Hilltops playoff mystique does in Huskies

Heintz TD with 21.3 seconds left delivers Saskatoon victory

Dillan Heintz scores the winning TD for the Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops playoff mystique did in the Edmonton Huskies.

On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Huskies learned that leaving 78 seconds on the clock was too much time for the Hilltops to pull a game out of the fire.

The Huskies were trailing 27-24, when star quarterback Declan O’Flaherty connected with star receiver Adner St Hilaire for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Edmonton side up 31-27.

On the ensuing series, Hilltops emerging star quarterback Damon Dutton executed a near flawless two-minute drill type drive to get the Hilltops down to the Huskies five yard line.

With 21.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Dutton found standout receiver Dillan Heintz with a short five-yard touchdown toss on an out pattern to put the hosts up 33-31. The snap on the extra point was botched preventing the Hilltops from going up by three points.

The Hilltops celebrate Dillan Heintz’s winning TD.

At that juncture, the Huskies weren’t able engineer a miracle finish. O’Flaherty had a pass deflected by a Saskatoon defensive lineman up in the air and defensive tackle Jaxon Funk came down with an interception to preserve a 33-31 PFC semifinal victory for the Hilltops before 896 spectators.

Heintz, who caught seven passes for 84 yards, was pumped his major score came in a clutch moment in his team’s first game of the 2021 CJFL playoffs.

“It was just straight excitement,” said Heintz. “You want to make that play for your teammates, and when you do, it is like no other feeling.

The Huskies celebration of an Adner St Hilaire TD was short lived.

“You can’t even describe it honestly. You just get up and see your teammates coming to you. I’m just glad I could make that play for my teammates, and we’re going on to next week.”

The win allows the Hilltops, who improved to 7-2 overall, to advance to the PFC final. The Huskies finish the 2021 campaign with a 6-4 overall mark, which included a 5-3 record in the regular season.

The Hilltops will travel to Regina to face the Thunder, who claimed Sunday’s other PFC semifinal contest 45-26 over the Winnipeg Rifles at Leibel Field in Regina. The Rifles finished the 2021 campaign with a 3-7 overall mark, which included a 2-6 record in regular season play.

QB Damon Dutton (#19) coolly engineered the winning TD drive.

The Thunder, whose overall record improved to 9-0 with the win over the Rifles, won both head-to-head encounters in the regular season to top the PFC standings. The PFC final will be held this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium due to the fact the clash between the host Thunder and Hilltops is expected to draw a crowd that is too big for Leibel Field.

Dutton was pumped his Hilltops were able to pull out their PFC semifinal win over the Huskies and advance onward in the post-season. The Hilltops, who have won the last six straight CJFL titles before the 2020 CJFL season was nixed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, ran their CJFL post-season record winning streak to 21 games with the victory over the Huskies.

Lachlan Horsley caught six passes for 106 yards for the Hilltops.

“I feel good we’re able to see another day and another game and keep going with our fifth years,” said Dutton. “I couldn’t want anything more.”

Sunday’s clash between the Hilltops and Huskies was a CJFL playoff classic. There were various back and forth momentum swings, some trick plays, hustle plays and unexpected bounces.

It was the type of barnburner the Canadian style of football is known for.

In the first quarter, the Huskies jumped ahead 6-0 off two field goals from Ethan Hartman coming from 28 and 24 yards out. With 28.6 seconds remaining in the first quarter, the Hilltops got in front 7-6 on a one-yard touchdown run from Carter McLean.

Adner St Hilaire caught two TD passes for the Huskies.

The lead didn’t last long.

On the ensuing kickoff, Huskies kick returner Ben Wilton ran the ball back 90 yards for a touchdown to give the visitors a 13-7 edge.

Early in the second quarter, the Hilltops jumped back in front 14-13 on another one-yard touchdown run from McLean.

With 3:33 remaining in the second quarter, O’Flaherty connected with St Hilaire on an 18-yard touchdown toss to put the Huskies up 20-14. St Hilaire had eight catches for 82 yards to go with his two majors through the air on the afternoon.

Hartman added a single on the ensuing kickoff and 33 yard field goal on the last play of the frame to give Edmonton a 24-14 advantage at halftime.

Declan O’Flaherty had 227 yards passing for the Huskies.

Hartman’s field goal on the last play of the half was set up by a muffed Hilltops punt return that was recovered by Huskies defensive back Jackson Ganton.

While Saskatoon was down 10 points at halftime, Hilltops safety Brant Morrow said belief was high a comeback was going to be made. The veteran, who is in his fourth full season with the team, said the key was to focus and work your way back play by play.

“You know what, we were just kind of going out there and doing our best just one play at a time,” said Morrow. “You can’t get down on yourself if you are losing.

“You can’t get too high if you are winning. You just kind of go out there and give your best every play. It turned out for us today.”

Mason Ochs (#73) had a key fumble recovery.

With 5:17 remaining in the third quarter, the Hilltops got a 26-yard field goal from kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas to trim the Huskies lead to 24-17.

The Hilltops proceeded to tie the game 24-24 on a six-yard touchdown run from McLean with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter. McLean carried the ball 23 times for 85 yards to go with his three rushing majors on the day.

That late third quarter touchdown was set up by the Hilltops converting a third down conversion off a fake field goal that saw holder and backup quarterback Doug Fleming hit receiver Presley Peterson with a 24-yard pass.

