Hilltops’ Michayluk modest on PFC defensive points title win

Saskatoon hosts PFC semifinal Sunday against Huskies

Isaac Michayluk (#48) topped the PFC in defensive points.

Isaac Michayluk was well aware he was filling big shoes at middle linebacker for the Saskatoon Hilltops, because he looked up to his predecessor.

Matt Wist was the Hilltops star starting middle linebacker during his last three years with the team from 2021 to 2023. On November 11, 2023, Wist closed out his Hilltops career in a blaze of glory at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C.

Taking on the host Westshore Rebels in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl, Wist piled up three interceptions, nine solo defensive tackles, four defensive tackle assists and one pass knockdown in the Hilltops 17-10 victory. He was named the defensive player of the game.

With Wist having exhausted his CJFL eligibility, Michayluk came into the 2024 campaign playing his third season with the Hilltops and first campaign as the starting middle linebacker. 

He remembers Wist’s final big game that helped the Hilltops win their 23^rd CJFL title in 2023 well. Michayluk wanted to live up to what Wist did with the team, but he did feel the butterflies at the start of the campaign.

“Definitely, I was a bit nervous for sure,” said Michayluk. “I looked up to Matt (Wist) quite a bit.

“He is a role model, and I watched him a lot on the practice field and in games. It is an opportunity that I was given, so I’m just kind of taking it and running with it.”

Michayluk said the 2023 was a big learning year as a backup for the Hilltops as the team posted a 12-0 record to take the CJFL title. During the regular season, the Hilltops gave up 51 points for the squad’s lowest points against total dating back to 1949.

Isaac Michayluk (#48) is one of the PFC’s best run stoppers.

Saskatoon proceeded to give up just 25 points over four post-season wins on the way to claiming the CJFL championship. The 76 points the Hilltops gave up overall in the regular season and post-season was again the squad’s lowest total dating back to 1949.

The biggest thing Michayluk observed was Wist and the veterans brought the lunch buckets to ever film meeting, practice and game.

“There are no days off,” said Michayluk, who is the team’s backup long snapper. “If you keep working, you keep grinding, it doesn’t really matter what happens.

“If you put the work in, you’ll get what you want out of it.”

Michayluk, who is a graduate of the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints Football Team, showed in 2024 he was a good student who was able to apply what he learned. In helping the Hilltops post an 8-0 record in the regular season to top the PFC standings, Michayluk led the conference with a 113 defensive points due to recording 33 defensive solo tackles, 27 defensive tackle assists, five special teams solo tackles, four special teams tackle assists, one pass knockdown and one interception.

He has become one of the top players on the Hilltops defence as they enter the CJFL playoffs hosting a PFC semifinal contest against the Edmonton Huskies (3-5) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. When it comes to topping the PFC’s defensive points race, Michayluk said the individual accomplishment was a team accomplishment.

“It is pretty cool to have that recognition, but a lot of it is credit to my teammates and the guys up front in the trenches,” said Michayluk, who stands 6-feet and weighs 230 pounds. “Big ‘Nomer’ (Nahom Menghstab) and John Stevens, when they do their job they make it a lot easier for me to do my job.

“A big credit goes out to all my teammates.”

Isaac Michayluk (#48) calls out pre-snap adjustments.

With the Hilltops giving up the fewest points against in the PFC at 106, Michayluk said everyone on the Hilltops defence has had a good year. He can go through the Hilltops defensive unit and note how everyone has done something special. As the middle linebacker, Michayluk said he benefits from the fact everyone around him is playing well.

“It is a lot of fun to play,” said Michayluk. “It is a lot of fun to be around when all the guys are flying around doing their jobs.

“You trust the guy beside you, and you know they’re going to make a play. It is a lot of fun.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said the coaching staff is pleased with what Michayluk has been able to do this season. Sargeant said Michayluk put in the work and is getting rewarded for his efforts.

“He is a Hilltop,” said Sargeant. “When Matt (Wist) left, hey, you (Michayluk) are the starting middle linebacker.

“We expect him to play at a high level, and that is exactly what he has done. He had a lot of growing pains, but the good thing last year was we got him in some games too. He got to see himself develop, see himself on film, learn from his mistakes, and that is what he has done.

“He is taking his game to the next level. We are going to need more and more of that, because playoff football is here right now.”

Sargeant said Michayluk has been able to make a lot of plays because the Hilltops defensive line has had a good season. 

Isaac Michayluk (#48) said his teammates make his job easier.

With that said, the sideline boss said it benefitted the first year starter to be a backup behind Wist and pick up nuances of the game from the now graduated star.

“He (Michayluk) had a good role model to follow and learn from,” said Sargeant. “He has stepped right in and played high-end football.

“It is the reason we’ve given up the least amount of points this year as a defence. As a coach, that is always something we look at. Isaac (Michayluk) is a premier run stopper in the PFC.

“We’re very proud of his performance so far, but hey, playoff football is just around the corner. To win in playoff football in my books you have to run the football. We’re going to need him more than ever.”

Michayluk is looking forward to the post-season, and he said his squad was reminded to not take the Huskies lightly when the two sides met last Sunday in Edmonton to close their respective regular season schedules. 

