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| The Hilltops enjoy a fourth straight CJFL title. (Photo courtesy Bonnie Bitz) |
In the Canadian Junior Football League, they continue to
accomplish things that have never been done before.
On Saturday in Windsor, Ont., the venerable Hilltops
continued to add their list of unique experiences. They rolled into Alumni
Field at the University of Windsor and proceeded to dismantle the host Windsor
AKO Fratmen 56-11 in the CJFL title the game – the Canadian Bowl.
The Hilltops, who finished the 2017 campaign with an 11-1 overall record, became the first team in the history of the
CJFL to win four straight league championships. The circuit’s national
championship game dates back to 1908.
On top of that accomplishment, the Hilltops became the first
team to win seven CJFL titles over an eight year span, and they have now won a
total of 20 CJFL championships. Their first national championship came way back
in 1953, when they downed the AKO Fratmen 34-6 before 7,200 spectators at
Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.
Since Tom Sargeant became head coach in 1998, the Hilltops
have won 11 of their 20 CJFL championships. Their seemingly endless dynasty under
Sargeant seemed destined to continue on Saturday in Windsor as the host AKO Fratmen ultimately finished 9-2 overall this season.
On the game’s second play from scrimmage, the AKO Fratmen
had the ball on offence, and the centre’s shotgun snap sailed over the head of
quarterback Brandon Reaume.
Hilltops fifth-year star defensive end Tom Schnitzler recovered
the ball at the Windsor one yard line. On the ensuing play, Hilltops star big
game fifth-year running back Logan Fischer powered into the end zone for a
touchdown to give Saskatoon a 7-0 lead.
Saskatoon forced 10 turnovers in Saturday’s contest and
converted those takeaways into 35 points. With Jeff Yausie as defensive
coordinator, the Hilltops have cemented a reputation of taking the ball away
and those takeaways always seem to result in points causing the score to
snowball in favour of the blue and gold.
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| Hilltops defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler lifts the Canadian Bowl. |
Usually, the Hilltops can produce a lopsided game in their
favour off of four turnovers. If they get 10 turnovers, the outcome is
academic.
Before the first quarter expired the Hilltops lead grew to
16-0 thanks to a conceded safety by the AKO Fratmen and a one-yard touchdown
run from running back Joshua Ewanchyna.
Near the start of the second quarter, Sargeant showed off
how great he was as a play caller taking over the offensive coordinator role
this season from Sheldon Ball, who departed from the club for work and family
reasons. With the Hilltops facing a third-and-eight from the Windsor 32,
Sargeant called a quarterback draw showing he can throw curveball plays at the opposition
like Ball once did.
The play was executed perfectly and signal caller Jordan
Walls sprinted 32 yards for another major to put the Hilltops up 23-0.
At that point, the AKO Fratmen started to push back. With
around 11 minutes to play in the second quarter, Reaume hit receiver Devon
Woods for an eight-yard touchdown toss to cap a long scoring drive to cut
Saskatoon’s lead to 23-7.
Just when it seemed like the hosts were building momentum,
the Hilltops stomped out the uprising. Hilltops fifth-year defensive back Luke
Melnyk made an interception. The ensuing offensive series for the visitors was
capped by a 10 yard sweep touchdown run by Ewanchyna to put the Hilltops up
30-7.
Inside of the final two minutes of the second quarter,
Hilltops linebacker Adam Benkic recovered an AKO Fratmen fumble at the Windsor
37. The Hilltops quickly drove downfield on a short touchdown drive that was
capped when Walls hit Turple with a 16-yard scoring strike to expand Saskatoon’s
advantage to 37-7 with 34.7 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
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| Hilltops DB Luke Melnyk picks up defensive player of the game honours. |
Driving into the wind early in the third quarter, the
Hilltops lead shrank to 37-9 after they conceded a safety. When it seemed the
AKO Fratmen might get going, they were stuffed on a third-and-one gamble at
their own 54.
The Hilltops quickly drove down on another scoring drive
that was capped on a touchdown catch from Schnitzler. The defensive standout
lined up as a tight end on short yardage offence near the goal-line and hauled
in a three-yard touchdown toss on a short slant route to give the Hilltops a
44-9 lead.
Saskatoon conceded another safety before the third quarter
ended but still held an insurmountable 44-11 edge.
An interception by fifth-year middle linebacker Cameron
Schnitzler set up the Hilltops final major of the game. On the ensuing
offensive series, Walls hit Turple with an eight-yard scoring pass to increase
the Hilltops lead to 51-11.
The Fratmen conceded a safety and second-year receiver Rylan
Kleiter booted a 37-yard field goal to round out the 56-11 final in favour of
the visitors.
The 56 points the Toppers put up on the scoreboard was the
second highest total ever for a CJFL title game. The Hilltops hold the record
for most points scored in a CJFL title game when they blasted the Victoria
Rebels 59-0 in the 2003 Canadian Bowl in Chilliwack, B.C.
In Saturday’s win over the AKO Fratmen, Walls completed
11-of-18 passes for 192 yards and three touchdown passes to pick up offensive
player of the game honours. As a team, the Hilltops ran the ball 37 times for
188 yards. Fischer, who was playing his final game of his storied Hilltops
career, ran the ball 14 times for 80 yards and one touchdown.
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| Hilltops veterans enjoy the Canadian Bowl. |
Melynk was named the defensive play of the game for his two
key interceptions. Defensive ends Riley Pickett and Tom Schnitzler each had a
sack.
Reaume completed 12-of-24 passes for 197 yards, one
touchdown and three interceptions. Windsor running back D’Angelo Knox ran the
ball seven times for 37 yards and caught two passes for 104 yards.
AKO Fratmen linebacker Quinten Earhart had nine tackles and
a sack.
After the final seconds ticked away, the Hilltops walked off
the field with the Canadian Bowl and their 13th consecutive playoff
win. During their run of four straight CJFL championship victories, the
Hilltops run could have been derailed.
The Prairie Football Conference semifinal and final contests
in each of the past two years could have been lost, if a couple of plays were
changed. In those tight games, the Hilltops character and resiliency always
rose up to allow them to make the two to three key swing players that are
needed to win tight games.
Against the AKO Fratmen on Saturday, the Hilltops showed how
well they can roll, when they are firing on all cylinders forcing their
opponent to play without making a mistake.
Sargeant got to lay claim to his 14th CJFL
championship ring with the team including 11 rings from his time as head coach,
two as an assistant coach and his first as a player won back in 1985.
He will admit it takes everyone pulling in the same
direction, constantly striving to improve and bonding as a family to create the
success the Hilltops have had. As a result, the Hilltops keep achieving new
feats of competitive greatness no team in the CJFL has ever done before.
CANADIAN BOWL CHAMPIONS!! The Saskatoon Hilltops Win our twentieth national championship with a 56-11 win over the Windsor AKO Fratmen. #fourpeat pic.twitter.com/bffxavnwpL— Saskatoon Hilltops (@SaskHilltops) November 11, 2017
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