game he had this past Sunday, where the Thunder rallied from a 36-12 deficit to pull out a 45-42 victory over the Huskies in Edmonton to lock up first place in the PFC.

Maximuik hit all five of his field goals including boots from 32, 51, 45, 35 and 12 yards.

He also punted the ball eight times for 317 yards for a 39.6 yards per kick average.

The fourth-year kicker has built a solid reputation for coming through in the clutch. He has been named the PFC’s special teams player of the week three times this season.

One has to think the Thunder’s foes wouldn’t mind, if Maximuik moved up to the professional ranks.

Thunder receiver Rylan Sokul was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week hauling in eight passes for 105 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s OT comeback win over the Huskies.

Calgary Colts linebacker Austin Daisy took honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week collecting seven defensive tackles, one quarterback sack and one interception in his team’s 23-17 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles this past Sunday in Calgary.

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Hilltops run wild over Wildcats

Saskatoon romps to 44-7 victory to earn playoff bye

Dillan Heintz, right, scores his first of two TDs on Sunday.

The Saskatoon Hilltops offence hit new heights for the 2021 season.

On Sunday before 1,142 spectators at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops thumped the Edmonton Wildcats 44-7 and piled up 528 yards of total offence in a CJFL regular season clash. The result marked the first time the Hilltops scored 40-or-more points and piled up 500-or-more yards of offence in a game in the 2021 campaign.

Before going on a bye week, the Hilltops downed the Edmonton Huskies 34-20 at SMF Field on October 3 with a sound offensive performance in that contest.

Hilltops quarterback Damon Dutton thought his team’s offence was a step better in the win over the Wildcats.

“It was great as an offence,” said Dutton, who completed 16-of-26 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions in the win. “We’ve been working hard at it all year.

Boston Davidsen scores his first of two TD on Sunday.

“We were able to put it all together today. (The win over the Huskies on October 3) was good too, but today was just really good to get out and do our thing as a unit. The coach was making great calls.

“Everybody was playing their positions as well as they could. We got the result we were looking for.”

The win was the third straight for the Hilltops, who improved to 5-2. Saskatoon also locked up second place in the Prairie Football Conference and a bye to host a PFC semifinal, when the Huskies dropped a 45-42 overtime decision at home to the Regina Thunder.

The Thunder erased a 36-12 Huskies lead to pull out the win locking up first in the PFC with a 7-0 record. The first place finish in the PFC regular season standings is a first for the Thunder, who entered the CJFL in 2000.

Damon Dutton threw three TD passes for the Hilltops.

Regina earns a bye to host a PFC semifinal game. The Thunder would host the PFC Final, if they win their PFC semifinal contest.

The Huskies fell to 4-3 and are locked into finishing third in the PFC and will host a PFC quarter-final playoff game. They can’t catch the Hilltops for second place in the final week of the regular season for the PFC, because the Hilltops swept the seasonal series between the two sides 2-0.

While the result between the Thunder and Huskies played out as it did, legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was pleased about the seasonal milestones his team hit in the win over the Wildcats, which let his club go deep into the bench for the first time in the campaign.

Dillan Heintz caught four passes for 120 yards and two TDs.

“For me, the best part was that we got all the players on the field today,” said Sargeant. “We hadn’t done that in a long time.

“You could just see the different excitement and energy. The veterans were cheering for the young guys. That is what it was about.

“I never worry about the points as long as we get the ‘W.’ What I was excited about was that all the players got to play today. I guarantee you’ll see a difference in practice week next week.”

In Sunday’s encounter between the Hilltops and Wildcats, Saskatoon got on the board first with a two-yard touchdown plunge from running back Boston Davidsen at the 5:50 mark of the first quarter to go ahead 6-0.

Carter McLean (#26) ran the ball six times for 73 yards on Sunday.

The Hilltops elected to have starting safety Brant Morrow handle the place kicking duties, and he got injured, when the Huskies blocked his conversion attempt. Morrow left the game favouring his left leg.

Regular Hilltops place kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas did dress and handled the kickoff duties from that point forward. Joe Yausie and Evan Mantyka took turns playing safety until the Hilltops emptied the bench to get everyone in the game, when the contest was out of hand in the fourth quarter.