In that contest, the Hilltops prevailed 21-14 holding off a late Huskies fourth quarter drive with an interception by Hilltops rookie defensive lineman Noah Chelsom.

As has been the Hilltops tradition, Michayluk wants to help the squad’s nine graduating players depart their junior careers as CJFL champions.

“That is what this program is built on is winning a championship for the fifth-year guys,” said Michayluk. “That is huge.

Isaac Michayluk (#48) aims to enjoy more big moments with his teammates.

“That is what we’re going to try and duplicate that this year and play for our fifth years.”

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All in the family – Gedir has lifelong ties to Hilltops

Saskatoon goes 8-0 to close regular season

Noah Gedir, middles, walks with mom Ashley and dad Michael.

For Noah Gedir, the Saskatoon Hilltops have always been part of his life.

His links to the storied CJFL club go back to the fact his father, Michael, played centre on the squad’s offensive line from 1997 to 2001. Michael helped the Hilltops win their 10^th CJFL championship in his final season, when Saskatoon hammered the Okanagan Sun 45-11 at Foote Field in Edmonton, Alta., on November 4, 2001.

Noah was born just over nine months later after that championship game win. Some of his earliest recollections revolve around coming out to the old Hilltops clubhouse to see his father play in the annual Alumni Game for the Alumni Team at Ron Atchison Field.

“I have a vague memory of one of the Alumni Games back here at the Hilltops clubhouse,” said Noah, who is a fifth-year star outside linebacker for the Hilltops in the current day. “We have a picture hanging on the fridge of him holding me when I was maybe three-years-old.

“I look back at that and some of the same coaches actually coached him, and now, they’re coaching me so just that Hilltop tradition. He lived through it, and now, I get to live through it. It is pretty special to have that moment.”

While playing defence as opposed to offence, the son followed in this father’s footsteps. Last year on November 11, 2023, Noah helped the Hilltops win their 23^rd CJFL title when they downed the host Westshore Rebels 17-10 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., to capture the Canadian Bowl. The high-motor linebacker recorded four defensive solo tackles and three defensive tackle assists in the win.

“I’ve been around the ‘H’ for a while now, pretty much my whole life,” said Noah. “We definitely have that winning mindset in the family, which is awesome to have.”

On Sunday, Noah and the Hilltops downed the host Huskies 21-14 at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton in the final CJFL regular season clash for both clubs. The Huskies attempt a two-minute drill drive in the fourth quarter to change the contest’s final result came to an end with an interception by Hilltops rookie defensive lineman Noah Chelsom with 14.4 seconds remaining on the clock at Saskatoon’s 26 yard line.

Noah Gedir (#36) charges to the field with the Hilltops.

The win allowed the defending CJFL champion Hilltops, who already have first place in the Prairie Football Conference locked up, to finish the regular season with an 8-0 record and improve their overall winning streak to 20 games. The Huskies, who were locked into finishing fourth in the PFC, fell to 3-5 with a fourth straight setback.

The two sides go at it again this coming Sunday in the CJFL playoffs going head-to-head in a PFC semifinal contest at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops have homefield advantage through the CJFL post-season up to the CJFL title game, which will be hosted on November 9 by the champion of the Ontario Football Conference.

With Noah’s family ties to the Hilltops, he said his family played a big role when it came to him getting interested in the game.

“Obviously, with my dad playing football, and then at a young age, my whole family has always been a big CFL family and diehard ’Riders fans,” said Gedir referencing the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. “My grandparents always came out to my games.

“They’ve had season tickets to the Hilltops for I think it is 23 years now or something crazy like that. Football has kind of been a Gedir family thing. I started when I was young and got to play until I’m now.”

Still, Noah developed his own love for the game, which came from the defensive side of the ball. The 22-year-old said he quickly discovered he got pumped up when he could fly around to the ball and make hits on opposing players.

“I just like, honestly, the controlled violence of it,” said Gedir, who stands 6-feet and weighs 220 pounds. “You only get so many opportunities to go out there and play football.

Noah Gedir was a PFC all-star last year.

“It was just so fun to throw on the pads. Obviously, I play linebacker. I like doing the hitting.

“I don’t like being hit, so I chose defence. It is fun to fly around and just the team aspect of the sport having the 12 guys relying on each other is something really special. You don’t really get it anywhere else in the world.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was the venerable squad’s head coach for Michael’s last four years with the team and an assistant coach during Michael’s rookie year. When Noah decided to join the Hilltops after graduating from Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders Football Team, Sargeant was confident he would have no worries when it came to intangibles.

“He (Noah) is just a quality kid,” said Sargeant. “You have to remember I coached his dad back in the day.

“There is a father-son combination, so that is pretty cool. He just walks around and brings confidence and poise to this group. He has high expectations on everybody, and it starts with himself.”

Last season in the Hilltops eight regular season games, Noah recorded 17 solo defensive tackles, 14 defensive tackle assists, nine special teams solo tackles, one quarterback sack, one pass knockdown, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in being named a PFC all-star. After the Hilltops first seven games this season, Noah has posted 19 solo defensive tackles, 15 defensive tackle assists, four special teams solo tackles, one special teams tackle assist, five pass knock downs and two fumble recoveries.

