Price faced gritty beginnings before becoming Hilltops star

Ex-receiver remembers paying dues before making big plays

Jason Price makes a 70-yard TD catch in 2017.

Jason Price is remembered as a big play receiver for the Saskatoon Hilltops, but the big plays didn’t come when he first joined the team.

From 2014 to 2019, the Hilltops won six straight CJFL championships, and Price played on the first five of those title winners during his five years with the team. His last CJFL play came on November 17, 2018 when the Hilltops took a knee to conclude a 58-21 victory over the Langley Rams at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant ensured the team’s eight fifth-year players including Price were on the field for that final play. With that moment, Price graduated from the team with an ultimate moment and special memory.

He was on the field as part of a group of eight teammates becoming the first players to play on five straight CJFL championship winning teams.

Way back as a rookie in 2014, Price had just graduated high school from Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate having been a member of the Marauders football team. During that first season with the Hilltops, Price’s main focus was just hanging in with the team.

“The whole rookie season is a lot of anxiety and like trying to do your part but not get in the way kind of thing,” said Price. “Obviously, I wasn’t really playing at that time.

“I’d just be on the sidelines.”

Price remembers being awestruck by his veteran teammates in 2014. He saw quarterback Jared Andreychuk, who was in his third season at that time, as an incredible leader.

Jason Price makes a 32-yard TD catch in 2016.

He saw a receiving corps that was deep where everyone could make plays. The veteran receivers included fourth year players Evan Turkington, Evan Kopchynski and Chad Braun along with third year players Preston Njaa, Tyson Sawatzky and Ryan Turple. Second year receiver Davis Mitchell was also finding his way on to the field to make clutch plays.

Price knew he wasn’t going to see the field very much. He didn’t say much that season and just working on getting better and doing his best to be part of the team.

Price remembers that season going by like a blur. When it came time for the Hilltops to travel to Langley, B.C., to face the Rams in the Canadian Bowl in 2014, Price wasn’t part of the travel roster that made that jaunt. The Hilltops would win that contest 39-14, and help the Saskatoon side bury the disappointment of falling in the 2013 PFC final to the Regina Thunder, who won the CJFL title that year.

 While he wasn’t with the Hilltops in person for that CJFL title win in Langley, Price got to be part of a moment that made him first feel truly linked to the Hilltops, where he saw the team as family.

“I remember they invited all of the players (who remained in Saskatoon) to the clubhouse to watch them play in that championship game on the screen,” said Price. “I remember a lot of nerves but also just a lot of cheering.

“It was definitely huge just as an end to my rookie season to be invited to like the clubhouse and feel a part of the team even though you’re not there. Even though you are not in Langley with the team, you’re still with the team in the clubhouse cheering on the guys that are there. After they won it, I remember like everybody watching it on the field and seeing everybody celebrate and everybody cheering like crazy in the clubhouse.

Jason Price, right, makes a 22-yard TD catch in 2016.

“It was a just a rush of excitement, obviously, from what had happened the year before to that year was huge.”

The Hilltops didn’t graduate any receivers following the 2014 campaign, but they were set to start graduating a number of veterans at that position starting with Turkington, Kopchynski and Braun at the end of the 2015 season. In 2015, Price found himself getting more reps at practice and the veterans taking a bigger role in helping mentor him.

“I just remember kind of feeling a little more comfortable,” said Price, who stood 6-feet tall and weighed 200 pounds. “Those guys when they are not in and you are kind of getting your second team reps I remember always coming back and getting some advice from Chad Braun or Evan Turkington.

“Those guys were kind of always around. They understood that they were fifth years, and they were the leaders. They also understood the traditions that come and the next generation that is coming through and really helped kind of build and help you get to that next level.

“It just says a lot about the leadership group we had in those years.”

After the Hilltops downed the Okanagan Sun 38-24 in the 2015 Canadian Bowl played at SMF Field, Price found himself hitting the field as a starter in his third campaign in 2016.

Jason Price makes 38-yard TD catch in Regina in 2017.

“I was nervous at the start,” said Price. “It was my first time starting, and the game still feels fast.

“I remember not doing well the first few games personally and then kind of fell into my own and kind of got an understanding with Jared (Andreychuk) and got an understanding with the rest of the team.”

With Andreychuk playing in his fifth and final season, Price had a breakout campaign hauling in 28 passes for 763 yards and seven touchdowns during the Hilltops nine-game regular season that year. Price’s receiving yardage and touchdown reception totals were career highs.

On November 12, 2016, the Hilltops traveled to Langford, B.C., where they downed the Westshore Rebels 37-25 in the Canadian Bowl. Price caught Andreychuk’s final career touchdown toss hauling in a 47-yard pass to account for the Hilltops final major of that game.

“Looking back on it, that was an amazing season, and I loved it,” said Price.

In 2017, Price had a solid season catching 19 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular season games. Quarterback Jordan Walls, who was in his fourth year with the Hilltops and first year as a starter in 2017, had a strong campaign, but the Hilltops ground game might have been the highlight spot offensively.

Jason Price makes a TD catch at SMF Field in 2017.

The Hilltops were rich in talent at the running back position that season as the trio of Logan Fischer, Adam Machart and Josh Ewanchyna all saw significant playing time, while Colin Stumborg consistently made big plays from his fullback spot. Rookie tailback Ben Abrook saw playing time, and he would be a key player on the team in 2018 and 2019.

Price thought a key point in the 2017 campaign came when the Hilltops dropped a 29-26 decision to the Thunder in their fourth regular season game. That was Saskatoon’s only loss that season, but Price believes that setback helped sharpen the team’s focus for the rest of that campaign.

With the Hilltops having won the last three straight CJFL titles, Price thought maybe the vibe on the storied team had gotten a little too relaxed.

