Heintz soaks in final playoff ride with Hilltops

Dillan Heintz, centre, walks on to SMF Field with his parents.

During his first two seasons with the Saskatoon Hilltops, Dillan Heintz never doubted the words of the team’s veteran leaders, but he admits they hit differently now that he is a veteran leader.

The 22-year-old receiver is one of the Hilltops captains. He is set to embark on his final playoff run with the team as he will graduate out of the CJFL ranks whenever the Hilltops post-season run comes to an end.

The Hilltops open the CJFL post-season taking on the Edmonton Huskies in a PFC semifinal on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Both teams sported 5-3 regular season records, but the Hilltops finished second in the PFC and earned the right to host the PFC semifinal due to taking the lone head-to-head regular season encounter with the Huskies 38-10 on August 21 at SMF Field.

Heintz said it was different knowing this will be his last playoff run with the Hilltops.

“Looking back at it now, it went by in a flash,” said Heintz, who is one of 20 players who will graduate from the Hilltops at the conclusion of their 2022 post-season run. “Back in my first and second year, I would listen to the old guys who said to enjoy every moment.

“Now, you look at that, and it means a lot more. I’m just trying to enjoy the guys and take it as far as we can.”

Last year, Heintz had a memorable clutch moment in a PFC semifinal against the Huskies. With the Hilltops trailing 31-27, Heintz caught a pass on a five-yard out pattern from quarterback Damon Dutton with 21.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to allow the Hilltops to pull out a 33-31 victory.

Dillan Heintz scores the PFC semifinal winning TD in 2021.

Heintz remembers the offence getting in the zone during the winning two-minute drill drive, and he happened to have the honour of being put in position to catch the winning score.

“It is pretty spectacular honestly,” said Heintz, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 185 pounds. “Just as a team, that was such a special moment.

“For us to do the whole two-minute drill and go there with whatever it was a minute and 18 seconds on the clock and win the game, I just had my number called. It was a combination of good plays.

“It wasn’t just one guy. It was all 12 of us on the field, and yeah, it was pretty special.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said the team’s coaching staff always has memories of the clutch plays Heintz makes in the back of their collective minds. When the time comes where the team needs a clutch play, Sargeant said Heintz is one of the players the club’s coaches look to.

“He (Heintz) is a prime time player,” said Sargeant. “He has played a lot of games for us – a lot of big games.

“We just have a lot of confidence in him. Dillan is a captain. He is a leader.

“He is one of the top guys on this offence. He is one of the guys we expect to make the tough catch and make the tough block.”

Heintz, who is graduate of Saskatoon’s Centennial Collegiate Chargers Football Team, is versatile too. He is a player the Hilltops will give the ball to on a jet sweep or have him throw a pass on a gadget play. Heintz has a sound understanding of the offence and comes though with the unnoticed task of making key blocks on running plays.

Dillan Heintz motors upfield after making a catch.

When Heintz was unable to play during the team’s third and fourth games of the regular season due to a minor injury which they lost, Sargeant said Heintz’s absence hurt the team way more than people would suspect. When Heintz returned to play, Sargeant said it added an infusion of stability and confidence.

“On our offence, you just know that the spotlight is on him (Heintz),” said Sargeant. “Where he goes a lot of times that is where the ball seems to go.

“We try to take advantage of what defences are trying to do. When they are over playing him, that gives us the hitch pass or the bubble pass those types of things. As I said, he is just always heavily involved in our game plan.

“We always try to scheme for him like we are doing this week to put him in spots. The sooner you get him the ball he is a tough guy to tackle. We love that he is here, and we are enjoying every minute we can with him.”

Heintz was pleased he wasn’t out of the lineup for more than two games due to the fact he is playing his final CJFL season. When he did make his return, he was energized to get on the field.

“I was trying to get back like a week or two earlier than I even did,” said Heintz. “It was kind a collective decision for coaches and trainers.

“It was the right call to sit out a couple of games. When I got back, I was ready to get out there, and I was ready to smash my face into someone else honestly. It was kind of one of those things you are just itching.

“No one likes to be injured, so you’re ready to get back out there as soon as you can.”

Dillan Heintz hold on to an acrobatic catch for the Hilltops.

Due to his injury, the Hilltops early season struggles in the passing game and how spectacular the team’s run game has been, Heintz had modest numbers in the 2022 regular season. 

In six games, he caught 20 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns and ran the ball once for 23 yards.

Heintz said he has always cared more about wins than personal statistics. With the Hilltops ground game averaging 227.3 yards rushing per contest over the team’s eight regular season games and 309 yards rushing per outing in the club’s three game winning streak heading into playoffs, Heintz is ready to play the hot hand and continue block.

While the run is important, Heintz is staying prepared to make a difference in the passing game.

“As receivers, we take a lot of pride in our blocking,” said Heintz. “We practise that every single day.

“You’re always ready when your number is going to get called. In the game, you’re lucky if you get five to six balls thrown your way. You have to make sure you capitalize on every single one of those chances.

“We’re a heavy run team, so we take pride in our blocking.”

The Hilltops celebrate Dillan Heintz’s PFC semifinal winning TD in 2021.

While the end of the 2022 Hilltops campaign is near, Heintz said he isn’t sure what he is going to do when the post-season wraps up. He has put thoughts about his time coming to an end with the storied CJFL team to the back of his mind.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” said Heintz. “I’m trying to just kind of focus on here and now.

“Right now, we have the Edmonton Huskies this week. I’m trying to enjoy as much time as I can with these guys. They’re my brothers, so coming here every day is a privilege.

“To be here with my brothers and my coaches and trainers and everyone, it is just a special experience, and I’m trying to soak it all in.”

Davidsen gets second PFC player of the week nod

Boston Davidsen rumbles downfield for the Hilltops.

A big game that allowed Saskatoon Hilltops star power running back Boston Davidsen to break the 1000-yard rushing barrier also resulted in his second player of the week nod for the 2022 CJFL campaign.

