 |
| Garth Knittig (#59) dives in for a TD for the Hilltops. |
Anyway how
saw big old Garth Knittig fly through the air like a bird in the 2017 PFC final
for the Saskatoon Hilltops would know that was true.
The defensive tackle, who was dubbed “the Delisle Destroyer,” looked like a stout thick building standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 285 pounds getting some serious air time taking the ball on a short-yardage plunge and diving in over top of the Regina Thunder defence from a yard out.
The defensive tackle, who was dubbed “the Delisle Destroyer,” looked like a stout thick building standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 285 pounds getting some serious air time taking the ball on a short-yardage plunge and diving in over top of the Regina Thunder defence from a yard out.
Knittig’s
score came with 96 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and it put the
Hilltops up 36-24 over the Thunder. The score would be cemented as the final
outcome of the contest at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Oct. 22, 2017.
Before
Knittig’s touchdown, the Hilltops were holding on to a 29-24 lead against their
Regina rivals late in the fourth quarter and wanted to ensure the Thunder
didn’t have a chance to pull out any last minute heroics.
On
Knittig’s goal-line short-yardage score, he actually wasn’t supposed to get the
ball. He was in the Hilltops short-yardage offensive package to be a blocking
fullback.
Hilltops
star quarterback Jordan Walls didn’t hear the play call correctly and was
supposed to hand off to a regular ball carrier. He also didn’t question what he
heard, because Knittig was a strong, tough and hard-working defensive tackle.
Everyone in
the Hilltops huddle would have been in favour of getting Knittig into the end zone. Little did anyone know, Knittig could run the one-yard dive play as well as Pro
Football Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen, who was an all-time NFL great
with the Los Angeles version of the Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs.
 |
| Garth Knittig gets set on defence in the 2017 PFC final. |
The image
of Knittig’s score in that PFC final is one of the many photos I have captured
over the years I enjoy looking at. Since I started this blog in late August of
2014, readers have constantly said they like the photos I have posted.
Readers
might not always like what I have to write, but I don’t think I have ever
received a bad word regarding a picture I have posted. Most of those pictures
have been from sports events that I have covered.
Actually, I
have usually received great feedback from my picture taking at sporting events.
The first photos I ever took came from the second school year I worked at the
University of Regina student news paper, The Carillon, in 1997-98.
I shot a
tonne of photos during my time at the Prince Albert Daily Herald from 2001 to
2004.
I then went
through a period of time where I didn’t shoot extensively. When I joined the Medicine
Hat News in September of 2004, I was brought on to be a WHL beat writer that
covered the Medicine Hat Tigers.
While I did
write about other sports, my main focus was on the Tigers and stories on the
WHL league front.
When I
first got to the news, we had a deep editorial staff with three talented
photographers. I wasn’t needed to fill that role.
 |
| The Hilltops celebrate winning the PFC title in 2017. |
I actually
like shooting photos more than I do writing.
During these days that pass under the cloud of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it seems doom and gloom can overcome life.
During these days that pass under the cloud of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it seems doom and gloom can overcome life.
I figured I
would share 10 more photos in no particular order I have taken over the years
that look cool. I saw on my Instagram account I have posted at the moment 1,299
photos I have taken that I really like.
That volume
makes it hard to cut down to a handful of favourities. I figured this could be
a fun post I could do on continuing basis even after the pandemic ends.
With all
that said, I hope you enjoy the first batch of photos I have collected for this
post.
Hannoun’s Game 7 OT winner gives WHL title
to Raiders
Overage centre Dante Hannoun (#17) reacts to scoring the overtime
winner for the Prince Albert Raiders in Game 7 of the WHL Championship series
played on May 13, 2019 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert.
Hannoun’s goal gave the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the
Vancouver Giants. It also gave the defining moment in the history of the
Raiders legendary home rink in the Art Hauser Centre.
Rams’ Hughes the Huskies in the dust
Before he won two Grey Cup rings with the Roughriders,
Hughes blasts away from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies defence in this
photo take on Sept. 15, 2001. He ran the ball 17 times for 141 yards and scored
two touchdowns and caught six passes for 80 yards and a major score.
The Rams won the Hall of Fame game 31-21 before 7,238
spectators on the frozen concrete of Taylor Field.
Smith’s joyful Ruthy moment with Huskies
In this photo taken on Feb. 24, 2018, Smith (centre) celebrates scoring the winning goal for the Huskies who downed
the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 2-1 in Game 2 of a Canada West
semifinal series. She was in her rookie season with the Huskies when she scored this goal.
The win allowed the Huskies to sweep the best-of-three series 2-0.
The win allowed the Huskies to sweep the best-of-three series 2-0.
Smith’s tally goes down as the final U Sports women’s playoff
series winner scored at the ancient Rutherford Rink.
