A great time to reconnect with the Hilltops

The starting Saskatoon Hilltops offensive line shares a laugh on the bench.

     Sometimes you just have to go out and see that good old neighbour.

    Since 1947, the modern version of the Saskatoon Hilltops junior football club has been part of the fabric of Saskatoon. Soon, they will try to close their 69^th season by claiming an 18^th Canadian Junior Football League championship.

    The Toppers host the Kelowna, B.C., based Okanagan Sun on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which for most of its history was known as Gordie Howe Bowl. If you haven’t seen the Hilltops play in a while, there is no better time than Saturday to go out and be part of another memory associated with the Blue and Gold.

    If you are a fan, a former player, a former director, volunteer or even a former Bridge City media member, this will be a perfect time to relive some old memories, while supporting a first class franchise that ages extremely well.

    Many things in life like work or personal situations can pull one away from something they once had a deep rooted investment in. If it has been a long time since you last saw the Hilltops play, you will discover something familiar, if you venture to SMF Field on Saturday.

    The Hilltops are still that good old neighbour that brings a smile to your face. When they succeed, you feel extremely proud of them.

    Many in the Saskatoon community can recall teaching or coaching a Hilltops player, when they grew up. If your family had children, your children might have grown up being best friends with a Hilltops player. You likely take pride in seeing how outstanding that Hilltops player became as he grew into adulthood.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant gives encouragement to QB Jared Andreychuk.

    Those connections aren’t just limited to the Bridge City. People in Prince Albert share that same pride when it comes to following one of their products on the Toppers like receiver Evan Kopchynski. The same can be said for the citizens of Bonnyville, Alta., who followed the career of Hilltops defensive tackle Blake Adams.

    It is fitting that the Hilltops clubhouse and practice facility, Ron Atchinson Field, is located in a long existing residential neighbourhood. Even SMF Field borders with a residential area. The Hilltops are literally your neighbours.

    When you go and visit them, you can feel the family atmosphere, and it is very welcoming.

    Their coaching staff led by head coach Tom Sargeant doesn’t just help players succeed on the field but helps them become strong first rate people, who are very community minded.

    Because the Hilltops do strive to succeed in the right way, it adds to the pride you feel for them when they do succeed.

    This Hilltops team is also on the verge of accomplishing a special milestone. If they win the Canadian Bowl, it will mark the fifth time in the last six years they have claimed the CJFL title. The only other team to win five CJFL titles over a six-year span was the Regina Rams from 1993 to 1998 before they moved on to the Canadian university ranks.

    You have to like Saskatoon’s chances of matching that accomplishment. The Hilltops have a veteran team that includes 16 players in their fifth and final year of junior eligibility. Overall, this is a squad that has won numerous big games and keeps finding a way to raise its play to a higher and higher level when everything is on the line.

The Hilltops are aiming to pull off one final victory celebration to close 2015.

    Victory on Saturday is far from a sure thing. The Sun are 12-0 overall this season and enter the Canadian Bowl having crushed the Vancouver Island Raiders 54-0 in the British Columbia Football Conference final. The Sun’s last CJFL title win came back in 2000 thanks to a 36-28 victory in Kelowna over the visiting Hilltops.

    When the adversity comes, you almost know and expect the Hilltops, who are 9-1 overall, to find a way to persevere. If you can witness of those types of storylines play out again, it would only feel right and familiar. For a resident of Saskatoon, you know that will be a moment that makes you feel good.

    NOTE - The Hilltops pre-selling tickets for the Canadian Bowl on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, $5 for elementary school students and free for pre-school age and under.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Road destruction bashes Blades

Traffic leading to the SaskTel Centre has seen its share of congestion.

    If you smash it, it will keep the fans away.

    It seems the powers that control the roads leading to the SaskTel Centre are bent on making life difficult for the Saskatoon Blades these days, when it comes to attracting fans to their games. If you’ve tried to attend a WHL game at the rink located on the north end of the Bridge City, it might take you 30 minutes to move from the intersection of Idylwyld Drive and Circle Drive to reach the rink at the worst of times due to the road construction that surrounds the facility. Normally, that trip should take you 10 minutes at its worst and five minutes at its best.