Right as the first quarter clock expired, the Hilltops got another two-yard touchdown run from Davidsen, and after a failed two-point conversion attempt, Saskatoon’s lead sat at 12-0.

The Hilltops celebrate an interception from Dylan Cook, left.

With 4:28 remaining the second quarter, Dutton hit veteran receiver Dillan Heintz with a seven-yard touchdown toss. Saskatoon’s lead sat at 18-0 after they were unsuccessful on another two-point conversion attempt.

The Wildcats proceeded to put together a lengthy offensive series that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run from running back David Lezama, which cut the Hilltops advantage to 18-7 with 1:43 remaining in the second quarter.

Saskatoon answered that score on its very next series. Dutton connected with Heintz on a deep pass and run touchdown that covered 64 yards. Hilltops slot receiver Boden Marley scored a two-point conversion on a jet sweep play to allow the host side’s advantage to sit at 26-7 with 1:22 remaining in the second quarter.

The Hilltops defence makes a big hit on a Wildcats receiver.

Heintz would finish the contest with four catches for 120 yards to go with his two major scores.

The Hilltops took the 26-7 lead into the halftime break.

Sargeant said the deep touchdown strike to Heintz was a pivotal moment in the contest.

“That is just sort of how this offence is starting to evolve,” said Sargeant. “The confidence is just starting to get better and better each game.

“Number 19 Damon Dutton has been so poised back there. Dylan Heintz has been a prime time player for a long time. We thought we had some mismatch opportunities.

“We took advantage of them, and the boys executed. It is certainly good timing, but it is what we expect.”

Hilltops players Dylan Cook, left, and Konner Johnson, right, team on a hit.

In the third quarter, the Wildcats conceded a safety due to bad field position and Hilltops punter Doug Fleming scored a rouge on a 42-yard punt to give the Hilltops a 29-7 edge.

Before the third quarter ended, Dutton hit veteran receiver Josh Wiebe with a five yard touchdown toss and connected with speedy pass catcher Matthew Turple on a two-point conversion to increase the Hilltops advantage to 37-7.

First-year quarterback Trey Reider entered the game just before the end of the third quarter. Just 59 seconds into the fourth quarter, Reider connected with first year receiver Noah Flaman on a 30-yard touchdown pass.

Hilltops receiver Josh Wiebe, left, makes a TD catch.

The Hilltops lead sat at 43-7 after a two-point conversion attempt failed.

Reider completed all six of his passes for 90 yards, before Fleming came in to take over the single calling duties. Fleming completed his one pass attempt for 25 yards.

As a punter, Fleming rounded out the 44-7 final with a 41-yard punt single the rest of the way.

Before Fleming’s punt single, the Wildcats had a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jonathan Ericson to receiver Lucas Howe get nixed due to a holding penalty.

The Hilltops completed passes to 10 different receivers piling up 329 yards passing to go along with 199 yards on the ground. Dutton was pleased his squad was able to showcase the passing game to create extra worry for future opponents.

Joe Yausie returns an interception for the Hilltops.

“Every receiver we have is a weapon,” said Dutton. “We don’t need to just single in on one guy.

“We can spread it around, which makes it harder on defences to really know where we are going to go and what we are going to do.”

Davidsen topped with Hilltops with 88 yards rushing on 17 carries to go with his two rushing majors. Carter McLean carried the ball six times for 73 yards.

Ericson completed 13-of-21 passes for 203 yards, while throwing two interceptions in the loss for the Wildcats.

Defensive backs Dylan Cook and Joe Yausie each had single interceptions for the Hilltops. Defensive linemen Daylen Hartz and Reace Michnik had single sacks for Saskatoon, while Ben Marce and Ryan Adamko shared a sack.

Boden Marley (#8) runs after catching a short pass.

Defensive lineman Justin Rutherford and defensive back Colton MacNeil led the Wildcats with six total tackles each.

Hilltops defensive tackle Jaxon Funk, who is in this fourth full season with the team, thought his team’s defensive unit had a solid outing.