The quick-reaction linebacker’s 76 defensive points ranked 10^th in the PFC heading into the final week of regular season play for the conference.

“He (Noah) has played a lot of football,” said Sargeant. “The ‘Will’ linebacker in the Hilltops defence is one of the more storied positions.

“We groomed him in that spot, and so when his opportunity came, he just took advantage of it. I think he is in the top 10 of defensive points in the PFC. He was around the ball flying around and leading his guys.

Noah Gedir (#36) has 76 defensive points in seven games in 2024.

“It is just a lot of fun to see that growth and development. The fifth years, the expectations on them are high. We’re expecting him to continue to lead us as we march in the playoffs.”

After graduating from Holy Cross, Noah said it wasn’t a “no doubt” decision when it came to joining the Hilltops due to his family’s links to the team. 

With that said, his family ties did help weigh his choice towards the Hilltops when it came time to make a selection of where he would play football after high school.

“I wouldn’t say it was a given,” said Gedir, who had five total tackles, one interception and one pass knockdown in Sunday’s win. “It was definitely on my mind that is for sure.

“I’ve always wanted to play for the Hilltops. I love the culture they have and the great coaching staff they have. Obviously my dad playing here back in the day, that was definitely in the back of my mind.

“I’m so happy to be here. It is my last year. I’m enjoying every minute I can with the guys that I have here.”

So far, Noah’s best memory playing for the Hilltops was the CJFL title win last season, where he played on a defence that hit some impressive milestones. During the regular season, the Hilltops gave up 51 points for the squad’s lowest points against total dating back to 1949.

Saskatoon proceeded to give up just 25 points over four post-season wins on the way to claiming the CJFL championship. The 76 points the Hilltops gave up overall in the regular season and post-season was again the squad’s lowest total dating back to 1949.

Noah Gedir is playing his final CJFL season with the Hilltops.

“I mean definitely raising that trophy last year was a pretty special feeling and having that amazing defence, that historic defence that we had last year,” said Noah. “We’re just trying to replicate that this year.

“Hopefully at the end of this year, we have that same exact feeling, so I can say it wasn’t 2023 that was the best time of my life with the Hilltops. It was 2024 in my last year when we won. That is the goal.

“Hopefully, we can get that job done.”

In Sunday’s regular season finale against the Huskies, the Hilltops built a 15-0 lead at halftime off two field goals by kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas, a five-yard touchdown reception from receiver Datiel Fountaine on a throw from star quarterback Trey Reider and one safety.

Abel-Douglas hit a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter to push Saskatoon’s advantage out to 18-0. 

Huskies backup quarterback Wyatt Matson hit receiver Cameron Coyne for a five-yard receiving major with 22.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter to cut the Hilltops lead to 18-7.

In the fourth quarter, Abel-Douglas hit his fourth field goal to push the Hilltops advantage out to 21-7. Matson then hit receiver William Campbell for an eight-yard touchdown toss for the Huskies with 8:20 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 21-14. The Hilltops held on from there.

With the post-season set to start, Noah said the finality that he is playing his final season for the Hilltops is hitting home as the 2024 campaign enters its final weeks. He wants to soak in every moment as it comes.

 “I wasn’t really looking at how many weeks we had left,” said Noah. “I was just kind of enjoying each day while I could be here and practise and be in the film room and be with the guys.

Noah Gedir signs autographs for some youngsters.

“I am just enjoying each moment I have with the team and being in the facility and a part of this great organization.”

NOTES – The Regina Thunder beat the visiting Calgary Colts 40-21 on Sunday at Leibel Field. The Thunder (6-2) and Colts (4-4) will go at it in a PFC semifinal this coming Sunday in Regina. Also on Sunday at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta., the host Edmonton Wildcats edged the Winnipeg Rifles 32-21. The Wildcats concluded their 2024 campaign with a 2-6 record, while the Rifles finished with a 1-7 mark.

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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Hilltops plan to stick to basics against Huskies in Edmonton

Two sides close regular season going head to head

The Huskies and Hilltops will battle in two straight weeks.

When you are closing the regular season against a team you will see in the post-season, gadget plays tend to fly out the window in the first encounter.

That is the situation facing the defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops and the Edmonton Huskies. The two sides will go at it and close out their respective regular season schedules on Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton at 1 p.m. local time.

The Hilltops enter the contest with a 7-0 mark having locked up first place in the Prairie Football Conference and home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs until reaching the league’s championship game – the Canadian Bowl. The Huskies are 3-4 and are cemented to finish fourth in the PFC.

That means the Hilltops and Huskies will collide for a second straight week in a PFC semifinal contest slated for 1 p.m. Sunday, October 13 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said he wants to keep the game plan to his team’s regular plays and looks and avoid putting in something special the Huskies could dissect on video for the post-season rematch. With that noted, he still wants his squad to play hard.

“For me, it is pretty simple,” said Sargeant. “We are going to have a pretty basic game plan, because we know they’re coming back to our place the following week.

“We’re certainly going in with our top 46 players. We’re going there to come out in game eight and play our best game of the year and play Hilltops football. We’re going to do that in a specific way that we’re not going to show or expose a lot of things that we might do in the future.”

Drake Douglas has 856 receiving yards this season for the Hilltops.

