Hilltops’ Schnitzler loved riding with CFL’s Roughriders

DL spent five weeks on pro team’s practice roster

Hilltops DL Tom Schnitzler (#56) fires off the line to rush the quarterback.

    Tom Schnitzler was thankful he was smart on the spot, when he got a surprise call from the CFL ranks during a six-week travel trip in Europe.

    The star defensive lineman with the Saskatoon Hilltops was surprised to receive a text invite to Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp. The call came shortly before the Roughriders opened training camp in Saskatoon on May 28.

    At first, Schnitzler’s spirits sank, because wasn’t able to attend training camp, but he made sure to send a response that intended to keep the door open.

    “I told them when I was going to be back,” said Schnitzler. “Right when I got back, I got a text from (Roughriders assistant vice-president of football operation and administration) Jeremy O’Day.

    “He was like if you want to come down, come down.”

Tom Schnitzler listens to a call from the sidelines.

    Schnitzler was added to the Roughriders practice roster as a territorial junior player on July 4. He spend five weeks with the team living in Regina the entire time and only came home on weekends when the Roughriders were on the road.

    On Saturday, Schnitzler celebrated his 22^nd birthday helping his Hilltops bury the Ottawa Sooners 49-15 in a cross-conference Canadian Junior Football League regular season clash at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. While the Hilltops improved to 3-0 winning their home opener, the chance to join the Roughriders practice squad turned out to be an early birthday gift. Schnitzler’s confidence in himself grew the more he hit the field with the CFL club.

    “The first week or two I was there I felt completely out of place,” said Schnitzler, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 235 pounds. “By the end of end of it, realistically, I felt like I belonged there, and I feel like it drives me to be a better athlete and practice harder and work for it.

    “I think one day, hopefully, I can get there.”

    While with the Roughriders, Schnitzler again benefited from the fact he said the right thing at the right time. He initially came to the CFL club as a linebacker and didn’t get a lot of repetitions, because the Roughriders are deep in that position.

Hilltops DL Tom Schnitzler checks out his pre-snap reads.

    Two weeks into his stay with the CFL club, the Roughriders made some transactions creating an opening on the defensive line. Schnitzler mentioned what his natural position was with the Hilltops and was moved to the defensive line.

    During his last three weeks with the Roughriders, Schnitzler was playing on the defensive line’s second team and receive a lot of repetitions. He loved every moment of that opportunity and soaked in the experience as much as he could.

    Overall, he said his experience with the Roughriders helped him both on and off the field.

    “I feel like I learned a lot not only like physically on the field, but just like studying film and everything too,” said Schnitzler. “It is just being a pro.

    “It is crazy. It is a full-time job. It is awesome.”

DL Riley Pickett makes a sack for the Hilltops.

    While Schnitzler hopes of playing with the Roughriders one day took a boost upwards, he was still pumped to rejoin the Hilltops to play out his fifth and final season of junior eligibility. He sees the Hilltops as a big extended family, and he sometimes almost doesn’t believe he is playing out his final campaign.

    “These five years have gone by crazy fast,” said Schnitzler, who is one of the defensive captains for the second straight year. “Being one of the older guys and one of the leaders on the team, it is awesome giving back to the younger guys like I was given to when I was a rookie and a second-year guy too.

    “I just want to give back and help them learn everything.”

    Against the Sooners on Saturday, Schnitzler spent a lot of time encouraging and helping the team’s younger players as the starters sat for much of the second half in the runaway win.

    The Hilltops rolled out to a 28-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Star running back Logan Fischer ran home three majors in the opening 15 minutes finding paydirt from seven, 10 and eight yards out.

Receiver Jason Price hauls in a touchdown reception for the Hilltops.

    Quarterback Jordan Walls hit receiver Jason Price with a 33-yard touchdown strike on a streak pattern to round out the first quarter scoring for the home side.

    Saskatoon’s lead grew to 35-0 just past the midway point of the second quarter, when Fischer ran the ball in from five yards out to complete a personal four-touchdown night. He piled up 137 yards rushing on 15 carries.

    The Sooners got on the board with 4.1 seconds to play in the second quarter, when backup quarterback Evan Yourth hit receiver Enzo Trunzo with a 10-yard touchdown toss to cut the Hilltops lead to 35-7. Sooners starting quarterback Tyler Scott left the game due to injury near the start of the scoring drive that ended on Trunzo’s major score.

    Early in the third quarter, the Hilltops went ahead 42-7, when Walls hit receiver Sam Mike with an 18-yard scoring strike to eliminate any faint hopes the Sooners had of a rally.

Running back Logan Fischer scores one of his four TDs for the Hilltops.

    Ottawa’s scoring was rounded out in the fourth quarter with the Hilltops conceding a safety and Yourth hitting receiver Malcolm Carter with a seven-yard touchdown toss. The Sooners two-point conversion attempted after Carter’s score was unsuccessful.

    Running back Joshua Ewanchyna ran the ball in from a yard out late in the fourth quarter to conclude the Hilltops scoring on the night.

    Walls completed 14-of-23 passes for 225 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for the Hilltops.

    Yourth connected on 12-of-22 passes for 150 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception for the Sooners (0-3). Trunzo hauled in seven passes for 106 yards to go with his major score on the night for Ottawa.

Receiver Sam Mike makes a catch in the air for the Hilltops.

    Defensive end Riley Pickett and defensive back Colton Holmes each recorded a sack for the Hilltops. Sophomore defensive back Johnathon Sexsmith had an interception for the hosts.

    While the win was convincing, Schnitzler said the game was an up and down one for the Toppers.

    “I liked the start, but I feel as the game went on we kind lost focus, and we kind of lost our pop in there,” said Schnitzler, who had a forced fumble and was often faced double team blocks in the win. “The start was good.

    “We got some young guys in, which was always good. I feel like we took some plays off in there. There was just ultimately lack of focus at some points.”

    As the season progresses, Schnitzler is savouring each moment as it comes. Ultimately, he would like to help the Hilltops win the CJFL championship for a fourth year in a row.

The Hilltops celebrate improving to 3-0 this season.

    After seeing a number of his former fifth-year teammates graduate from the program winning the CJFL title in their final game over the past three years, Schnitzler would like to follow in their footsteps.

    “Being a fifth-year guy, that is why you come back every year,” said Schnitzler. “You see the fifth-year guys go out (on top), and that is the best feeling in the world for them.

    “You want to go out the same way as them. Sarge (Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant) treats his fifth-year players well. That is why we all stick around. We try to win for the fifth-year guys, and it would be unbelievable to go out on top.”

    The Hilltops return to action when they host the Regina Thunder at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9 at SMF Field.

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