“Our coaches did a lot of preparation for us,” said Funk, who took on numerous double teams in the contest. “They all put us in the right spots.

“We really worked on keeping it simple like just do your job and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing and just bare down and get it done. It was nice to see everyone doing their job and not worrying about what everyone else is doing.”

Veteran Hilltops DTs Dylan McNutt, left, and Jaxon Funk created havoc.

Funk enjoyed seeing the Hilltops younger players make plays, when the Hilltops emptied the bench to get everyone on the field in the fourth quarter.

“It was great seeing those young guys get out,” said Funk. “We’ve been kind of missing that this year.

“It was great to see those young guys with all that energy. They made some plays. Our future looks bright at D-line for sure.”

The Hilltops reserve defenders enjoyed making big plays.

The Hilltops close out their regular season schedule, when they travel to Winnipeg this coming Sunday to take on the Rifles (2-5).

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Raiders bend, finally break against Warriors

Third period surge powers Moose Jaw to 4-1 victory

Brayden Yager had a goal and assist for the Warriors on Friday.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The Prince Albert Raiders weren’t able to hold off the Moose Jaw Warriors constant pressure forever.

After netting the first goal of Friday’s WHL regular season clash at the Art Hauser Centre, the host Raiders saw the visiting Warriors take over the encounter. The Raiders 1-0 lead after the first period became a 1-1 tie after 40 minutes.

The Warriors surged for three goals in the third to cruise to a 4-1 victory before 2,202 spectators.

Following game, Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid didn’t mince words with his assessment.

“It wasn’t a close game, not even close,” said Habscheid. “We got schooled.

Ozzy Wiesblatt scored to give the Raiders an early lead.

“I didn’t like our forward group one bit. We got four D (defencemen) who are as good as anybody in the league, and we couldn’t get out of our end and that wasn’t on them. Our forward group, we tried to play dangle and play slow and on their own page and no forecheck.

“We were one and done. It was not good.”

Friday’s contest was quite different compared to when these same two clubs met Wednesday in Moose Jaw. In that game, the Raiders scored three times in the second period to take a 3-0 lead and held off a late third period Warriors rally to pull out a 3-2 win.

Warriors standout 16-year-old centre Brayden Yager believed his team’s overall effort was better and way more consistent in Friday’s win compared to Wednesday’s loss.

Dallyn Peekeekoot (#26) throws a hit for the Raiders.

“I thought tonight we played a full 60 minutes,” said Yager, who had a goal and assist in Friday’s win. “I thought last game we didn’t really have a good start.

“Tonight we played a full 60 minutes, and we got the job done.”

The Raiders appeared to start on their heels after they found themselves killing a couple of penalties to start the first period. In an unexpected development, the second kill provided a big offensive chance for the host side.

On the second kill, Raiders star defenceman Nolan Allan cleared the puck out of his own zone, and a race ensued for the puck in the Moose Jaw zone between Raiders star right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt and Warriors captain Daemon Hunt.

Jagger Firkus scored a goal that got called back on video review.

Wiesblatt beat Hunt for the puck and put home a short-handed goal on a wraparound to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

 The Warriors appeared to get the equalizer at the 8:28 mark of the opening frame on a left slot shot from right-winger Jagger Firkus. The goal was disallowed after a video review as the officials ruled the net was dislodged on the play.

Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary put up a protest, because the Prince Albert net was dislodge when Raiders netminder Carter Serhyenko pushed off one post to slide across the crease attempting to make a save.

While the Raiders had a 1-0 lead exiting the first period, the Warriors had an 11-6 in shots on goal. The visitors kept up the intensity through the rest of the game.

Ryder Korczak had a goal and an assist for the Warriors.

The Warriors pulled even at the 7:37 mark of the second, when import left-winger Martin Rysavy netted his first career WHL goal and point.

Warriors centre Ryder Korczak had the puck at the left side of the Prince Albert net, and fed a pass across the face of the goal to Rysavy. Rysavy buried a shot to force a 1-1 tie.

The Raiders had a chance to go ahead a short time later, but overage left-winger Michael Horon missed the net on a breakaway opportunity.