In the fourth quarter, Morrow made two interceptions to stall Edmonton offensive marches. With 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, Abel-Douglas hit a 23-yard field goal to put the Hilltops up 27-24.

Abel-Douglas’s field goal was set up thanks to the fact star left tackle Mason Ochs recovered a fumble by Heintz, who had just made a catch and run to get a first down on that scoring drive.

Ben Wilton had a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD for the Huskies.

That fourth quarter field goal by Abel-Douglas set up the dramatics at the end with St Hilaire putting the Huskies up 31-27 with 78 second to play with his second touchdown catch, and Heintz countering with the winning score for the Hilltops with 21.3 seconds remaining in the game.

“At some point in time, the pressure is going to go on one team more than the other,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “We were down 10 at one point.

“It wasn’t looking good. We just kept battling. The coaches made some good calls, and you know what, the players figured it out.

“We are living another week, and that is all I care about. I get another week to coach this team.”

Brant Morrow had two interceptions for the Hilltops.

Dutton completed 21-of-39 passes for 285 yards and one touchdown, while throwing one interception.

Sargeant said he was proud of all his players and coach on Sunday, and he was pleased to see Dutton persevere over some rough patches to ultimately engineer the winning touchdown drive at the end.

“Damon (Dutton) didn’t have the greatest start, but at the end of the day, we stuck with him, and he stuck with himself,” said Sargeant. “He found a way to get it done.

“He showed a lot of guts today. He grew a lot, and he played his best when his best was needed. That is what it is all about.”

Hilltops receiver Lachlan Horsley made some key catches leading all Hilltops receivers with 106 yards coming on six receptions.

The Hilltops celebrate an interception by Jaxon Funk (#77).

O’Flaherty completed 22-of-40 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions. Huskies running back Alex Gayle topped all ground gainers with 110 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Defensive back Wade Keating led the Hilltops with 10 total tackles.

Linebacker Mathew Laurin topped the Huskies with 6.5 total tackles. Huskies defensive back Paul Loggale had an interception and two pass knockdowns.

Now, the Hilltops turn their focus towards the Thunder. Heintz said the Hilltops were going to enjoy the win over the Huskies for the rest of the day Sunday and then get back it preparing for the PFC final against the Thunder.

Fans at SMF Field celebrate the Hilltops PFC semifinal victory.

“It is just a mindset,” said Heintz. “We have to come back Monday or Tuesday whenever the coach says, and then practise hard.

“We had a good week of practice this week. We just have to come together as a team and work hard and then go into their barn and beat them. That is all it is.”

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CJFL playoffs arrive for Hilltops

Saskatoon ready to get it on with Huskies in PFC semifinal

Boston Davidsen finished second in the PFC in rushing yards.

The Saskatoon Hilltops never leave anything to chance especially when it comes to playing a quality opponent they seemingly always beat.

At practice this week, the Hilltops have been their traditional businesslike selves preparing for their Prairie Football Conference semifinal clash with the Edmonton Huskies. The two sides go at it in that CJFL playoff clash on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

“It will be a challenge,” said Hilltops quarterback Damon Dutton. “They are definitely a good team.

“We just have to come out and compete and play our best game of the season on Sunday.”

The Hilltops finished second in the PFC regular season standings with a 6-2 mark, while the Huskies were third with a 5-3 record.

Saskatoon earned a bye to host a PFC semifinal thanks to the second place finish. The Huskies romped over the Calgary Colts 53-9 in a PFC quarter-final contest held this past Sunday at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton.

The two sides went at it twice during the regular season with the Hilltops pulling out wins on both occasions.

“You play a team three times you really get to know what they do with their tendencies,” said Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson. “They are going to be the same for us.

“We watched a lot of film. We have a lot of film on them now of us playing them. We know what we have to get better at.”

On the opening day of the CJFL regular season back on August 22, the Hilltops rallied from a 14-0 deficit to slip past the Huskies 18-17 at Jasper Place Bowl. Hilltops punter Doug Fleming kicked a rouge on the last play of the game to win the contest.

Declan O’Flaherty (#4) topped the PFC in passing yards.

The two sides met again on October 3 at SMF Field, and the Hilltops claimed a 34-20 victory in that encounter.

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world helped cancel the 2020 CJFL campaign, the Hilltops and Huskies met the last two times the PFC final was contested. The Hilltops claimed both of those encounters pulling out a 30-14 win in 2019 and a 28-9 victory in 2018.

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knows all that past success doesn’t guarantee any future success.

“They are a good football team,” said Sargeant, whose team has won four straight games. “They are well coached.

“They got skill levels at all positions. They are hungry. You got to remember this is a team we’ve faced in the PFC final for that couple of years.

“We have a history with them as well. It is going to be a big, physical clash, but we’re excited that we are playing at SMF.”

During the 2021 regular season, the Huskies had the highest scoring offence in the PFC scoring 334 points in eight games.

The Hilltops defence gave up the least amount of points in the PFC surrendering 135 points over eight contests.

On offence, Dutton became the Hilltops full-time starter in the team’s fourth game of the campaign. During the regular season, Dutton completed 127-of-183 passes for 1,528 yards and 12 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions.

Dutton had the third most passing yards and touchdown passes in the PFC.

Damon Dutton (#19) finished third in the PFC in passing yards.