    The biggest construction problem is the overpass located just south of the rink that helps traffic flow down Highway 11 and the Yellowhead Highway has been completely shut down since about the start of August. The maintenance required to fix that overpass is so bad that it is still under construction.

    To make matters worse, the Idylwyld Service road between 60^th Street and Marquis Drive is under construction. Combine that with a handful of other construction projects going on in the north industrial sector makes driving in the area of the SaskTel Centre a nightmare, as traffic congests on the untouched arteries. In another frustrating twist, most of these projects have sprung up during September.

    First, there is no debate the road improvements are needed. With that said, people have to wonder why those in charge with making road construction plans for the City of Saskatoon decided to do so many things at once late in the construction season. If you live on the prairies, you know starting at any time from right now there could be a freak snowfall and full out winter can strike at any time.

    For the Blades, the construction has to be viewed as a big thing that has hurt early regular season attendance. When Mike Priestner and his family took over ownership of the hockey team before the 2013-14 season, the office staff they brought in have been working tirelessly to make going to Blades games a fun experience.

    As the team was rebuilding from hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup and making a big blockbuster trade to land Brayden Schenn for the 2011 post-season run, the Blades management crew knew there were going to be rough times on the ice during a rebuilding phase.

A view of the ripped up overpass just south of the SaskTel Centre.

    They were having success selling the fun aspect of going to games with various in-rink promotions and theme nights. While finishing last overall in the WHL last season, they drew 6,718 spectators to their second last regular season game and 8,929 spectators to their final home date.

In past years, it was common for about 2,300 to attend those final games, if the Blades were out of the playoff picture.

    Going into the current campaign, there was excitement the Blades were going to see more tangible results from their rebuild on ice being guided by second-year head coach and general manager Bob Woods and assistant coach Dean Brockman. There also had to be expectations that the Blades could carry the draws of the big crowds from last season into the current campaign.

    They drew 4,780 for their regular season opener on Sept. 25, when they dumped the Prince Albert Raiders 7-2.

    Unfortunately, those that live in Saskatoon know how fickle the residents of the city can be, and the hassles caused by road construction will keep people away. Some will note early regular season attendance at Blades games is traditionally low, but the construction projects will play a huge reason to keep people away. Even opposing team bus drivers are finding it cumbersome to navigate their way to the rink.

    Attendance quickly dropped after the opener. Last Friday, the paid attendance for the Blades 3-2 overtime loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers was 3,550. On Sunday, the announced paid attendance was 3,506 for the 5-4 overtime setback to the Vancouver Giants. There were definitely a lot of no shows for the Giants game, because you could almost park right up beside the facility about five minutes before puck drop.

    The Blades are in action again on Wednesday, when they host the Kootenay Ice at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    On the plus side, the Blades have been exciting over their first four games posting a win and three overtime losses to gain five out of a possible eight points in the standings. If they are in the thick of the playoff picture by midseason when all the construction shouldn’t be a worry, they will have a huge chance to attract a lot of curious onlookers.

    Since the Priestners took over, it feels like the Blades have been given a restart. When the first real exciting playoff push comes, it is possible to envision fans jumping on board with big enthusiasm, because everything will feel new again.

WHL hopes new program has big impact on players off ice

    The WHL took a step forward in helping players respond to the day-to-day challenges they face away from the game.

    Working in partnership with the Calgary Police Service, the league launched the WHL Player Impact Program on Monday which will give players new comprehensive training and education in regards to topics like responsible social media use, relationships and consent, drugs and alcohol, gambling, diversity issues and how they looked upon to be positive role models.

    The program will be delivered by a WHL club liaison officer through the WHL Security Network, which was formed last season to provide players guidance with off-ice issues.

    Any steps the league takes to help players away from the rink has to be viewed as a good thing. With the WHL containing players aged from 16 to 20, they are still in a stage where they will encounter a lot of life challenges for the first time, so any type of fallback they can have will be beneficial.

    As far as topics like social media use and diversity issues, it is quite easy for players and people in general in this age group to say something they didn’t mean to be offensive come out accidentally sounding that way. Any help with pitfalls in that area has to be appreciated.

    Here is hoping this program will help players with their lives away from the game.

Catching up with Lazaruk

Les Lazaruk in the press box.

    I caught up with Saskatoon Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk for a Saskatoon Express feature this week.