Moose Jaw outshot Prince Albert 10-4 in the second and could have had a bigger edge going to the third.

The visitors had two big chances to go ahead late in the frame working on the power play, but Serhyenko made big respective glove saves on Yager and defenceman Denton Mateychuk.

“We played the right way in Moose Jaw (on Wednesday night),” said Habscheid. “Our forwards were not good tonight to a man.

The Warriors celebrate a goal from Martin Rysavy (#19).

“They were not good. They didn’t create anything, and tried to do everything on their own. They couldn’t make a pass and couldn’t catch a pass, and our D (defencemen) were under siege the whole night.”

The Warriors finally got out in front at the 7:42 mark of the third, when Yager knocked home a puck from point blank range in front of the Raiders net. The Saskatoon product said he drove to the net to be in the right place, when overage defenceman Majid Kaddoura shot the puck to the net.

“I was kind of just going to the net, and I poke it in,” said Yager. “It ended up going in.

“I wasn’t sure if I scored it, but I ended up poking it in.”

Nolan Allan had an assist for the Raiders.

That opened the flood gates. Just six seconds before the midway point of the frame, Korczak scored to put the Warriors up 3-1, and just 34 seconds after that tally, Mateychuk netted his second of the season to round out the 4-1 victory.

Carl Tetachuk made 13 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors (3-2). Serhyenko turned away 29 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders (1-5).

After playing all 24 games with the Warriors last season in an abbreviated campaign in a bubble environment in Regina, Yager believes he got a jump going into his 16-year-old sophomore season.

Denton Mateychuk had the Warriors final goal on Friday.

“It was nice last year to play the 24 games that we got in,” said Yager. “It was real nice.

“I feel a lot more comfortable this year. We’re hoping to do big things these next couple of years.”

While Friday’s effort was disappointing for the Raiders, Wiesblatt believes he and his teammates can play way better than they did.

“We just have to be better in all areas,” said Wiesblatt. “It just comes down to our compete level.

“We weren’t competing at all today. It starts with guys like me. I have to be a lot better.

The Warriors celebrate their win on Friday.

“It is still early in the year. Guys are kind of getting their first touches with different linemates. We’re going to get better, and I believe in these guys.”

The Raiders return to action Saturday when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. The Warriors are back in action Saturday, when they return home to host the Saskatoon Blades at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.

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

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Hilltops’ Morrow excels in dual role once again

Safety again making impact resuming punt returning duties

Brant Morrow returns a punt for the Hilltops.

Brant Morrow was all in when it came to making an old role new again.

After his rookie year in 2017, Morrow took on the dual role of starting safety and punt returner for the Saskatoon Hilltops in 2018 and 2019. After the 2020 CJFL campaign was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Morrow was at first penciled in to just be the starting safety for the storied CJFL squad.

As a safety, Morrow, who is one of the Hilltops team captains, handles calling out adjustments in the defensive secondary.

After the Hilltops dropped a 16-13 decision to the Regina Thunder on Sept. 11 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Saskatoon coaching staff talked to Morrow about resuming his role as a punt returner.

In that role, Morrow would be back returning punts with long time friend Ethan Godson. Both players are in their fourth full season with the team.

The pair had a lot of success returning punts for the Hilltops in 2019 helping the venerable Saskatoon side win a sixth straight CJFL title.

Before joining the Hilltops, Morrow and Godson were the punt returning duo when they were teammates on the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints football team.

Morrow thought he needed a spark, and the team was looking for a spark in the return game. The 22-year-old was more than happy to jump at that opportunity.

Brant Morrow (#22) is one of the Hilltops captains.

“Having the opportunity to make a big play and also to have the ball in my hands, I don’t get that all the time as a DB,” said Morrow, whose Hilltops (4-2) host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-4) at 1 p.m. on Sunday at SMF Field. “It brings some excitement and kind of lights a fire under your (butt).

“You’re excited every time you get out there on special teams.”

Morrow made a big impact in the punt return department in the Hilltops 25-10 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles on Sept. 26. With the Rifles holding a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Morrow nearly missed getting his first punt return touchdown of his CJFL career.