On Wednesday, Davidsen was named the PFC’s player-of-the-week for efforts in the Hilltops 43-14 victory over the Calgary Colts this past Sunday. In that contest, Davidsen carried the ball 16 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns by the halftime break.

Those became his final game totals as the Hilltops held a 26-0 lead at halftime and rotated in their talented and deep stable of running backs in the second half. During the eight game regular season, Davidsen carried the ball 149 times for 1,037 yards and scored seven touchdowns.

Regina Thunder linebacker Stephen Smith took home honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week on Wednesday. In the Thunder’s 42-14 victory over the Edmonton Huskies last Sunday at Leibel Field in Regina, Smith had four defensive tackles, two defensive tackle assists, 1.5 quarterback sacks, a pass knockdown, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one interception.

Thunder linebacker Devin Baumann took the nod as the PFC’s special teams player of the week Wednesday for his efforts in the Thunder’s win over the Huskies this past Sunday. Baumann made a CJFL record five special teams solo tackles helping the Thunder improve to 8-0 on the campaign.

Title matches set in BCFC and OFC

This coming Saturday will be championship Saturday for the CJFL’s BCFC and OFC conferences.

The BCFC championship will see the Okanagan Sun host the Westshore Rebels at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday. The Sun posted a perfect 10-0 record in regular season play and dumped the defending CJFL champion Langley Rams 44-20 in one BCFC semifinal last Saturday at the Apple Bowl. The Rams posted a 5-5 record in regular season play.

In the other BCFC semifinal played this past Sunday, the Rebels blanked the Valley Huskers 34-0 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, which is a suburb of Victoria, B.C. Both clubs had 7-3 regular season records and split their two game regular season series 1-1, but the Rebels hosted the BCFC semifinal having outscored the Huskers 48-35 in their two head-to-head regular season meetings.

The OFC championship will see the St. Clair Saints host the London Beefeaters at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont., on Saturday. The Saints posted a perfect 8-0 record in regular season play and blanked the Hamilton Hurricanes 44-0 in one OFC semifinal played last Saturday at Acumen Stadium. The Hurricanes had a 3-5 regular season record.

In the other OFC semifinal played last Saturday, the Beefeaters downed the Ottawa Sooners 38-14 at City Wide Sports Park in London, Ont. The Beefeaters were 6-2 in regular season play, while the Sooners had a 5-3 mark.

The OFC champion will host the BCFC champion in a CJFL semifinal slated for Saturday, October 29.

WWCFL stars Chan, Zuck break into CJFL coaching ranks

Ehjae Chan, left, hangs with Adrienne Zuck. (Photo courtesy Ehjae Chan) 

The 2022 season has been a special one for the CJFL as two stars from the WWCFL broke into the junior circuit’s coaching ranks.

From the start of the current campaign, Ehjae Chan has been working as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Edmonton Huskies and Adrienne Zuck has been a toiling as a defensive backs coach with the Regina Thunder. Both have had long playing careers in the WWCFL, and it is believed they are the first two female coaches to work in the CJFL.

Chan starred at linebacker and defensive back for the Saskatoon Valkyries for six seasons from 2014 to 2019 helping them win three WWCFL titles in 2014, 2016 and 2019. She moved to Edmonton following the 2019 campaign and suited up for the Edmonton Storm this past season after the 2020 and 2021 WWCFL seasons were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Chan has helped coach minor football in the Alberta capital along with returning to action and playing for the Storm this season. She was a member of Team Alberta’s Under-18 Women’s Team coaching staff that saw Alberta win Football Canada’s Women’s Under-18 Championship tournament downing Saskatchewan 36-12 in the title game on July 9 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

Zuck is an original member of the Regina Riot suiting up for that club in the inaugural WWCFL season in 2011. From the start, Zuck was a star at linebacker for the Riot, and she played with the team through the end of the 2019 campaign. She helped the Riot win three WWCFL titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Internationally, Zuck suited up for Canada as a defensive back for the International Federation of American Football’s Senior Women’s World Championship in 2013 and 2017 helping Canada win silver at both events.

Zuck has coach in Regina Minor Football and the Regina high school ranks with Thom Collegiate, Winston Knoll Collegiate and Campbell Collegiate. She joined the Riot coaching staff this past season as a defensive backs coach.

Chan and Zuck were teammates helping Team Saskatchewan win Football Canada’s Senior Women’s National Championship tournament in 2016 at historic Taylor Field in Regina, Sask. Saskatchewan took the gold medal game over that event on July 31 of that year with a 34-22 victory over Quebec.

Both entered the CJFL on the heels of Emmarae Dale becoming the first female to play regular season games in the CJFL during the 2021 campaign, when she suited up at linebacker for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

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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Ice set to win now, Oil Kings paying price going all in

Connor McClennon zips up ice for the Winnipeg Ice.

The Winnipeg Ice are the team to beat in the WHL, while the Edmonton Oil Kings are showing the consequences of going all in.

As all the teams in the WHL approach their respective 10-game marks, it is starting to become clear which clubs will be the teams to beat. The Ice top the list of the teams to beat, and they happen to be listed first in the CHL Top 10 rankings.

Last season, the Ice finished first overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 53-10-3-2 record. They advanced to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series falling in five games to the eventual WHL champion Oil Kings.

The Ice roster is stocked with returnees from last year like Matthew Savoie, Zach Benson, Connor McClennon, Conor Geekie, Ben Zloty, Carson Lambos and Daniel Hauser. They have solid youngsters like defenceman Jonas Woo, who turned 16-year-old in November and played every game in the Ice’s playoff run last season.

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

Davidsen hits 1,000, Hilltops home for PFC semifinal

Boston Davidsen (#24) surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season.

Boston Davidsen and the Saskatoon Hilltops offensive line stampeded over the Calgary Colts defence.