Hilltops star outside linebacker Noah Gedir said his club can get really in depth breaking down what the Huskies do in having to play them for two straight weeks. For the first encounter, Gedir said it is important for the Hilltops to keep up their physical play.

“To have the same opponent two weeks in a row, that means you can watch the same film for two weeks in a row and really deep dive into what they’re doing and the schemes that they’re trying to run,” said Gedir. “Our goal this week is just to go down there and be the most physical team like it was last week and the week prior.

“We just have to be physical and work on the fundamentals of football. The coaches are saying this year is about getting one per cent better. As long as we get one per cent better come Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, then we’re on the right path going into playoffs.”

In Sunday’s clash in Edmonton, a handful of Hilltops players have shots to reach some personal milestones. Star fifth-year receiver Drake Douglas leads the PFC in receptions (47), receiving yards (856) and receiving touchdowns (eight). If Douglas collects 144 yards receiving, he will become the first player in the history of the Hilltops to hit the 1,000 yard barrier in receiving yards for the regular season in team history.

Hilltops star power running back Corbin Ebben has carried the ball 125 times for 774 yards and six touchdowns. Ebben has a long but still possible shot at hitting the 1,000 yard barrier in rushing, if he can pile up 226 yards on the ground on Sunday. In the history of the Hilltops, the individual 1,000 yard rushing season for the regular season has been accomplished 10 times.

Hilltops star defensive end Kai Kukurudza tops the PFC with seven quarterback sacks. He needs three sacks to hit double digits for total sacks in the regular season.

Hilltops star middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk is contending for the lead in defensive points in the PFC. He has 95 defensive points, which has him tied with Winnipeg Rifles outside linebacker Kyler Banfield.

Kai Kukurudza has seven sacks this season for the Hilltops.

Michayluk has piled up his 95 defensive points on 25 solo defensive tackles, 25 defensive tackle assists, five special teams solo tackles, four special teams tackle assists, one pass knockdown and one interception. Banfield has collected his 95 defensive points on 33 solo defensive tackles, 12 defensive tackle assists, one special teams solo tackle, one special teams tackle assist, one blocked kick, one pass knockdown, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.

Overall for this week, Sargeant is focused on his team playing with intensity, while keeping things straight forward.

“We’re going to keep practicing hard and developing hard,” said Sargeant. “At the end of the day, we’re just going to play simple Hilltop football, and let’s see where it takes us.”

Taylor, Zimmer tabbed as players of the week

Zaden Taylor (#10) was the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

Zaden Taylor and Colton Zimmer got to stand in the PFC’s weekly spotlight for the first time in their careers with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Taylor, who is an outside linebacker in his second of CJFL eligibility, was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week on Tuesday. On that same day, Zimmer, who is a fourth-year running back, took home honours as the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his work as the Hilltops long snapper.

In the Hilltops 36-11 victory over their provincial rivals in the Regina Thunder last Saturday, Taylor had eight defensive solo tackles, one special teams tackle assist and one interception. Zimmer had 14 perfect snaps on Saturday that included six punts, five field goal attempts and three one-point convert attempts.

Hilltops kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas successfully made all the Hilltops five field goal attempts and all three one-point convert attempts.

Edmonton Wildcats quarterback Marcos Soltero was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week on Tuesday for his efforts in his team’s 32-20 victory over the Edmonton Huskies last Saturday at the Huskies home field in Jasper Place Bowl. The win was the first victory of the campaign for the Wildcats.

In that contest, Soltero completed 21-of-30 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing one interception.

Seniors walk still a heartwarming Hilltops tradition

Erik Barsness (#60) walks to the field with his parents.

The Saskatoon Hilltops still have one of the most heartwarming traditions in Canadian sports for graduating players.

Before the Hilltops played their final home regular season game downing their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder 36-11 last Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops honoured their graduating players. During a pre-game ceremony, the Hilltops graduating players were announced one by one and made a walk to the field with their parents. All of the parents took the field decked out in cool looking team gear.

The nine graduating players included cornerback Justin Adamko, left guard Erik Barsness, receiver Drake Douglas, offensive lineman Jeremy Funk, outside linebacker Noah Gedir, quarterback Trey Reider, defensive halfback Isaac Rivalin, linebacker Andy Scrivens and right tackle Cody Shumanski.

All of these graduating players are still in the CJFL playing with the Hilltops even with navigating their individual journeys around the fact the 2020 campaign was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world. There were all sorts of various restrictions and shutdowns in place when the 2020 season was supposed to happen in order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 campaign marked the first year of CJFL eligibility for this year’s group of graduating players. They are the last class that had to navigate around how pandemic restrictions affected their CJFL playing careers.

All of the Hilltops nine graduating players had sizable roles in helping the club win a 23^rd CJFL championship last season and helping the storied squad post a 7-0 mark so far in the current campaign.

Roughriders great Clark rocked at End Zone Dinner

Dan Clark speaks at the Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner.

Dan Clark, who is an all-time great with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, did a stellar job holding court as the guest speaker at the Annual Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner last Saturday.

The dinner was held in the main hall of the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building before the Saskatoon Hilltops downed their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder 36-11 in a CJFL regular season contest at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Clark was a star centre Roughriders from 2009 to 2022.