He returned a punt 56 yards before he was taken down at Winnipeg’s one-yard line. That return still set up a one-yard touchdown run from power running back Boston Davidsen.

Morrow returned two punts for 73 yards that game and had a kickoff that traveled 40 yards. He earned special teams player of the week honours for the Prairie Football Conference for his efforts in the win over Winnipeg.

Looking back at that long return against the Rifles, Morrow was happy it set up a touchdown, but he still wishes he would have scored on that play.

“I really didn’t anticipate that punter (Luke McMillan),” said Morrow, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 165 pounds. “He is a receiver too, but I didn’t anticipate he’d catch me.

“Looking back at the film and everything, you wished you would have put your head down a little bit more. I guess that is a good learning lesson, because you don’t want to leave anything on the field. Having a play like that makes you really realize like there are only a couple of plays in the game where that little extra effort will pay dividends.

Brant Morrow (#22) fills the dual role of safety and punt returner.

“I’m happy the team scored, but yeah, obviously you want to score for yourself as well.”

For the moment, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant believes Morrow has just scratched the surface when it comes to making big plays this season. The legendary sideline boss thinks Morrow will be part of multiple big moments as the campaign moves on.

“Brant (Morrow), he is always a breath of fresh air,” said Sargeant. “He brings a lot of energy and a lot of leadership.

“He loves playing the game. He is a great competitor. He loves to make big plays, and we’re looking forward to these next two regular season games and the playoffs where he is going to be even more dynamic as a playmaker and help put us in some real good spots as a punt returner and as a safety.”

When it comes to big plays, Morrow’s signature play came on August 25, 2019 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina against the Thunder. Right before the end of the third quarter of that contest, Morrow returned an interception 113 yards for a touchdown to help power the Hilltops to a 34-16 victory.

That win was the 200^th career victory in combined CJFL regular season and post-season action for Sargeant.

“It is something that you like to get hyped up on,” said Morrow. “Being my fifth year here, sometimes you feel like you are almost expected to make plays.

“Really, our coaches put us in good spots. I trust that my coaches are put me in a spot to make big plays like that and not necessarily that I’ll have to do something out of the ordinary to make a play like that. I think I’ll just be doing my job and something great can happen out of that.”

Brant Morrow has been the Hilltops starting safety since 2018.

So far this season on defensive side of the ball, Morrow has 20 total tackles, one quarterback sack and two pass knockdowns.

While the Hilltops were able to practice for six weeks in September and October of 2020, Morrow felt like he had to shake off some rust to get back to game speed due to not playing any games last year.

Morrow believes he is starting to get back to where he was.

“I think personally I could be playing better,” said Morrow. “I’ve been getting better every game.

“That year off really, definitely took something to me. It has taken a lot to get it back, but I feel like I’ve got my feet under me. For the rest of the season, I’m going to be looking a lot different than the first half.”

The Hilltops are looking to close out the regular season by winning their last two games in order to lock up second place and earn a bye to host a PFC semifinal contest in the CJFL playoffs.

The Wildcats head into Sunday’s game with running back Nathan Zacharias posing a big threat on the ground. Zacharias sits second in the PFC in rushing carrying the ball 94 times for 549 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

The Hilltops head into the contest with the Wildcats after posting a huge 34-20 victory over the 4-2 Edmonton Huskies on Oct. 3 at SMF Field.

“Hey, (Wildcats head) coach (Darcy) Park has been around for a long time and does a good job with his group and his staff,” said Sargeant. “Hey, they are playing the Saskatoon Hilltops, so he is going to come in fired up and motivated.

Brant Morrow (#22) is all fired up for the stretch run.

“They are going to put in a lot of time and energy into getting ready for this game. We have to make sure that we show up, and we play our Sunday best. The reality is we had a great first half against the Edmonton Huskies.

“I wasn’t as happy in the second half. I’m looking to see if we can come out and play a 60-minute game. There is no better time to do it than against the Edmonton Wildcats.”

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

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Great Raiders memories live on despite nixing of logo

Brayden Pachal wears a throwback Raiders jersey in Feb. 2019.

