Crusaders provincial title win to be iconic sports moment in P.A.

Zane Litzenberger reacts to his winning TD catch for the Crusaders.

In Prince Albert, the 2024 Carlton Comprehensive High School Crusaders Football Team will walk together forever.

On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Crusaders claimed their first ever provincial title in thrilling fashion. Taking on Saskatoon’s Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints in the Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association’s 5A championship game, the Crusaders found themselves trailing 34-29 late in the fourth quarter.

With 72 seconds remaining in the contest, Crusaders star quarterback Sullivan Smith-Windsor hit standout receiver Zane Litzenberger on a five-yard slant pass for a touchdown. The Crusaders proceeded to attempt and failed to get a two-point convert, but they held a 35-34 advantage.

Sullivan Smith-Windsor sets to throw the winning TD.

That lead would hold up to be the game’s final score as the Saints were not able to drive into field goal range in the time that remained on the clock and eventually turned the ball over on downs. That allowed the Crusaders to end the encounter with two kneel downs to finalize the 35-34 victory.

Since opening in 1975, Carlton appeared in three provincial title games all at the then 3A level, but fell each time in 1984, 1991 and 1995. Saturday’s thrilling win allowed the Crusaders to finish the 2024 campaign with an 8-0 record including action in the regular season and post-season.

Actually, the City of Prince Albert had been undergoing a prolonged drought when it came to winning a provincial title in high school football. Until Saturday’s win by the Crusaders, Prince Albert’s last provincial title in high school football came way back in 1971, when star running back Tom Chad and the St. Mary High School Marauders claimed the then 3A championship.

Fans from Prince Albert cheer on the Crusaders.

Back in 1971, the Marauders playing in front of a home crowd thumped Moose Jaw’s Albert E. Peacock Collegiate Tornadoes 61-27 in the provincial title game held at the field next to what was then known as Prince Albert Collegiate Institute. The Marauders piled up 506 yards rushing as a team in that contest.

The Crusaders of 2024 will go down as the most exciting high school football team to come out of Prince Albert. From 2022 to 2024, the Crusaders became best known for their passing attack that allowed them to push the ball downfield. Smith-Windsor, who has been the team’s starter through that whole stretch, has looked like a CFL quarterback when he is playing his best.

The Crusaders begin celebrating their provincial title win.

As a Grade 12 senior, Saturday’s provincial final was Smith-Windsor’s final game of his high school career. He wrapped that part of his football life up with his greatest performance ever.

Smith-Windsor completed 28-of-30 passes for 424 yards and four touchdowns, while throwing one interception. He also ran the ball four times for 19 yards and one touchdown.

To add more to the performance, Smith-Windsor booted a 61-yard punt single with 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Crusaders a 29-28 lead at that point in the contest.

Litzenberger was heroic in Saturday’s game. The sure-handed Grade 11 pass catcher hauled in 14 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Late in the game, he was hobbled by a minor leg injury, but still managed to catch the winning touchdown while hampered physically.

The Crusaders raise the provincial championship trophy.

In Prince Albert, Smith-Windsor and Litzenberger will be immortalized combining on a play that will be iconic in the lore of the northern Saskatchewan city’s sports history. The game and season will also become iconic in Prince Albert.

About 1,000 supporters from Prince Albert made their way to Saskatoon to be part of the sizable crowd at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. They brought out the loud noise to support their Crusaders and mimicked a scene often seen on the WHL’s hockey front when the Prince Albert Raiders visit the SaskTel Centre to take on the Saskatoon Blades.

The Crusaders celebrate their provincial title win with their supporters.

After the post-game trophy presentations, the Prince Albert faithful rushed on to the field to celebrate with the Crusaders. The mood was jovial over the following 90 minutes as the team and their supporters took numerous pictures and soaked in the moment.

The victory was made more meaningful due to the fact the Crusaders beat a foe that had built a storied run in recent years. Since 2015, the Saints had won four provincial titles under head coach Donnie Davidsen with the last coming in 2022 with an 18-15 triumph over the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles at SMF Field.

In Saturday’s clash with the Crusaders, the Saints played strong piling up 475 yards of total offence coming off 209 yards rushing and 266 yards passing. Quarterback Kyren Houmphanh completed 19-of-29 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Rylan Morrison (#10) grinds out tough yards for the Crusaders.

Receiver Josh Gutek hauled in seven passes for 108 yards and one touchdown. Running back Jack Boeschler ran the ball 14 times for 114 yards and two major scores. Tailback Wyatt LaRoche ran the ball 19 times for 91 yards and one touchdown and caught three passes for 25 yards.

The Saints basically needed to make two more plays and they would have had a fifth provincial title with Davidsen guiding the team as head coach.

Instead, Crusaders head coach Lindsay Strachan, who has been coaching with the program for 18 years, got to celebrate his first provincial football title as a sideline boss. The Crusaders players and supporters were as excited for Strachan as anyone else on the field on Saturday.

Crusaders HC Lindsay Strachan checks out his clipboard.

The back-and-fourth contest saw the Saints account for the only points in the first quarter going up 7-0 on a one-yard touchdown run by Boeschler. Early in a high-scoring second quarter, Smith-Windsor hit receiver Jordan Stene with a 15-yard touchdown pass to event the score at 7-7.

The Saints would go back in front 14-7 on a 13-yard touchdown toss from Houmphanh to Race Marcinkiw. A short time later, the Crusaders evened the score at 14-14, when Smith-Windsor connected with receiver Colm Phillips on a 35-yard touchdown toss.

