 |
| Carter McLean makes a cut during a Hilltops scrimmage. |
After the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world wiped out the 2020 CJFL season, the Hilltops will open their regular season schedule traveling to Edmonton, Alta., on Sunday to face the Huskies at Jasper Place Bowl. The two sides met in the last two Prairie Football Conference title games in 2018 and 2019 with the Hilltops coming out on top both times en route to capturing a CJFL championship.
The Hilltops were able to practice for six weeks in the fall of 2020, and now they will finally be able to play a game again.
With that regular season opening contest just three days away, legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant is finding his energetic game day form again when he talks about the upcoming clash with the Huskies.
“That is the team we had to get past to get on to even more important games,” said Sargeant. “We know they are hungry.
“We know they’ve had enough of our success. They have an all-Canadian running back. They have a fifth-year quarterback.
“They have lots of players that are used to being in big games. We have lots of work to do to get everybody ready and playing the type of football that the Hilltops are used to excepting to play.”
 |
| Brandt Burzuk, right, returns to the Huskies at running back. |
The Huskies last saw game action on October 27, 2019, when they fell 30-14 in the PFC title game to the Hilltops at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
While the venerable Hilltops have won 22 CJFL championships in their history, the Huskies have a storied history too claiming five CJFL titles. Traditionally, they have been a tough foe for the Saskatoon side.
When asked if it was good to get a traditionally tough opponent first, Sargeant kept rolling.
“We’ll just line up against anyone when and where and they’ll just tell us,” said Sargeant, who is the all-time leader for head coaching victories in Canada’s post-secondary football ranks at 210. “That is who we are.
“We’ll see if all the work we’ve done and the preparation we’ve done has been the right preparation. My team, myself, we’re judged on game day by how we perform, so we’re expecting a great performance on Sunday and we’ll take it from there.”
The Huskies return some familiar players. They are led by quarterback Declan O’Flaherty, who is in his final season of CJFL eligibility.
 |
| Declan O’Flaherty is back with the Huskies at quarterback. |
He also took home honours as a CJFL all-Canadian all-star.
The Hilltops are taking the field with one of their younger rosters in recent years. Out of the 93 total players that are with the Hilltops this season, 38 are returning veterans and 55 are newcomers.
Out of the returning veterans, three players will be playing their fifth and final campaign with the team in left tackle Mason Ochs, right tackle Jonathan Chisholm and boundary corner Jared Giddings.
Doug Fleming, who is in his third full season with the Hilltops, will be making his first start at quarterback on Sunday against the Huskies.
“It is exciting,” said Fleming. “I thought we were going to be able to go last year.
“I don’t like the year off, but it was nice to be able to grow and learn a little bit and just be even more prepared for this year. They (the Huskies) are a very physical and tough team. They are geared to try and shut us down, so we’re trying to game plan to get open.”
Fleming will have a talented receiver group to distribute the ball to in slotbacks Dillan Heintz and Matt Turple along with wide receivers Ethan Godson and Lachlan Horsley. Explosive veteran Carter McLean provides big play capability from the tailback position.
The signal caller has lots of confidence in his offensive line that is led by Ochs and Chisholm.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Fleming. “I think we have a really good group of guys.
 |
| The Hilltops have depth at the receiver position. |
While Ochs and Chisholm are the returning starters on the offensive line, the three new starters are all veterans in their respective fourth full seasons with the team who have been working hard to take on these roles in centre Luciano Jolly, left guard Ethan Paslowsky and right guard Jordan Bisson.
“It doesn’t even feel different,” said Ochs. “We’ve had so many off-season workouts.
“We’ve been together having fun after hours. We kind of kept tight there in COVID. We had our little group chat going, so all the guys are really close.”
Even in the lead up to Sunday’s encounter with the Huskies, Ochs said it has felt like the four other full seasons he played with the team.
“Since we’ve been back this week, it feels like nothing has changed,” said Ochs. “It just feels like it is just another year.”
The Hilltops defence will be anchored by Giddings, fourth year linebacker Brady Fossen, fourth year nose tackle Jaxson Funk and fourth year safety Brant Morrow.
No matter what the end result ends up being on Sunday, Sargeant knows his teams will have things to work on. He knows it is all part of the journey through a season.
 |
| Doug Fleming will make his first start at QB for the Hilltops. |
“Practice is one thing. Game day is different against a different opposition. I’m excited for all my team.
“It is a young team. They just have to play games.”
NOTES – While the CJFL hasn’t hit the field for a game since November of 2019, the Hilltops enter the 2021 campaign with a number of winning streaks that are still active. They have won their last 31 straight games including action in the CJFL’s regular season and post-season.
The Hilltops have claimed their last 29 straight games on the road including action in the CJFL regular season and post-season. In the post-season, the Hilltops have a CJFL record of 20 straight wins going into the current campaign.
End Zone Dinner on for Hilltops
 |
| A Scott Schultz card. |
The club wasn’t able to hold the fundraising dinner a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s dinner will be held on September 11 at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. The guest speakers will be a pair of former Saskatchewan Roughriders members in defensive lineman Scott Schultz and linebacker Mike McCullough.
Schultz, who is originally from Moose Jaw, Sask., played for the Roughriders from 2002 to 2009 and helped Saskatchewan win the 2007 Grey Cup as CFL champions.
McCullough suited up for the Roughriders for 11 seasons from 2003 to 2013 helping the team to Grey Cup wins in 2007 and 2013. The 2013 championship was won at the Roughriders historic home park in Taylor Field.
 |
| A Mike McCullough card. |
Single tickets for the dinner are $100 or a table of eight can be bought for $725.
Tickets can be purchased online by clicking a the link 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.
-------
If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.