Shirley so good at age 15 with Stars
Sophie Shirley is pictured in action here for the Saskatoon
Stars at age 15 during a Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League semifinal
series against the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats at the Agriplace Arena.
At the time standing just 5-foot-4, Shirley weaved her magic piling up 12 goals and 12 assists helping the Stars win all nine of their league playoff games in 2015 and capture their first Fedoruk Cup as SFU18AAAHL champions.
At the time standing just 5-foot-4, Shirley weaved her magic piling up 12 goals and 12 assists helping the Stars win all nine of their league playoff games in 2015 and capture their first Fedoruk Cup as SFU18AAAHL champions.
She finished second SFU18AAAHL regular season scoring with
22 goals and 17 assists in 27 games.
Now standing 5-foot-9, Shirley is a star centre with the
University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team and a member of Canada
national women’s development team. She helped the Badgers win an NCAA national
title in 2019 and has a decorated list of accomplishments in hockey having just
turned 21-years-old.
Huskies’ Machart follows Riley to the end
zone
In this picture taken on Sept. 6, 2019, Marchart follows the
block of left guard Mattland Riley in the Huskies homecoming game against the
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at Griffiths Stadium.
Machart had a big night carrying the ball 15 times for 134
yards and scoring two touchdowns. He caught an additional five passes for 39
yards in a 40-7 Huskies victory before 6,278 spectators.
That was the beginning of a huge campaign for Machart. He
set a new Huskies team record for most rushing yards in a season piling up
1,334 yards on 156 carries, where he scored eight touchdowns.
Machart also caught 20 passes for 204 yards and scored three
majors through the air. His 1,538 all-purpose yards were a new Huskies team
record for one regular season.
Riley would be selected in the first round and seventh
overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Draft held this past April
30.
Cornwall blows roof of SaskTel Centre for
Rush
On June 4, 2016, Cornwall, who is a Rush defender, scored a
on a coast-to-coast rush with 12 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to break
a 10-10 tie with the Buffalo Bandits and put the Rush ahead 11-10 sending
15,182 spectators into delirium. That 11-10 score held up as the final in Game
2 of the National Lacrosse League Championship Series.
The Rush swept the best-of-three set 2-0 to capture their
second NLL title in team history. Their first came the previous season in what
was their final campaign based in Edmonton.
This photo shows the Cornwall (centre in front) celebrating his winning
goal in 2016. I like the zoomed out photos of this moment the best, because
they show how crazy the SaskTel Centre crowd was.
Moskaluke performs on Canada in 2017
In this picture, Moskaluke is performing at Diefenbaker Park
in Saskatoon on Canada Day of 2017. I guess it wouldn’t be much of an admission
to say I love taking pictures of Jess Moskaluke performing in concert.
I’ve only done that twice in my life. I hope I will have
another opportunity to take pictures of her in action in the future.
She has quite the stage presence, and of course, a fantastic
singing voice.
Steel’s all-heart goal celebration for the
Pats
The star centre gave his heart and soul to the historic
major junior team every time he stepped on the ice.
This picture was taken on April 17, 2017, and it was of
Steel’s celebration in scoring the Pats first goal in a series deciding Game 7
of a second round playoff series against the Swift Current Broncos. This
picture shows Steel was locked into performing heroics with the Pats.
He finished the night with two goals in a 5-1 Pats victory. The
Pats trailed in the series 3-1 before pulling out three straight wins to take
the set.
It still marks the only time in the post-season the Pats
have rallied back to win a series in which they trailed 3-1.
Caller versus Loewen
On Dec. 9, 2017, the Saskatoon Blades hosted the Kamloops
Blazers in a WHL regular season game at the SaskTel Centre. At the 11:45 mark
of the first period, Blades 18-year-old defenceman Jackson Caller fought
Blazers powerhouse 19-year-old left-winger Jermaine Loewen.
Moments before this fight, Loewen had driven Caller’s
defensive partner, Evan Fiala, hard into the boards.
Caller, who stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 189 pounds, hung in a
little bit with Loewen, who stood 6-foot-4 and weighed 221 pounds. Loewen
overpowered Caller and won the fight without dispute.
The fight was one-sided, but an early still made the bout
look more competitive than it was. The Blazers took the game 4-1.
Willoughby plays hero for Huskies
This photo taken on Jan. 21, 2017 shows Willoughby
celebrating her overtime winner that gave the Huskies a 5-4 victory over the
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a U Sports regular season game
at the ancient Rutherford Rink.
Willoughby’s tally was a highlight reel one that saw her
speed down the left wing in the Thunderbirds zone, cut to the net and snipe the
winner top corner past diving Thunderbirds defender Kelly Murray and netminder
Amelia Boughn.
Willoughby, who was in her fourth season with the U of S at
the time of this photo, finished as the Huskies second all-time leading scorer
with 50 goals and 61 assists for 111 points in 132 regular season games.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
