Teams to showcase
some of CJFL’s best players
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| The Thunder and Hilltops will square off in the PFC final. |
On the simple to understand but always compelling front, the two teams are natural provincial rivals who are facing off for a conference title in the CJFL playoffs for the second year in a row. The Hilltops took last year’s encounter 29-9 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
After that victory, the Hilltops fell 17-14 in a CJFL semifinal to the BCFC champion Rams at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C. The Rams advanced on to win the Canadian Bowl to become CJFL champions.
When the Hilltops and Thunder go at it in this year’s PFC final set for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium, there will be a little more on the line. The PFC champion hosts the Canadian Bowl this year, so the winner of the PFC final advances to host the CJFL championship game on November 12.
The followers of both the Hilltops and Thunder are aware of the team’s successful histories in recent years. The Hilltops won three straight CJFL titles from 2010 to 2012 and six straight CJFL championships from 2014 to 2019.
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| Konner Johnson is the Hilltops big play weak side linebacker. |
This season, the Thunder once again enter the PFC final with a perfect 9-0 record. The Hilltops placed second in the conference with a 5-3 regular season record and enter the PFC final with a 6-3 overall mark.
Statistics on paper would say the Thunder are the favourites. The observation is backed by the fact the Thunder won both regular season meetings between the two sides. The last encounter saw the Thunder post a 23-7 victory at Mosaic Stadium on September 17, where they were the better team that day on offence, defence and special teams posting a complete solid win.
Of course in rivalry games, anything can happen, and records and statistics often get thrown out of the window. Of course, both sides have prime time players to watch.
One of the best to watch on the Hilltops side is star weak side linebacker Konner Johnson, who was named the PFC’s most outstanding defensive player of the year, most outstanding linebacker and conference all-star. The Melfort, Sask., product just makes plays.
During his team’s eight regular season games, Johnson posted 31 solo defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, four special teams solo tackles, two special teams tackle assists, two quarterback sacks, five pass knockdowns and four interceptions. Johnson plays in the image of the cerebral Jack Ham, who was the greatest outside linebacker in the history of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.
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| Carter Shewchuk is having a stellar season for the Thunder. |
Mckerracher is such a threat when it comes to making interceptions that opposing teams game plan to stay away from his area of the field. He returned one of his interceptions this season for a touchdown, and he has the ability to emulate NFL defensive back all-time great Deion Sanders every time the ball is thrown his way.
On offence, the Hilltops have always been known for their ground game. Star power running back Boston Davidsen had an outstanding 2022 regular season carrying the ball 149 times for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns.
Charles Sawi, who is a 17-year-old rookie running back, has made some of the Hilltops most exciting plays this season being named the PFC’s rookie of the year and the conference’s all-rookie team. During the regular season, he carried the ball 30 times for 342 yards and scored two touchdowns.
On special teams, Sawi returned seven kickoffs for 168 yards and one touchdown, and five missed field goals for 271 yards that included a 125 yard return for a touchdown.
Offensively for the Thunder, veteran quarterback Carter Shewchuk is the biggest star. For the second straight season, Shewchuk was named the PFC’s most outstanding quarterback and conference all-star at quarterback.
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| Charles Sawi is making splash plays for the Hilltops as a rookie. |
The Thunder are loaded with talent at receiver and running back, but Shewchuk’s most explosive playmaker is arguably receiver Isaiah Woodley, who was named a PFC all-star. Woodley has loads of speed to burn having caught 34 passes for 593 yards and five touchdowns.
Both sides are also blessed with elite level coaching. Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant holds the record for most wins in Canadian amateur post-secondary football at 224, and he has been the Hilltops head coach since December of 1997.
Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay was named the PFC’s coach of the year each of the past two seasons, and he captured that honour at the CJFL level last year too. MacAulay took over the Thunder head coaching role in the off-season before the 2013 campaign.
Both coaching staffs will likely have some plays in the bag they haven’t used but will be waiting to be used in this game.
On the weather front, Environment Canada is predicting a mix of sun and cloud with a temperature of 9 C for game time on Sunday. Those are balmy conditions for this time of year in Saskatchewan, which means both clubs will be able to use their entire playbooks.
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| Isaiah Woodley is the Thunder’s speedy, big play receiver. |
The only exceptions seem to be fans of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers and supporters of Quebec’s U Sports football teams, who still attend contests in frigid conditions.
With that noted, you can expect the Hilltops and Thunder to put on a football showcase at Mosaic Stadium. In Canada’s current media cut era, please do spread word about this game.