He was on the Roughriders practice roster in 2009 and 2010 and was on the main roster from 2011 to 2022 appearing in 131 games. During his years on the Roughriders practice roster, Clark was playing for the Thunder. Before playing for the Thunder, Clark played high school football for Regina’s Thom Collegiate Trojans.

The 36-year-old Clark drew some good-natured chuckles about how Thunder seemingly always fell short against the Hilltops during his time with Regina’s CJFL club. He also went into how important his time was playing in high school for the Trojans and talked lots about his time with the Roughriders.

Of course, Clark’s best Roughriders memory was winning the Grey Cup 45-23 over the Hamilton Tigers-Cats on November 24, 2013 at historic Taylor Field.

For another other good-natured chuckle, Clark was asked if he advocated for big guys scoring touchdowns. Clark gained fame catching an eight-yard touchdown pass from legendary Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant in a 37-0 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a game played at Taylor Field on July 21, 2013.

On August 24, 2014, Clark caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Roughriders backup quarterback Tino Sunseri in a 20-16 victory over the British Columbia Lions at B.C. Place in Vancouver, B.C.

During his CFL career, Clark had three receptions for 21 yards to go with his two touchdowns. He said he used to advocate for big guys scoring touchdowns, but he enjoyed his spot being the most recently remembered big guy touchdown scorer for the Roughriders.

Clark said he enjoyed holding the distinction of having two touchdown receptions in his CFL career and liked to bring that up when he talks with other offensive linemen who have played in the league.

Thunder, Colts will battle for two straight weeks

The Thunder will face the Colts for two straight weeks.

The Regina Thunder and Calgary Colts are in a similar spot as the defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops and Edmonton Huskies.

The Hilltops and Huskies will go at it and close out their respective regular season schedules on Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton at 1 p.m. local time. Saskatoon enters that contest with a 7-0 mark having locked up first place in the Prairie Football Conference and home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs until reaching the league’s championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

The Huskies are 3-4 and are cemented to finish fourth in the PFC. That means the Hilltops and Huskies will collide for a second straight week in a PFC semifinal contest slated for 1 p.m. Sunday, October 13 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Thunder (5-2) will host the Colts (4-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field in Regina. Both squads are cemented at finishing in the second and third spots in the PFC, which means they will go at it either Saturday, October 12 or Sunday, October 13 in a PFC semifinal.

The Colts split their two regular season games with the Huskies, but they hold the standings tiebreaker against the Edmonton side with a 47-41 edge in the total score of those two head-to-head contests.

Sunday’s clash between the Thunder and Colts is the only head-to-head meeting of the 2024 regular season for those two clubs. The winner of Sunday’s contest will host the PFC semifinal between those two squads. If the contest ends in a tie, the Thunder will host the PFC semifinal encounter with the Colts.

In the CJFL’s Top 10 Power Rankings released on Thursday, the Hilltops were rated first, the Thunder were ranked fourth and the Colts came in at seventh.

The Edmonton Wildcats and Winnipeg Rifles will close their overall 2024 campaigns both sporting 1-6 records in their head-to-head meeting on Sunday. The Wildcats will host the Rifles at 1 p.m. local time at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta.

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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Avoiding early WHL season over reaction is cool

The Raiders and Regina Pats faceoff to start a WHL game last month.

For some legacy followers of WHL teams, the sky is falling.

For some legacy followers of other WHL teams, it is time to make travel plans to attend the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Quebec, which runs from May 22, 2025 to June 1, 2025.

At this point in the 2024-25 campaign, it is way too early to head out on any of those extremes. Still, some fans do let their passions fly high to the point it feels like they are cheering for a favourite CFL or NFL team. Those leagues have short seasons, and early stumbles are a lot more difficult to recover from on those circuits.

A WHL regular season is 68 games long, which means all teams will go through times when they stumble and times when they are red hot. Over the first couple of weeks of the regular season, games for most WHL teams are spread out with sizable chunks of off time.

The schedule is usually set up like that because most clubs are still getting players cycled back from professional training camps. When players return to WHL clubs, those squads usually have to then assign younger players to under-18 AAA or junior A clubs.

Doing a quick glance over social media lines, it seems like Prince Albert Raiders fans are doing well riding the wave. They realized the Raiders shuffled the deck as the team’s roster goes from how it looked in 2023-24. The Raiders also just got some players back from the NHL ranks in Tomas Mrsic (St. Louis Blues), Lukas Dragicevic (Seattle Kraken) and Norwin Panocha (Buffalo Sabres), and the fans seem to realize there will be an adjustment period.

This column of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Hilltops lock up first in PFC, improve to 7-0

Saskatoon thumps Thunder 36-11 at SMF Field

Datiel Fountaine makes a 26-yard TD catch for the Hilltops.

It was seemingly a perfect night under the “Saturday night lights” for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops dumped their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder 36-11 in a CJFL regular season clash played before 2,266 spectators. The host side jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and continued to methodically pull away from there.

The win allowed the defending CJFL champion Hilltops to improve to 7-0 and lock up first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference. The Hilltops will also have homefield throughout the CJFL playoffs up to the league championship game – the Canadian Bowl. The Canadian Bowl will be hosted by the champion of the Ontario Football Conference.

