“Sack Master” Kack anchors Hilltops defence

Riece Kack (#47) celebrates making a sack for the Hilltops.

Riece Kack’s best buds brought him to the Saskatoon Hilltops, and the storied CJFL team has reaped the rewards ever since.

Early in his Grade 12 year playing high school football with Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate Chargers in September of 2019, Kack committed to joining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team in the U Sports ranks. The COVID-19 pandemic proceeded to grip the world in March of 2020, which ultimately changed the paths for a lot of athletes.

The defensive end lived through modified high school graduation festivities in June of 2020 and didn’t have a football season to look forward to in the fall of 2020. All football action for the Canada West Conference that the Huskies play out of was cancelled for 2020-21 and U Sports nixed its national championship football game – the Vanier Cup.

Due to pandemic restrictions, all football action was cancelled for the CJFL too.

While Kack was playing out his Grade 12 season in the fall of 2019 before the world was flipped upside down, his best friends in linebacker Wade Keating and defensive back Carter Wingert were playing through their rookie campaigns with the Hilltops, who went 12-0 and won a sixth straight CJFL title.

With everything having come to a stop, Keating and Wingert made sales pitches to Kack to come join the Hilltops.

“My two best buddies in Carter Wingert and Wade Keating they had played on Centennial with me, and they were a year older than me,” said Kack. “They were already here.

“They kind of told me they said, ‘Yeah, we have some open spots.’ I decided I wanted to come play some Hilltop football. It has been just a great blessing since.

Riece Kack (#47) takes down a quarterback for the Hilltops.

“It has been the three best years of my life.”

After recording a pair of sacks in eight regular season games with the Hilltops in 2021, Kack had a breakout year in his second campaign with the team in 2022. He topped the PFC with 7.5 sacks during the regular season to go along with 25.5 total tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. Kack was named a first team PFC all-star and a first team CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

With one regular season game to play in the 2023 campaign, Kack again finds himself leading the PFC in sacks having matched his total from the previous year with 7.5 sacks. He holds a sizable lead over Regina Thunder linebacker Kenten Effa and Edmonton Huskies defensive lineman Kaiden Edey, who sit tied for second in the PFC with four sacks.

The Hilltops (7-0) close their regular season on Sunday hosting the Winnipeg Rifles (2-5) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. To go along with his 7.5 sacks, Kack has 18.5 total tackles, two fumble recoveries and one pass knockdown.

“It has been a lot of fun the last two years for sure,” said Kack, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 230 pounds. “I know in my first year I was off to a slow start and didn’t get my first sacks until the last game of the year in Winnipeg.

“I ended up getting two that game. It has kind of just been motivation for me since then just to keep coming out and getting them. It is lots of fun when I get to the quarterback.

“This year for sure there have been a lot of coverage sacks. The DBs have been helping me out. That is a credit to our great DBs and coaching as well.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Kack has been a big time player for the club for a length stretch now.

Riece Kack is leading the PFC with 7.5 quarterback sacks.

“Riece is a great leader,” said Sargeant. “He is a great player.

“He is a natural playmaker. He knows how to get to the ball. He knows where the ball is.

“He’s got that uncanny ability that you don’t coach. He’s been a real pleasure to coach this year. It has been fun to see him perform at such a high level and be a big part of this defensive success.”

Sargeant said Kack does so many things well as a defensive end, and you could see the now 21-year-old pass rusher could potentially be special watching him during his days in high school.

“He was high end player in high school,” said Sargeant. “I’ve always thought he was an even front player – a four man front, so he goes against the (offensive) tackle.

“He has a good repertoire of moves. He’s got a burst. He’s got power, and he’s got a motor that doesn’t quit.

“That is the biggest part about Riece is he plays every play as hard as he can. When it is all said and done, you always see him around the football.”

The sideline boss adds Kack is one of the main guys who gets the Hilltops jacked up for game day.