On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops gave the ball to Davidsen a bunch in the first half, and the star power running back landed devastating blow after devastating blow against the Colts defence. When the dust settled at halftime, Davidsen had run the ball 16 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns helping the Hilltops build a 26-0 lead.

That allowed Davidsen, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 195 pounds, to surpass 1,000-yards rushing for the campaign. With the milestone secure, the Hilltops gave Davidsen the rest of the game off and distributed the ball to their host of other talented ball carriers.

Boston Davidsen had 146 yards rushing for the Hilltops on Sunday.

The Hilltops pushed their advantage out to 43-0 and settled out for a 43-14 victory having piled up 355 yards rushing as a team in a contest witnessed by 893 spectators. Davidsen finished the CJFL regular season having carried the ball 149 times for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns.

“The stat is attached to my name, but it really is a team stat,” said Davidsen about surpassing 1,000 yards rushing. “I need these blockers out here, or I am getting tackled right away.

“The coaches put me in positions to be successful. The vets I have around me like Carter McLean has been a really good example for me and a role model to follow. As much as this might be attached to my name, it really is a team stat.”

Boston Davidsen powers his way past Colts defenders.

To go along with the win, the Hilltops received a gift from their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder, who improved to 8-0 downing the Edmonton Huskies 42-14 at Leibel Field in the Saskatchewan capital on Sunday.

Those results saw the Hilltops, who have won three straight, and Huskies, who had a four game winning streak come to an end, finish with identical 5-3 regular season records. Due to the fact the Hilltops took the lone head-to-head encounter with the Huskies 38-10 back on August 21 at SMF Field, the Saskatoon side claimed second place in the PFC standings.

Boston Davidsen credits his teammates for his success.

The Hilltops will host the third place Huskies in a conference semifinal this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. The Thunder will host the other PFC semifinal this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field against the fourth place Winnipeg Rifles.

The Rifles improved to 4-4 on Sunday downing the Edmonton Wildcats 12-8 at IG Field in Winnipeg. The Wildcats finished last in the PFC with an 0-8 mark, while the Colts finished fifth in the six-team conference with a 2-6 record.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant admitted he was cheering for the Thunder, so his club would be able to play a post-season game at home.

“It is hard to believe, but yes sir,” said Sargeant. “As I said, that is a good thing.

Boston Davidsen entered Sunday leading the PFC in rushing.

“We love playing at home. We love the fans. We love the energy.

“As I said, this is a good deal for us.”

The Hilltop didn’t leave much doubt that they would take care of business against the Colts in their clash on Sunday jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Backup veteran linebacker Jordan Levesque scored the Hilltops first major plunging in from two-yards out playing in the team’s short yardage offensive packaged.

Before the opening 15 minutes expired, Davidsen muscled his way into the end zone on a one-yard run to give the hosts their 14-0 advantage. In the second quarter, Davidsen ran home a touchdown from nine yards out to account for his second major to push the Hilltops lead out to 21-0.

Hilltops DE Riece Kack (#47) sets to sack Colts QB Isaiah Klein.

The Hilltops edge proceeded to grow to 26-0 by halftime thanks to a conceded safety by the Colts due to bad field position and Saskatoon kicker Connor Green connecting on a field goal from 18 yards out.

“I think we had a good game plan coming in,” said Davidsen, who entered Sunday leading the PFC in rushing. “The coaches allowed me to be in a position to be successful, and then we have great blocks especially from the start.

“I think our O-line came with a great mindset. Our receivers had some good blocks for when I broke through. It kind of just translates to me having some easy yards, which allowed me get them up in the first half.”

Daylen Hartz gets one of his two sacks for the Hilltops.

While Davidsen likes to spread out the credit for his success to teammates, Hilltops veteran standout centre Luciano Jolly said the Hilltops elite level power runner just makes things happen.

“He makes us look good a lot,” said Jolly. “A lot of the time we’ll block something up, and then he will make us look good.

“I don’t know how to explain it any better than that.”

Sargeant was pleased to see Davidsen hit the milestone of surpassing 1,000 yards rushing for the season.

“That was a goal today for sure and great for the offensive line and for Boston (Davidsen),” said Sargeant. “The collective 12 certainly played hard and rallied around him.

Carter McLean jets to the end zone on a 19-yard touchdown run.

“He is just such a classy kid, so it was awesome to see today. What an accomplishment for Boston and this football team.”

Early in the third quarter, McLean, who is the Hilltops star veteran running back, ran in a major from 19 yards out to make the Hilltops lead stand at 33-0. Halfway through the third quarter, Hilltops starting quarterback Trey Reider hit first-year receiver Drake Douglas with a 23-yard touchdown pass to put the Hilltops up 40-0. The major was the first for Douglas in his CJFL career.

Early in the fourth quarter, Green hit a field goal from 32 yards out to push the host side’s edge out to 43-0.

The Colts rounded out the game’s scoring recording a pair of touchdowns inside the final four minutes of the fourth quarter. Colts backup quarterback Nick Kennedy hit receiver Alex Wahl for a nine-yard touchdown toss. Kennedy then connected with receiver Ty Metcalfe on a five yard pass and run play for a two-point conversion to trim the Hilltops lead to 43-8.

The Hilltops celebrate Carter McLean’s touchdown run.

Calgary’s second major score came from a nine-yard run by running back Joseph Richardson. The Colts failed on their two-point convert attempt to cause the score sit at its final 43-14 outcome.

“It is good to go into the playoffs with a win of course,” said Jolly, whose Hilltops also downed the Colts 35-18 back on Sept. 25 in Calgary. “Obviously with a commanding win over the Colts after we only beat them by 18 the last game that we played them, so for us to be able to beat them how we did today, that is good for us and gives us a little bit more confidence for next week.”

With the Hilltops ground game hitting on all cylinders, Reider had a lighter day in the passing department completing 8-of-15 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown, while throwing one interception.

Drake Douglas hauls in a 23-yard touchdown catch.