With less than a minute to play in the second quarter, Boeschler ran home his second major score of the contest with this one coming from two yards out to put the Saints up 21-14.

Kyren Houmphanh passed for 266 yards for the Saints.

Working with a small amount of time remaining before halftime, the Carlton offence quickly got downfield. On the last play before halftime, Smith-Windsor scored on a one-yard run to even the score at 21-21.

The Saints started the third quarter with a clock eating drive that culminated with Houmphanh hitting Gutek with an 11-yard touchdown pass to put the host side up 28-21. With 3:48 remaining in the third quarter, Smith-Windsor zipped a 25-yard touchdown pass to Litzenberger to even the score at 28-28.

Smith-Windsor proceeded to record his punt single to give the Crusaders their first lead in the contest. That affected some of the decisions down the stretch.

With 2:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Saints jumped in front 34-29 on a three-yard touchdown run by LaRoche. The Saskatoon squad elected to go for a two-point conversion in order to get a seven-point advantage, but the conversion attempt was not successful.

Wyatt LaRoche scores a fourth quarter TD for the Saints.

That set the stage for Smith-Windsor to throw his winning touchdown pass to Litzenberger.

Also in the win, the Crusaders got a solid performance from running back Rylan Morrison, which allowed the Prince Albert side to pick up some key first downs. Morrison carried the ball nine times for 66 yards, and he caught three passes for 38 yards.

Now as the years go by in Prince Albert, you can be sure the 2024 Crusaders will achieve a mythical status like the 1971 Marauders did. Folks will look back at the 2024 Crusaders and say they were special.

Over time, it might seem like everyone in town saw Smith-Windsor work his magic on the football field. They will remember Litzenberger as being able to catch everything that was thrown his way.

Zane Litzenberger (#11) caught 14 passes for 206 yards.

Prince Albert will always proudly be recognized as a hockey town rightfully earning the nickname of “Hockey Town North” for loyal supporting the Raiders, the Prince Albert Mintos under-18 AAA team and the Prince Albert Northern Bears under-18 AAA female squad. With that noted, people in Prince Albert always have room in their collective hearts to support hard-working athletes pursuing all sorts of sports.

As a province, football is viewed as Saskatchewan’s game thanks to the impact of the CFL’s Roughriders, who have existed since 1910. On Saturday, Prince Albert got celebrate they had high school football’s best at the 5A level in the Crusaders.

The Crusaders bask in their first provincial championship win.

In “Hockey Town North,” the 2024 football Crusaders will always be remembered, and they will be viewed as one of the city’s iconic teams.

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Hilltops’ Davidsen touted with Roughriders Recognition Award

Coach pumped for upcoming CJFL and high school seasons

Donnie Davidsen accesses play at the Hilltops Alumni Game.

Winning games, capturing championships and making a positive impact on young lives are just a few of the uplifting experiences Donnie Davidsen has gotten from coaching football.

The 55-year-old is currently the offensive line coach for the defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops and the head coach of the Bishop James Mahoney Saints Football Team. Davidsen has been with the Hilltops for 22 years and the Saints for nine years.

He has been coaching in Saskatoon since 1995, when he along with his wife, Rhonda, moved to the city to continue at the time their young careers as teachers. Before moving to Saskatoon, Donnie Davidsen also coached with the high school program in the town of Assiniboia and Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw.

Since arriving in Saskatoon, Davidsen previously coached the football teams at St. Joseph High School, E.D. Feehan Catholic High School and Bethlehem Catholic High School before moving over to work at Bishop James Mahoney. Davidsen has experienced 11 CJFL championship wins with the Hilltops and guided the Saints to four provincial titles.

On July 19, Davidson was a recipient of the Roughriders Recognition Award along with David Rogers, who is the long time head coach of the Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate Comets Football Team that plays the nine-a-side game. 

From left, Donnie Davidsen, Trey Reider, Boston Davidsen and Shane Reider.

The CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders through the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation along with Football Saskatchewan present Roughriders Recognition Awards for the lifetime contributions individuals make to promoting and developing football at the amateur level.

Davidsen and Rogers were honoured at that day’s Roughriders 19-9 home win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I love the ’Riders,” said Davidsen. “They took care of me.

“That Foundation does great work. They showed me nothing but class. It was awesome to be there.

“I was super happy to receive that recognition. They treated me like a king, so it was awesome.”

While Davidsen has compiled a vast amount of memories coaching the game, his best memories are coaching championship teams that his son, Boston, and daughter, Peyton played on. The 2016 and 2018 Saints provincial championship teams Donnie coached featured Boston as a running back.

Donnie Davidsen works the Saints sidelines in Sept. 2022.

The two were with the Hilltops together for their CJFL championship wins in 2019 and 2023. Boston exhausted his CJFL eligibility after last year’s CJFL title victory finishing his time with the Hilltops posting two straight 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in the regular season.

Donnie coached a flag football team that Peyton was the quarterback for to a city championship. They were together for two flag seasons and made it to the city final in both campaigns.

Also on the family front, Davidsen’s brother-in-law is Hilltops offensive coordinator Shane Reider, and Davidsen is the uncle to Hilltops star quarterback Trey Reider, who is Shane’s son. The Reiders were a big part of the Hilltops CJFL championship win a year ago.

Looking back on his coaching career, Davidsen said he has coached so long that most of the players he once guided have been established in their adult lives now for some time.

“That’s so crazy thinking about like high school and even this team,” said Davidsen. “You coached guys that now have families.

Donnie Davidsen celebrates a provincial title with the Saints in 2022.

“How crazy is that? It’s awesome.”

Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant has a great appreciation for Davidsen’s run as a football coach. Sargeant became a Hilltops assistant coach in 1991 and took over as the team’s head coach in early December of 1997.

At the time Sargeant became the head coach of the Hilltops, he was head coach of the Evan Hardy Collegiate Souls Football Team. Sargeant guided the Souls to provincial title wins in 1997 and 2000 and went up against teams coached by Davidsen.

When Davidsen was given the Roughriders Recognition Award, Sargeant said everyone in the Hilltops organization was proud of the club’s long time offensive line coach.

Donnie Davidsen hugs a Saints player after a provincials win in 2022.

“It was outstanding for him to be recognized by his peers and by Football Saskatchewan,” said Sargeant. “He’s been a great coach for the Hilltops for a long, long time and such a loyal companion and friend.

“When we heard the news, you couldn’t have been more excited for coach Davidsen.”

Sargeant said Davidsen has done an outstanding job in his work with the Hilltops offensive line and guiding the Saints as a head coach for a very lengthy period of time.

“His commitment to his school in Bishop James Mahoney and to this program is second to none,” said Sargeant. “He coaches basketball in the off-season.

“We just love his background. He was a great competitor as an athlete himself and that has carried over to him as a coach. He’s a very competitive coach and has high, high expectations and demands on his players.

Donnie Davidsen, middle, checks out action on the field in 2023.

“We’ve enjoyed a lot of his hard work and labour that has really transferred into creating a lot of great players for the Hilltops.”

Davidsen’s passion for coaching football in the current day is still as strong as ever.

“It’s the ultimate team sport, and it’s different,” said Davidsen. “When I coach high school, it’s the development of young players.

“It’s the ability to see growth and to teach life lessons. That to me is the most important thing at that level. I come here and none of that changes, but it’s at a much more elite level.

“It’s the brotherhood of coaches that I coach with here as well. I probably wouldn’t do it, if I wasn’t happy doing it, but I love it. I guess that’s what keeps me going.”

With that said, Davidsen has enjoyed getting back at it as the Hilltops opened training camp on July 28. Last Thursday, the Hilltops hosted their annual Alumni Game and fell to the Hilltops Alumni Team 28-8.

Donnie Davidsen, right, on the Hilltops sidelines during a timeout.

The Hilltops open their regular season this coming Sunday taking on the Edmonton Huskies at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Soon, Davidsen will be overseeing the opening of training camp for the Saints.

“I think I have a good team at high school,” said Davidsen. “I think we’re going to have a great team here.

“It’s just a matter of, you know, putting the team together, putting the time in, getting the kids to commit and sometimes having the ball bounce your way and be a little lucky too.”

As for the Alumni Game, Sargeant said that contest always provides a good early learning experience for his current team.

“I felt our starters performed better than what they did last year and saw some good things,” said Sargeant. “The good thing is we got the drone going on.

Donnie Davidsen takes part in the Hilltops Alumni Game’s handshake line.

“There’s just lots to learn. There are some that thing this is the most important game we play all year, because it sort of sets the tone for how our players need to play and conduct themselves and the physical nature of which the game is all about. They learn from the alumni, and as I said, it has been a great vehicle for us moving forward each year.”

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‘Sarge,’ Yausie, Hilltops coaches face unique challenge in 2023

Saskatoon club young, inexperienced in resetting PFC

Jeff Yausie and Tom Sargeant are the Hilltops dynamic coaching duo.

Tom Sargeant and Jeff Yausie – you seemingly can’t have one without the other when it comes to coaching the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Sargeant was named head coach of the storied and historic CJFL club in December of 1997 having served as an assistant coach for seven seasons from 1991 to 1997. Yausie is going into his 22^nd season as a linebackers coach with the Hilltops and 13^th campaign as defensive co-ordinator.

Through the Hilltops run of winning nine CJFL championships in a span of 10 years that included three consecutive wins from 2010 to 2012 and six straight titles from 2014 to 2019, Sargeant and Yausie have come to the forefront in the minds of football followers in Canada as the dynamic duo of the Hilltops coaching staff.

Both are quick to add the Hilltops success comes from the work the team receives from the entirety of the club’s veteran coaching staff. The coaching staff includes offensive coordinator Shane Reider, special teams coordinator Andre Lalonde, Brent Turkington, Donnie Davidsen, Dave Fisher, Barclay Schlosser and Bruce Rempel.

Turkington has been on the staff for 24 seasons, while Lalonde, Schlosser and Rempel are the relative newcomers entering their eighth, seventh and sixth seasons with the team respectively.

Tom Sargeant has been the Hilltops HC since Dec. 1997.

In 2023, Sargeant, Yausie and the Hilltops coaches face a unique challenge of guiding a more youthful and inexperienced team through a CJFL campaign. A reality check about the work that needs to be done came during in the Hilltops Alumni Game played Thursday at Ron Atchison Field, when the Alumni Team rolled to a 32-1 victory.

Sargeant said the coaches are going to get to work and grind as hard as ever to correct things. He said the Hilltops coaches have high trust in each other.

“It is a brotherhood,” said Sargeant. “We all roll up our sleeves.

“The good thing is we’re all embarrassed. We’re all not feeling very good about ourselves. We’ll have the tough conversations, the critical conversations, the open conversations, and we’ll grind and grind and make sure by next week we coach a better team and more importantly they come out and play better.

“You can do whatever you want, but once they get between the lines they have to go play the game. We have to instill a lot of energy, a lot of passion and the smarts.”

