Big sack game still surreal for Hilltops’ Kack

Riece Kack gets a CJFL record sixth sack in one game last Sunday.

Riece Kack is still coming to the realization his big sack game actually did happen, and it wasn’t a dream.

Last Sunday, the Hilltops veteran defensive end piled up six sacks as his squad blanked the visiting St. Clair Saints 43-0 in a CJFL semifinal at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The win allowed the PFC champion Hilltops (11-0) to advance to the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

The Hilltops will hit the road to face the BCFC champion Westshore Rebels (12-0) for the CJFL title on Saturday, November 11 at 3 p.m. local time or 5 p.m. Saskatchewan time at Starlight Stadium in Langford, which is a suburb of Victoria. The OFC champion Saints, who are based in Windsor, finished out at 10-1 overall.

With his six sacks against the Saints, Kack set a new record for most sacks in a CJFL playoff game. The old record of five sacks was set by Roger Rourke of the Richmond Raiders on October 12, 1985.

On top of setting a new record for CJFL playoff contest, Kack, who was named the defensive player of the game in the win over the Saints, actually recorded the most sacks in any CJFL contest be it the regular season, playoffs or the CJFL championship game. The CJFL record for most sacks in a regular season game is five, which had been achieved on six occasions.

Ron Zammit of the Hamilton Hurricanes was the first to record five sacks in a CJFL regular season game on October 2, 1982 and Evan Foster of the Langley Rams was the last to pull of that feat on September 9, 2012.

Riece Kack’s sacks allowed the Hilltops to get a shutout win.

Tyler Eckert of the Langley Rams recorded the most sacks in a CJFL championship at 3.5 coming in his squad’s 37-0 victory over the Beefeaters in London, Ont., in the Canadian Bowl played on December 4, 2021.

“That is pretty crazy,” said Kack. “I mean ’85 or whatever it has kind of been untouched.

“It is insane for sure. It is just off the charts. I definitely don’t like to call it a fluke, but that just doesn’t happen every day.”

The Hilltops had nine total sacks as a team which was a new club record for a CJFL playoff game. Saskatoon previously recorded a team record seven sacks in CJFL playoff games on November 2, 2002 and October 29, 2017.

The ’Toppers nine sacks for a playoff game equals the most sacks recorded in a playoff game by a team from the PFC. The Regina Rams recorded nine sacks in a CJFL playoff game on October 24, 1981 on their way to winning a CJFL title.

“It has been all year we’ve had the jump on lots of teams in the sack category,” said Kack, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 230 pounds. “It is just pressure from every which way, inside and outside and linebackers and DBs covering.

“It has just been a phenomenal defence we have so far here.”

Riece Kack gets his first sack in last Sunday’s CJFL semifinal.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knew Kack set a new record for most sacks in a CJFL playoff game in the CJFL semifinal win over the Saints. Sargeant didn’t realize no one had six sacks in a CJFL game be it in the regular season, playoffs or CJFL championship game until Kack collected six sacks last Sunday.

The sideline boss, who was named the PFC’s coach of the year for 2023, didn’t know his Hilltops equaled the record for most sacks in a CJFL playoff game by a team from the PFC. Sargeant said Kack and the Hilltops defence were rewarded for the hard work the put in over the 2023 campaign.

“It was a great performance by Riece (Kack),” said Sargeant. “He was on point.

“Obviously, our coverage game was awesome, because some of those sacks were coverage sacks. It is just part and parcel of the way that 12 person defence has been playing all year. They know each other so well.

“They stay together, play hard together. As I said, Riece (Kack) is one piece of the cog that excelled, and it was fun to watch. You know what, it helped to lead us to live another two weeks, and that is all we care about.”

Now, Kack and the Hilltops have their attention turned towards preparing for the Rebels. Anticipating the Hilltops could face the Rebels, Kack said he had been watching some of the Rebels games online as the season went along. 

The Hilltops celebrate a sack from Riece Kack (#47) last Sunday.

The 21-year-old expects the Hilltops defence will be in for a bigger test in the Canadian Bowl.

“I have to get back into the game film,” said Kack. “I know this O-line is going to be a bit more of a test for us for sure.”

In the games he watched online, Kack said the Rebels have a number of playmakers on their team.

“They look like they have some big guys out there, some crazy athletes,” said Kack. “I think we just have to go, and we have to play our brand of football.

“We can’t cater to them. We have to just go in there and play our style of ball. I think we still have another gear to find here.

“If we find that gear, I think it will be a good game for us.”

Stevens equals forced fumble CJFL record, other notes

Johnathon Stevens (#47) forces a fumble last Sunday.

Saskatoon Hilltops defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens was able to find his way into the CJFL record book this past Sunday.

When the PFC champion Hilltops blanked the OFC champion St. Clair Saints 43-0 in a CJFL semifinal last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Stevens equaled the CJFL playoff record for most forced fumbles in one playoff game at two. The 19-year-old from Eatonia, Sask., became the first player from a PFC team to record two forced fumbles in a CJFL playoff game.

A total of three players were able to record two forced fumbles in a CJFL playoff game before Stevens. Aram Eisho had two forced fumbles for the Hamilton Hurricanes on October 17, 2009.

Arie Nakagawa recorded two forced fumbles for the Langley Rams on October 27, 2012. Ben Osmow forced two fumbles for the Hurricanes on October 19, 2013.

• The Hilltops have won 22 CJFL titles in team history. The first game in 1953 and the last in 2019.
• The Westshore Rebels are still in search of their first CJFL title. The Rebels were last in the CJFL championship game in 2016 falling to the Hilltops 37-25.
• Rob Vanstone, who is the senior journalist and team historian of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, put together a great story on Hilltops defensive end Riece Kack getting six sacks in his team’s CJFL semifinal win. That piece can be found by clicking right here.
• Vanstone checked in with another great piece on University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team defensive back Ethan Laing. That story can be found by clicking right here.
• Vanstone had a third great story from Saskatoon’s football scene this past week. He put together a feature on quarterback Carter Casey of the St. Joseph High School Guardians Football Team. The piece on Casey can be found by clicking right here.

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