Reider making good on first starts at QB for Hilltops

Trey Reider, left, fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.

Trey Reider is now the starter at quarterback for the Saskatoon Hilltops, but he is still acting like there is an open competition for that spot.

When the Hilltops saw their record fall to 2-3 after three straight losses, the club’s coaching staff elected to pull 22-year-old Damon Dutton from the starting quarterback spot in favour of the 20-year-old Reider before the team’s road game on Sept. 25 in Calgary against the Colts. In that contest at Shouldice Athletic Park, Reider completed 16-of-24 passes for 191 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 35-17 victory in his first career CJFL start.

Reider followed up that performance on Oct. 2 completing 16-of-20 passes for 207 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in 64-7 romp over the Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta.

Heading into the Sept. 25 contest against the Colts, Reider said the coaches informed him that he would be in a competition in practice that week for the starting quarterback role with Dutton.

“We were just competing all week me and Damon (Dutton),” said Reider. “It was just a friendly competition just to see who could play.

“Then I got my shot against Calgary, and we did quite well. We’re still competing every day in practice just testing each other and making each other better.”

Reider will get his third start on Sunday, when the Hilltops (4-3) host the Colts (2-5) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The clash will close the CJFL regular season schedules for both sides and the 2022 campaign for the Colts, who have been eliminated from post-season contention.

Trey Reider (#3) calls signals in a short-yardage situation.

The Hilltops are locked in to play the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) in a PFC semifinal match, but where that contest will be played is still up in the air. The Huskies close their regular season schedule on Sunday when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder (7-0) at Leibel Field.

The’ Toppers hold the standings tiebreaker with the Huskies due to winning the lone head-to-head encounter between the two clubs 38-10 on August 21 at SMF Field. If the Hilltops win their final regular season game and the Huskies fall in their final regular season outing, the Hilltops would vault to second place in the PFC and host a PFC semifinal against the Huskies.

The Huskies would lock up second place in the PFC if they win their final regular season game or the Hilltops fall in their last regular season clash.

Reider admits he is pumped to make his first start at home.

“It is a bit exciting,” said Reider. “I haven’t played at home yet.

“At the same time, I just have to take care of business this weekend.”

During his first two starts, Reider said his offensive line did a great job pass blocking giving him lots of time to complete passes. He also gave a nod to his receivers for their great work noting that veterans Dillan Heintz and Noah Flaman came down with some clutch catches.

The Hilltops need Damon Dutton to remain sharp as a backup.

Reider added that the biggest thing that allowed the passing game to work the past two games was the fact the Hilltops ground game has been outstanding anchored by star power running back Boston Davidsen, who needs 109 yard rushing on Sunday to hit the 1,000-yard plateau for the season.

In the Sept. 25 win over the Colts, the Hilltops piled up 269 yards rushing as a team. Saskatoon rolled off 303 yards rushing as a squad in the Oct. 2 victory over the Wildcats.

“It helps out so much when your run game is just as good as it is right now,” said Reider. “It just opens up the pass game for us, because they have to put so many more guys on the line to stop Boston (Davidsen).

“Just a shout out to our O-line and Boston (Davidsen) for getting those yards every game. It makes me look better.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Reider has played well in his first two starts.

“We’re very pleased with Trey’s performance,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, he has shown a lot of growth within the offence we are running.

“He is starting to grasp it. Each rep, each play, each day he practises, you see him getting better and more confident. We have a lot of faith in him.

“We’re going to continue to expand the playbook and put him in good situations. He has been doing the right thing by making a lot of plays, so as I said, it has been good. It has helped to make us better, and we’re looking forward to the stretch run now.”

Sargeant said it wasn’t easy to make the change at the starting quarterback spot, because you get invested in the players.

Boston Davidsen and Hilltops have piled up the rushing yards.

“At the end of the day, I blame myself for not making this be what it needs to be,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, Damon (Dutton) is a champion, he is a leader and he is out here doing the right things.”