Huskies starting quarterback Declan O’Flaherty had a stellar campaign completing 138-of-234 passes for 2,115 yards and 19 touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions. O’Flaherty led the PFC in passing yards and touchdown passes.

He also rested for much of the Huskies quarter-final win over the Colts completing his only pass for nine yards and a touchdown.

On the ground, Hilltops running backs Boston Davidsen and Carter McLean finished second and third respectively in the PFC in rushing yards. Davidsen carried the 98 times for 634 yards and scored six touchdowns, while McLean had 125 carries for 599 yards and four touchdowns.

Huskies running back Alex Gayle carried the ball 149 times for 927 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He topped the PFC in all three of those statistical categories.

Edmonton also has veteran Brandt Burzuk in the backfield at running back. In 2019, Burzuk was named the PFC’s most valuable player, most outstanding offensive player and most outstanding running back. He battle injuries for much of the 2021 season.

Receiver Ethan Godson led the Hilltops and was fourth in the PFC in receiving yards hauling in 30 catches for 524 yards and six touchdowns.

Pass catcher Adner St Hilaire topped the Huskies and finished second in the PFC in receiving yards catching 35 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns.

During their wins over the Huskies, the Hilltops usually piled up huge yardage on the ground, which included 285 yards rushing in the 34-20 victory on Oct. 3. Dutton said his squad will keep going to the ground game until success doesn’t happen anymore.

“If our running game is working, that means we are doing our jobs,” said Dutton. “We’re confident that it can and it will work.

“We just have good confidence in our guys.”

Alex Gayle (#33) lead the PFC in rushing yards.

On defence, Johnson had a massive year finishing second in the PFC in defensive points. Over eight regular season games, Johnson recorded 26 defensive tackles, 13 defensive tackle assists, 12 special teams tackles, three special teams tackle assists, one quarterback sack, five pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery and five interceptions.

Huskies defensive back Maurice Dubois finished ninth in the PFC in defensive points. He collected 32 defensive tackles, three defensive tackle assists, four special teams tackles, four pass knockdowns and two interceptions over eight regular season games.

Johnson said the Hilltops are going to try and neutralize the Huskies running game first to try and make their opponents one dimensional.

“That is the main goal, especially now it is getting colder out,” said Johnson. “Teams want to run as much as they can.

“I think that is what they are going to be focused on at the start. We have to shut that down. It should be a better game for us.”

Entering the post-season, the Hilltops have won the CJFL championship the last six times it was up for grabs from 2014 to 2019. That means they have an active 20-game CJFL record post-season game winning going into Sunday’s game too.

The last time the Hilltops didn’t make the PFC final when the CJFL playoffs were contested was way back in 2006. During that campaign, the Hilltops season came to an end with a 35-27 setback in a home PFC semifinal contest played at Griffiths Stadium against the Huskies.

Of course in the current campaign, there has been extra excitement for everything that happens in a season after the 2020 campaign was lost.

Sargeant believes his squad will be once again ready to rock ’n’ roll when it comes time to play this Sunday’s post-season game.

“We know what we need to do and how we need to do it,” said Sargeant. “We’re excited to have a great week of practice and focus on the task at hand.

Konner Johnson (#42) and the Hilltops defence are ready to rock.

“We know that the game still comes down to fundamentals. That is what we are doing all week. The coaches are coaching how we expect our players to play.

“The game plan is laid out. The players have to come out and execute that plan. If they do a good job of that, usually things work out pretty well for us.”

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Hilltops ship it up to Boston

Davidsen rumbles for 221 yards in win over Huskies

Boston Davidsen had a monster game Sunday for the Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops shipped the ball up to Boston Davidsen to find their offensive groove.

The 20-year-old running back, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 188 pounds, ran the ball 31 times for 221 yards and scored three touchdowns to power the Hilltops to a 34-20 victory over the Edmonton Huskies in a CJFL regular season clash on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Davidsen’s performance allowed the Hilltops to build a 17-0 edge in the first quarter and hold a 20-0 advantage at halftime. The power running back’s legs ensured the Hilltops held off a Huskies surge in the second half to preserve the victory.

When asked if this contest was a statement to show he had arrived, Davidsen deflected credit to his offensive line.

Boston Davidsen (#24) powers his way to a 10-yard touchdown run.

The Hilltops starting offensive line including left tackle Mason Ochs, left guard Jordan Bisson, centre Luciano Jolly, right guard Ethan Paslowski and right tackle Jayson Kehler allowed the Hilltops to pile up 444 yards of total offence.

“It is more the O-line’s time has arrived,” said Davidsen, whose father Donnie Davidsen is the Hilltops long time offensive line coach. “This is probably their best game of the year.

“When the O-line has a good game, the running back is going to have a good game. I think just O-line play and coaching plan led to the game today.”

The win was a big one for the Hilltops as it allowed them to improve to 4-2, while the Huskies fell to 4-2. 

Boston Davidsen (#24) celebrates his second of three majors.

The victory allowed the Hilltops to sweep the regular season series with the Huskies 2-0, which means Saskatoon holds the standings tiebreaker between the two sides and moved into second place in the Prairie Football Conference.

Both clubs have two games remaining on their respective regular season schedules. The Regina Thunder sit first in the PFC with a 6-0 mark with two games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said Boston Davidsen has emerged thanks to the work he put in during an extended break when the 2020 CJFL season was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Boston Davidsen, left, scores his third rushing TD on Sunday.