The Hilltops had 20 players exhaust their CJFL eligibility at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign including four starters on the offensive line in Jordan Bisson, Luciano Jolly, Jayson Kehler and Ethan Paslowski along with three starters on the defensive line in Jaxon Funk, Daylen Hartz and Dylan McNutt. The graduations included star weak side linebacker Konner Johnson, who won the CJFL’s Larry Wruck Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022.

Jeff Yausie is entering his 22nd season on the Hilltops coaching staff.

“We miss our studs and veterans, but it is really fun to coach new guys and new faces,” said Yausie. “We have to help build what they are going to be.

“They have to learn how to play hard and play fast and to celebrate and play for each other and to be a great team. Our offence needed our help on defence (in the Alumni Game). We had zero turnovers in the first half.

“Our offence needed a couple of turnovers to give them a short field and to give them some life. They absolutely needed that, and we didn’t do it.”

The Hilltops open their regular season schedule on Sunday, August 13, at 1 p.m. when they host the Edmonton Wildcats at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Sargeant and Yausie both said the focus turns to making the Hilltops game ready for that contest.

Sargeant said he thought the Hilltops had a good week of practice heading into the Alumni Game. Alumni quarterback Jordan Walls, who played for five straight CJFL championship winners from 2014-18, showed he could still shred a defence like NFL all-time great Tom Brady.

Jordan Walls fires a pass downfield for the Alumni Team.

The Hilltops offence was stuck in quicksand going against an Alumni defence that had standouts everywhere like linebacker Cody Peters, who won the CJFL’s Larry Wruck Defensive Player of the Year award in 2018. Peters also played on five straight CJFL championship winners from 2014 to 2018.

“It was a great alumni effort with high-end talent – the hearts and the smarts,” said Sargeant. “They were so smart out there.

“They just made us look like a real young and immature football team, which I guess maybe I thought we were but didn’t want to think that. At least now I know. If this is ground zero, then we will be OK.

“If not, then we’re in a lot of trouble.”

While the Hilltops are finding their way, it appears they won’t be alone in that department in 2023. Due to the fact the 2020 CJFL season was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world, the circuit’s leaders elected to give 1998 and 1999 born players an extra year of eligibility.

That decision resulted in two classes of players graduating following the conclusion of last season with players born in 1999 and 2000 exhausting their eligibilities at the end of the campaign. Clubs in the Prairie Football Conference the Hilltops play out of are seeing significant turnover making the 2023 season a big reset one.

QB Trey Reider and the Hilltops struggled against the Alumni Team.

Yausie said the Hilltops coaches will put in the effort to get the club going in an upward direction on the field.

“We’re such good friends that we’ll not accept what we saw,” said Yausie. “I know ‘Sarge’ is a great competitor.

“I know he’ll push us as hard or harder than he will push the kids. We’ll get in and watch our film and get ready to play an unknown opponent really against the Wildcats. There are a lot of unknowns about our league this year.

“I don’t know who the quarterbacks are, and there are some new coordinators. The one thing I know is we will work extremely hard to get better.”

At age 58, Sargeant said he is still as motivated and passionate as ever when it comes to coaching the Hilltops. When it comes to facing the challenges of the 2023 campaign, he is pumped he gets to do it with Yausie and the rest of the Hilltops coaching staff.

“I know what their pride is all about,” said Sargeant. “As I said, there were some good discussions during this game.

HC Tom Sargeant knows his staff has a lot of work ahead of them.

“I know the pride of that group, and I know that at the end of the day we’ll embrace this challenge. We have way more work than maybe I thought we did. I’m just trying to do all that processing now, because I said this was an old fashioned butt kicking that as I said didn’t see coming.

“We have to figure out how to react and respond properly.”

At age 57, Yausie said his love for football is still there. He loves coaching with Sargeant and the rest of the Hilltops coaching staff and helping the players grow. Yausie said that love for everything about the game keeps the Hilltops coaches coming back year after year.

“I think you have to love what you do,” said Yausie. “When you love what you do, it is easy to come to practice.

“I love the guys I coach with, and Tom (Sargeant) has built that in a bunch of different ways. I never thought that I would be coaching at this age. I still got the zip.

Jeff Yausie believes the Hilltops coaches will get the team rolling again.

“I still got some life and energy. I just have fun, and coaching these young guys keeps you young.”

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Hilltops’ Davidsen on cusp of 1,000 yards rushing for season

Boston Davidsen has rushed for 891 yards this season.

Boston Davidsen will always be a team first guy, even when he is close to a big personal milestone.

Through seven games of the CJFL regular season, the Saskatoon Hilltops star power running back has carried the ball 133 times for 891 yards and five touchdowns. He needs to run for 109 yards in the Hilltops final regular season game to achieve the milestone of rushing for 1000 yards in one season.

The Hilltops, who are 4-3, also need to win their last game of the regular season to keep the possibility of hosting a PFC semifinal playoff game alive. They close the regular season hosting the Calgary Colts (2-5) on Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

At the same time when the Hilltops are facing the Colts, the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) travel to Regina to take on the Thunder (7-0) at Leibel Field. A Hilltops victory combined with a Huskies loss will see both club sport 5-3 records and give Saskatoon second place in the PFC and the right to host a PFC semifinal against the Huskies.

The ’Toppers hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with the Huskies having won the lone regular season encounter between the two sides 38-10 back on August 21 at SMF Field.

Davidsen is aware how close he is to 1,000-yards rushing, but he said his mind is focused on helping the Hilltops secure a win against the Colts.

“It is far from a guarantee that we will get there (to 1,000-yards rushing),” said Davidsen, who leads the PFC in rushing. “I think more importantly we have a game (against the Calgary Colts) that we have to win.