The sideline boss said the Hilltops need all their quarterbacks to be ready with the post-season just around the corner, and someone like Dutton could find himself pressed into action.

“The great thing about the quarterback position is you are one play away from having to be ready,” said Sargeant. “We know Damon (Dutton) is ready and waiting for his opportunity.

“He (Dutton) is practising hard and asking good questions and still doing the right things. We feel we are in a good situation. We feel we have two outstanding quarterbacks that if need be either one we can count on to go out there and do the job and make the plays.”

Hilltops to salute “Sarge” for 25^th year as HC, other notes

Tom Sargeant has been the Hilltops head coach since Dec. 1997.

The Saskatoon Hilltops will be saluting the best who has ever guided the venerable CJFL club as head coach and is Canada’s all-time wins leader in post-secondary football.

When the Hilltops close their regular season schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m. hosting the Calgary Colts at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops will honour Tom Sargeant for the 25 years he has served with the team as head coach. Sargeant officially became the Hilltops head coach in early December of 1997.

Before becoming a head coach, Sargeant served as a Hilltops assistant coach from 1991 through to becoming head coach in December of 1997. He played slotback for the team from 1983 to 1985.

As Hilltops head coach, Sargeant has posted a career record of 222-36-2 including a 165-26-2 mark in regular season action and a 57-10 mark in post-season play. Sargeant has guided the Hilltops to 13 CJFL championships as head coach coming in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

He also celebrated CJFL championship wins as an assistant coach in 1991 and 1996 and his first CJFL title victory came as a player in 1985.

The 57-year-old was named CJFL coach of the year twice coming in 2000 and 2003.

Matt Turple is one of 15 players who will graduate from the Hilltops.

As Sunday’s contest is the Hilltops last regular season home game for the 2022 campaign, the team will salute the 20 players who will graduate from the club following the completion of the squad’s post-season run. The graduating players will make a traditional walk out of the tunnel with their parents.

The Hilltops will also be offering free admission to the contest to all first responders and salute them during Sunday’s game. The YXE First Responders Fitness Festival is slated to be held at the Indoor Training Centre on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

• Heading into the last weekend of regular season games for the PFC, Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson leads the conference in defensive points with 108 points coming on 28 solo defensive tackles, 12 defensive tackle assists, three solo special teams tackles, two special teams tackle assists, two quarterback sacks, five pass deflections and four interceptions. Johnson is trying to top the PFC in defensive points for two consecutive seasons.
• On Sunday, the Winnipeg Rifles (3-4) host the Edmonton Wildcats (0-7) at IG Field in the Manitoba capital to close the respective regular season schedules for both of those clubs. The Wildcats have been eliminated from CJFL playoff contention, while the Rifles know they will travel to Regina to face the Thunder in a PFC semifinal with the date and location of that contest still to be announced.
• The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team will host the University of Regina Rams in a huge U Sports regular season game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium. The Huskies sit in first place in the Canada West Conference at 5-0, while the Rams sit second at 4-1. The two side met on Sept. 17 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, where the Huskies pulled out an 11-10 victory with kicker/punter David Solie hitting a winning 32-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
• On Monday, Saskatoon Blades 19-year-old left-winger Conner Roulette was named the WHL player of the week for the week ending on October 9. Roulette collected five goals and three assists in four contests from October 3-9 as the Blades posted a 2-2 record. The Blades are 5-2 in the early going of the WHL regular season. Moose Jaw Warriors overage netminder Connor Ungar was the WHL goaltender of the week for the week ending on October 9. In three appearances from October 3 to 9, Ungar posted a 2-0 record, a 0.80 goals against average and a .979 save percentage.
• Last Sunday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a feature on track and field star Kendra Farmer embarking her final season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Team. Farmer is a regular at the Track and Field Track on the Complex grounds training as an elite athlete while helping coach with Running Wild Athletics Club. The piece on Farmer can found by clicking right here. I also created a photo round up that shows the fall season in full sprint, and that piece can be found by clicking 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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