“He’s the energy guy,” said Sargeant. “He’s the guy going around talking with people and connecting with people, bring the juice and bringing the energy.

“In the Thursday night practice, he is always the most vocal and getting every juiced up and charged up. That is a real natural ability of his is to just be a great team guy. The players love him, and they rally around him.

Riece Kack (#47) is a cornerstone player on the Hilltops defence.

“He is a big time leader for us. When you see us huddle up before the game, it is Riece (Kack) in the middle talking to the football team. He’s been a real pulse and a real pleasure to be around and to coach.”

Kack’s motivation to play well for the Hilltops is also increased due to the fact he considers the biggest influences in helping him along in the game all have connections to the team. They include Sargeant, defensive line coach Dave Fisher and Hilltops defensive end alum, U of S Huskies alum, step brother and long snapper of the CFL’s British Columbia Lions Riley Pickett.

“‘Sarge’ has been a great coach for me, and Fish (Dave Fisher) every day just brings a good spark to the D-line,” said Kack. “Obviously, I look up to my brother Riley Pickett to what he was able to do here.

“There are lots of people I take inspiration from.”

The standout defensive end said the work of the rest of the Hilltops defensive line has allowed him to pile up the sacks he has. The Hilltops have cycled through a number of players on their D-line who have all made plays including Craig Torgerson, Ben Marce, Kai Kukurudza, Johnathon Stevens and Nahom Menghestab.

“They (the opponents) don’t know who to block on any given down to be honest,” said Kack. “They can’t commit to over blocking any of us.

“It has been a big contributing factor for sure. Sometimes if you’re getting lots of pressure, they’ll put two or three guys on you and open up someone else just for a single team. They can’t do that this year, because we’re just having tremendous pressure from everyone.

“It has been awesome.”

Riece Kack (#47) enjoys the havoc the Hilltops D-line creates.

Kack believes the Hilltops have done a good job with staying focused on the present this season. With that noted, he said it feels like this upcoming final regular season game against the Rifles came fast and following that contest will be playoffs. He is looking forward to getting to the post-season chase.

“It is crazy how quick it flies by to be honest,” said Kack. “It feels like it was Week 1 yesterday.

“The season moves quick, and I guess we have the back stretch here. If we make it all the way, it is four or five more games. Definitely, our best football is yet to come.

“It is crazy that it is already playoff time. I’m excited for sure.”

Hilltops’ Gedir tabbed as player of the week

Noah Gedir (#36) was the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

Noah Gedir piled up the tackles in the rain resulting in an individual award coming his way.

On Wednesday, the Saskatoon Hilltops weak side linebacker was named the Prairie Football Conference’s defensive player of the week. Gedir picked up that honour for his performance this past Saturday making seven defensive solo tackles, five defensive tackle assists and one special teams tackle playing in a steady rain helping the Hilltops down their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder 19-10.

The 21-year-old Gedir leads the Hilltops with 73 defensive points coming on 17 solo defensive tackles, 10 defensive tackle assists, nine special teams solo tackles, one quarterback sack, two pass knockdowns, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Edmonton Wildcats receiver Travis Heggart was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week on Wednesday for his performance in helping his team outgun the visiting Calgary Colts 43-36 at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta. In helping the Wildcats get their first win of the season, Heggart caught six passes for 149 yards and four touchdowns.

Wildcats kick returner Breyan Elias took honours as the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his huge performance in that Wildcats win over the Colts. He returned three kickoffs for 217 yards. Elias returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 92 yards for a touchdown and ran back another kickoff later in the frame 100 yards for a touchdown.

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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Raiders grads always leave part of heart in “Hockey Town North”

A team photo of the 1994-95 Prince Albert Raiders.

For most or almost all alums of the Prince Albert Raiders, “Hockey Town North” will always be a second home.

If anyone needs to be reminded of that observation, all you have to do is strike up a conversation with a Raiders grad about their time in Prince Albert. The memories start flooding back.