Davidsen helped the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints win 3A provincial championships in 2016 and 2018 before joining the Hilltops for their 2019 CJFL championship season. Following the Hilltops 2019 CJFL title season, Sargeant said Davidsen worked to get bigger, stronger and faster.

“Carter (McLean) is our starter, but he (Davidsen) just kept coming and coming,” said Sargeant. “Carter got a little nicked up, and at the end of the day, hey, he (Davidsen) is starting to make his plays, and it is fun to watch.

“Everyone rallies around him. To have Boston and Carter in our backfield and Jordan Tabin who played a great game today as well, our three backs were absolutely exemplary today. A big credit to the O-line.

Boston Davidsen piled up 221 yards rushing on Sunday.

“When you put all that together, yeah, we should be tough to stop, and we want to keep going in that direction.”

The presence of Davidsen and McLean gives the Hilltops a huge one-two punch at the running back position, while Tabin has taken on the role of short-yardage specialist. McLean had a solid outing too in Sunday’s win carrying the ball 14 times for 64 yards.

Davidsen said McLean, who is in his third full season with the Hilltops, has been a good mentor.

“The running back ahead of me, Carter McLean, he has been a really big influence on me,” said Davidsen. “He has been really helping me out teaching me and has been a big supporter of mine.

“A lot of credit goes to him.”

Josh Wiebe had a big opening kickoff return on Sunday.

The Hilltops came out the gate flying on Sunday. Receiver Josh Wiebe returned the opening kickoff 39 yards into Huskies territory to give the Hilltops offence good field position.

The Hilltops offence proceeded to drive the ball after Wiebe’s return for an opening series touchdown drive that was capped by a four-yard scoring run by Davidsen to take a 7-0 lead. That score marked the first time the Hilltops offence scored a major on their opening possession of the game this season.

Saskatoon quickly got the ball back again thanks to an interception near midfield by outside linebacker Konner Johnson, who had seven total tackles in the contest.

“That was one of our big talking points in practices,” said Davidsen. “It was let’s have a good drive and let’s stay on the field, especially on that first drive and hit them hard.

Konner Johnson came up with a big first quarter interception.

“I think we did that, and it helped for the rest of the game.”

The Hilltops drove down and got a 17-yard field goal from kicker Teijon Abel-Douglas on their ensuing possession to go up 10-0.

Before the first quarter ended, Davidsen ran in a touchdown up the gut from 10-yards out to increase Saskatoon’s advantage to 17-0.

In the second quarter, the Hilltops scored a safety to go up 19-0, when Huskies star quarterback Declan O’Flaherty was penalized for intentional grounding for throwing the ball away while in his own end zone.

Abel-Douglas added a single from a missed 37-yard field goal to put the Hilltops up 20-0 going into halftime.

Two Hilltops defenders make a big hit on a Huskies receiver.

Hilltops safety Brant Morrow said his team had a really good vibe heading into Sunday’s game.

“It was more of a feeling,” said Morrow, who had three solo tackles and a pass knock down in the win. “We came out with more energy.

“We were giving each other more high-fives. We were excited for each other making plays. That energy just really took us into the game, and we played a better game.”

The Huskies didn’t go away. On the first series in the second half, the Huskies put together a long offensive series that culminated on an 11-yard touchdown run from star running back Alex Gayle to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 20-7.

Huskies receiver De Shawn Le Jour gets tackled after a catch.

The Hilltops responded with a touchdown drive of their own that was capped by a 21-yard run from Davidsen to push the host side’s advantage to 27-7. Morrow was impressed with what Davidsen and the Hilltops ground game was able to do.

“Boston was amazing, but I also have to give a shout out to the O-line,” said Morrow. “They were awesome as well.

“He (Davidsen) was hitting the holes hard. Yards after contact, he can get a lot of those. He was special today.”

Before the third quarter ended, the Huskies got on the board again, when O’Flaherty hit star receiver De Shawn Le Jour with a 35-yard touchdown pass. Huskies kicker Ethan Hartman hit the crossbar on the ensuing convert to see the Hilltops lead sit at 27-13.

Declan O'Flaherty (#4) had 306 yards passing for the Huskies.

Just 75 seconds into the fourth quarter, O’Flaherty hit receiver Caleb Akerley with a four-yard touchdown toss on a third-and-goal gamble. The Huskies major further trimmed Saskatoon’s advantage to 27-20.

That was as close as the Huskies would come to making a comeback.

Hilltops quarterback Damon Dutton hit speedy receiver Ethan Godson with a 27-yard touchdown pass with 8:42 remaining in the fourth quarter to conclude the scoring in the 34-20 win by the host side.

“We’re a work in progress, but at the end of the day, this was by far our best game of the year,” said Sargeant. “You know what, the guys stuck together and played together.

Ethan Paslowski, left, sets to make a block in pass protection.

“Our O-line really stepped up. Our quarterback was good. Boston Davidsen is an emerging superstar.

“At the end the day, the defence was great in the first half.”

Doubling as the Hilltops offensive coordinator, Sargeant gave his offence, which has been inconsistent this season, an extra plug.

“The Edmonton Huskies had the best offence in the league,” said Sargeant. “That was our challenge is whose got the best offence.

“I think we proved today putting 34 points on it right now that the Saskatoon Hilltops offence is pretty good. We’re only going to get better.”