Boston Davidsen (#24) hits a hole created by his offensive line.

“If we win and things go our way, we’ll get a home playoff game in the first round. That is what we are focused on. If I can contribute to that win by running the ball, then I am all for it.

“If I need to block, I’ll do whatever it takes. That win comes first.”

As Saskatoon leads the PFC in rushing with 1,463 yards, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knows his team’s path to victory calls for being strong on the ground. The legendary sideline boss said his team will be trying to get Davidsen to 1,000 yards rushing for the season, because his success along the ground gives the Hilltops a better chance to win.

While Davidsen has had a good season, Sargeant believes his standout has found another gear in recent weeks.

“The last couple of games we’ve played better, and one of the reasons is because Boston (Davidsen) and the O-line are playing better,” said Sargeant. “He (Davidsen) is doing a heck of a job reading his holes and making good decisions.

“You look at his performance he did last year he is a heck of a runner there. We know what he is all about. We’ll rally around that, and that will be one of our goals as we head into our last game of the year of trying to get Boston (Davidsen) over that mountaintop, because he deserves it, the O-line deserves it and the offence deserves it and the team deserves it.”

Last season, Davidsen had a breakout campaign finishing second in the PFC with 634 yards rushing coming on 98 carries, where he scored six touchdowns. The graduate of the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints football program is aware that the players on the offensive line would be pretty pumped, if they could say they blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher.

Boston Davidsen can pile up the yards in traffic.

“It might even show more success on their part than it does on mine,” said Davidsen, whose father, Donnie, is the Hilltops offensive line coach. “Without a successful O-line, you’re not going anywhere.

“They’re the ones creating the lanes for you allowing you to get your yards. They’re the ones that take a lot of pride in it too. They’ve been keeping me I guess updated with the stats even maybe more than myself just trying to I guess motivate me to hit that mark.”

The last Hilltops player to hit the 1000-yard plateau in rushing was Ben Abrook, who accomplished the feat in 2019 when Saskatoon capped a run of winning the CJFL title in six straight years. That season, Abrook ran the ball 199 times for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns.

During the Hilltops 2018 CJFL championship season, Josh Ewanchyna hit the 1,000-yard plateau. Suiting up in seven regular season games, Ewanchyna carried the ball 134 times for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Wayndel Lewis is currently the third last player to hit 1,000-yards rushing in a season. During the Hilltops 2014 CJFL championship season, Lewis carried the ball 130 times for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns while being named the CJFL’s offensive player of the year.

Current Hilltops running backs coach Andre Lalonde holds the Hilltops team record for most rushing yards in one season set in his final campaign as a player in 2013. In that season, Lalonde carried the ball 182 times for 1,367 yards and seven touchdowns while being named the CJFL’s offensive player of the year.

Boston Davidsen can power his way through attempted tacklers.

Davidsen said one of his biggest influences on his career is Lalonde.

“I owe a tonne of my success to him,” said Davidsen. “He’s led the way.

“He has been a good leader for me, a good coach and a good example to follow. All of the technique and stuff we use, it is taught by him. He is a major part of our team’s success and the running backs’ success.”

Looking towards the Hilltops final regular season game, Sargeant said it is special when a running back can reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season. With the PFC traditionally being the CJFL’s toughest conference, Sargeant said that makes getting to 1,000-yards rushing that much more impressive a milestone on top of the fact the Hilltops have had their struggles this season.

The sideline boss said it would be a memorable moment, if the Hilltops could get Davidsen to 1,000-yards rushing.

“When you break this league down, it is not easy, especially with the way we’ve been playing,” said Sargeant. “It is credit to everybody that he is in this situation, but most importantly him.

“He has put in the time. He does everything right, and as I said, everyone is going to rally around him.

Boston Davidsen, left, is focused on helping the Hilltops win games.

“He’d be embarrassed if we’re talking like this behind him with these accolades. That is just who he is. At the end of the day, he is one heck of a football player, and he makes the Saskatoon Hilltops better.”

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Bikulo finds home on Hilltops offensive line

Second year player becomes starter moving from D-line

Victoire Bikulo sets up in a pass block for the Hilltops.

Victoire Bikulo believed in the faith the Saskatoon Hilltops coaches placed in him.

As a result, the 18-year-old has earned a starting role at right tackle on the offensive line in just his second season with the team. When he joined the Hilltops at the start of last season, Bikulo was a defensive lineman.

He cracked on to the team earning a spot on the practice roster. At a Hilltops practice session during his first campaign with the team, head coach Tom Sargeant, who holds the all-time career wins record for Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks, pitched the idea to Bikulo of having the young player switch from the defensive line to the offensive line.

“Initially, it was ‘Sarge’ that approached me about the idea,” said Bikulo, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 325 pounds. “He just called me from the D-line warm up to the centre of the field and threw the idea my way.

“I was more than happy to just give it a try. I wasn’t opposed to it, because it was an opportunity. He saw something in me obviously that I hadn’t seen.

“If I had passed up that opportunity that he gave me, it probably wouldn’t have worked out as best as it has today. He believed in me. I took his belief, and I showed him that he was right.”

Bikulo rapidly improved to the point he earned the starting nod in the Hilltops three regular season games to date this season as they’ve posted a 2-1 record. When you take into account Bikulo first started playing football in his Grade 9 year at Saskatoon’s St. Joseph High School, he believes it is a big accomplishment to become a starter on the Hilltops offensive line at the beginning of his second season with the powerhouse CJFL team.

Victoire Bikulo (#59) runs onto the field with the Hilltops.

“It was very cool,” said Bikulo. “It was awesome, because I saw the progress that I did make.