Hilltops 17-year-old rookie running back Charles Sawi piled up 118 yards rushing on just five carries, which included a spectacular 64-yard romp.

Colts starting quarterback Isaiah Klein completed 4-of-9 passes for 37 yards, while throwing one interception. Kennedy entered the game early in the second half and completed 11-of 21 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown, while throwing one interception.

Colts standout running back Alan Xiang topped his club with 51 yards rushing on just seven carries.

Hilltops defensive end Daylen Hartz had a pair of sacks, while fellow defensive end Riece Kack had a sack and a fumble recovery. Rookie defensive lineman Kai Kukurudza also had a sack for the Saskatoon side.

The Hilltops kick cover unit wrap up a Colts kick returner.

Defensive backs Steve Gilewicz and Isaac Rivalin each had an interception for the Hilltops.

Defensive lineman Brady Johnson had a sack for the Colts, while defensive back William Sorentino had an interception for the Calgary side.

Now that the regular season is wrapped up, Davidsen said he is pumped to get things going in the CJFL playoffs.

“It is a whole new season,” said Davidsen, who team has won the last seven consecutive PFC finals. “You have to turn a page.

“It doesn’t matter what your record has been in the past. You have to play who is in front of you. We know we are playing the (Edmonton) Huskies.

The Hilltops want to make more big play memories in the playoffs.

“It is something we are excited about. You get to practice this week, get focused and get ready to go next Sunday.”

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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Never underestimate WWE house show fun

My iconic photo of Liv Morgan signing an autograph for a young fan.

If you want to find out how wide spread the reach of the WWE is, just post a photo of Liv Morgan on Instagram from a house show.

On October 2, I attended the Sunday Stunner WWE house show at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon as a ticket buyer. Before that night, the last WWE house show I attended was back in August of 2009, when I reviewed one for the Medicine Hat News that was held at The Arena in Medicine Hat.

The last previous time I attended a WWE live event as a ticket buyer was way back in late 1993 held at the old Winnipeg Arena, where the main event was a WWE title match between The Undertaker and then champion Yokozuna. Life often makes it hard to keep up with interests the older you get.

With all that noted, I went to the house show on October 2 in Saskatoon just to have fun. Morgan at the time was the WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion, and she was on for the second last match of the night.

After getting a pinfall win over Sonya Deville, Morgan circled the ring and went up the entrance way signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans. I took a picture of her with the camera on my mobile phone signing an autograph for a young fan at ringside.

I thought the photo was cool one, so I posted to Instagram with a share to my Facebook account. When I got home after the show, I posted the photo to Twitter.

Liv Morgan gets a pinfall win over Sonya Deville.

After I posted the photo to Twitter, I already noticed a copy of that photo was already taken from either my Instagram or Facebook feed and shared on various different WWE fan accounts on both Instagram and Twitter going viral in the process. My actual own Twitter post of the photo had 44 retweets and 518 likes.

I didn’t watermark the photo, because I wasn’t thinking about it potentially getting lifted off one of my social media accounts. I also wasn’t working the event as a photographer utilizing my digital SLR cameras I would use to shoot the hockey and football games I cover.

When the dust settled, I was just happy that a whole tonne of people enjoyed that photo I took with my mobile phone camera.

Overall, the house show was the best two-and-a-half hours I spent on the entertainment front in a long time. The fact I was in the second row from ringside also helped with the experience, because you get a great opportunity to interact with the WWE talent.

With that said, I would have enjoyed attending that event regardless of where I sat. Still, I was really happy with the $147 in Canadian funds I spent on my seat that was in the second row from ringside.

Sonya Deville became one of my favourites in the WWE.

WWE live events now have a different feel from the ones I used to attend from my childhood through to my teenage years from the mid 1980s through to the early 1990s. In those days, I remember a large part of the crowd consisting of the beer drinker who wanted to see blood, which was an old school style pro wrestling fan.

As strange as this sounds, the WWE card in Saskatoon on October 2 was the most clean thing entertainment wise I’ve gone to in the last 20 years. The majority of the audience was a mix of the comic book buying more geek type crowd and parents who brought their children. From my seat, I was pretty much surrounded by parents with their children.

Out of all the events I’ve been to in the last 25 years including the massive amounts of sports events I’ve worked, the alcohol that was consumed at the Sunday Stunner event in Saskatoon was very limited. It was by far the driest event I’ve been to in the last 25 years.

Plus, everyone in attendance was aware that WWE live events are shows with storylines that lead to decided outcomes. When I went to WWE live events in my youthful years from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, matches were played out like they were athletic contests with undecided outcomes.

Knowing that the October 2^nd WWE live event in Saskatoon was a show with storylines that had decided outcomes, the heckles that happened were in good taste and fun.

Sami Zayn addresses the crowd in Saskatoon on October 2.

I thought the best lob I shouted out was for Deville. In the United States, Deville runs a donut making company with long time best friend Mandy Rose, who is WWE NXT Women’s Champion. The company is called DaMandyz Donutz.

After Deville entered the ring, I shouted out, “DaMandyz Donutz for everyone.”

Deville was working her match as the heel or bad gal. She immediately went into her bad gal character pointing at me and yelling for me to shut up.

When the crowd started booing her after her tirade, Deville broke character leaning in to where I was to thank me for the shout out for her donut making company and added an I appreciate you comment too.

That is one of the best parts of a house show is the WWE talent can interact with the crowd in a way they can’t if the event is a live broadcast event like a taping of WWE’s weekly, RAW, NXT or Smackdown shows or a pay-per-view event.

After Montreal, Que., product Sami Zayn was done his two matches for the night, he went out of character giving a great speech to the crowd saying the show they did the night before in Regina and that night in Saskatoon were the first time in his life he had visited Saskatchewan. Zayn talked about how great Canadian WWE crowds were and thanked the fans in attendance for their support.

One of the biggest rushes of energy for me came when Calgary, Alta., product Natalya came out for her match with B-Fab. Natalya is the niece of pro-wrestling icon Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and the Hart family’s ties to Canada run deep.