Carter McLean carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards on Sunday.

Dutton completed 16-of-24 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown and no inceptions for the Hilltops.

O’Flaherty connected on 26-of-40 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing one interception for the Huskies. Gayle carried the ball 22 times for 119 yards to go with his major score, while Le Jour caught seven passes for 114 yards to go with his catch for a major score for the visitors.

Defensive lineman Josh Lenz had a sack for the Huskies.

The entire PFC now heads off on a bye week.

The Hilltops return to action on Sunday, October 17 at 1 p.m. when they host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-4) at SMF Field.

Matthew Turple, left, and Luciano Jolly are all smiles after Sunday’s win.

Davidsen said the focus now shifts toward building for the post-season.

“We’re getting ready for the playoffs here,” said Davidsen. “We have two more games.

“We have to try and ramp up the intensity, so that when we go into the playoffs, we are ready to go, and it is our best game when we are heading into Week 1 of the playoffs.”

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Hilltops and Huskies to battle in big money game

Ethan Godson and the Hilltops have a big game on Sunday.

It is a contest the Saskatoon Hilltops have to win, if they want to have a bye in the post-season.

On Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops (3-2) host the Edmonton Huskies (4-1) in a CJFL regular season clash where the winner will sit second in the Prairie Football Conference standings.

The Hilltops claimed the first encounter between the two sides 18-17 on August 22 at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton. 

A win by Saskatoon on Sunday would allow the Hilltops to sweep the season series 2-0 and give them the standings tiebreaker with the Huskies.

If the Huskies win on Sunday, the Hilltops chances of finishing in the top two positions of the PFC could potentially be finished. The Huskies would be left to jockey with the Regina Thunder (5-0) for first in the PFC over the final two weeks of the campaign.

This season, all six teams in the PFC make the playoffs. The first and second place teams earn byes to host conference semifinal games.

 “That (Sunday’s contest with the Huskies) is an absolute money game,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “There is lots at stake there.

Boston Davidsen (#24) has run tough inside for the Hilltops.

“We certainly have to improve our performance and our play if we are going to put ourselves in some meaningful situations in the future. Right now, we are making still too many mistakes that get in our way and don’t allow us to play a game of energy and momentum.”

Sargeant is well aware of the test that awaits his team. Huskies running back Alex Gayle leads the PFC in rushing yards with 547 and rushing touchdowns with seven.

Gayle piled up those statistics on 87 carries, which means he is averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Huskies star quarterback Declan O’Flaherty has completed 76-of-135 passes for PFC high 1,350 yards and a PFC leading 13 touchdowns, while only throwing two interceptions.

Huskies receiver Adner St. Hilaire sits second in the PFC with 409 yards receiving coming on 22 catches, and he has scored a pair of touchdowns. De Shawn Le Jour is also having a big season playing receiver for the Huskies catching 13 passes for 341 yards and six touchdowns. His receive yardage total ranks fourth best in the PFC.

Sargeant liked how his defence has played this season, especially in the Hilltops 25-10 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles this past Sunday at SMF Field. The legendary sideline boss knows that unit faces a big test against the Huskies.

LB Noah Gedir (#36) and the Hilltops defence aims to come up big.

“Our defence certainly put on some good game tape this weekend especially after the first quarter,” said Sargeant. “I’m really pleased with how they played.

“They have a tough matchup ahead of them, because they (the Huskies) got the leading rusher. They have two of the top four receivers. Their quarterback has thrown 13 touchdowns and 1,300 yards passing, so by far the best in the league.

“They have a lot of weapons offensively. Their defence is aggressive. There is lots in front of us.”

Hilltops outside linebacker Konner Johnson said a key to taking on the Huskies is trying to make them one-dimensional on offence.

“We have to stop the run first of all like we did with the Rifles,” said Johnson, who leads the Hilltops with three interceptions this season. “The run is dangerous.

“Once we can do that, the game gets easier for us on defence, and that is the goal.”

Offensively, the Hilltops are looking for better consistency on that side of the ball. They’ve been able to rely on their ground game as running back Carter McLean sits third in the PFC in rushing with 421 yards coming on 92 carries, and he has scores three touchdowns.

The Hilltops need to hit the end zone a few times on Sunday.

Running back Boston Davidsen, who is in his second full season with the Hilltops, has carried the ball 38 times for 243 yards and scored one touchdown this season. He sits seventh in the PFC for rushing.

The Hilltops air attack is showing glimpses over the past two weeks that it can be dangerous. Speed receiver Ethan Godson has caught 16 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns. He has the fifth most receiving yards in the PFC.

Huskies defensive back Cheyvez Campbell tops the PFC with five interceptions, and he will try to keep making life tough for the Hilltops offence.

“We just have to be consistent,” said Godson. “I think that is the biggest thing.

“We have some good drives, but then we can’t finish them. I think just being consistent is the biggest thing.”

Hilltops’ Morrow gets PFC’s weekly special teams honour

Brant Morrow jets downfield on a 56-yard punt return.

Saskatoon Hilltops safety Brant Morrow turned heads with his abilities on special teams, and it allowed him to capture a weekly award.

On Tuesday, Morrow was named the special teams player of the week for the Prairie Football Conference. This past Sunday in a 25-10 victory over the Winnipeg Rifles at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Morrow returned two punts for 73 yards and kicked off once for 40 yards.