    Lazaruk has been calling Blades games on the radio since the start of the 1994-95 season. 

    He got his start in media working in print, which saw him hold short stints writing for the Winnipeg Free Press and the defunct Winnipeg Tribune. 

    He is viewed as one of the broadcasters in the league, and he had called 1,584 contests heading into the 2015-16 campaign.

    You can check out the story on Lazaruk right here.

Home sweet home for Hilltops

Evan Kopchynski is back in action for the Hilltops.

    All roads through the Canadian Junior Football League playoffs will lead through Saskatoon.

    The defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops locked up home field advantage through the 2015 post-season by bombing the Wildcats in Edmonton 41-17 on Sunday. The Toppers improved to 7-0 and will finish first overall in the Prairie Football Conference. The PFC champ will also host the CJFL title game, the Canadian Bowl, this season, so the Hilltops have officially finished off their road schedule.

    Against the Wildcats, quarterback Jared Andreychuk completed 10-of-25 passes for 254 yards and three touchdown passes, while only throwing one interception. Running back Logan Fischer carried the ball 18 times for 153 yards scoring one major.

    Receiver Evan Kopchynski hauled in five passes for 134 yards scoring two touchdowns. Kopchynski had been out of the Saskatoon lineup since Sept. 5, when he injured his knee in a home win over the Regina Thunder.

    Matt Kozun and Blake Adams both had sacks for Saskatoon on the defensive side of the ball. Including action in the regular season and playoffs, the Hilltops have won 15 straight games.

    With one week to play in the PFC regular season, the playoff picture is pretty much set. The Hilltops, Thunder (5-2), Calgary Colts (4-3) and Winnipeg Rifles (3-4) will advance to the post-season. The Wildcats (1-6) and Edmonton Huskies (1-6) are officially out of playoff contention.

    The Hilltops will host one PFC semifinal, and the Thunder, who have locked up second place, will host the other semi. The Colts and Rifles could flip spots for third and fourth place depending on the results of the final week of the regular season.

    The Hilltops will close their regular season schedule this coming Sunday, when they host the Colts at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Men’s hockey Huskies get going

Matthew Spafford is entering his final season with the Huskies.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team officially start their regular season this coming weekend.

    They travel to Calgary this coming Friday and Saturday to face the University of Calgary Dinos. The Huskies first two appearances at home come Oct. 16 and 17, when they host the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns at 7 p.m. on both nights at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    The Dogs will lean a bit more on the young side this year as forward Matthew Spafford and defenceman Zak Stebner are the only two players in their fifth year of eligibility. Both are strong character guys who will provide a lot of leadership in the dressing room. The team also includes only two fourth-year players in forward Jesse Ross and goaltender Blake Voth, who returns after taking a season off.

    U of S brings in 10 first year player, and the class include a number of former WHL players including Kohl Bauml, who potted 30 goals for the Everett Silvertips last season, and Levi Cable, who netted 28 goals last season for the Kootenay Ice.

    The Huskies women’s hockey team is back in action this weekend looking to build on their 2-0 record. They host the Dinos this Friday and Saturday at the Rutherford Rink at 7 p.m. on both nights.

So you want to go into media?

    If you want to enter the Canadian media industry, be warned that it is quite a battle where you seem to be constantly trying to survive in the short term.

    The other day I was checking over the list of names from my 25-person graduation class from the University of Regina’s School of Journalism and Communications as it was then known. I officially received my degree in the year 2000.

    Out of the 25-person graduation class, I know of nine people who are still in the mainstream media. There are five people who have moved on to other walks of life not media related. There are 10 others I don’t know what fate has sent their way, but if they are like me, they are no longer in the mainstream media or in the media at all.

    The most famous names from my class are Ken Wiebe, who is the Winnipeg Jets beat writer for the Winnipeg Sun, and Bonnie Allen, who is a standout with CBC.

    Most media programs try to create their literature that says you can have a career like Wiebe and Allen have had, but that is far from the case. Both of them are the rare exception of the fact they are extremely talented, and the doors often opened for them in a timely fashion.

    With the way the media industry in Canada is these days, you chances of getting a real break to be in a position to make an impact that matters shrinks by the day. When you are on the journey to get that break, you have to be lucky enough to avoid the pitfalls you have no control over that will see you fall out of the industry.