Natalya sets to blow a kiss to some friends at ringside.

Hart famously won the WWE title for the first time on October 12, 1992 at the SaskTel Centre, which is still viewed as one of the building’s all-time greatest moments.

Natalya can often act as a coach in the WWE’s women’s division and B-Fab was working her first main roster matches during the stops in the two Saskatchewan centres. After Natalya gained a submission victory with the “Sharpshooter,” she helped B-Fab, who had an outstanding performance, up and the two hugged.

That is the other great thing about house shows is WWE talent can try different things to see how the crowd reacts as a test to see if those things could be used for a broadcast event. That included the members of Maximum Male Models trying to hit members of Hit Row with a loaded fanny pack when the referee wasn’t looking.

Still, the night belonged to the kids. I got a kick out of how excited the two little guys that were sitting next to me got during the main event when Drew McIntyre landed his “Claymore Kick” and tag team partner Sheamus connected his “Brogue Kick” on members of Imperium.

That helped the team of McIntyre and Sheamus to take victory in that bout. On a side note, the members of Imperium are spectacular as heels, especially in a house show setting.

With all that said, the joy of those two kids seeing their heroes in McIntyre and Sheamus prevail was priceless.

Sheamus meets the fans after his WWE match in Saskatoon.

Hart once said pro wrestling should be something you should be able to bring your kids to. “The Hitman” would have loved the WWE show in Saskatoon on October 2 because lots of kids who are young and young at heart had a great time.

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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Reider making good on first starts at QB for Hilltops

Trey Reider, left, fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.

Trey Reider is now the starter at quarterback for the Saskatoon Hilltops, but he is still acting like there is an open competition for that spot.

When the Hilltops saw their record fall to 2-3 after three straight losses, the club’s coaching staff elected to pull 22-year-old Damon Dutton from the starting quarterback spot in favour of the 20-year-old Reider before the team’s road game on Sept. 25 in Calgary against the Colts. In that contest at Shouldice Athletic Park, Reider completed 16-of-24 passes for 191 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 35-17 victory in his first career CJFL start.

Reider followed up that performance on Oct. 2 completing 16-of-20 passes for 207 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in 64-7 romp over the Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta.

Heading into the Sept. 25 contest against the Colts, Reider said the coaches informed him that he would be in a competition in practice that week for the starting quarterback role with Dutton.

“We were just competing all week me and Damon (Dutton),” said Reider. “It was just a friendly competition just to see who could play.

“Then I got my shot against Calgary, and we did quite well. We’re still competing every day in practice just testing each other and making each other better.”

Reider will get his third start on Sunday, when the Hilltops (4-3) host the Colts (2-5) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The clash will close the CJFL regular season schedules for both sides and the 2022 campaign for the Colts, who have been eliminated from post-season contention.

Trey Reider (#3) calls signals in a short-yardage situation.

The Hilltops are locked in to play the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) in a PFC semifinal match, but where that contest will be played is still up in the air. The Huskies close their regular season schedule on Sunday when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder (7-0) at Leibel Field.

The’ Toppers hold the standings tiebreaker with the Huskies due to winning the lone head-to-head encounter between the two clubs 38-10 on August 21 at SMF Field. If the Hilltops win their final regular season game and the Huskies fall in their final regular season outing, the Hilltops would vault to second place in the PFC and host a PFC semifinal against the Huskies.

The Huskies would lock up second place in the PFC if they win their final regular season game or the Hilltops fall in their last regular season clash.

Reider admits he is pumped to make his first start at home.

“It is a bit exciting,” said Reider. “I haven’t played at home yet.

“At the same time, I just have to take care of business this weekend.”

During his first two starts, Reider said his offensive line did a great job pass blocking giving him lots of time to complete passes. He also gave a nod to his receivers for their great work noting that veterans Dillan Heintz and Noah Flaman came down with some clutch catches.

The Hilltops need Damon Dutton to remain sharp as a backup.

Reider added that the biggest thing that allowed the passing game to work the past two games was the fact the Hilltops ground game has been outstanding anchored by star power running back Boston Davidsen, who needs 109 yard rushing on Sunday to hit the 1,000-yard plateau for the season.

In the Sept. 25 win over the Colts, the Hilltops piled up 269 yards rushing as a team. Saskatoon rolled off 303 yards rushing as a squad in the Oct. 2 victory over the Wildcats.

“It helps out so much when your run game is just as good as it is right now,” said Reider. “It just opens up the pass game for us, because they have to put so many more guys on the line to stop Boston (Davidsen).

“Just a shout out to our O-line and Boston (Davidsen) for getting those yards every game. It makes me look better.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Reider has played well in his first two starts.

“We’re very pleased with Trey’s performance,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, he has shown a lot of growth within the offence we are running.

“He is starting to grasp it. Each rep, each play, each day he practises, you see him getting better and more confident. We have a lot of faith in him.

“We’re going to continue to expand the playbook and put him in good situations. He has been doing the right thing by making a lot of plays, so as I said, it has been good. It has helped to make us better, and we’re looking forward to the stretch run now.”

Sargeant said it wasn’t easy to make the change at the starting quarterback spot, because you get invested in the players.

Boston Davidsen and Hilltops have piled up the rushing yards.

“At the end of the day, I blame myself for not making this be what it needs to be,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, Damon (Dutton) is a champion, he is a leader and he is out here doing the right things.”

The sideline boss said the Hilltops need all their quarterbacks to be ready with the post-season just around the corner, and someone like Dutton could find himself pressed into action.

“The great thing about the quarterback position is you are one play away from having to be ready,” said Sargeant. “We know Damon (Dutton) is ready and waiting for his opportunity.

“He (Dutton) is practising hard and asking good questions and still doing the right things. We feel we are in a good situation. We feel we have two outstanding quarterbacks that if need be either one we can count on to go out there and do the job and make the plays.”