In the first quarter in the win over the Rifles, Morrow returned a punt 56 yards down to the Winnipeg one yard line. That set up a one-yard touchdown plunge from Hilltops running back Boston Davidsen.

Edmonton Huskies running back Alex Gayle was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts in a 57-14 romp over the Colts in Calgary this past Sunday.

Gayle carried the ball 19 times for 149 yards and scored four touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 29 yards.

Regina Thunder linebacker Matthew Schill took honours as the PFC’s defensive player of the week for his efforts in a 22-10 victory over the Wildcats in Edmonton. Schill had 11 solo tackles, one quarterback sack and one interception in the win.

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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Fleming perseveres to score winning point for Hilltops

Saskatoon rallies for 18-17 victory in Edmonton

Doug Fleming sets to throw a pass at a Hilltops scrimmage.

When world events throw you a curveball, Doug Fleming believes you try to do the best you can with the cards that get dealt your way.

Fleming was looking forward to his third season in the CJFL in 2020 as he was slated to become the new starting quarterback for the storied Saskatoon Hilltops.

Unfortunately, the world came into the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the 2020 CJFL campaign was lost.

The Hilltops were cleared to hold practices for six weeks during September and October of 2020, and Fleming was happy to take that on field action given the circumstances.

“It was tough, but we were fortunate enough to at least practice together and get a few scrimmages in,” said Fleming, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 215 pounds. “It sucked not playing, but it was nice to be able to grow as a person and like be better mentally and be better physically for this season.”

Fleming’s third CJFL season did indeed get underway. On Sunday, he made his first career start at quarterback as the Hilltops battled the Huskies at the Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton, Alta.

The start was a rough one. The Hilltops offence struggled in the first half and a late second quarter interception by Fleming saw the Huskies turn that turnover into a touchdown to go up 14-0 at halftime.

At the start of the second half, the Hilltops inserted Damon Dutton in at quarterback, who is also in his third full season with the team. Dutton led a second half comeback that saw the Hilltops get back on even terms at 17-17 with 5:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the final play of the contest, the Hilltops had the ball on the Huskies nine yard-line. Fleming, who is also the Hilltops’ punter, came into the game and booted a walk-off rouge through the Edmonton end zone to give Saskatoon an 18-17 victory.

Damon Dutton throws a pass at a Hilltops scrimmage.

During the 2019 season, Fleming was being groomed to eventually take over as the Hilltops starting signal caller during his sophomore campaign with the team. Besides seeing action in lopsided wins, Fleming hit the field on goal-line and short-yardage situations along with some special offensive packages the team designed.

He completed 9-of-16 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown over the team’s eight regular season games. Fleming also ran the ball nine times for 68 yards and scored three touchdowns in those contests too.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints football team said the 2019 CJFL championship season with the Hilltops was a campaign where he was doing a lot of learning and trying to get better.

“It wasn’t bad, but I definitely needed to improve on a bit of stuff,” said Fleming. “As the season went on, I missed a few easy throws.

“I really worked on trying to correct those mistakes for this year. It was fun to play. It was just nice to get off the bench a little.

“Even just running the ball, it was nice to be able to get out there and contribute.”

With Tyler Hermann playing out his final season of CJFL eligibility as the Hilltops starting quarterback in 2019, Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant, who is also the club’s offensive coordinator, wanted to get Fleming some meaningful reps that season.

“That was purposeful,” said Sargeant. “Number one, we knew eventually he was going to move into that starting role, so we wanted to give him some opportunities in real live situations to grow and learn what he needs to do and how he needs to do it to play at an elite level.

Doug Fleming saw frequent action in 2019.

“The good thing is Damon Dutton has had an outstanding camp as well. We’re very happy with our two quarterbacks.”

With the Hilltops down 14-0, they engineered their first score with Dutton at quarterback off a nine-yard touchdown run by running back Carter McLean at the 5:11 mark of the third quarter to trim the Huskies lead to 14-7.

Late in the third quarter, new Hilltops kicker Carter Sirman hit a field goal from 26 yards out to cut the Huskies advantage to 14-10.

Early in the fourth quarter, Laine Santos hit a 34-yard field goal for the Huskies to extend the host side’s advantage to 17-10.

With 5:27 remaining in the fourth quarter Dutton hit speedy receiver Ethan Godson with a 22-yard touchdown pass to even the score 17-17.

On the Hilltops final possession, Dutton hit sure handed receiver Dillan Heintz with a 38-yard pass to get the visitors down to the Huskies 18-yard line.

After one running play, Fleming was brought in try a punt single to win the game. He kicked the ball into the end zone, but the Huskies kicked the ball out of end zone.

Fleming fielded the ball for the Hilltops but was unable to kick the ball back into the end zone. The Huskies were called for a no yards penalty when Fleming caught the football giving the Hilltops one more play with no time remaining on the clock at the Huskies nine yard line.

Fleming hit the game-winning point from there.

The Huskies first half scores came courtesy a one-yard touchdown run by running back Alex Gayle early in the second quarter and quarterback Declan O’Flaherty hitting receiver Adner St Hilaire with a six-yard touchdown pass late in the second frame.

Sargeant said Fleming put in the time and deserved to be the Hilltops starting quarterback going into the opener. The sideline boss said the signal caller has continually improved and put in great work during the team’s six weeks of practice in the fall of 2020.