One of the eternally cool things I get to do in now my 25^th season covering the WHL is talking to former players, coaches and staffers. The Raiders have such a rich history dating back to their inception as a junior A club in 1971 that there are endless cool old stories to tell about the team.

I was reminded of that when I worked on my retrospective feature on the 1994-95 Raiders for the Daily Herald’s WHL preview content leading into the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Since I considered that the best Raiders team that never won WHL or Memorial Cup titles due to coming up one win short of the Memorial Cup tournament, I approached doing that feature like an NFL Films missing rings episode.

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

Hilltops rainy night win over Thunder had throwback feel

The Hilltops charge on to SMF Field on Saturday.

It felt like the only things missing between the latest clash between the Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder were leather helmets and mud.

On Saturday, the provincial rivals battled each other in a CJFL regular season contest that was played in a constant rain at Saskatoon Minor Football Field where the Hilltops would prevail 19-10. It is actually quite rare to see a football game played in a steady rain from start to finish these days.

Most of those who were at Saturday’s game had to think back in their memories as to when they last witnessed or were part of such a contest. In Canada, it is more common for teams to play games in the snow and cold late in the season as opposed to a constant rain at any point in a campaign.

Saturday’s rain didn’t come down in heavy buckets. With that noted, the constant steady rain did affect the game. It appeared it was going to let up late in the third quarter only to regain the steady intensity it had for most of the contest.

Due to the elements, neither side had a banner day on offence. The Hilltops collected 288 yards of total offence coming off 152 yards rushing and 136 yards passing. The Thunder had 317 total yards of offence coming off 115 yards rushing and 202 yards passing.

Hilltops star power running back Boston Davidsen had a strong outing carrying the ball 33 times for 131 yards. Thunder star receiver Isaiah Woodley had a good night too hauling in 10 passes for 107 yards.

The west side stands at SMF Field on Saturday.

Overall, Saturday’s game had a throwback feel to it. There was a time the elements were a welcomed factor to be adjusted to in football games.

On top of testing a team’s skill on offence and defence, a team’s toughness and resolve was tested by how everyone on the squad dealt with different weather conditions. Those conditions often forced teams to alter strategy.

A couple of times on Saturday, the Hilltops elected to not gamble on a third-and-one situation offensively after crossing into Regina’s side of the field. Hilltops linebacker Matt Wist was having a good night punting, and the Hilltops brain trust led by legendary head coach Tom Sargeant elected to punt.

The Hilltops managed to pin the Thunder inside their own 10 yard line on those two occasions. As the rain came down, it seemed like a daunting task for teams to drive the length of the field, when they were pinned inside their own 10 yard line.

Both teams tried to do some different things in the running game with jet sweep type plays only to be dropped for losses.

Making long passes seemed to be an impossible task in the rain. Still, Hilltops quarterback Trey Reider was able to hit receiver Noah Flaman with a 36 yard pass and connect with pass catcher Drake Douglas on a 40-yard completion.

Matthew Noble (#54) fires snap back to Trey Reider (#3).

Thunder quarterback Ethan Hugg was able to hook up with Woodley on a 37 yard passing play.

One of the saving graces when it came to scoring came from the fact that an artificial field turf field was installed at SMF Field before the start of the 2014 campaign. Thanks to playing on field turf, Hilltops kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas was able to find secure footing to make 5-of-6 field goal attempts to allow the host side to pull out the win.

Many in Saskatoon remember what the old grass field was like at SMF Field when it was known as Gordie Howe Bowl before the field turf was installed. Had Saturday’s rain occurred on the old grass field that existed at that facility, both teams would have been playing in a mud pit.

There were times the mud pit got so bad that CJFL and high school games had to be moved from that facility to Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.

In the old mud pit that used to occur, it is likely Abel-Douglas wouldn’t have had the day he had making field goals due to bad footing.