    If you are just getting into the industry, I predict you will you will be out of it in five years. If someone was looking to start a media career in Canada, I would advise them to do something else, but if you do follow the path, find something else to do if you don’t become “The Golden Person” type star within five years.

    I just wanted to throw my two cents into the picture as food for thought on that subject.

Happy birthday Enner

    Leaving off on high note, I want to wish a big happy 26^th birthday to former Medicine Hat Tigers forward and current member of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres Tyler Ennis.

    Ennis once scored six goals in one night, when the Tigers downed the Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 at     The Arena in Medicine Hat. Those highlights are always cool to look at, and with the legendary Bob Ridley making the call, they can be found by clicking here.

    If you want to pass along any comments about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Hilltops' Fischer goes beast mode on Thunder

The Hilltops' Logan Fischer was too much for the Thunder to handle.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops unleashed “The Beast” in Logan Fischer on the Regina Thunder.

    The third-year tailback had a career night rushing for 293 yards on 32 carries to help the Toppers down their provincial rivals 35-17 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Saturday night. Fischer ran around, past and through the Thunder defenders, and he also caught a pair of passes for 26 yards in the Canadian Junior Football League battle. His efforts grew in importance as the night progressed.

    The two clubs began Saturday’s clash playing in cool but fairly pleasant conditions. A mist began to fall during the second quarter, and it turned into a monsoon for the entire second half.

    The heavier rainy weather worked out in favour of the Hilltops, who were locked in a 14-14 tie with the Thunder at halftime, but rolled to victory as the conditions worsened.

    The Thunder, who have a strong passing game and like to favour it, saw their aerial show get grounded.

    The Hilltops pounded their way to victory thanks to Fischer’s numerous gritty runs. He also benefited from the fact the Toppers offensive line blocked well, and the receivers did their part to seal off Regina’s defensive backs.

Logan Fischer piled up 293 yards rushing for the Hilltops.

    When the two teams began their fight for top spot in the Prairie Football Conference, it appeared the game would be a tight affair.

    Regina controlled the contest for much of the first quarter and took a 7-0 edge, when quarterback Jaeden Marwick slipped a nine-yard outlet pass to an uncovered Colton Klassen. The scoring drive was aided by the fact Marwick connected with receiver Kasim Ocaya on a 49-yard bomb.

    Momentum changed early in the second quarter, when Marwick was intercepted near midfield by Hilltops cornerback Arnold Osam. Osam ran the ball back to the Regina 22, and on the ensuing play, Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit wide receiver Chad Braun in the end zone to tie the contest up 7-7.

    A short time later, the Thunder appeared to wrestle momentum back in their favour blocking a Saskatoon punt and recovering the ball on the Hilltops five. Two plays later, Marwick hit Thomas Bresciani on a short four-yard TD toss to put the visitors up 14-7.

    Saskatoon tied things up shortly before the first half came to an end. After a short Regina punt, the Hilltops started a drive on the Thunder’s side of midfield and tied the contest up 14-14 on a three yard run by Fischer with 49.7 seconds to play.

    When the downpour of rain came at the start of the second half, the Hilltops jumped ahead 28-14. First, Andreychuk hit Evan Kopchynski on an 18-yard strike, and the signal caller later ran in for a major from nine yards out.

    Kristopher Calcutt kicked a short 12-yard field goal for the Thunder before the third quarter ended to cut the Saskatoon lead to 28-17.

Jared Andreychuk (#5) celebrates a TD run with his teammates in a monsoon.

    The Hilltops iced the game just past the midway point of the fourth quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by starting right guard Drayke Unger, who went as a fullback for the short yardage situation.

    While Fischer was the game’s star, Andreychuk completed 9-of-18 passes for 158 yards including his two touchdown tosses. He managed to avoid throwing an interception in the adverse conditions.

Marwick completed 15-of-25 passes for 184 yards, two touchdown strikes and two picks. Klassen was the top ground gainer for the Thunder running for 83 yards on 17 carries.

    With the win, the Hilltops improve to 4-0, while the Thunder fall to 3-1. The two rivals meet again this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

    If you have any comments or thoughts you would like to pass on about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Hilltops hit high gear

Evan Kopchynski hauls in a TD catch for the Hilltops.