Doug Fleming, left, takes off on a memorable TD run in 2019.

“Dougie (Fleming) is growing, and he is getting better every day,” said Sargeant. “Coach (Shane) Reider and the offensive coaches are putting some things in to match his skill set.

“Every day he takes 100 steps. He is throwing the ball. He is getting more confidence with the game plan and our concepts. It is fun to watch.

“He is improving daily. He is a captain. Guys are rallying around him. They are following him. He just has positive energy. He is a fun kid to be around.”

Fleming carved out a special memory in the Hilltops second regular season game of the 2019 campaign, when they played the Thunder at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on Aug. 25.

On a third-and-two gamble late in the second quarter, Fleming ran off a 33-yard touchdown run on a draw play for the Hilltops second major of the contest. He also ran in the Hilltops final major from 11 yards out to round out a 34-16 victory.

The result allowed Sargeant to record his 200^th career coaching victory.

Fleming was pumped to help Sargeant get that milestone win and remembers being pretty energized after the 33-yard touchdown run.

“I was pretty excited,” said Fleming. “(Then Hilltops kicker and receiver Rylan) Kleiter said I was shaking really bad trying to hold the extra point after.

“I was really amped up for it maybe a little too amped up.”

Doug Fleming (#4) celebrates a memorable TD run in 2019.

Fleming enjoyed being part of the Hilltops CJFL championship teams in 2018 and 2019. Saskatoon had won the last six straight CJFL titles before the 2020 campaign was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, Fleming said the veterans left a big positive influence on the younger players.

“It was pretty cool,” said Fleming. “You get to learn a lot from those veteran guys.

“In 2018, we only had eight guys, but they were very well accomplished. In 2019, we had 15 guys who hadn’t played much, but you learn a lot about perseverance from those guys who stood on the bench for four years and waited their turn to play one year.

“It was good learning that from them too.”

As for the 2021 campaign, Fleming said he doesn’t want to look too far ahead. With the Hilltops having gone a lengthy stretch of not having a game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fleming wants to soak in the moments on the field as they come.

“We are taking it one week at a time and try and focus and win our game each week,” said Fleming. “We just go one week at a time.”

The Hilltops return to action this coming Sunday when they travel to Calgary to take on the Colts at Shouldice Park.

Doug Fleming, with ball, and the Hilltops next play in Calgary.

NOTES – Sunday’s victory marked the 30^th straight game the Hilltops have won on the road including play in the CJFL regular season and post-season. The Hilltops last road setback came way back on August 17, 2014, when they fell 19-16 in overtime to the Thunder in Regina at Taylor Field.

Overall, the Hilltops have won their last 32 games in a row including action in the CJFL regular season and post-season. Their last loss was a 29-26 setback to the Regina Thunder on Sept. 9, 2017 against the Thunder at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

It is believed both winning streaks are CJFL records. On paper, those streaks continue from the 2019 season with the 2020 CJFL campaign was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

End Zone Dinner is a go for Hilltops

A Scott Schultz card.

The Saskatoon Hilltops traditional In The End Zone Dinner to raise funds for the team’s scholarship program is returning this season.

The club wasn’t able to hold the fundraising dinner a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s dinner will be held on September 11 at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. The guest speakers will be a pair of former Saskatchewan Roughriders members in defensive lineman Scott Schultz and linebacker Mike McCullough.

Schultz, who is originally from Moose Jaw, Sask., played for the Roughriders from 2002 to 2009 and helped Saskatchewan win the 2007 Grey Cup as CFL champions.

McCullough suited up for the Roughriders for 11 seasons from 2003 to 2013 helping the team to Grey Cup wins in 2007 and 2013. The 2013 championship was won at the Roughriders historic home park in Taylor Field.

A Mike McCullough card.

Doors for the In The End Zone Dinner open at 4:15 p.m. with dinner to be served at 5:15 p.m. Following dinner, the Hilltops will hold their home opener at 7 p.m. hosting their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which is right next to the Gordie Howe Sports Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

Single tickets for the dinner are $100 or a table of eight can be bought for $725.

Tickets can be purchased online by clicking on a link 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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Hilltops eye up opening day game in Edmonton

Carter McLean makes a cut during a Hilltops scrimmage.

The game day excitement is back for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

After the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world wiped out the 2020 CJFL season, the Hilltops will open their regular season schedule traveling to Edmonton, Alta., on Sunday to face the Huskies at Jasper Place Bowl. The two sides met in the last two Prairie Football Conference title games in 2018 and 2019 with the Hilltops coming out on top both times en route to capturing a CJFL championship.

The Hilltops were able to practice for six weeks in the fall of 2020, and now they will finally be able to play a game again.

With that regular season opening contest just three days away, legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant is finding his energetic game day form again when he talks about the upcoming clash with the Huskies.

“That is the team we had to get past to get on to even more important games,” said Sargeant. “We know they are hungry.

“We know they’ve had enough of our success. They have an all-Canadian running back. They have a fifth-year quarterback.

“They have lots of players that are used to being in big games. We have lots of work to do to get everybody ready and playing the type of football that the Hilltops are used to excepting to play.”

Brandt Burzuk, right, returns to the Huskies at running back.

The Hilltops last hit the field for a game on November 16, 2019 downing the host Langley Rams 11-6 in the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C.