Hilltops to salute “Sarge” for 25^th year as HC, other notes

Tom Sargeant has been the Hilltops head coach since Dec. 1997.

The Saskatoon Hilltops will be saluting the best who has ever guided the venerable CJFL club as head coach and is Canada’s all-time wins leader in post-secondary football.

When the Hilltops close their regular season schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m. hosting the Calgary Colts at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops will honour Tom Sargeant for the 25 years he has served with the team as head coach. Sargeant officially became the Hilltops head coach in early December of 1997.

Before becoming a head coach, Sargeant served as a Hilltops assistant coach from 1991 through to becoming head coach in December of 1997. He played slotback for the team from 1983 to 1985.

As Hilltops head coach, Sargeant has posted a career record of 222-36-2 including a 165-26-2 mark in regular season action and a 57-10 mark in post-season play. Sargeant has guided the Hilltops to 13 CJFL championships as head coach coming in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

He also celebrated CJFL championship wins as an assistant coach in 1991 and 1996 and his first CJFL title victory came as a player in 1985.

The 57-year-old was named CJFL coach of the year twice coming in 2000 and 2003.

Matt Turple is one of 15 players who will graduate from the Hilltops.

As Sunday’s contest is the Hilltops last regular season home game for the 2022 campaign, the team will salute the 20 players who will graduate from the club following the completion of the squad’s post-season run. The graduating players will make a traditional walk out of the tunnel with their parents.

The Hilltops will also be offering free admission to the contest to all first responders and salute them during Sunday’s game. The YXE First Responders Fitness Festival is slated to be held at the Indoor Training Centre on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

• Heading into the last weekend of regular season games for the PFC, Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson leads the conference in defensive points with 108 points coming on 28 solo defensive tackles, 12 defensive tackle assists, three solo special teams tackles, two special teams tackle assists, two quarterback sacks, five pass deflections and four interceptions. Johnson is trying to top the PFC in defensive points for two consecutive seasons.
• On Sunday, the Winnipeg Rifles (3-4) host the Edmonton Wildcats (0-7) at IG Field in the Manitoba capital to close the respective regular season schedules for both of those clubs. The Wildcats have been eliminated from CJFL playoff contention, while the Rifles know they will travel to Regina to face the Thunder in a PFC semifinal with the date and location of that contest still to be announced.
• The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team will host the University of Regina Rams in a huge U Sports regular season game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. The Huskies sit in first place in the Canada West Conference at 5-0, while the Rams sit second at 4-1. The two side met on Sept. 17 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, where the Huskies pulled out an 11-10 victory with kicker/punter David Solie hitting a winning 32-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
• On Monday, Saskatoon Blades 19-year-old left-winger Conner Roulette was named the WHL player of the week for the week ending on October 9. Roulette collected five goals and three assists in four contests from October 3-9 as the Blades posted a 2-2 record. The Blades are 5-2 in the early going of the WHL regular season. Moose Jaw Warriors overage netminder Connor Ungar was the WHL goaltender of the week for the week ending on October 9. In three appearances from October 3 to 9, Ungar posted a 2-0 record, a 0.80 goals against average and a .979 save percentage.
• Last Sunday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on track and field star Kendra Farmer embarking her final season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Team. Farmer is a regular at the Track and Field Track on the Complex grounds training as an elite athlete while helping coach with Running Wild Athletics Club. The piece on Farmer can found by clicking right here. I also created a photo round up that shows the fall season in full sprint, and that piece can be found by clicking right here.

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

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Hilltops’ Davidsen on cusp of 1,000 yards rushing for season

Boston Davidsen has rushed for 891 yards this season.

Boston Davidsen will always be a team first guy, even when he is close to a big personal milestone.

Through seven games of the CJFL regular season, the Saskatoon Hilltops star power running back has carried the ball 133 times for 891 yards and five touchdowns. He needs to run for 109 yards in the Hilltops final regular season game to achieve the milestone of rushing for 1000 yards in one season.

The Hilltops, who are 4-3, also need to win their last game of the regular season to keep the possibility of hosting a PFC semifinal playoff game alive. They close the regular season hosting the Calgary Colts (2-5) on Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

At the same time when the Hilltops are facing the Colts, the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) travel to Regina to take on the Thunder (7-0) at Leibel Field. A Hilltops victory combined with a Huskies loss will see both club sport 5-3 records and give Saskatoon second place in the PFC and the right to host a PFC semifinal against the Huskies.

The ’Toppers hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with the Huskies having won the lone regular season encounter between the two sides 38-10 back on August 21 at SMF Field.

Davidsen is aware how close he is to 1,000-yards rushing, but he said his mind is focused on helping the Hilltops secure a win against the Colts.

“It is far from a guarantee that we will get there (to 1,000-yards rushing),” said Davidsen, who leads the PFC in rushing. “I think more importantly we have a game (against the Calgary Colts) that we have to win.

Boston Davidsen (#24) hits a hole created by his offensive line.

“If we win and things go our way, we’ll get a home playoff game in the first round. That is what we are focused on. If I can contribute to that win by running the ball, then I am all for it.

“If I need to block, I’ll do whatever it takes. That win comes first.”

As Saskatoon leads the PFC in rushing with 1,463 yards, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knows his team’s path to victory calls for being strong on the ground. The legendary sideline boss said his team will be trying to get Davidsen to 1,000 yards rushing for the season, because his success along the ground gives the Hilltops a better chance to win.

While Davidsen has had a good season, Sargeant believes his standout has found another gear in recent weeks.

“The last couple of games we’ve played better, and one of the reasons is because Boston (Davidsen) and the O-line are playing better,” said Sargeant. “He (Davidsen) is doing a heck of a job reading his holes and making good decisions.

“You look at his performance he did last year he is a heck of a runner there. We know what he is all about. We’ll rally around that, and that will be one of our goals as we head into our last game of the year of trying to get Boston (Davidsen) over that mountaintop, because he deserves it, the O-line deserves it and the offence deserves it and the team deserves it.”