Hilltops LB Noah Gedir tackles Thunder RB Ryland Leichert.

“Our line of scrimmage, our offensive line played outstanding today,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, whose team has won 19 straight overall. “Our defensive line, it just came together tonight.

“This is the best we’ve played all year. Obviously, Regina is a formidable opponent. They’re well coached, and they know us well and they play hard.

“We had to come out and play hard and play aggressive, and that is what we did today. I am super happy with what took place, and now, we’ve got to keep building.”

At that point, Sargeant took a quick pause before looking to the future.

Trey Reider (#3) throws a pass behind sound protection.

“We clinched first. Good. Who cares?” said Sargeant. “Now, we’ve got to keep moving.”

The Thunder fell to 5-2 with the result of Saturday’s contest. They have lost their last five straight head-to-head encounters including action in the regular season and post-season to the Hilltops.

On offence, all the Hilltops big players had big games. Star fifth-year quarterback Trey Reider completed 14-of-25 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran the ball four times for 26 yards too.

Star fifth-year receiver Drake Douglas hauled in five passes for 132 yards. Breakout second-year receiver Datiel Fountaine caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Drake Douglas, left, caught five passes for 132 yards.

Emerging star third-year power running back Corbin Ebben ran the ball 29 times for 196 yards and one touchdown.

The Hilltops starting offensive line in right tackle Cody Shumanski, right guard Jack Erlandson, centre Matthew Noble, left guard Erik Barsness and left tackle Davin Johnson all had banner days.

“Our O-line played great today,” said Reider. “They controlled the line of scrimmage.

“I have to shout out to Corbin Ebben. He ran the ball great. Drake Douglas came down with every ball.

“Obviously, two touchdown catches is great for Datiel (Fountaine) coming down with those.”

On defence, the Hilltops got big contributions from a number of players in limiting the Thunder to 307 total yards of offence. Star defensive end Kai Kukurudza record two sacks and 3.5 total tackles.

Corbin Ebben ran the ball 29 times for 196 yards.

Star defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens had one sack and 2.5 total tackles. Defensive tackle Nahom Menghestab and defensive end Noah Chelsom shared a sack. Second-year outside linebacker Zaden Taylor had eight solo defensive tackles, one special teams tackle assist and one interception.

Middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk had 7.5 total tackles. Outside linebacker Noah Gedir had 5.5 total tackles and two pass knockdowns. Safetly Dalton Urban had 3.5 total tackles and one interception.

“A big focus was stopping the run, so I think really early on we stopped that,” said Kukurudza. “Our interior guys in Nahom (Menghestab) and (Johnathon) Stevens, they really did their job.

“Noah (Chelsom) on the weak side didn’t let anything up either. Our DBs were locked down. All our sacks are really DB covered sacks, so it was good.”

Zaden Taylor (#10) reacts to making an interception.

The Hilltops opened the game’s scoring on their first offensive series, which culminated with Reider hitting Fountaine with an eight-yard touchdown pass to give the hosts a 7-0 lead. Before the first quarter expired, Hilltops veteran kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas hit a field goal from 18 yards out to push the Hilltops edge out to 10-0. That marked the first of five field goals Abel-Douglas would hit on the day.

At the 8:55 mark of the second quarter, Thunder kicker Shawn Green nailed a 35-yard field goal for the visitors to trim the Hilltops lead to 10-3.

The Hilltops closed out the first half getting field goals from Abel-Douglas from 13 and 30 yards out to hold a 16-3 lead.

The Hilltop Cheerleading Team performs at halftime.

Green recorded a rouge for the Thunder on the opening kickoff to start the second half to make the Hilltops lead stand at 16-4.

On that first offensive series of the half, the Hilltops got another major score as Reider hit Fountaine with a 26-yard touchdown strike to put the host side up 23-4. Ebben would run in a major from three yards out to push the Hilltops lead out to 30-4.

While the Hilltops offence was rolling on Saturday, Reider said his team will be focusing on fixing the mistakes they did make.

“I feel it was a good game, but at the end of the day, we can always do better,” said Reider. “Every day, every week, we’re trying to get better.

“I feel like that was one of our best games of the season for sure.”

Kai Kukurudza (#73) celebrates making a sack on Saturday.

Just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, Thunder star quarterback Carter Moberg hit receiver Benjamin Walz with a 15-yard touchdown toss to trim the Hilltops lead to 30-11.

Abel-Douglas proceeded to hit field goals from 15 and 22 yards out to round out the 36-11 final score in favour of Saskatoon.

Also in the fourth quarter, Kukurudza recorded both of his sacks on third down gambles by the Thunder.

“It just feels good when you go all game like doing your job, and then finally, you can really do what you need to do at the end when it matters most on those third downs,” said Kukurudza. “It is good.”

Moberg completed 17-of-31 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions for the Thunder. Star veteran running back Ryland Leichert topped Regina with 88 yards rushing on 15 carries. Walz had record 55 yards receiving on six catches to go with his touchdown through the air.

Dalton Urban (#17) returns an interception for the Hilltops.

Star middle linebacker Stephen Smith led the Thunder with 9.5 total tackles.