    A pre-kickoff wait only delayed the inevitable.

    Thanks to the stadium staff being a bit fast with pre-game cues, the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops and the visiting Winnipeg Rifles had to wait about 10 minutes before hitting the turf at Saskatoon Minor Football Field for their Canadian Junior Football League clash. The team introductions and the national anthem performed by country singer Lisa Moen were run with lightning fast speed. The Toppers mirrored that quick execution, when they hit the field.

    Bryant Sackney ran the opening kickoff back 100 yards to give the hosts a 7-0 lead. The speed and elusiveness displayed by Sackney on the run back was matched by the excitement Hilltops special teams coordinator Matt Yausie showed over the fact all his players on the wedge nailed their blocking assignments perfectly.

    The Hilltops proceeded to roll from there going up 21-0 shortly before the halfway point of the first quarter, 49-7 at halftime and cruised to a 65-9 romp in their regular season home opener.

    Just five minutes into the third quarter, Saskatoon started cycling in their backups. They entered the game eager to make plays as well like rookie running back Adam Machart, who scored a Barry Sanders like 46-yard touchdown run to account for the final major score put up by the home side.

    When the dust settled, the Hilltops put up exactly 400 yards of offence in a performance where they didn’t have either a 100-yard rusher or receiver. They only committed one turnover and gave up two quarterback sacks.

    Saskatoon’s defence held Winnipeg to 304 total yards, forced four turnovers and piled up eight sacks. Blake Hermann was a monster on a star-laden veteran defensive line hauling down Winnipeg signal callers on three different occasions.

Bryant Sackney returns the opening kickoff for a Hilltops major.

    The Hilltops were firing on all cylinders. Their offensive line blocked solidly and offensive coordinator Sheldon Ball mixed up the play calling extremely well as the football was distributed all over the field to different playmakers.

   Running back Logan Fischer, who had two impressive high hurdle jumps in the outing, ran in a three yard major and hauled in a 15-yard pass for another score. Receiver Evan Kopchynski snagged a 35-yard TD grab on a streak play catching a beautifully thrown ball by quarterback Jared Andreychuk. Tailback Des Vessey also contributed a scoring plunge from a yard out.

    Saskatoon’s defensive line was successful in getting pressure with a four-man rush, which also included crushing Winnipeg’s running game. As a result, defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie could have the linebackers and secondary doing all sorts of different things, which caused the Rifles to cough up the ball.

    Linebacker Cole Benkic returned an interception six yards for a major score, while rush end Tom Schnitzler returned a fumble nine yards for another defensive score. Both of those scores were punctuated by excited celebrations.

    The Hilltops special teams have been clicking on a higher level than they did a season ago now under the guidance of Matt Yausie, who is the club’s rookie special teams coordinator. In building a 3-0 record, the Toppers have been good for one big special teams play a game this season, and they have racked up a whole bunch of hidden yardage in the return game.

    Head coach Tom Sargeant has been the manager that has challenged his talented coaches to elevate their performances, which has resulted in the team executing at a higher and higher level each week.

Rush end Tom Schnitzler returns a fumble recovery for a Hilltops TD.

    Rifles starting quarterback Jamie Ybarra hit receiver Ian Lee for a nine-yard scoring strike in the first quarter, but the Winnipeg signal caller was knocked out of the game due to injury in the second quarter after that lone highlight. The visitors fell to 0-3.    

    Now the Hilltops head off to their biggest challenge to date with two much anticipated clashes against their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder, who also improved to 3-0 by bombing the Huskies in Edmonton 76-9.

    While the Hilltops won the CJFL title last year, they dropped both of their encounters with the Thunder.

    With first place in the Prairie Football Conference on the line, the two clubs meet this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field and at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Mosaic Stadium.

    Both of those matches have a high likelihood of becoming classic encounters.

Shirley a step closer to U-18 worlds

Sophie Shirley in action with the Saskatoon Stars.

    Sophie Shirley’s special summer might foreshadow an unforgettable winter.

    The 16-year-old Saskatoon product made Canada’s under-18 women’s hockey team which played in a three-game series against an under-18 squad from the United States from Aug. 20-23. Canada claimed two of those three contests, and Shirley had a goal in the red and white’s 5-2 victory that closed the three-game set on Aug. 23.