Last season, Davidsen had a breakout campaign finishing second in the PFC with 634 yards rushing coming on 98 carries, where he scored six touchdowns. The graduate of the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints football program is aware that the players on the offensive line would be pretty pumped, if they could say they blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher.

Boston Davidsen can pile up the yards in traffic.

“It might even show more success on their part than it does on mine,” said Davidsen, whose father, Donnie, is the Hilltops offensive line coach. “Without a successful O-line, you’re not going anywhere.

“They’re the ones creating the lanes for you allowing you to get your yards. They’re the ones that take a lot of pride in it too. They’ve been keeping me I guess updated with the stats even maybe more than myself just trying to I guess motivate me to hit that mark.”

The last Hilltops player to hit the 1000-yard plateau in rushing was Ben Abrook, who accomplished the feat in 2019 when Saskatoon capped a run of winning the CJFL title in six straight years. That season, Abrook ran the ball 199 times for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns.

During the Hilltops 2018 CJFL championship season, Josh Ewanchyna hit the 1,000-yard plateau. Suiting up in seven regular season games, Ewanchyna carried the ball 134 times for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Wayndel Lewis is currently the third last player to hit 1,000-yards rushing in a season. During the Hilltops 2014 CJFL championship season, Lewis carried the ball 130 times for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns while being named the CJFL’s offensive player of the year.

Current Hilltops running backs coach Andre Lalonde holds the Hilltops team record for most rushing yards in one season set in his final campaign as a player in 2013. In that season, Lalonde carried the ball 182 times for 1,367 yards and seven touchdowns while being named the CJFL’s offensive player of the year.

Boston Davidsen can power his way through attempted tacklers.

Davidsen said one of his biggest influences on his career is Lalonde.

“I owe a tonne of my success to him,” said Davidsen. “He’s led the way.

“He has been a good leader for me, a good coach and a good example to follow. All of the technique and stuff we use, it is taught by him. He is a major part of our team’s success and the running backs’ success.”

Looking towards the Hilltops final regular season game, Sargeant said it is special when a running back can reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season. With the PFC traditionally being the CJFL’s toughest conference, Sargeant said that makes getting to 1,000-yards rushing that much more impressive a milestone on top of the fact the Hilltops have had their struggles this season.

The sideline boss said it would be a memorable moment, if the Hilltops could get Davidsen to 1,000-yards rushing.

“When you break this league down, it is not easy, especially with the way we’ve been playing,” said Sargeant. “It is credit to everybody that he is in this situation, but most importantly him.

“He has put in the time. He does everything right, and as I said, everyone is going to rally around him.

Boston Davidsen, left, is focused on helping the Hilltops win games.

“He’d be embarrassed if we’re talking like this behind him with these accolades. That is just who he is. At the end of the day, he is one heck of a football player, and he makes the Saskatoon Hilltops better.”

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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Adversity might make Hilltops better for rest of 2022 season

The Hilltops get set to make a short yardage play.

The skid is the rear view mirror, but it has not been forgotten by the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Actually, it is a constant reminder for the current members of the team to put in the work and focus on getting better. As far as the 2022 CJFL season is concerned, the Hilltops aren’t going to be able to show up on game day and overwhelm an opponent with their storied history that has seen them win 22 CJFL championships since the modern version of the team was formed in 1947.

CJFL foes take the field in 2022 with the belief that they can beat the Hilltops. They have visions of being able to get past the Hilltops and go all the way.

With all that in mind, it is still possible the Hilltops could ultimately exit the 2022 season with a 23^rd CJFL title. While the veer of invincibility isn’t there to seemingly give the Hilltops an advantage on the scoreboard before even taking the field, they still have the players to get it done when the dust settles.

When the Hilltops started the 2022 season winning their first two games, there was a feeling the campaign could be like the remarkable dominant campaigns like the venerable CJFL squad has had in the past.

That came crashing down after the Hilltops lost three straight to fall to 2-3. Up until that time, the Hilltops hadn’t lost three games in the regular season since the 1993 campaign, when they posted a 5-3 mark and fell in the PFC final to the Regina Rams, who moved to the U Sports ranks as the University of Regina Rams in 1999.

This was the first time the Hilltops had lost three games in a regular season along with three in a row under legendary head coach Tom Sargeant, who is the all-time wins leader for post-secondary amateur football in Canada. Sargeant became Hilltops head coach before the start of the 1998 campaign.

Carter McLean runs downfield for the Hilltops.

The first two losses in the streak were heartbreakers. The Hilltops fell 19-16 to the Rifles in Winnipeg on August 28 after the Rifles kicked the winning field goal with 36 seconds remaining to play in the fourth quarter.

Following that contest, the Hilltops proceeded to drop a 29-21 overtime decision to the Regina Thunder at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on September 10. The Hilltops were leading that game 21-14, and the Rifles scored the tying touchdown with 16.8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime on a third-and-eight play from the Saskatoon 31 yard line.

While those two contests could have easily gone the Hilltops way with the change of one or two plays, there were no “what ifs” on September 17, when they dropped a 23-7 decision to the Thunder at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. The Thunder outperformed the Hilltops on offence, defence and special teams in that encounter.

After three straight losses with the third setback being a bad one, legitimate doubt started to creep in with how the 2022 season could ultimately play out for the Hilltops. They looked like their 2-3 record at that point in time.

Now, the Hilltops have bounced back from that skid with two straight wins. On September 25, they dumped the Colts in Calgary 35-17 and this past Sunday they bombed the Edmonton Wildcats 64-7 at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta.

The Hilltops have a CJFL playoff berth clinched with a 4-3 mark. They could potentially host a PFC semifinal contest with the combination of two results.

The Hilltops need to win their final regular season game on Sunday, October 16, when they host the Colts (2-5) at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. Also on that day, the Hilltops need the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) to fall to the Thunder (7-0) in Regina to be able to move to second in the PFC standings to host a PFC semifinal.