The Prince Albert Raiders traditional logo may have been nixed, but the great memories the team created while using that insignia will live on.

With a late release that was sent at 9:29 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, the WHL issued a statement about the Raiders new alternate uniforms that were unveiled one day earlier. They were patterned after jerseys the club wore from 1982 to 1996.

The statement seemed to bring an end to the Raiders continuing use of their traditional logo with the Arab on skates caricature.

While Raiders followers were disappointed over this decision, it doesn’t erase the memories the team created. That old logo was drawn up part way through the 1973-74 season, when the Raiders were still playing in the junior A ranks.

This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click the link right here.

Return to play honeymoon over for Roughriders

Outrage back in Rider Nation over losing

Cody Fajardo (#7) sets to throw a pass in 2019.

So do any Saskatchewan Roughriders fans remember missing the CFL a year ago at this time?

Judging by the reaction to the Roughriders 22-19 setback to the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium, it appears the answer is no.

After jumping out to a 3-0 start, the Roughriders have lost four of their last six games. Fans consumed by ragehol have returned too.

The Roughriders sit second in the CFL’s West Division with a 5-4, but the hold on second spot is far from secure. The British Columbia Lions sit third at 4-4 and the Stampeders sit in fourth place with a 4-5 mark.

Having posted two straight wins over the Roughriders, the Stampeders have already claimed the seasonal series between the two clubs and hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker.

With the way the records are shaping up in the East Division, it is conceivable the Roughriders could miss the playoff all together.

When the losing happens, the members of Rider Nation point the fingers in all directions. It is the fault of vice president of football operations and general manager Jeremy O’Day, head coach and special teams coordinator Craig Dickenson, franchise quarterback Cody Fajardo, the offensive line, the receivers who aren’t catching passes and the defence that gives up big plays at inopportune times.

The misfortune is a team effort.

Roughriders HC Craig Dickenson works the sidelines in 2019.

This type of outrage wasn’t even thought about a year ago at this time.

A year ago at this time, a lot of different public health orders were in place across Canada to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. At the moment, the world is still firmly in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, but vaccines have allowed sporting events to be held in front of full capacity venues at a large number of places in North America.

The CFL wasn’t able to navigate the public health orders in 2020 and didn’t hit the field at all. A year ago at this time, there was a lot of speculation that the CFL might have played its last game and might become a pandemic casualty.

There was a lot of speculation that the financial losses the CFL’s nine teams would incur would end the league.

There were people who wondered if you would get to see a Roughriders game again at Mosaic Stadium.

For the longest time, the Bombers 33-12 Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Nov. 24, 2019 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alta., stood as the last game played in the CFL.

As the calendar turned to 2021, news of team financial losses for 2020 came in.

In late March of this year, the community owned Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who won the Grey Cup in 2019, announced a loss of $6,982,217 for 2020. In May, the community owned Edmonton Elks announced a loss of $7.1-million for 2020.

Dan Clark calls signals at centre in 2019.

Just past the middle of June, the community owned Roughriders announced a loss of $7.5-million for 2020.

It is believed the six other CFL franchises posted bigger financial losses for 2020 than the three community owned teams did.

Somehow, the CFL returned.

On August 5 at IG Field in Winnipeg, the host Blue Bombers downed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19-6 before 29,376 spectators to open the CFL regular season.

I personally thought it was a miracle the CFL returned to play.

One day later on August 6, the Roughriders returned to a sellout crowd of 33,350 spectators at Mosaic Stadium to down the visiting Lions 33-29. 

Most in Rider Nation savoured this day as a sign that things were returning more to normal.

It was safe to say the fans were just happy to see the Roughriders play a game again.

Another normal also returned, as fans went crazy over analyzing and cutting down the team when losses started to happen. 

That was pretty evident in the aftermath of Saturday’s setback to the Stampeders.

Gainer the Gopher makes his rounds in 2019.

When you look at the complaining in comparison to what has happened in the world since March of 2020, the phrase “this is why we can’t have nice things” rings true.

On the bright side, attendance was still listed as a solid 27,964 to see the Roughriders fall to the Stampeders on Saturday.

