Hilltops where they should be in latest CJFL title quest

Trey Reider slings a pass for the Hilltops.

Pegged as the outright favourites to repeat as CJFL champions, the Saskatoon Hilltops are again living up to lofty expectations.

The defending CJFL champions have started the 2024 campaign with a 3-0 record outscoring their opposition 137-33 along the way. They have occupied the top spot in the CJFL’s Top 10 Power Rankings in every week that the rankings have been released.

Every team in the CJFL dreams of knocking the Hilltops off the mountain top. That has been easier said than done when it comes to the venerable and storied squad. The Hilltops have won 23 CJFL titles in their history and claimed 10 of the last 13 CJFL championships that have been contested dating back to 2010.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and his assistant coaches know what it is like to be the hunted team on the circuit. They know how to help their players deal with the noise that can range from people on the outside putting the team on pedestal or to negative comments coming the Hilltops players’ way via social media trying to tell them they are overrated and not that great.

When the Hilltops come off their bye week, they will travel to Regina to face the 3-0 Thunder at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, September 7. If the Hilltops fall in that contest, they will hear noise predicting that their attempt to win another CJFL title in 2024 won’t pan out.

So far for the Hilltops, their worst game of the campaign has been their regular season opener back on August 11 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. In that contest, they were flat but still beat the visiting Edmonton Huskies 38-13. To be fair, the Huskies and the officials were also flat in that contest creating one of those opening day games that can go all over the map, which does happen quite a bit in football.

The Hilltops have looked strong and exciting in their two road wins since. On August 18 at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg, the Hilltops rolled over the Rifles 47-1. Last Sunday at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary, the Hilltops crushed the Colts 52-19.

Drake Douglas has made numerous big plays for the Hilltops.

While the Hilltops are once again showing great balance in their passing and running attacks on offence, quarterback Trey Reider has been excellent so far playing out his final campaign of CJFL eligibility. Reider has completed 38-of-60 passes for 521 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He has run the ball nine times for 76 yards and two major scores.

Hilltop receiver Drake Douglas, who is also playing out his final CJFL campaign, is making a case that he might be the most exciting player in all of Canadian junior football. He has caught 17 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns.

Douglas tops the PFC in punt returns (18) and punt return yards (229). He has a 34-yard touchdown pass to his credit coming off a fake field goal in the win over the Colts.

Corbin Ebben is rounding into the power running back the Hilltops hoped the third-year player from Delisle Composite School Rebels nine-a-side Football Team could be. Ebben has carried the ball 51 times for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

While it might sound strange, the Hilltops most memorable “splash” play comes via a couple of first-year players. During mop up time in the win over the Colts, rookie signal caller Charlie Molder hit receiver Hayden Day for a 70-yard pass and run touchdown on a picturesque steak pattern play. Molder was a star with Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate Bears Football Team, while Day starred for Balgonie’s Greenall High School Griffins Football Team.

On the other side of the ball, defensive end Kai Kukurudza and defensive tackle Johnathon Stevens have wreaked havoc on opposing offences. Kukurudza has three sacks and an interception, while Stevens has two sacks and a fumble recovery.

Defensive back Nathan Young, who is in his fourth season of CJFL eligibility, has made the highlight reels returning two interceptions for touchdowns to go along with a fumble recovery.

Kai Kukurudza (#73) closes in on a tackle for the Hilltops.

If the Hilltops can beat the Thunder in their upcoming clash, it should set Saskatoon up well going into the second half of the PFC’s regular season schedule. In the Hilltops final four regular season contests, they will play at home on three occasions. Playing frequently like that at SMF Field should aid the Hilltops considerably in big games down the stretch.

With the PFC champion scheduled to host a CJFL semifinal this season, the Hilltops could find themselves playing even more at home when the post-season comes around.

The Hilltops are again living up to their high standards, and at the moment, there is no reason to expect that to change.

Ebben tabbed as PFC Player of the week

Corbin Ebben (#34) was the PFC offensive player of the week.

Saskatoon Hilltops power running back Corbin Ebben did his best impression of Roger Craig, and he was recognized with a weekly CJFL award for his efforts.

On Tuesday, Ebben was named the offensive player of the week of the Prairie Football Conference for his performance in the Hilltops 52-19 victory over the Colts at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary last Sunday. Ebben carried the ball 18 times for 140 yards and hauled in four passes for 67 yards and three touchdowns.

On the season, Ebben has carried the ball 51 times for 304 yards and two touchdowns. His rushing yardage total ranks third in the PFC.

Craig gained fame becoming the first play in the history of the NFL to have over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in one season coming in 1985 with the San Francisco 49ERS.

Edmonton Huskies defensive back Owen MacNeil claimed honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week for his performance in his team’s 27-8 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta. MacNeil had three interceptions to go with five solo defensive tackles and a pass knockdown.

Winnipeg Rifles defensive back Cohen McCluskey captured the PFC’s special teams player of the week nod for his efforts in team’s 30-0 loss to the Thunder at Leibel Field in Regina last Sunday. McCluskey had five special teams solo tackles in that loss.

Hilltops’ director Gould passes away

Jeff Gould, right, talks with Topper in August of 2023.

The sidelines of Saskatoon Hilltops home games won’t be the same for some time with the passing of director Jeff Gould.

Gould passed away on Monday at age 73 due to complications following a recent cancer diagnosis. Gould was serving in his 15^th year as a Hilltops director and was the team’s game day convener and was also a vice-president of the PFC.

As the Hilltops game day convener, Gould was a fixture on the sidelines during Hilltops games. It was common to see him visiting with anyone who roamed the sidelines, and he often visited with Hilltops players on the sidelines who weren’t dressed due to injury. Gould also held roles in the past as the Hilltops manager and team president.

He was a person that lifted the atmosphere of any room he stepped into. Gould had a great sense of humour and good and often off-colour jokes.

Along with his work with the Hilltops, Gould enjoyed being involved in the community and contributed countless hours to the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon, K-40 and the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival.

Gould was super proud of his family. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Hope, daughters Kara (Ralph) Deters and Kelly (Jeret) Bode, grandchildren Hayden, Olivia, Nora and Iris, siblings, nieces, nephews and countless others who had the privilege to know him.

Gould’s celebration of life will be planned for a date in October. His obituary from Saskatoon Funeral Home 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.

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.