Riece Kack leads the PFC with 6.5 sacks.

The lone head-to-head encounter between the Hilltops and Huskies was taken by the Saskatoon side 38-10 on August 21 at SMF Field, which gives the standing tiebreaker to the ’Toppers.

Saskatoon has won two straight due to getting more consistent play at quarterback and piling up big yards on the ground. The Hilltops coaches elected to start 20-year-old Trey Reider for the past two games over 22-year-old veteran Damon Dutton.

In the September 25 win over the Colts, Reider completed 16-of-24 passes for 191 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Saskatoon also piled up 269 yards rushing as a team in that contest.

During the victory this past Sunday over the Wildcats, Reider completed 16-of-20 passes for 207 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Hilltops piled up 303 yards rushing along the ground as a team.

While Reider is the starter at the moment, the Hilltops may still need Dutton to come up with solid performances like he has in the past before the losing skid, if Reider gets injured or he struggles. During eight regular season games in 2021, Dutton put up solid numbers completing 127-of-183 passes for 1,528 yards and 12 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.

Dutton came up clutch in the Hilltops 33-31 PFC semifinal win over the Huskies completing 21-of-39 passes for 285 yards and one touchdown, while throwing one interception. He hit veteran receiver Dillon Heintz with a five-yard touchdown toss with 21.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to win that contest, which goes down as a CJFL classic.

The Hilltops lead the PFC in rushing with 1,463 yards. Star power running back Boston Davidsen is the PFC’s top ground gainer carrying the ball 133 times for 891 yards and five touchdowns.

On defence, the Hilltops have given up the fewest points in the PFC at 115 and the second fewest yards in the conference at 2,594.

Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson leads the PFC in defensive points with 108 points coming on 28 solo defensive tackles, 12 defensive tackle assists, three solo special teams tackles, two special teams tackle assists, two quarterback sacks, five pass deflections and four interceptions.

The Hilltops aim to build on their run of two straight wins.

’Toppers middle linebacker Matt Wist sits fourth in the PFC in defensive points with 93.5 points coming on 35 solo defensive tackles, 18 defensive tackle assists, a half quarterback sack and an interception.

Saskatoon defensive end Riece Kack leads the PFC with 6.5 quarterback sacks.

On special teams, Hilltops 17-year-old rookie running back and kick return Charles Sawi has become a threat that could run the ball back on any play.

The Hilltops have playmakers all over the place. The idea that the CJFL championship trophy - Canadian Bowl - could return to reside in the team’s clubhouse on Kilburn Avenue in November is not out the realm of possibilities.

Davidsen gets PFC offensive player of the week nod

Boston Davidsen took home a player of the week award.

Boston Davidsen ripped off some big runs which resulted in his first conference player of the week nod for the 2022 campaign.

On Wednesday, the Hilltops 21-year-old star power running back was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his work in his team’s 64-7 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta., this past Sunday. In that contest, Davidsen carried the ball 12 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. 

He had a season-long 74 yard run in that contest and ran in one of his major scores from 32 yards out.

Davidsen leads the PFC in rushing carrying the ball 133 times for 891 yards and five touchdowns.

Last season, Davidsen finished second in the PFC in rushing carrying the ball 98 times for 634 yards and six touchdowns.

On Wednesday night, Davidsen won the fan vote as the Fan’s Choice for CJFL player of the week.

Sawi nabs second special teams player of the week award

Charle Sawi picked up his second player of the week honour this season.

Charles Sawi seemingly makes big plays every time he touches the football, and it has resulted in second PFC player of the week award for the 2022 campaign.

On Wednesday, the Hilltops 17-year-old rookie running back was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his role in his club’s 64-7 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta., this past Sunday.

Sawi returned the opening kickoff of the second half 96 yards for a touchdown. He also returned a missed field goal 32 yards.

On offence, Sawi carried the ball five times for 60 yards, which included a 34-yard run. Against the Wildcats, Sawi piled up 188 all-purpose yards.

This marked the second time this season that Sawi was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week.

Edmonton Huskies defensive back Paul Loggale was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week. He had two interceptions, two pass knockdowns and blocked a kick in his team’s 33-8 home victory over the Winnipeg Rifles this past Sunday.

PFC semifinal matchups have been determined

The Thunder are the top playoff seed in the PFC.

The matchups for the PFC semifinals have been determined for the 2022 CJFL post-season, and only the location for one of those contests needs to be determined.

With all PFC teams still having one regular season game left to play, the conference semifinals will see the Regina Thunder take on the Winnipeg Rifles and the Edmonton Huskies face the Saskatoon Hilltops. Those games are slated to be held on Sunday, October 23 with the times still to be determined.

The Thunder have locked up first place in the PFC with a 7-0 record, and they will host the Rifles. The Rifles, who are 3-4, are locked into fourth place in the PFC thanks to winning their lone head-to-head encounter 31-28 with the 2-5 Calgary Colts.

The Huskies, who are 5-2, will face the Hilltops, who are 4-3, but it is still up in the air if that contest will be in Edmonton or Saskatoon.  The Hilltops hold the standings tiebreaker between the two sides due to winning the lone head-to-head encounter between the two clubs 38-10 on August 21 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

In order to have a chance to host the PFC semifinal, the Hilltops need to win their final regular season game on Sunday, October 16, when they host the Colts (2-5) at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. Also on that day if they have beaten the Colts, the Hilltops need the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) to fall to the Thunder (7-0) in Regina to be able to move to second in the PFC standings to host a PFC semifinal.

The Rifles can’t catch the Hilltops for third place due to Saskatoon holding the head-to-head standings tiebreaker between the two squads. The two sides split their two regular season encounters, but the Hilltops took the season series outscoring the Rifles 35-29 in those head-to-head meetings.

The Colts and the Edmonton Wildcats (0-7) have been eliminated from post-season contention.

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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