“Obviously, I had to work very hard. I came from the bottom of the depth chart on O-line to now being a starter. It wasn’t the easiest job ever, but I worked my butt off.

“I had a lot to prove, a chip on my shoulder, so I’m happy with having to earn the starting spot and the way I did it.”

Sargeant said the team’s coaching staff came up with the idea of moving Bikulo from the defensive line to the offensive line due to him having athletic abilities that fit the position and his smarts.

“Number one, you look at his frame,” said Sargeant. “He’s got a great frame and real good feet.

“He just seemed to have the mindset of an offensive lineman. He is a cerebral player. He is smart and has good understanding.

“It is like, ‘Hey, we can put something together here.’”

Sargeant said Bikulo really excelled during the team’s winter workouts, and he had been penciled in as the Hilltops starter at right tackle for the last five months.

Victoire Bikulo locks on to a block on a running play.

“He has come a long, long way from the first time he walked in,” said Sargeant. “There was a lot of learning and a lot of understanding.

“The guys have really rallied around him. His performances you can see the ups and downs and the ebbs and flows of a new starting right tackle. We’re in it with him.

“He has got a long ways to go. At the end of the day, he’s got a chance to be an outstanding football player here. We’re excited to be around him.”

Bikulo credits the coaches he has had throughout his football career for getting him to where he is today. He started with the coaches he had when he was a member of the St. Joseph High School Guardians football program for teaching him the game and giving him a foundation in the sport.

With the Hilltops, Bikulo said the coaches had belief that he could do well in a position he had never played before. He credited Hilltops offensive line coach Donnie Davidsen for helping him make the strides he has on the offensive line.

“Donnie helps a lot,” said Bikulo. “To this day, he still helps me a lot on the sidelines and during games.

“He is still helping a lot even right before the snap. There are still certain cues that he is still willing to remind me to not forget. Later on in the game we all get tired and we forget our fundamentals, he is always ready to remind you of that.

“He helps us stay calm and collected on the sidelines. He had a huge part in my transition from D-line to O-line.”

Victoire Bikulo, left, works with a teammate in pass blocking.

Bikulo said he is pleased with how the season has gone so far for the most part. He wasn’t satisfied with the fact his Hilltops dropped their last outing this past Sunday 19-16 to the Rifles in Winnipeg.

The young lineman is expecting a big bounce back effort in the team’s next outing on Saturday, September 10, when the Hilltops host their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder (3-0) at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

“Honestly, I feel it (the season) has gone pretty good,” said Bikulo, who will be 18-years-old this entire season due to having a late December birthday. “I kind of have a sour taste in my mouth from that loss that we took.

“We could have done a lot better as a team. We’ll move on, and once Regina (Thunder) comes around, we’ll perform.”

Despite the bump in the road against the Rifles, Bikulo is optimistic the Hilltops can have a special season in 2022.

“For the team, I think we can have a very great season,” said Bikulo. “We have a very good team.

“If we all stay consistent, do our job and just trust one another on the field, we’ll be a great team. We’ll take this thing all the way to the end for sure. As far as myself goes, I’m just here to learn.

Victoire Bikulo believes the Hilltops can hit big heights in 2022.

“I’m always learning and happy to play football. I’ll keep learning and getting better every day.”

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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Godson emerges as Hilltops big play threat

Ethan Godson has been a big playmaker for the Hilltops.

Ethan Godson is showing that big things can indeed happen, when preparation meets opportunity.

Playing in his fourth full season at receiver for the CJFL powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops, Godson is having a breakout campaign. Godson sits fifth in the Prairie Football Conference for most receiving yards at 376 after six regular season games.

The 22-year-old has put up career highs in catches (20) and receiving touchdowns (five) to go along with his career high in receiving yards.

In addition to his receiving totals, Godson sits second in the PFC for most punt return yards at 204 coming on 22 return attempts.

“I think I’m just getting a couple of more opportunities being an older guy now, and I’m making my plays,” said Godson. “I think that is all it is.

“I think I’m just capitalizing on every chance I get, and I get some confidence in the coaches to keep giving me the ball.”

During the 2021 campaign, Godson has been one of the Hilltops most consistent performers on offence. Saskatoon’s offence was plagued with inconsistencies in four of the club’s six regular season contests.

The inconsistencies haven’t stopped Godson from emerging as a big play threat, which is a development legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant has enjoyed seeing.

“He (Godson) is a great kid,” said Sargeant. “He has evolved coming in his fourth year.

“He has arrived. He is one of the biggest play receivers in the league. His punt return game is awesome.

“He hadn’t scored a touchdown in the league, and this year I think he has had five. It is good to see him get rewarded for putting a lot of time in during the off-season. He is an explosive talent for us.”

When Godson first began playing football in Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League, he actually started out as a quarterback. During his Grade 10 season of high school football with the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints, Godson elected to move to receiver as the Saints were being guided by a quarterback in his senior season.

Ethan Godson hauls in one of his five TD catches this season.

He found it wasn’t that hard to make the switch between the two positions.

“It wasn’t too bad, because obviously as a quarterback, you know all the plays,” said Godson, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 200 pounds. “It is not too hard with transition.

“You just go out there. I think I didn’t know any better. I just tried to make good plays.”

Godson enjoyed playing for Saints head coach Donnie Davidsen, who is also the Hilltops long time offensive line coach. The receiver credits the sideline boss for being one his biggest influences in helping him out in the game.

“He (Davidsen) has been around for quite a bit,” said Godson, who helped the Saints win a 3A provincial championship in 2016. “Him being around the Hilltops kind of got me to come here.

