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| Daylen Hartz has rounded into top form for the Hilltops. |
The defensive end has become a force on the defensive line with the Saskatoon Hilltops. While Hartz enjoys slugging it out in the trenches against offensive linemen and hitting quarterbacks and running backs, he is mindful of tactics and game plans used in the sport.
That includes figuring out ways to beat blocking schemes that are used against him in line play to overall defensive schemes that are used to stop various plays and looks opposing offences comes up with.
“It is not always about contact,” said Hartz, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 245 pounds. “It is the strategy behind everything too.
“It is almost like the chess of sports. Every move has strategy behind it. You’re trying to like counteract each other with what they are doing, but also hitting is fun too.”
Strategy could play a part in the Hilltops (1-0) upcoming game when they host the Edmonton Huskies (1-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
The last time these two clubs played was in a PFC semifinal last season that saw the Hilltops pull out a 33-31 victory in an all-time classic at SMF Field on November 7, 2021. Saskatoon claimed victory when quarterback Damon Dutton hit receiver Dillan Heintz with a five yard game winning touchdown toss with 21.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
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| Daylen Hartz, right, had two sacks for the Hilltops last Sunday. |
In the Hilltops three playoff games, Hartz had one sack, nine solo tackles and one tackle assist. His sack came in the CJFL semifinal, which the Hilltops fell to the Rams in Langley 17-14. The Rams advanced from that contest to win the Canadian Bowl to become CJFL champions.
Hartz was pumped to get on the field as a starter.
“It was awesome,” said Hartz, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders Football Team. “I loved having the opportunity to start after being on the sideline for a while.
“It was exciting to get in there. Obviously, I did a lot of bad plays. I had a couple of good plays.
“I had a lot to learn still, and I’m happy with how it went. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but we learned a lot.”
Hartz got the 2022 campaign and his final CJFL season off to a hot start picking up a couple of sacks in the Hilltops 19-10 regular season opening victory this past Sunday at SMF Field over the Winnipeg Rifles. Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Hartz has grown a tonne since first coming on board with the team in 2018.
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| Daylen Hartz, right, can stop the run and rush the quarterback. |
“We knew he has some ability and some talent. He did his part in getting bigger, stronger and faster. Last year, he was our top sack leader, and he is an excellent run stopper.
“He doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to stop the run. He’s been very, very productive last year and the beginning of this year. We’re excited for what the rest of the season looks like.”
Hartz remembered he got a reality check that he had to work on strategy and technique when he first joined the Hilltops. During his rookie season in 2018, Hartz had an eye opening experience the first time he went up against star fifth-year right tackle Kirk Simonsen in practice.
“He (Simonsen) picked me up with one arm and just threw me to the ground,” said Hartz. “I wasn’t even 200 pounds back then, so I knew that it was just a massive reality check.
“I’m not that good. I have to get better.”
Hartz worked to get better and learned from the veterans as the Hilltops posted undefeated seasons in their 2018 and 2019 CJFL championship winning campaigns. He was looking forward to big things in his third season until the 2020 CJFL season was wiped out by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.
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| Daylen Hartz topped the Hilltops with four sacks last season. |
“I had so much time to like prepare and get stronger, but it felt weird like having that summer where there was nothing really going on,” said Hartz, who will turn 22-years-old in December. “You have to keep the mentality of training.
“You always have to remember that you still have to like work on technique, because that is one thing a lot of people I think would have neglected. You always have to have a technique day, because I know even I neglected a lot of technique. I got back in my fourth year there, and my footwork was bad.
“I was way too high, so it was a big adjustment there.”
Still, Hartz kept playing better as the 2021 season motored along, and he started his final campaign in 2022 with a head turning performance. Sargeant believes Hartz has the potential to have a special season.
“You could look at the game film on Sunday, and he was determined that no one could block him,” said Sargeant. “At times, he was dominant.
“We need more of that. Hopefully, he builds on the confidence that he created for himself last weekend and the whole defence did. This team will never be satisfied.
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| Daylen Hartz got extra motivation after a CJFL semifinal loss in 2021. |
Hartz said the CJFL semifinal loss to the Rams last year has provided extra motivation to become an even better play. He has put in a lot of time studying the game film of that setback to figure out how he can improve and drive forward into the 2022 campaign.
“I’ve watched that game a few times now, and I’ve rewatched a bunch of the plays,” said Hartz. “I see what we did well.
“I see what we did wrong. I want to get better, and I know we can be better specifically like me too. There were some plays that I blew, and I want to get better at that.”
Johnson named PFC
defensive player of the week
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| Konner Johnson was the PFC’s defensive player of the week. |
On Wednesday, the Saskatoon Hilltops veteran outside linebacker was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week for his work in his team’s 19-10 regular season opening home victory this past Sunday over the Winnipeg Rifles. In that contest, Johnson recorded 4.5 total tackles, one quarterback sack, one interception and two pass knockdowns.
Johnson and the Hilltops defence shutout the Rifles in the second half of last Sunday’s contest.
Last season during the Hilltops eight regular season games, Johnson recorded 26 defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, 12 special teams tackles, three special teams tackle assists, one quarterback sack, five pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery and five interceptions in being named a PFC all-star.
Before joining the Hilltops this season, Johnson attended training camp with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Green takes PFC’s
weekly special teams player honour
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| Connor Green (#4) was the PFC’s top special teams player for the week. |
On Wednesday, Green, who is playing his first year with the Hilltops, was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his work in the Hilltops 19-10 regular season opening home victory this past Sunday over the Winnipeg Rifles. Green hit on 4-of-5 field goal attempts connecting from 46, 20, 45 and 37 yards out.
He made his one conversion attempt, kicked off twice for 111 yards and punted four times for 123 yards for an average of 30.8 yards per punt.
Green accounted for 13 of the 19 points the Hilltops scored in their victory over the Rifles.
Regina Thunder receiver Isaac Foord claimed PFC offensive player of the week award honours on Wednesday for his work in his team’s 57-15 romp over the Edmonton Wildcats at Leibel Field in Regina. Foord hauled in nine passes for 179 yards and scored three touchdowns in that contest, which was played one day after his mother passed away.
Roughriders alum
Hughes to speak at End Zone Dinner
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| A Roughriders promo picture of Neal Hughes. |
The End Zone Dinner will be held on Saturday, September 10 at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. Doors open for the dinner at 4:15 p.m. with food to be served at 5:15 p.m. The funds raised at the dinner go towards the Hilltops scholarship fund.
Hughes, who is from Regina, played 11 CFL seasons at fullback for the Roughriders from 2004 to 2014 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.
During his time with the Roughriders, Hughes mainly focused on blocking duties as a fullback or from a tight end position and covered kicks on special teams. He also showed his versatility in being able to make big plays running the football, catching it out of the backfield or punting it when required.
Before joining the Roughriders, Hughes played six seasons with the Regina Rams as their star running back. He suited up for the Rams as a rookie in 1998, when they played their final season in the CJFL capturing their 15th and final CJFL championship.
Hughes played with the Rams during their first five seasons in the U Sports ranks as the University of Regina Rams helping them advance to the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – in 2000. The Rams fell 42-39 in that contest to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
Following the End Zone Dinner, the Hilltops will face their provincial rivals in the Regina Thunder at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which is right next to the Gordie Howe Sports Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.
Single tickets for the dinner are $100 or a table of eight can be bought for $725.
Tickets can be purchased online by clicking on a 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.
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