Bikulo finds home on Hilltops offensive line

Second year player becomes starter moving from D-line

Victoire Bikulo sets up in a pass block for the Hilltops.

Victoire Bikulo believed in the faith the Saskatoon Hilltops coaches placed in him.

As a result, the 18-year-old has earned a starting role at right tackle on the offensive line in just his second season with the team. When he joined the Hilltops at the start of last season, Bikulo was a defensive lineman.

He cracked on to the team earning a spot on the practice roster. At a Hilltops practice session during his first campaign with the team, head coach Tom Sargeant, who holds the all-time career wins record for Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks, pitched the idea to Bikulo of having the young player switch from the defensive line to the offensive line.

“Initially, it was ‘Sarge’ that approached me about the idea,” said Bikulo, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 325 pounds. “He just called me from the D-line warm up to the centre of the field and threw the idea my way.

“I was more than happy to just give it a try. I wasn’t opposed to it, because it was an opportunity. He saw something in me obviously that I hadn’t seen.

“If I had passed up that opportunity that he gave me, it probably wouldn’t have worked out as best as it has today. He believed in me. I took his belief, and I showed him that he was right.”

Bikulo rapidly improved to the point he earned the starting nod in the Hilltops three regular season games to date this season as they’ve posted a 2-1 record. When you take into account Bikulo first started playing football in his Grade 9 year at Saskatoon’s St. Joseph High School, he believes it is a big accomplishment to become a starter on the Hilltops offensive line at the beginning of his second season with the powerhouse CJFL team.

Victoire Bikulo (#59) runs onto the field with the Hilltops.

“It was very cool,” said Bikulo. “It was awesome, because I saw the progress that I did make.

“Obviously, I had to work very hard. I came from the bottom of the depth chart on O-line to now being a starter. It wasn’t the easiest job ever, but I worked my butt off.

“I had a lot to prove, a chip on my shoulder, so I’m happy with having to earn the starting spot and the way I did it.”

Sargeant said the team’s coaching staff came up with the idea of moving Bikulo from the defensive line to the offensive line due to him having athletic abilities that fit the position and his smarts.

“Number one, you look at his frame,” said Sargeant. “He’s got a great frame and real good feet.

“He just seemed to have the mindset of an offensive lineman. He is a cerebral player. He is smart and has good understanding.

“It is like, ‘Hey, we can put something together here.’”

Sargeant said Bikulo really excelled during the team’s winter workouts, and he had been penciled in as the Hilltops starter at right tackle for the last five months.

Victoire Bikulo locks on to a block on a running play.

“He has come a long, long way from the first time he walked in,” said Sargeant. “There was a lot of learning and a lot of understanding.

“The guys have really rallied around him. His performances you can see the ups and downs and the ebbs and flows of a new starting right tackle. We’re in it with him.

“He has got a long ways to go. At the end of the day, he’s got a chance to be an outstanding football player here. We’re excited to be around him.”

Bikulo credits the coaches he has had throughout his football career for getting him to where he is today. He started with the coaches he had when he was a member of the St. Joseph High School Guardians football program for teaching him the game and giving him a foundation in the sport.

With the Hilltops, Bikulo said the coaches had belief that he could do well in a position he had never played before. He credited Hilltops offensive line coach Donnie Davidsen for helping him make the strides he has on the offensive line.

“Donnie helps a lot,” said Bikulo. “To this day, he still helps me a lot on the sidelines and during games.

“He is still helping a lot even right before the snap. There are still certain cues that he is still willing to remind me to not forget. Later on in the game we all get tired and we forget our fundamentals, he is always ready to remind you of that.

“He helps us stay calm and collected on the sidelines. He had a huge part in my transition from D-line to O-line.”

Victoire Bikulo, left, works with a teammate in pass blocking.

Bikulo said he is pleased with how the season has gone so far for the most part. He wasn’t satisfied with the fact his Hilltops dropped their last outing this past Sunday 19-16 to the Rifles in Winnipeg.

The young lineman is expecting a big bounce back effort in the team’s next outing on Saturday, September 10, when the Hilltops host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (3-0) at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

“Honestly, I feel it (the season) has gone pretty good,” said Bikulo, who will be 18-years-old this entire season due to having a late December birthday. “I kind of have a sour taste in my mouth from that loss that we took.

“We could have done a lot better as a team. We’ll move on, and once Regina (Thunder) comes around, we’ll perform.”

Despite the bump in the road against the Rifles, Bikulo is optimistic the Hilltops can have a special season in 2022.

“For the team, I think we can have a very great season,” said Bikulo. “We have a very good team.

“If we all stay consistent, do our job and just trust one another on the field, we’ll be a great team. We’ll take this thing all the way to the end for sure. As far as myself goes, I’m just here to learn.

Victoire Bikulo believes the Hilltops can hit big heights in 2022.

“I’m always learning and happy to play football. I’ll keep learning and getting better every day.”

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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