“I think Donnie (Davidsen) has helped me out quite a bit there.”

Godson helped the Hilltops win CJFL championships in each of his first three seasons with the team in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Of course, the 2020 campaign was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, but the Hilltops were able to hold six weeks for regular practices in September and October of that year.

The speedy pass catcher said he has improved considerably since joining the Hilltops.

“You come out every day for five years, I think you are going to get a lot better,” said Godson, who played baseball for the Saskatoon Giants under-18 AAA program. “I think I am a way different player than I was five years ago.”

Sargeant said Godson has become a more rounded receiver during his time with the venerable CJFL club.

“(Godson has improved) his hand placement and how he catches the ball,” said Sargeant. “He is really good at breaking tackles.

Ethan Godson has the fifth most receiving yards in the PFC.

“He just absolutely is the full package now. He is a great blocker in the run game. He is a full receiver, and he is a great special teamer.

“Ethan Godson is a heck of a football player.”

As the Hilltops head down the stretch run and into the post-season, Sargeant, who doubles as the Hilltops offensive coordinator, said the team is going to try and create more situations to allow Godson to make more explosive plays.

“We are going to wear him (Godson) out as much as we can,” said Sargeant. “Our quarterback play is developing with Damon Dutton.

“They are building chemistry. We want to wear him out. Every game, we should be throwing him the ball at least eight targets a game, because he always gives us big potential to make big plays.”

With two games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Hilltops sport a 4-2 record to sit second in the PFC. They hold a standings tiebreaker over the 4-2 Edmonton Huskies having swept the seasonal series between the two sides 2-0.

The Hilltops are looking to hold on to second place, which would allow them to earn a bye past the first round of the post-season and the opportunity to host a PFC semifinal game.

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

Last Sunday, the Hilltops downed the Huskies 34-20 at SMF Field. The Hilltops piled up 444 yards of total offence for their best overall outing of the season on that side of the ball.

Godson said the members of the Hilltops offensive unit believed they could have an outing like that.

“I think we’ve known the whole time that were only a couple of mistakes away from being where we were on Sunday (against the Edmonton Huskies),” said Godson. “It has been tough, and we’ve had to work through it.

“I think we knew what we had in us the whole time.”

Ethan Godson wants to continue making key plays for the Hilltops.

Godson said the confidence of the offensive unit grew from that performance.

“I think it is pretty good for sure,” said Godson. “That was a huge game for us, especially that first half.

“I think we were rolling pretty good. Just knowing that we can do it, I think that is the biggest thing.”

As the Hilltops move forward in the campaign, Godson is looking forward to the fact the Hilltops coaches are going create opportunities for him to make more explosive players in games.

“I think that is huge confidence with the coaching staff,” said Godson. “That is all you can ask for.

“I think it is great to have that.”

Hilltops’ Davidsen gets player of the week nod

Boston Davidsen got player of the week honours for a monster game.

Boston Davidsen’s monster game for the Saskatoon Hilltops has resulted in a player of the week accolade.

On Tuesday, the 20-year-old running back was named the offensive player of the week for the Prairie Football Conference of the CJFL. The nod for the weekly honour came as a result of Davidsen’s performance in the Hilltops key 34-20 victory over the Edmonton Huskies last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

In that regular season contest, Davidsen ran the ball 31 times for 221 yards and scored three touchdowns.

With the win, the Hilltops improved to 4-2, while the Huskies fell to 4-2. Thanks to sweeping the seasonal series against the Huskies 2-0, the Hilltops sit second in the Prairie Football Conference.

The top two teams in the PFC earn byes to host conference semifinal games in the post-season.

So far this season, Davidsen sits fourth overall in rushing in the PFC carrying the ball 69 times for 464 yards and scoring four touchdowns.

Linebacker Austin Daisy of the Calgary Colts was named the defensive player of the week for the PFC, while Colts placekicker Austin Griffiths was named the special teams player of the week for the PFC.

Daisy and Griffiths earned their accolades in the Colts 28-26 setback to the Rifles in Winnipeg last Sunday.

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Hilltops show it is possible to do things in the right way

Hilltops’ Jesse McNabb shares the Canadian Bowl at the Santa Claus Parade. 

    For people of Saskatoon, the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops provide a security blanket.

    No matter how messed up things seem to get in the world – all you have to do is check social media feeds on Twitter or Facebook to see that – the Hilltops are still that one local institution that has the image where good things can come to good people when they do things right.

    On Saturday at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C., the Hilltops claimed an 11-6 victory in a defensive slugfest over the host Rams in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl. For the Rams, that was their only loss of the 2019 campaign as they finished with a 12-1 overall mark.

    For the Hilltops, that marked the sixth straight time they have won the CJFL title, and they claimed the league crown for the ninth time in the last 10 years.

    This run of title wins is the byproduct of the Hilltops always doing things right. The same goes with the other impressive feats that this team has on the go.

Tyler Hermann (#12) have a big final campaign for the Hilltops.

    Those feats include winning an impressive 22 CJFL championships in team history, winning 31 straight games in a row, winning 29 straight games in a row on the road and claiming victory in a CJFL record 20 straight post-season games.

    It is highly likely the Hilltops current overall and road winning streaks are CJFL records too.

    The Hilltops finished the 2019 campaign with a 12-0 overall record and have posted perfect seasons in back-to-back campaigns.

    The perfect season in 2019 is particularly impressive on the coaching front, as the Hilltops dealt with a high turnover in starters from the previous season. They had contests where they looked vulnerable over their first four regular season games, but they still found a way to win.