The Thunder scored the only touchdown on Saturday thanks to a one-yard plunge by star running back Ryland Leichert with 3:23 remaining in the second quarter. Leichert’s score at the time trimmed an 8-0 Hilltops lead to 8-7.

Thunder RB Sadik Sadik, left, is caught by a Hilltops defender.

The different in the contest came down to the turnover battle, which the Hilltops claimed 5-1. The Hilltops got a pair of interceptions from defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens, fumble recoveries from defensive back Jace Mowles and defensive end Ben Marce and a turnover on downs. 

The Thunder got an interception from defensive back Elijah Norris.

Those turnovers were big in allowing the Hilltops to improve to 7-0 to lock up first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference, while the Thunder fell to 5-2.

Another throwback “prairie tough” site was seeing a healthy crowd of 1,584 spectators turn out Saturday’s contest. 

Before the game, the Hilltops held their End Zone Dinner to raise funds for the team’s scholarship program, and that brought a few extra fans. The Thunder came with a healthy contingent of followers.

While those at the End Zone Dinner could look down from the main hall of the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building upon the field from the south end zone, most of the spectators took in the contest from the stands. They showed the football crowds in Canada can still be hearty bunch outside of those who support the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In the social media age, it has become common for fans to bail out on bad weather football games, and adverse weather can be as mild as 5 C and sunny with no wind.

The Hilltops mark their victory on Saturday.

Saturday’s clash been the Hilltops and Thunder was a throwback clash that had an all-around cool feel to it. It was a regular season encounter that all those at SMF Field that night will never forget.

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 romp in the rain to lock up first in PFC

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

The Hilltops celebrate a big defensive play on Saturday.

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

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

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

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

Boston Davidsen carried the ball 33 times for 131 yards.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Hilltops huddle up on offence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 chase first place, Davidsen on cusp of 1,000

Boston Davidsen is nearing 1,000 yards rushing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boston Davidsen has piled up 905 rushing yards this season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boston Davidsen wants the Hilltops keep piling up wins.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Urban arrives as Hilltops newest star on defence

Safety gets two picks to help Saskatoon go 6-0

Dalton Urban, right, has enjoyed making big plays this season.

Dalton Urban might lead the way when it comes to being the publicist for his teammates on defence.

Going into the 2023 CJFL campaign, the 20-year-old took over the starting safety spot on the Saskatoon Hilltops defensive unit from standout Evan Mantyka, who graduated at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign. Urban has made highlight plays with takeaways and hits, but he adds the rest of the defensive unit, especially the team’s front seven, have made patrolling the secondary an absolute joy.

“It has been fun,” said Urban. “When the front seven is able to get pressure on the quarterback, it makes our job easier on the back end.

“I’ve been able to make plays and then celebrate as a team. It is always good. We’re always trying to get everybody to the ball.

“When it is thrown up or there is a ball on the ground, it is just important to get on it and make a play.”

On Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton taking on the Huskies, the host side opened the game’s scoring with an early touchdown to take a 7-0 lead on the visiting Hilltops. With the Huskies still holding their 7-0 edge, Urban came up with an interception.

Following that play, the Hilltops went on to score 40 unanswered points to take the CJFL regular season contest 40-7. The win allowed the Hilltops to improve to 6-0 and officially lock up the right to open the CJFL playoffs at home hosting a Prairie Football Conference semifinal contest. Saskatoon can’t finish lower than second in the PFC standings.

The Huskies fell to 3-3 with the setback to sit third in the PFC.

With the Hilltops holding a 30-7 lead in the third quarter, Urban came up with his second interception of the contest. Urban has four interceptions on the campaign and returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown in the Hilltops 49-0 win over the Rifles in Winnipeg on August 20. The graduate of Saskatoon’s St. Joseph High School Guardians Football Team has also made a handful of big hits.

“To see his growth from day one to what he is today, he is a complete football player,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “He is smart out there.

“He puts himself in great spots. He reads the defensive sets and formations well, and he knows how to arrive. He’s made some big hits and big interceptions.