The Thunder return home to close out their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 6, when they host the Calgary Colts at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

The Hilltops will also conclude their regular season schedule on Sunday, October 6. They will travel to Edmonton to face the Huskies at 1 p.m. local time at Jasper Place Bowl.

Looking forward to the rest of the season, Sargeant is pumped his squad will have homefield advantage through the CJFL playoffs until reaching the Canadian Bowl. With that noted, he wants his team to focus on playing well in their final regular season contest first.

“We love playing at home,” said Sargeant. “We’ve worked hard to be in the spot we’re in, and now, we’ve got to take advantage.

“We’re off to the Edmonton Huskies next week. We could be playing them two weeks in a row. You know what?

The Hilltops do a breakdown cheer after Saturday’s win.

“We just can’t give an inch to anything or anyone. This is the type of group that they’re pretty locked and loaded right now. I’m very pleased with the performance of all 65 players that we dressed tonight.”

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Mowles settles in as playmaker on Hilltops defence

Two pick game versus Thunder was big highlight

Jace Mowles tops the Hilltops with three interceptions this season.

Jace Mowles prides himself on ensuring rare bad games don’t last.

Back on August 25, Mowles’ Saskatoon Hilltops had a banner day crushing the Colts 52-19 at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary. The Hilltops veteran standout cornerback thought he didn’t have one of his better days as the Colts collected 274 yards passing as team.

After that contest, the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference which the Hilltops play out of went on a bye week. Mowles, who is in his fourth year with the team, was determined to have a better outing when the Hilltops returned to action on September 7 against their provincial rivals the Thunder at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

In that contest, Mowles recorded three defensive solo tackles, three defensive tackle assists, two interceptions and one pass knockdown helping the Hilltops post a 29-15 victory. While the Thunder piled up 348 yards passing, Mowles’ interceptions came at key times to stall the Regina side’s momentum.

For his efforts, Mowles, who is a graduate of the Walter Murray Collegiate Marauders Football Team, was named the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

“It was good,” said Mowles. “It helped motivate the offence too and helped me elevate my game from having a bad game to having a good game.”

On Saturday, Mowles and the defending CJFL champion Hilltops (6-0) get to see the Thunder (5-1) again when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops are rated first in the CJFL’s Top 10 Power Rankings, and the Thunder are listed as fourth in those ratings.

If the Hilltops win that contest, they will lock up first place in the PFC and home field advantage through the CJFL playoffs up until the league’s title game in the Canadian Bowl, which will be hosted by the champion of the Ontario Football Conference. If the Thunder win, first place will still be up for grabs between the two squads heading into the final week of the PFC’s regular season.

Mowles is looking forward to the upcoming heavyweight encounter between the two sides.

Jace Mowles secures an interception for the Hilltops.

“It will be fun to be at home,” said Mowles. “It will be better for us, and I’ll enjoy it.”

On the season, Mowles has three interceptions, which is one behind Calgary Colts defensive back Keon Raymond II. To go along with his three picks, Mowles has recorded seven defensive solo tackles, five defensive tackle assists, four special teams solo tackles, one special teams tackle assist and one pass knockdown.

Mowles said during the season he hasn’t seen many passes get thrown his way, but he believes that is more due to his position on the field as opposed to a strategy of trying to avoid him.

“They’re throwing weak (side) more than strong (side),” said Mowles, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds. “Most teams do.

“I just play my game, and play it true.”

Last Sunday, the Hilltops gave up 374 yards passing to the Edmonton Wildcats in a 45-19 home victory at SMF Field. Mowles didn’t think the Hilltops had to make any adjustments in the secondary outside of executing better.

He gave credit to Wildcats quarterback Marcos Soltero and his receivers group for having a good game. Mowles said the Wildcats are a better team than their 0-6 record indicates.

“They had really good receivers,” said Mowles. “They all played high-level football.

“Their quarterback surprised us. He threw the ball really well.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against the Thunder, legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant would love to see Mowles have another big game.

“At the end of the day, he is one of our better players,” said Sargeant. “We put him in all situations, whether it be man or zone.

Jace Mowles has provided strong play at cornerback for the Hilltops.

“He is always willing to do whatever he is asked to. He loves being around the ball, and he has a knack for being around the ball. I think he has got three interceptions so far this year and a few knockdowns.

“He is a primetime player, and everybody knows who he is.”

Sargeant served as the principal of Walter Murray Collegiate when Mowles was a student there. Thanks to that development, the sideline boss knew he was getting a quality person when he recruited Mowles to join the Hilltops.

“When you’re the principal of a high school, you’re always going to the games to your student-athletes,” said Sargeant, who retired from his position as principal at Walter Murray Collegiate this past June. “He (Mowles) was just an excellent high school player.

“He did all the right things and got involved in all the different teams. In a short period of time, he became a pretty good impact player for us. By his second year, he was getting some quality opportunities to compete.

“You get to know who the kids are (as a principal in high school), which is awesome. At any school, I like to phone the coaches and get a flavour for what they’re saying, because at the end of the day, we want good character kids in this program.”

Mowles got his start playing football in the KFL in Saskatoon for three seasons before joining the Marauders. In his KFL years, Mowles spent his first two campaigns as a receiver before switching over to defence.

