Douglas soaking in farewell tour with CJFL’s Hilltops

Saskatoon downs Rifles 47-1, improves to 2-0

Drake Douglas continues to make big plays for the Hilltops.

Drake Douglas won’t let the final moments of his CJFL career pass him by.

The 22-year-old star receiver has gotten out to a strong start playing out his final year of CJFL eligibility with the defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops. In the Hilltops opening week 38-13 victory over the Edmonton Huskies on August 11 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Douglas caught seven passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. On special teams, he returned six punts for 113 yards.

On Sunday, Douglas accounted for a pair of touchdowns as the Hilltops improved to 2-0 romping past the Rifles 47-1 at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg. The Rifles fell to 0-2 with the loss to Saskatoon.

While Douglas is trying to cherish all his final experiences as a Hilltops player, he adds that it feels like time is passing by at warp speed.

“Time flies fast,” said Douglas. “It feels like we just ended last season almost.

“It feels like the whole off-season went by really fast, and it’s crazy that we’re already back here. I know I feel ready, but it’s just time flies so fast.”

Douglas’s stature in the CJFL is a lot different at that start of this season compared to the beginning of the 2023 campaign. Going into the 2023 season, Douglas wasn’t really well-known around the CJFL, but he did have a reputation in Saskatchewan that he could be a quality player at the post-secondary level.

Drake Douglas had a breakout season for the Hilltops in 2023.

After playing his final campaign with Regina’s Balfour Collegiate Bears Football Team in 2019, Douglas originally committed to play with the Regina Thunder on June 1, 2020. With shutdowns in affect due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that had gripped the world, Douglas practiced with the Thunder in the fall of 2020, but never played a down with the Regina CJFL side.

As there was no certainty when the sports world would resume action, Douglas elected to move to Saskatoon for an opportunity in the working world. His brother and his two sisters were already living in “The Bridge City.” Douglas got a call from legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and joined the storied CJFL club for their fourth game of the 2022 campaign. Sargeant’s call came after he received Douglas’s football highlight package from the pass catcher’s brother, Braydan.

Douglas finished that season making some big plays as the Hilltops fell 39-21 to the Thunder in Regina in that year’s PFC final. The Hilltops coaches believed bigger things were ahead for Douglas in 2023.

Douglas proved the faith of the Hilltops sideline bosses to be correct coming thru with a breakout campaign in 2023. He hauled in 56 passes for 591 yards and four touchdowns for the Hilltops on the way to being named a first team CJFL all-Canadian all-star. Douglas became a major part of a Hilltops club that went 12-0 overall and won their 23^rd CJFL title in team history downing the Westshore Rebels 17-10 in Langford, B.C., in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

Coming into the 2024 campaign, Douglas, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 185 pounds, is now the star receiver all other CJFL teams are game planning for. A Hilltops offensive team captain, Douglas was rated fifth among the CJFL’s Top 50 players list for the start of the season.

“I think a lot of the younger players my age spend a lot of time on Instagram and stuff, so that’s where they get most of their information from,” said Douglas, who holds for field goals for the Hilltops too. “It puts a little bit of a target on your back.

Drake Douglas can make exciting plays returning kicks.

“You get a little bit more words thrown your way, but I don’t think it changes much about how the actual game goes or how the coaches game plan. I think most coaches in the league know who they’re looking for and who they’re planning against regardless of what the CJFL posts on Instagram and what not. As a leader, I just try to set the tone, and I think there are a lot of guys who have stepped up due to injuries.

“I think on this team everybody has to lead in their own way, and I think a lot of guys have done that really, really well by just doing their job and staying in their lane.”

Sargeant believes Douglas has done a great job leading by example at the start of the campaign.

“Well, that’s what a captain does,” said Sargeant. “That’s what an all-Canadian does, and that’s what a fifth-year does.

“When you’re in dire straits and you need someone to make plays, it’s a 22-year-old who steps up, and that is the Hilltop way. Coach (Shane) Reider and his staff did a good job figuring out how to get him the ball, and (quarterback) Trey (Reider) made the throws, and he (Douglas) made the plays. At the end of the day, we want to be more balanced and be more multiple in our offensive look.”

While Douglas had an outstanding game in the season opener against the Huskies, he still felt he had room for improvement.

“In terms of my individual performance, I feel solid,” said Douglas. “I feel like I did my job, but definitely, there were a couple of plays like a couple dropped balls and a couple like mishaps on communication and stuff that definitely could have been better.

“I’m also happy with the return game. That’s probably one of my better return games I’ve had. That just goes to show the work that the coaches have been putting in.

Drake Douglas has become the Hilltops biggest offensive playmaker.

“‘Sarge’ has been putting a lot of pressure on (special teams coordinator) Andre (Lalonde) to get the special teams together, and that was a good way to start it for punt return at least. Andre was calling us out saying we need some more big returns this year, so I was happy to be a part of that, and the boys blocked great for me. It made my job easy.”

As for the rest of the 2024 campaign, Douglas hopes it doesn’t go by too fast. 

He said he is pretty good at staying in the moment but noted to recognize how special it was to be in each moment as a player for the final time.

“Essentially like every now and then, I just kind of look around and pretty much every day I’m like this is the last,” said Douglas. “It is the last this.

“It is one of the last days. I’ll be here like this will be my last trip to Winnipeg. That’ll probably be my last home game against Edmonton that kind of thing.

“I’m trying to appreciate every moment. I’m trying to just soak it all in the best I can essentially.”

In Sunday’s clash with the Rifles, the Hilltops led 7-0 after the first quarter, 20-0 at halftime and 33-1 after three quarters. The Hilltops received majors from running backs Corbin Ebben and Charles Sawi, defensive lineman Ryan Adamko and defensive back Nathan Young. Kicker Ryden Gratton connected on a pair of field goals for the Saskatoon side.

Drake Douglas, right, is piling some final memories with the Hilltops.

The Hilltops, who have won 14 straight overall, return to action this coming Sunday when they travel to Calgary to take on the 1-1 Colts (1 p.m. local time, Shouldice Athletic Park).

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