Rookie DB gets first sack in 43-9 romp of
Wildcats
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| Hilltops DB Logan Bitz sacks Wildcats QB Austin Ericson. |
Logan Bitz almost couldn’t believe the Thanksgiving Day
weekend surprise the Saskatoon Hilltops coaching staff had in store for him.
Shortly before halftime of the Hilltops clash with the
Edmonton Wildcats on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the rookie
defensive back received a play call from the Saskatoon coaching staff for him
to blitz the quarterback from the halfback position. As Hilltops defensive
coordinator Jeff Yausie very rarely calls a blitz play, Bitz looked towards the
bench to see if the call was for real.
Looking at Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, Bitz knew the
call was indeed a genuine one.
“Sarge looked at me, and he gave me that look that if I
don’t do good it is never going to be called again,” said Bitz. “I just made
the most of my opportunity and had a good time with it.”
The Saskatoon St. Joseph High School graduate came clean off
the edge and blindsided Wildcats backup quarterback Austin Ericson. Bitz could
feel a surge of excitement as he neared the Edmonton signal caller.
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| Logan Bitz has turned heads as a rookie. |
“Normally I am in pass coverage, so it feels nice to get an
open shot on some guy and then just celebrate with my teammates.”
The Hilltops made a whole host of big plays in a 43-9 romp
over the Wildcats in the Canadian Junior Football League regular season clash.
Saskatoon piled up 625 yards of net offence, while holding Edmonton to 126
offensive yards. During the onslaught, the Wildcats lost started quarterback
Colton Hippe to a broken leg in the second quarter on what seemed like a
routine tackle.
For Bitz, the win and his sack continued what has been a
memorable rookie campaign. He was named a co-winner of the Prairie Football
Conference’s special teams player of the week award after the Hilltops thumped
the Okanagan Sun 58-2 on Sept. 17 in Kelowna, B.C.
Bitz has earned a spot on the 40-man travel roster for three
of the Hilltops four road games so far this season. Overall, he loves the
atmosphere with the team.
“It is amazing,” said Bitz. “It is a real family oriented
thing. Everyone is friends with everybody.
“It is really good. They do lots of family activities. Families
are just really involved.”
Against the Wildcats on Sunday, the Hilltops jumped out to a
10-0 lead after the first quarter and increased their advantage to 40-7 by
halftime.
Starting quarterback Jared Andreychuk completed 11-of-16
passes for 279 yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions. He connected
with Sam Mike on two aerial TDs from 65 and nine yards out. Andreychuk also hit
Jay Price with a 48-yard touchdown strike and Ryan Turple with a 25-yard major
through the air.
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| Hilltops DB Logan Bitz celebrates his quarterback sack. |
Price had three catches for 118 yards, while Mike caught
five passes for 106 yards. Rooking running back Joshua Ewanchyna piled up 106
yards rushing on seven carries and scored one touchdown along the ground.
Defensive end Blake Hermann had a sack and blocked a punt.
The Hilltops also received another punt block from defensive lineman Riley
Pickett.
James Vause kicked two 25-yard field goals for the hosts.
Receiver Isaac Fagnan accounted for the Wildcats lone major
score on a 95-yard kickoff return. Both teams conceded one safety touch.
Bitz wants to help the Hilltops win a third straight
Canadian Bowl, and he believes in the team’s mantra of helping send the fifth
year players out on a big high. On a personal level, he said a national
championship win would set a big standard for the rest of his own career.
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| Receiver Ryan Turple jukes a Wildcats DB on a 25-yard TD reception. |
“I am just excited to keep going and hopefully keep playing,”
said Bitz. “This game was a game that it was helping decide that top 40 going
into playoffs and obviously next week going to Winnipeg. I am just excited to
see if I do go or not.”
With the win, the Hilltops improve to 7-1 to stick second in
the PFC. They are trying to chase down the Calgary Colts, who fell to 7-1 on
Sunday after dropping a 30-23 decision to the Thunder in Regina. The Thunder
sit fourth in the PFC with a 4-4 mark.
The Colts hold the tiebreaker in the standings over the
Hilltops taking the only head-to-head meeting between the two squads 36-21 back
on Aug. 28 in Saskatoon.
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| Hilltops guard Drayke Unger rumbles downfield on a rare carry. |
The Wildcats fell to 0-8, and they close their schedule this
coming Sunday in Edmonton against the Thunder.
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