For myself personally, I give the Roughriders a mulligan for everything that happens this season. They’ve already played nine more games than I thought they would play.

For a half glass full argument, at least Rider Nation has a team to complain about. That is better than not being able to complain, because the team ceased to exist.

Raiders stumble out of the gate, other thoughts

The Raiders have stumbled to an 0-4 start this season.

It appears the Prince Albert Raiders are on the road to a reload.

After topping the WHL regular season standings in 2018-19 and winning the league championship, the Raiders have stumbled out of the games to start the 2021-22 campaign dropping their first four games getting outscored 21-5 in the process.

On Saturday, the Raiders dropped an 8-0 decision to the Winnipeg Ice at the Wayne Fleming Arena in the Manitoba capital. The Ice, who improved to 4-0, appear to be the powerhouse team for the current campaign.

Right-winger Connor McClennon had a hat trick for the Ice, while centre Matthew Savoie had three assists. Savoie appears ready to take on star status fitting the fact he was selected first overall by the Ice in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, which is now known as the WHL Prospects Draft.

Jakin Smallwood had a pair of goals for the Ice, while Mikey Milne, Conor Geekie and Zachary Benson had singles.

Ronin Geraghty went the distance in goal for the Raiders turning away 26 shots. Gage Alexander turned away all 13 shots he faced to pick up the shutout for the Ice.

The Raiders have had to deal with the fact they have had guys away at NHL training camps. At the moment, they are still missing star defenceman Kaiden Guhle, who is still at camp with the Montreal Canadiens.

By the sound of media reports coming out of Montreal, Guhle is having a great camp with the Canadiens. Due to the fact Guhle is 19-years-old, he has to be returned to the major junior ranks unless he cracks the Canadiens NHL roster.

I still would like to see what the Raiders would look like with Guhle and Nolan Allan as a top defensive pairing.

If the season turns into a reloading campaign, general manager Curtis Hunt and head coach Marc Habscheid are the right guys to have in their respective places to guide the club through rough waters.

They are both experienced hockey leaders who have seen and dealt with all types of scenarios before. The Raiders will always be in good hands with Hunt and Habscheid on board.

During my 10 seasons covering the Medicine Hat Tigers for the Medicine Hat News from 2004 to 2014, I saw how key it was to have good people in those leadership positions as Willie Desjardins and Shaun Clouston ensured the Tigers kept being an elite franchise over that time period.

After the Raiders won the WHL title in the 2018-19 campaign, they captured a banner for finishing first in the East Division in a 2019-20 that got cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They finished fourth in the seven-team WHL East Division bubble last season.

With the way junior hockey cycles go, it is hard to avoid the reload year after having highly successful seasons.

• The Saskatoon Blades have started out 2-1 thanks to a familiar sight. Veteran 19-year-old left-winger Kyle Crnkovic has three goals and two assists, and veteran centre Tristen Robins, who will turn 19-years-old in November, has one goal and four assists.
• Can you see the Calgary Stampeders running the table to win their last five straight games to running their current winning streak to seven games and finish the regular season 9-5 after a 2-5 start? If any team can do that in the CFL, it is the Stampeders quarterbacked by Bo Levi Mitchell.
• Could this be a big year for football in Winnipeg? The Blue Bombers sit first overall in the CFL with an 8-1 record, and the University of Manitoba Bisons football team has started the U Sports regular season 2-0 to sit first in the Canada West Conference. If both the Grey Cup and Vanier Cup end up residing in Winnipeg in December, you can bet you will hear all about it.
• The University of Saskatchewan Huskies and University of Regina Rams have both started their U Sports regular seasons with 1-1 records. It would be fun if one of those teams could have a special campaign in 2021 with a Vanier Cup win.
• One of the most fun moments this season might occur if Saskatoon Blades general manager Colin Priestner makes a visit to Prince Albert in the role as president and governor of the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush. In branding themselves as Saskatchewan’s team, the Rush like visiting communities across the province, and I suspect Priestner would be able to ham it up with Raiders fans being on the same side when it comes to the Rush.

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

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