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| Ethan Godson has been a big playmaker for the Hilltops. |
Playing in his fourth full season at receiver for the CJFL powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops, Godson is having a breakout campaign. Godson sits fifth in the Prairie Football Conference for most receiving yards at 376 after six regular season games.
The 22-year-old has put up career highs in catches (20) and receiving touchdowns (five) to go along with his career high in receiving yards.
In addition to his receiving totals, Godson sits second in the PFC for most punt return yards at 204 coming on 22 return attempts.
“I think I’m just getting a couple of more opportunities being an older guy now, and I’m making my plays,” said Godson. “I think that is all it is.
“I think I’m just capitalizing on every chance I get, and I get some confidence in the coaches to keep giving me the ball.”
During the 2021 campaign, Godson has been one of the Hilltops most consistent performers on offence. Saskatoon’s offence was plagued with inconsistencies in four of the club’s six regular season contests.
The inconsistencies haven’t stopped Godson from emerging as a big play threat, which is a development legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant has enjoyed seeing.
“He (Godson) is a great kid,” said Sargeant. “He has evolved coming in his fourth year.
“He has arrived. He is one of the biggest play receivers in the league. His punt return game is awesome.
“He hadn’t scored a touchdown in the league, and this year I think he has had five. It is good to see him get rewarded for putting a lot of time in during the off-season. He is an explosive talent for us.”
When Godson first began playing football in Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League, he actually started out as a quarterback. During his Grade 10 season of high school football with the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints, Godson elected to move to receiver as the Saints were being guided by a quarterback in his senior season.
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| Ethan Godson hauls in one of his five TD catches this season. |
“It wasn’t too bad, because obviously as a quarterback, you know all the plays,” said Godson, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 200 pounds. “It is not too hard with transition.
“You just go out there. I think I didn’t know any better. I just tried to make good plays.”
Godson enjoyed playing for Saints head coach Donnie Davidsen, who is also the Hilltops long time offensive line coach. The receiver credits the sideline boss for being one his biggest influences in helping him out in the game.
“He (Davidsen) has been around for quite a bit,” said Godson, who helped the Saints win a 3A provincial championship in 2016. “Him being around the Hilltops kind of got me to come here.
“I think Donnie (Davidsen) has helped me out quite a bit there.”
Godson helped the Hilltops win CJFL championships in each of his first three seasons with the team in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Of course, the 2020 campaign was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, but the Hilltops were able to hold six weeks for regular practices in September and October of that year.
The speedy pass catcher said he has improved considerably since joining the Hilltops.
“You come out every day for five years, I think you are going to get a lot better,” said Godson, who played baseball for the Saskatoon Giants under-18 AAA program. “I think I am a way different player than I was five years ago.”
Sargeant said Godson has become a more rounded receiver during his time with the venerable CJFL club.
“(Godson has improved) his hand placement and how he catches the ball,” said Sargeant. “He is really good at breaking tackles.
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| Ethan Godson has the fifth most receiving yards in the PFC. |
“Ethan Godson is a heck of a football player.”
As the Hilltops head down the stretch run and into the post-season, Sargeant, who doubles as the Hilltops offensive coordinator, said the team is going to try and create more situations to allow Godson to make more explosive plays.
“We are going to wear him (Godson) out as much as we can,” said Sargeant. “Our quarterback play is developing with Damon Dutton.
“They are building chemistry. We want to wear him out. Every game, we should be throwing him the ball at least eight targets a game, because he always gives us big potential to make big plays.”
With two games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Hilltops sport a 4-2 record to sit second in the PFC. They hold a standings tiebreaker over the 4-2 Edmonton Huskies having swept the seasonal series between the two sides 2-0.
The Hilltops are looking to hold on to second place, which would allow them to earn a bye past the first round of the post-season and the opportunity to host a PFC semifinal game.
The Hilltops return to action on Sunday, October 17, when they host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-4) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
Last Sunday, the Hilltops downed the Huskies 34-20 at SMF Field. The Hilltops piled up 444 yards of total offence for their best overall outing of the season on that side of the ball.
Godson said the members of the Hilltops offensive unit believed they could have an outing like that.
“I think we’ve known the whole time that were only a couple of mistakes away from being where we were on Sunday (against the Edmonton Huskies),” said Godson. “It has been tough, and we’ve had to work through it.
“I think we knew what we had in us the whole time.”
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| Ethan Godson wants to continue making key plays for the Hilltops. |
“I think it is pretty good for sure,” said Godson. “That was a huge game for us, especially that first half.
“I think we were rolling pretty good. Just knowing that we can do it, I think that is the biggest thing.”
As the Hilltops move forward in the campaign, Godson is looking forward to the fact the Hilltops coaches are going create opportunities for him to make more explosive players in games.
“I think that is huge confidence with the coaching staff,” said Godson. “That is all you can ask for.
“I think it is great to have that.”
Hilltops’ Davidsen gets player of the week
nod
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| Boston Davidsen got player of the week honours for a monster game. |
On Tuesday, the 20-year-old running back was named the offensive player of the week for the Prairie Football Conference of the CJFL. The nod for the weekly honour came as a result of Davidsen’s performance in the Hilltops key 34-20 victory over the Edmonton Huskies last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
In that regular season contest, Davidsen ran the ball 31 times for 221 yards and scored three touchdowns.
With the win, the Hilltops improved to 4-2, while the Huskies fell to 4-2. Thanks to sweeping the seasonal series against the Huskies 2-0, the Hilltops sit second in the Prairie Football Conference.
The top two teams in the PFC earn byes to host conference semifinal games in the post-season.
So far this season, Davidsen sits fourth overall in rushing in the PFC carrying the ball 69 times for 464 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Linebacker Austin Daisy of the Calgary Colts was named the defensive player of the week for the PFC, while Colts placekicker Austin Griffiths was named the special teams player of the week for the PFC.
Daisy and Griffiths earned their accolades in the Colts 28-26 setback to the Rifles in Winnipeg last Sunday.
If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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