The Huskies last saw game action on October 27, 2019, when they fell 30-14 in the PFC title game to the Hilltops at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

While the venerable Hilltops have won 22 CJFL championships in their history, the Huskies have a storied history too claiming five CJFL titles. Traditionally, they have been a tough foe for the Saskatoon side.

When asked if it was good to get a traditionally tough opponent first, Sargeant kept rolling.

“We’ll just line up against anyone when and where and they’ll just tell us,” said Sargeant, who is the all-time leader for head coaching victories in Canada’s post-secondary football ranks at 210. “That is who we are.

“We’ll see if all the work we’ve done and the preparation we’ve done has been the right preparation. My team, myself, we’re judged on game day by how we perform, so we’re expecting a great performance on Sunday and we’ll take it from there.”

The Huskies return some familiar players. They are led by quarterback Declan O’Flaherty, who is in his final season of CJFL eligibility.

Declan O’Flaherty is back with the Huskies at quarterback.

Veteran running back Brandt Burzuk is also back for a final swan song CJFL campaign. In 2019, Burzuk was the PFC’s most valuable player, most outstanding offensive player and most outstanding running back.

He also took home honours as a CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

The Hilltops are taking the field with one of their younger rosters in recent years. Out of the 93 total players that are with the Hilltops this season, 38 are returning veterans and 55 are newcomers.

Out of the returning veterans, three players will be playing their fifth and final campaign with the team in left tackle Mason Ochs, right tackle Jonathan Chisholm and boundary corner Jared Giddings.

Doug Fleming, who is in his third full season with the Hilltops, will be making his first start at quarterback on Sunday against the Huskies.

“It is exciting,” said Fleming. “I thought we were going to be able to go last year.

“I don’t like the year off, but it was nice to be able to grow and learn a little bit and just be even more prepared for this year. They (the Huskies) are a very physical and tough team. They are geared to try and shut us down, so we’re trying to game plan to get open.”

Fleming will have a talented receiver group to distribute the ball to in slotbacks Dillan Heintz and Matt Turple along with wide receivers Ethan Godson and Lachlan Horsley. Explosive veteran Carter McLean provides big play capability from the tailback position.

The signal caller has lots of confidence in his offensive line that is led by Ochs and Chisholm.

“I’m pretty excited,” said Fleming. “I think we have a really good group of guys.

The Hilltops have depth at the receiver position.

“I think we have a solid O-line. We have a lot of fast receivers and a fast running back room. I think it will be pretty exciting to be out there with all those boys.”

While Ochs and Chisholm are the returning starters on the offensive line, the three new starters are all veterans in their respective fourth full seasons with the team who have been working hard to take on these roles in centre Luciano Jolly, left guard Ethan Paslowsky and right guard Jordan Bisson.

“It doesn’t even feel different,” said Ochs. “We’ve had so many off-season workouts.

“We’ve been together having fun after hours. We kind of kept tight there in COVID. We had our little group chat going, so all the guys are really close.”

Even in the lead up to Sunday’s encounter with the Huskies, Ochs said it has felt like the four other full seasons he played with the team.

“Since we’ve been back this week, it feels like nothing has changed,” said Ochs. “It just feels like it is just another year.”

The Hilltops defence will be anchored by Giddings, fourth year linebacker Brady Fossen, fourth year nose tackle Jaxson Funk and fourth year safety Brant Morrow.

No matter what the end result ends up being on Sunday, Sargeant knows his teams will have things to work on. He knows it is all part of the journey through a season.

Doug Fleming will make his first start at QB for the Hilltops.

“It is like anything,” said Sargeant.  “We’ll know way more Sunday after the game.

“Practice is one thing. Game day is different against a different opposition. I’m excited for all my team.

“It is a young team. They just have to play games.”

NOTES – While the CJFL hasn’t hit the field for a game since November of 2019, the Hilltops enter the 2021 campaign with a number of winning streaks that are still active. They have won their last 31 straight games including action in the CJFL’s regular season and post-season.

The Hilltops have claimed their last 29 straight games on the road including action in the CJFL regular season and post-season. In the post-season, the Hilltops have a CJFL record of 20 straight wins going into the current campaign.

End Zone Dinner on for Hilltops

A Scott Schultz card.

The Saskatoon Hilltops traditional In The End Zone Dinner to raise funds for the team’s scholarship program is returning this season.

The club wasn’t able to hold the fundraising dinner a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s dinner will be held on September 11 at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. The guest speakers will be a pair of former Saskatchewan Roughriders members in defensive lineman Scott Schultz and linebacker Mike McCullough.

Schultz, who is originally from Moose Jaw, Sask., played for the Roughriders from 2002 to 2009 and helped Saskatchewan win the 2007 Grey Cup as CFL champions.

McCullough suited up for the Roughriders for 11 seasons from 2003 to 2013 helping the team to Grey Cup wins in 2007 and 2013. The 2013 championship was won at the Roughriders historic home park in Taylor Field.

A Mike McCullough card.

Doors for the In The End Zone Dinner open at 4:15 p.m. with dinner to be served at 5:15 p.m. Following dinner, the Hilltops will hold their home opener at 7 p.m. hosting their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which is right next to the Gordie Howe Sports Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

Single tickets for the dinner are $100 or a table of eight can be bought for $725.

Tickets can be purchased online by clicking a the link 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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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.