    Shirley was a third youngest player on the 23-member Canadian team. She has a strong chance of being on Canada’s roster for the under-18 worlds that will be held in St. Catharines, Ont., starting on Jan. 8 in the new year. It is common to have almost all the players from Canada’s under-18 team summer roster make the under-18 roster for worlds.

    As a 15-year-old sophomore last season with the Saskatoon Stars, Shirley had a spectacular campaign. She netted 22 goals and 17 assists helping the Stars post a 25-3 regular season record to allow Saskatoon to finish first in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.

    Shirley was named the most valuable player of the SFMAAAHL and proceeded to pick up 12 goals and 12 assists in nine games, as the Stars won their first league title. At the Esso Cup national championship tournament held in April in Red Deer, Shirley was named the event’s MVP, and she led the tourney in scoring potting nine goals and seven assists.

    You have to anticipate she will be making highlights for years to come.

    If you have any comments about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check Twitter for more Hilltops game photos @Stankssports.

Hilltops champs again

Storied franchise concludes memorable season with 17^th CJFL title

Jared Andreychuk unloads a pass for the Hilltops.

            The Saskatoon Hilltops capitalized on their date with destiny, and the Canadian Bowl returned to the Bridge City once again.

            The storied Canadian Junior Football League franchise marched into McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C., and weren’t going to be denied their 17^th national title. They built a 25-7 halftime lead against the host Langley Rams scoring 24 points off four turnovers.

            When the dust settled, the Hilltops came away with a convincing 39-14 victory.

            Quarterback Jared Andreychuk accounted for the first major on a 14-yard run in the first quarter. With 8.6 seconds to play in the first half, the signal caller put a big dagger into the Rams hopes hooking up with receiver Evan Kopchynski on a 16-yard TD strike.

            Saskatoon piled up 458 yards on offence. Langley outgained the visitors with 467 yards of offence, but the Hilltops defence proved to be opportunistic causing the Rams to turn the ball over six times.

            On Sunday, the Toppers arrived back in Saskatoon a bit tired but in high spirits after celebrating their championship win well into the night.

            The season started out rocky. Having started 1-2 thanks to two heartbreaking losses to their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder, the Hilltops faced a gut check time.

They closed off the campaign in fine style with eight straight victories for a 9-2 overall record. The only contest that was close was a 28-23 regular season closing victory over the Edmonton Wildcats back on Oct. 12.

            The Hilltops improved as the season went on. As they marched to a Canadian title, it was apparent the team still held a deep warm spot in the hearts of the citizens of Saskatoon.

            When they claimed the Prairie Football Conference title with a 27-7 victory over the Calgary Colts on Oct. 26, word spread quickly over social media lines. A day after that win, the Hilltops in conjunction with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders hosted the Riderville North Quarterback Luncheon at TCU Place.

The event was packed and it marked a kickoff to send the junior squad forward for two weeks of preparation for the CJFL title game.

            At McLeod Stadium on Saturday, the Hilltops had a healthy group of followers in the stands, who made the trip from Saskatoon to Langley for the game.

            The win marked the eighth CJFL championship for Tom Sargeant as Hilltops head coach. Former Saskatoon StarPhoenix star sports reporter Cory Wolfe added on social media the victory marked the 11^th CJFL title Sargeant has been part of with the Hilltops franchise. He also won one championship ring as a player and two more as an assistant coach.

            The Sarge has seen almost two-thirds of the Hilltops national title wins first hand.

Logan Fischer runs the ball for the Hilltops.

            At the CJFL awards ceremony on Friday, Wayndel Lewis, the Hilltops dynamic running back, was named the offensive player of the year. He rushed for 1,063 yards on 130 carries during the regular season scoring nine touchdowns.

            Due to an injured left ankle, Lewis wasn’t able to play Saturday for the Toppers, but he was still on the sidelines offering support for his teammates.

            Logan Fischer performed admirably in Lewis’s absence rushing for 94 yards on 19 carries scoring one major. He also hauled in four passes for another 37 yards.

            Andreychuk arguably showed the most improvement over the campaign. The third-year signal caller was on fire on Saturday completing 17 of 27 passes for 343 yards, three touchdown strikes and no interceptions.