He said he enjoys football because it is fun to throw the ball around and he loves the team environment the sport provides. During the winter months, Mowles was also playing AA hockey, but there was no doubt that he would continue football after high school with the Hilltops.

“It was the only real option,” said Mowles. “I had hockey, but I chose football, because I loved it more.

“I enjoy playing this more than any other sport.”

Since joining the Hilltops in 2021, Mowles said the thing he loves the most about being part of the storied CJFL team is how tight-knit everyone is with the club.

Jace Mowles (#23) looks to enjoy more big plays with the Hilltops.

“Everyone is basically family,” said Mowles. “We all get along, so we all enjoy coming out here every day and having fun.”

Last season, Mowles said one of his biggest thrills came was helping the Hilltops win their 23^rd CJFL title with a 17-10 victory over the Westshore Rebels at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C. As this season continues, he would love for it to finish with him helping the Hilltops capture the Canadian Bowl to claim another CJFL title.

“It would be amazing,” said Mowles. “I loved going down to B.C. there and winning it.

“It was the best moment of my life, and I’d like to enjoy that again in Ontario.”

Reider tabbed as PFC player of the week

Trey Reider is the PFC’s offensive player of the week.

For the second time this season, Trey Reider has been named a PFC player of the week.

On Wednesday, Reider, who is the Saskatoon Hilltops star quarterback, was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts in his team’s 45-19 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. In that victory, Reider completed 15-of-22 passes for 278 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

On the season, Reider, who is playing out his fifth and final season of CJFL eligibility, has completed 86-of-130 passes for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns, while throwing one interception. He has been tabbed as the PFC’s offensive player of the week twice in the 2024 campaign.

Winnipeg Rifles linebacker Cohen McCluskey was the PFC’s defensive player of the week due to his efforts to help his squad down the visiting Calgary Colts 23-9 at Maple Grove Rugby Park. In that contest, McCluskey recorded eight solo defensive tackles, two defensive tackle assists and three interceptions. He returned one of his interceptions 46 yards for a touchdown.

Rifles kicker Evan Guercio was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week for his contributions in his team’s win over the Colts. Guercio made all three of his field goal attempts with a long from 27 yards out. He made both his one-point converts and kicked off five times for 252 yards for an average of 50.4 yards per kick.

Big SMF Field crowd leaves positive impression

Part of the crowd of 3,534 that came out to the Hilltops game last Sunday.

The Saskatoon Hilltops got a boost from their big home crowd.

Last Sunday, the Hilltops hammered the visiting Edmonton Wildcats 45-19 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. A crowd of 3,534 spectators came to check out the contest, which was the Hilltops highest attendance for a home regular season game in at least over a decade.

That contest was the team’s Kinsmen Family Day/Young Hilltops Day game. Those that came out on Sunday could take part in the various fun promotions that took place around the game.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was pumped to see the huge turnout.

“I think it is absolutely fantastic,” said Sargeant, who is the all time leader in career head coaching win in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks with 242 victories. “Family day and we have a Hilltop family here that we’re very proud about.

“When you get a lot of people rallying and supporting that, number one, great job by the directors to have that initiative and get a lot of people, a lot of friends and family out and supporters. It really filtered down to the players, and they felt real good about the energy that was in the crowd. It gave them a boost and enabled them to play exciting football for the fans.

“It was just a good day all in all, especially when you win.”

Hilltops fourth-year cornerback Jace Mowles appreciated the atmosphere the crowd brought to the stadium.

“It was great, because you get all the family out,” said Mowles. “Everyone is having fun.

“The kids are having fun, and even the intermission there, everyone was having fun. I enjoyed it. It was electric.”

Clark to appear at End Zone Scholarship Dinner

Dan Clark calls signals for the Roughriders in 2019.

Dan Clark will be the special guest at the Annual Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner set for September 28.

Clark was a star centre for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2009 to 2022. He was on the Roughriders practice roster in 2009 and 2010 and was on the main roster from 2011 to 2022 appearing in 131 games. During his years on the Roughriders practice roster, Clark was playing for the CJFL’s Regina Thunder.

Clark gained fame catching an eight-yard touchdown pass from legendary Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant in a 37-0 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a game played at historic Taylor Field on July 21, 2013. Following that contest, Clark and the Roughriders would later win the Grey Cup with a 45-23 victory over the Tigers-Cats on November 24, 2013 at Taylor Field.

In 2019, Clark was the unanimous selection as the Saskatchewan Roughriders Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. He was also named a CFL all-star.

The Annual Hilltops End Zone Scholarship Dinner will be held in the main hall of the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building located at the south end of Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The doors for the dinner will open at 4:15 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5 p.m.

The presenting sponsors of the event are TCU Financial and SaskTel. It is hosted in conjunction with the Hilltops community partners in the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation. The official beverage sponsor is the Crossmount Cider Company.

All proceeds of the event go towards the Saskatoon Hilltop Scholarship Fund.

Single tickets for the event are $100, and a table of eight goes for $725. Ticket purchases include admission to that night’s CJFL regular season contest between the Hilltops and the Regina Thunder set for 7 p.m. at SMF Field. Tickets for the End Zone Dinner can be purchased 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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