Dalton Urban has four interceptions this season.

“He has just got a real knack for getting around the ball, and when he is there, you notice him, because he is an impactful player.”

When Urban played for the Guardians, he said his main focus was being an offensive player.

“I actually played quarterback for most of my high school career,” said Urban, who stands 6-feet and weighs 180 pounds. “I backed up Trey Reider in high school, and I played a little receiver.

“I didn’t get much experience on defence until I came here, so it is good to know both sides of the ball. It has given me some helpful knowledge as I play defence now.”

On joining the Hilltops in 2021, Urban figured he was likely going to have to find a new position, if he was going to get on the field and help the team. That started to get the wheels in motion that saw Urban become a safety.

“I just wanted to put myself in a position to be able to make the team,” said Urban, who is in his third season with the Hilltops. “I talked with (Hilltops offensive coordinator) Shane Reider early on about just finding a spot on the team.

“I liked the DB that I did play in high school. I had lots of fun doing it, so then I just felt it was best for me. Ever since then, it has been my favourite position.”

After moving over to defence, Urban found he really hit it off with Hilltops defensive backs coach Brent Turkington, who was a star defensive back in the Hilltops 1985 CJFL championship team. Urban said Turkington has been one of his biggest influences in helping him out in the game.

“He (Turkington) has been super helpful,” said Urban. “I couldn’t say enough good things about him.

“He (Turkington) brings the passion every single day, which helps us just give our all every single day and makes us better. His coaching technique, he always has something or he is getting better, so that is our main goal. He is able to help us do that.”

Urban said he loves the physical aspect and the hitting part of football, so switching to defence has been a natural fit for him.

Dalton Urban has returned a fumble 61 yards for a TD this season.

“I’d say physicality is always good,” said Urban. “Being able to tackle, and then, just being able to celebrate as a team, it is a good team sport.

“There is always bonding in the locker room, and then it is just exciting to make plays.”

When it comes to how much better Urban can get when it comes to playing the game, Sargeant believes his young safety can make his way to some lofty spots in the sport.

“At the end of the day, the sky is the limit,” said Sargeant. “We’re going to get through this year.

“You always look what are some positions at the next level like the (CFL’s) Saskatchewan Roughriders are looking for. They are always looking for players in certain areas, and safety is one of them. Dalton (Urban) has a long ways to go, but he has the work ethic, the drive and desire from what we’ve seen.

“As I said, we’re just looking to him to keep playing at the level he’s playing at, because he’s starting to turn heads around the PFC.”

When it comes to the notion of potentially playing in the professional ranks one day, Urban said he isn’t looking that far ahead.

“I’m just taking it one season at a time right now,” said Urban. “When I was in high school, my goal was just to play post-secondary football.

“Now that I have this opportunity, I’m just going to run with it. In three years so far, I’ve had so much fun. I’m just going to keep playing and take it year by year.”

In Sunday’s clash with the Huskies, the Hilltops got their first two points on a safety to cut the Huskies lead to 7-2. Early in the second quarter, the Hilltops jumped ahead 9-7 thanks to a rushing touchdown from Charles Sawi.

Receiver Drake Douglas followed with a touchdown catch and star power running back Boston Davidsen put up a rushing touchdown to give the Hilltops a 23-7 advantage at halftime. In the second half, Davidsen added a second rushing touchdown, Douglas made a second touchdown catch and Teijon Abel-Douglas booted a 35-yard field goal to round out the game’s scoring.

The Hilltops return to action this coming Saturday when they host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (5-1) at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. 

Dalton Urban (#17) and the Hilltops have been pumped up for games.

If the Hilltops win that contest, they will lock up first place in the PFC and home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs until the Canadian Bowl, which is the circuit’s championship game.

Urban said his Hilltops have had the success they have had so far this season, because they’ve been able to stay in the moment and take things day by day. He said everyone on the team has to keep up that approach as the season moves on.