    That included downing the Huskies in Edmonton 24-22 on Sept. 1 and getting past the Regina Thunder 28-21 on Sept. 7 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops entered the fourth quarter trailing on the scoreboard in both contests before pulling out victory.

Riley Keating led the Hilltops in tackles.

    Legendary head coach Tom Sargeant added a pair of incredible milestones. He picked up his 200^th career win and has compiled a 210-30-2 career record in the CJFL’s regular season and post-season to become the all-time leader in head coaching victories in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks.

    He surpassed retired Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal for that distinction.

    McCrystal had a 208-104-2 record in the regular season and post-season in both the CJFL and U Sports. He was the head coach of the Rams from 1984 to 2014, and they played 15 seasons in the CJFL and 16 campaigns in U Sports over that time as the University of Regina Rams.

    On why the Hilltops succeed, you earn your spot on the field through hard work and respect is given to the veterans that have put in their time. As a result, the Hilltops under Sargeant always talk about playing for their fifth-year players and helping them graduate from the CJFL as league champions.

    The fifth-year veterans also go out of their way to make the newcomers feel like part of the team/family and pass down lessons they learned.

    The Hilltops know that how they act on and off the field is important, and they always do their best to carry themselves with dignity, humility and respect. The individual discipline in the world away from football always seems to carry itself on the field.

    The team and individual players set goals and work their hardest to achieve those goals. The coaches always seem to provide a great road map to help the team and individual players get to their goals.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant upped his career wins total to 210.

    The Hilltops have always lived up to all these intangibles.

    That is why it becomes extra sweet when someone like fifth-year quarterback Tyler Hermann takes over the starting role in his final year with the team and has a solid campaign. He had to work off some rust when it came to being a regular since his Grade 12 year with Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football program.

    After the Hilltops eight regular season games, Hermann posted solid numbers completing 123-of-192 passes for 1,908 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He graduates from the Hilltops sporting a 12-0 overall record as the team’s starting quarterback, with all of those starts coming in 2019.

    The same goes for middle linebacker Jadyn Pingue and outside linebacker Riley Keating, who both played out their respective fifth years of eligibility. Both played special teams and substituted in on defence during their first four seasons with the club.

    They both had incredible fifth years in their only full campaigns as starters. Pingue was the CJFL’s most outstanding defensive player and Keating topped the Hilltops with 46 total tackles during the regular season.

Jadyn Pingue was named the CJFL’s most outstanding defensive player.

    The Hilltops are conscious when it comes to passing on their tradition. When former linebacker Justin Filteau passed away tragically in a plane crash in early June, the coaches ensured they would teach the current team why Filteau was the quintessential Hilltops player.

    Filteau’s final season with the Hilltops was in the CJFL championship campaign in 2014 that started the current run is six straight title wins. He was a CJFL all-Canadian all-star that year.

    Since none of the current Hilltops ever played with Filteau, the coaches had to explain to the current generation of players how much Filteau, who played with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team as well, meant to the provincial football scene and how much time he put in giving back to it.

    Noting how the enthusiastically and loudly the current Hilltops did Filteau’s Ric Flair cheer after their final home practice before going to the Canadian Bowl, it was obvious the lessons about Filteau’s impact were successfully passed on.

    While the Hilltops have been who they are for decades, it is reassuring in today’s world to see how their great traits haven’t changed.

Rylan Kleiter (#7) made a number of clutch kicks for the Hilltops.

    In today’s world, it is easy to be dragged down by the bad. To note, the Hilltops completed their perfect season during a time when a very toxic federal election campaign went down that created the term #Wexit and arguments that Western Canada - specifically Alberta and Saskatchewan - needs to form its own independent state and separate from the country.

    In the last 10 days, you had the fallout from Hockey Night In Canada’s split with Don Cherry, and the messages that hit social media or any type of media were arguably way more toxic than those that came from the federal election.

    When it comes time for the Hilltops to get to work on football, Sargeant refers to any outside distraction like that as “noise.”

    Still, society as a whole seems to get dragged into these stories like the federal election and Cherry. It is naïve to think these things don’t affect young men in their late teens and early 20s who play football and are starting out in the working world.

    If things like this are really affecting the players, the coaches often fill the role of one-on-one sounding board, when that time comes.

Ben Abrook piled up the rushing yards as a workhorse power back.

    In today’s world, the biggest lessons the Hilltops program can pass on to the current players are perseverance and learning how to figure things out as you go.

    Hilltops offensive line coach Donnie Davidsen might be the best at figuring things out as you go. He can host seminars on why you need to teach the 6-foot tall offensive lineman different techniques than the 6-foot-5 offensive lineman in order to allow both to be successful.

    If you talk to Davidsen on that front, you can tell he self-learned from a lot of different areas and put together a course of action to make his players better.

    When the current Hilltops players graduate, they will face a working world or real life world in the current day where it seems honour no longer exists and you could be fired on any day for actually doing your job. You saw that right. In today’s world, you could be fired on any day for actually doing your job.

    If you think about that point, you can see why there are so many breakdowns in the current world on a work or personal front.
    It is common in today’s world to do everything right on a work and personal front and still fail. Those are moments where the lessons of perseverance come through.

The Hilltops are celebrated in Saskatoon for doing things the right way.

    That is why in Saskatoon it always feels reassuring when the Hilltops once again go on a run to win another CJFL title, because you know they are doing things the right way.

    Even if you don’t follow the team in an ultra-passionate way, it still feels good knowing they had another successful season that resulted in a league title.

    It is also way more fun to have messages and pictures of those moments fill our social media feed.

    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.