If you are not in the stadium for this year’s PFC final, you will be missing out.
Thunder sweep PFC
player of the week awards
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| Eric Maximuik, right, was the PFC’s special teams player of the week. |
On Wednesday, Thunder players took the PFC’s offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week awards after the team’s 23-14 PFC semifinal victory over the Winnipeg Rifles this past Sunday in frigid conditions at Leibel Field in Regina.
Thunder running back Ryland Leichert was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week. Leichert carried the ball 52 times for 390 yards. Leichert’s 52 carries are a record for a CJFL post-season game surpassing the old mark of 44 carries set by Hilltops running back Ben Abrook on October 27, 2019, when Saskatoon downed the Edmonton Huskies 30-14 in that year’s PFC final.
Defensive end Reece McCormick took honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week. McCormick had four quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery in the win over the Rifles.
With the four sacks McCormick was one sack away from equaling the record for most sacks in a CJFL post-season contest. Roger Rourke of the Richmond Raiders of the then BCJFL had five sacks in a post-season game on October 12, 1985 for the CJFL record.
Finally, Thunder kicker Eric Maximuik took honours as the PFC’s special teams player of the week. In the win over the Rifles, Maximuik made all three of his field goal attempts coming from 35, 18 and 19 yards out.
Maximuik made both his converts. In the punting department, Maximuik kicked the ball seven times for 225 yards for an average of 32.1 yards per kick. He also kicked off three times for 122 yards for an average of 40.7 yards per kick.
McCormick and Maximuik accounted for three of the 13 PFC all-star selections the Thunder picked up this season. McCormick was an all-star on the defensive line, while Maximuik earned all-star selections as both a place kicker and punter.
The Thunder’s other PFC all-stars on defence included Reed Rabbetz on the defensive line, Stephen Smith at linebacker and defensive backs Justin Mckerracher and Adam King.
The Thunder’s PFC all-stars on offence included quarterback Carter Shewchuk, offensive linemen Riley Schick and Connor Klassen and receivers Isaac Foord, Rylan Sokul and Isaiah Woodley.
Thunder offensive lineman Ben Schmidt and defensive back Cooper Filazek were named to the PFC’s all-rookie team.
The Thunder also took home five of the PFC’s major awards with Shewchuk being named the most outstanding quarterback, Klassen the most outstanding offensive lineman, Foord the most outstanding receiver, McCormick the most outstanding defensive lineman and Maximuik as the most outstanding special teams player.
Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay was named the PFC’s coach of the year.
No conference awards for
1,000-yard rusher Davidsen
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| Hilltops RB Boston Davidsen was shutout of awards from the PFC. |
The 21-year-old led the PFC in rushing carrying the ball 149 times for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns in eight regular season games. Davidsen was the only player in the PFC to reach the 1,000-yard plateau in rushing yards.
Despite the lofty numbers Davidsen put up, he didn’t receive any awards. He should have been at least one of the PFC’s two all-star running backs.
To be fair, Edmonton Huskies star running back Alex Gayle earned full marks for the PFC awards haul he had. He finished second in the PFC in rushing with 150 carries for 923 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 18 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
Davidsen wasn’t the same threat making catches out of the backfield hauling in three passes for 20 yards during the regular season.
Gayle was named the PFC’s most valuable player, most outstanding offensive player and most outstanding running back as well as a PFC all-star.
While Gayle was deserving of all his big honours, Davidsen should have still been a conference all-star.
WWCFL champion Valkyries hand out awards
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| Jaime Lammerding won the Valkyries Green and White award. |
Quarterback Alex Eyolfson was named the Valkyries offensive MVP. The 25-year-old had a career campaign putting up numerous big games. If she hadn’t before, Eyolfson cemented herself was one of Canada’s best quarterback in the female game.
Defensive end Danaye Holynski was named the Valkyries defensive MVP. Holynski has the gifts of both power and speed. She is able to sack the quarterback, make devastating hits and even run down receivers in the passing game.
Holynski made plays all over the field this past season for the Valkyries.
The Valkyries Green and White award for dedication to the team and the overall women’s game went to defensive tackle Jaime Lammerding. Lammerding is an original member of the Valkyries joining the team in their inaugural season in 2011, and she served as president of the WWCFL.
She retired as a player following the completion of the 2022 WWCFL campaign, which was a winning one. The Valkyries posted a perfect 7-0 record in 2022 taking the WWCFL title game 36-6 against the Manitoba Fearless on June 25 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
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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