            Receiver Evan Turkington, who was the offensive player the game, caught five passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns, and Kopchynski had five catches for 126 yards including his one TD catch.

            Defensive back Dylan Larson, who was the defensive player of the game, had 11 tackles and one tackle assist.

            In 2014, the Hilltops faced adversity with the slow start and losing Lewis to injury in a 43-13 PFC semifinal victory over the Winnipeg Rifles on Oct. 19.

            The fact the Hilltops overcame those setbacks makes the team’s 17^th CJFL title that much more sweet.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

Hilltops Canadian Bowl bound

Outstanding coaches help keep Saskatoon on top

The Hilltops celebrate with the PFC championship trophy.

            It was Sunday beautiful Sunday for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

            The venerable Canadian Junior Football League franchise had a day that was as picture perfect as the weather at the club’s long time home the Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which is formerly known as Gordie Howe Bowl.

            Quarterback Jared Andreychuk came out gunning the ball all over the field staking his club out to a 24-7 lead against the visiting Calgary Colts. The Toppers cruised to a 27-7 victory, which allowed them to capture another Prairie Football Conference title.

            With the win, the Hilltops advanced to the CJFL title game, the Canadian Bowl, on November 8 in Langley, B.C., against the host Rams.

            After starting the season 1-2, the Hilltops rolled into the PFC final riding a six-game winning streak. The Colts had won four in a row, so the two hottest teams in the conference were battling for spot in the national final.

            Calgary went 0-8 in 2013, which saw the club hire legendary British Columbia Football Conference head coach Matthew “Snoop” Blokker. Blokker guided the Colts to a 4-4 regular season record and a playoff win.

            Unfortunately for Calgary’s bench boss, Sunday belonged to Saskatoon’s stellar coaching staff.

            The energetic Tom Sargeant has been guiding the Hilltops as head coach since 1998. During his time, the team has won seven CJFL championships, and he has become the iconic standard to which all other Hilltops bench bosses past and present are measured. “The Sarge” has almost seen it all, and his teams always improve as the season goes on.

When he comes out fired up for a practice or a game, it is hard not to get pumped up too. Sargeant always seems to know the right things to say. He has also surrounded himself with some outstanding coaches.

One of the best known is defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie, who is the executive director of Football Saskatchewan and the head coach of the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries women’s football team. Yausie’s defences are always aggressive, tough and opportunistic when it comes to forcing turnovers.

A key takeaway came on the Colts first drive of the second half. Calgary drove down to about the Saskatoon 11 yard line and was going for a quarterback sneak on a third-and-one gamble. At the time, the Hilltops led 24-7, but a Calgary major would make it game on again.

Colts quarterback Brett Hunchak fumbled the ball away into the hands of a Hilltops defender to bring an end to the scoring threat. Saskatoon got a field goal on that cough up to go up 27-7.

Evan Kopchynski takes off to score a first quarter TD.

On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Sheldon Ball might be one of the more underrated coaches on the Saskatoon staff. “Coach Goose” had a masterful game plan drawn up, which allowed the offence to land a lot of huge early body blows.

Andreychuk completed 20 of 31 passes for 329 yards and three touchdown strikes. The best throw was a 54-yard pass and run strike to Evan Kopchynski that put Saskatoon up 14-7 in the first quarter.

The Colts managed to get a couple of picks including an acrobatic end zone pick by Dylan Niedermaier in the second quarter. Andreychuk wasn’t deterred and proceeded to calmly drive his squad.

            Running back Logan Fischer, who was filling in for injured starter Wayndel Lewis, rolled off 183 yards rushing on 28 carries. Fischer will have to carry the load again in the Canadian Bowl, as Lewis’s ankle won’t be healed up by that time.

            The offence showed huge improvement under Ball’s guidance, and his influence on Andreychuk, who showed really good vision on Sunday, was obvious. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ball quarterbacked the Hilltops and then the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, and he developed a great analytical understanding of the game during that time.

            With their outstanding coaching staff, the Hilltops will likely be favoured to claim their 17^th CJFL championship in team history. The Hilltops claimed their 16^th CJFL title downing the Rams in Langley 23-21 in the 2012 Canadian Bowl.

            It seems like the blue and gold are in perfect position to add another sweet close to their already storied history.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.