“I think that is the way you have to look at it,” said Urban. “You just try to come out to practice every single day and try to find something that you can get better at and be able to compete with the other teammates on the field.

“I think that is what has helped us so far, and that will continue to help us, if we keep up that competition.”

Hilltops End Zone Dinner set for Sept. 30

Jorgen Hus sets to snap the ball for the Roughriders in 2019.

The Saskatoon Hilltops End Zone Dinner is returning with a quartet of guest speakers.

The End Zone Dinner is slated for Saturday, September 30 in the main hall of the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. Doors for the dinner open at 4:15 p.m. and dinner follows at 5 p.m.

A ticket to the dinner also includes a ticket to that night’s CJFL regular season game between the Hilltops and Regina Thunder set for 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The guest speakers include a pair of alumni from the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in Al Johns and Carm Carteri along with current Roughriders players Jorgen Hus and Derrick Moncrief. Johns was a defensive tackle for the Roughriders from 1980 to 1987 and played for the Hilltops in the 1970s. Carteri played linebacker for the Roughriders in 1979, 1980 and 1985, and he had a long run as a colour analyst on Roughriders radio broadcasts that concluded following the 2016 campaign.

Hus is the Roughriders veteran long snapper and he played linebacker with the Hilltops from 2007 to 2009. He helped the Hilltops win a CJFL title in 2007 after graduating from St. Joseph High School.

Moncrief is a veteran linebacker with the Roughriders. He often comes out to Saskatoon to help coach with Saskatoon Minor Football’s Playground To Pros Camp that is held annually in April.

All proceeds from the End Zone Dinner will go towards the Saskatoon Hilltops Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $100 per single person or $725 for a table of eight. Tickets for the End Zone Dinner can be purchased by clicking right here.

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Raiders get lunch bucket win on opening day in WHL

The Raiders celebrate a goal from Krzysztof Macias (#34).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. - It was a three yards in a cloud of dust victory for the Prince Albert Raiders on opening day.

If you are scoring by CFL rules, it was four yards in a cloud of dust.

Regardless of what set of football rules you use as an analogy, the Raiders brought their lunch buckets to the Art Hauser Centre on Friday night. When the dust settled, the young squad from “Hockey Town North” skated away with a 4-0 victory holding a 47-28 advantage in shots on goal before an appreciative standing room crowd of 3,025 spectators at the team’s storied 2,580 seat building.

The clash was the WHL regular season opener for both teams.

For Raiders 19-year-old netminder Max Hildebrand, Friday’s win was a special one as he recorded his first career WHL regular season shutout stopping all the Warriors 28 shots. He was pretty pumped to get the clean slate and a game puck at the end of the night for a keepsake.

Krzysztof Macias scored his first career WHL goal on Friday.

“Obviously, it was a really big win to get the year started,” said Hildebrand, who joined the Raiders part way through the 2021-22 campaign. “I wish would have had one last year or the year before.

“It is good to get it over with. I got the nerves out early and just kept going. It was a really easy game for me tonight.

“The D-men boxed out nice, cleared rebounds. They made a lot of big blocks tonight (on shots).”

Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt said Hildebrand earned full marks in getting the shutout win. The bench boss said his netminder had to come up with some challenging stops on the night.

“He (Hildebrand) had to fight off some traffic,” said Truitt. “He had some shots in the middle of the ice where we turned the puck over or else didn’t make good plays.

Max Hildebrand picked up his first career WHL shutout on Friday.

“We had to break the puck out a couple of times, and they made plays off of it. He had to stand strong. He faced some quality shots, but he did excellent job swallowing (the puck) up. There weren’t a lot of rebounds there to be had.

“He was just very efficient.”

The teams played through a scoreless opening frame with the shots on goal finishing even at 10-10. The Raiders had momentum over the first 10 minutes, and the Warriors carried play in the last 20 minutes.

The Raiders broke through on the scoreboard at the 10:29 mark of second to go ahead 1-0. While working on the power play, 18-year-old defenceman Justice Christensen fired home a point shot through a screen to give the host side the lead.

Jackson Unger made 43 saves in goal for the Warriors on Friday.

Just seconds after that tally, the Raiders nearly went up 2-0. A point shot from defenceman Easton Kovacs got out from under Warriors netminder Jackson Unger and was sitting loose in the crease of the Moose Jaw net. Warriors rookie 17-year-old rearguard Brady Ness swooped in the sweep the puck out of danger for the visitors.

After that near miss, Kovacs was given an interference minor, but the Raiders killed off that penalty to take their edge into the second intermission. Truitt said that kill was an important one for his club.

“We could have let into the game with a goal, but our penalty kill did a great job,” said Truitt. “We were four-for-four I believe on the penalty kill.

Justice Christensen scored the Raiders first goal on Friday.

“We were one-for-two on the power play. You win those special teams, and it is obviously a difference most nights. I thought that we did a good job tonight.”

The two squads exited the second playing a fairly even frame with the shots on goal knotted up at 24-24.

The Raiders blew the game open scoring three times in the first 4:46 of the third to surge ahead 4-0. Just 28 seconds into the frame with the teams playing a spurt of four-versus-four hockey, Raiders sophomore centre Aiden Oiring banged home a loose puck in front of the Moose Jaw net to give Prince Albert a 2-0 edge.

At the 2:09 mark of the third, Raiders rookie import left-winger Krzysztof Macias banged home his first career WHL goal on almost an identical play to Oiring’s tally to give the Raiders a 3-0 advantage. Raiders star 17-year-old right-winger Ryder Ritchie capped the surge firing home a shot off a rush down the left wing to give the hosts their 4-0 lead.

Aiden Oiring potted the Raiders second goal on Friday.

Macias was excited to get his first career WHL goal in his first career WHL regular season game. The 19-year-old said the tally gave him a boost of confidence going into the rest of the campaign after not recording a point in four pre-season games.

“It helped very much,” said Macias, who is from Poland but has played the last number of years in Czechia. “In pre-season, I kind of struggled with my productivity, but it wasn’t the biggest point of my play.

“I was trying to get the system right and do the things coach wants me to do and productivity was in second place or even third. But, now it helps really, really much. I feel really much better after scoring the first goal.

Ryder Ritchie had the Raiders fourth goal on Friday.

“I hope it is not my last. I will do everything to help the team win every game in whatever role I am in.”

Truitt said it was big for his squad to get the two gritty goals to start the third and that type of effort is going to be needed for the rest of the campaign.

“We’ve always talked about getting to the inside of the ice, whether it is rebounds or screens or looking for second opportunities,” said Truitt. “That is where you have to play.

“Goaltenders are too good. If they can see it, then they’re going to make the saves. You have to grind it out on the inside and win the inside battles.

“I thought we did that tonight. We pick up some goals that way.”

Raiders mascot PIMS has fun with some young fans.

Unger turned away 43 shots to take the setback in net for the Warriors, who were rated fifth in the CHL Top 10 pre-season rankings. Moose Jaw was missing a trio of key players who are away at NHL training camps including defenceman and captain Denton Mateychuk (Columbus Blue Jackets) and centres Brayden Yager (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Jagger Firkus (Seattle Kraken).

The Raiders were without the services of 18-year-old standout defensive-defenceman Terrell Goldsmith, who is at training camp with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.

The Warriors return to action on Saturday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings (7 p.m., Moose Jaw Events Centre).

The Raiders get back at it on Sunday when they travel to Saskatoon to take on their archrivals the Blades (4 p.m., SaskTel Centre). Hildebrand said his squad always looks forward to meeting the Blades.

The Raiders salute the Art Hauser Centre faithful after Friday’s win.

“Obviously, home opener for them, and it is going to be a good crowd there,” said Hildebrand. “It is always a good battle when we go there.”

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