“When you take a loss like that, it puts things into perspective and kind of gets you to have to refocus on things,” said Price. “I think that loss was pretty big to help us kind of refocus and just kind of don’t think about the past.

“You kind of just better yourself as the Hilltop group every day. You take it one week at a time, and eventually, you will get there. Obviously, we were led by another group of great leaders.

“I think that was big for the rest of the season, because sometimes you do need to kind of get put back in your place.”

Jason Price, right, makes a catch in Regina in 2018.

The Hilltops concluded the 2017 campaign traveling to Windsor, Ont., and downing the host AKO Fratmen 56-11 in the Canadian Bowl. With that victory, the Hilltops became the first team to win four straight CJFL titles.

Price believes the run of consecutive championships came because the Hilltops were good at concentrating on the notion that each season was its own campaign with its own story.

“Every year is kind of new,” said Price. “Every year you have a different team, a different group of starters.

“I think we kind of did a good job kind of staying focused year to year. There was something new every year, and we were not worried about what was happening in the past or what could happen in the future. We just kind of took it one game at a time.

“Obviously with repeat championships, there comes a little bit of pressure to pull through and do the same thing.”

In Price’s final season, the Hilltops had statistically one of their most dominant campaigns posting a perfect 11-0 record. They trailed on the scoreboard for a total of 81 seconds for the whole season.

Price had a strong personal campaign catching 31 passes for 709 yards and scoring four touchdowns in eight regular season games. He was named a PFC all-star and a CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

The sure handed pass catcher often just played two-and-a-half quarters per game as the Hilltops were usually holding big leads and cycling backups to get game experience at that point.

Jason Price makes an 81-yard touchdown catch in 2018.

“Reflecting back on that season, I think we all just had the most fun not necessarily because we were winning, but because we were such a developed team at that point,” said Price. “We were such a brotherhood.

“We always talk about the Hilltops brotherhood. It was just like that was our family. We just had the most fun with our family kind of thing.”

In the Canadian Bowl win over the Rams in 2018, Price caught three passes for a team high 75 yards. The biggest memory came in being one of the team’s eight fifth-year players that was on the field for the final knee down snap.

That group included Walls, receiver Adam Ewanchyna, right tackle Kirk Simonsen, defensive end Connor Guillet and linebackers Cody Peters, who was the CJFL’s defensive player of the year in 2018, Bobby Ehman and Adam Benkic. All eight of those players had each played five complete seasons with the Hilltops first taking the field with the team in 2014.

“For that to be your year and know that you’ve done it and those final seconds are ticking off the clock there, and you’re out there with all the guys that you’ve gone through five years of practising every day, games, putting your body on the line for those guys, and you get to celebrate with them after that final whistle, that was something special that is for sure,” said Price.

For Price, he looks back at all points of his five career with the Hilltops being memorable from the time he was an anxious rookie trying to do his best to be part of the team to being a fifth year star veteran at the end. 

Jason Price and the Hilltops celebrate a Canadian Bowl win in 2018.

The good things that came Price’s way came from the fact he ultimately just focused on working hard and getting better in his first year campaign.

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 family celebration and reunion highlighted 2015 Canadian Bowl

The Hilltops celebrate their Canadian Bowl win in 2015.

The celebration was on for the Saskatoon Hilltops alums 75 minutes before kickoff of the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

On arriving at the Saskatoon Minor Football Field parking lot on November 7, 2015, a festive atmosphere was in the air. The Hilltops alums were out everywhere sporting their trademark team blue jackets from their playing days.

It should be noted they weren’t prematurely celebrating a Hilltops victory in the CJFL title game that was about to be played.

They were gathering in fellowship to celebrate and relive the memories they collected during their playing days. It seemed like Hilltops alums had arrived from various generations of the team’s modern era that began in 1947.

Hilltops alums flocked to the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

The Hilltops were the defending CJFL champions and were entering the 2015 Canadian Bowl with a 9-1 overall record to face the undefeated 12-0 Okanagan Sun from Kelowna, B.C.

It felt like there was a special tingly feeling in the air that the game and day were going to be great ones.

As a side bonus, the weather was 5 C and sunny, which was unseasonably warm for that time of year.

I encountered Cory Wolfe later that afternoon.

Wolfe covered five Hilltops CJFL championship wins for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix with the last being a 34-23 victory over the Vancouver Island Raiders in 2010 in Saskatoon. Wolfe said the 2015 Canadian Bowl game was a lot warmer than any of the CJFL title contests he had ever covered.

Tailgating was going full out at the 2015 Canadian Bowl.

The pleasant weather added to the upbeat nature of the day.

Inside the stadium, the festive atmosphere continued including a stage that was set up beside the field featuring a live musical act.

On the field, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and his players were focused as they went through pre-game warm-ups. The focus continued throughout the game.

When the Hilltops were introduced at pre-game, they had to get a rush from the thunderous ovation they received from the crowd. The statistics sheet for that game stated 2,567 spectators attended that Canadian Bowl, but is seemed like the attendance was larger than that.

Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant focuses on game action.

Looking in the stands on either the west or east sides of the venue, you couldn’t find an empty seat. Spectators seemed shoehorned into the park’s old stands configuration, and many fans elected to sit on the hills at that venue.

The 2015 Hilltops team was a close-knit unit that was loaded with veterans. They had playmakers all over the place including star quarterback Jared Andreychuk and outside linebacker Cole Benkic, who was named the CJFL’s most outstanding defensive player that season.

The Hilltops main calling cards were their outstanding offensive and defensive lines.

The offensive line featured Tyler Hoath at right tackle, Drayke Unger at right guard, Jordan Hydomako at centre, Nathan Heide at left guard and Terry Thesen at left tackle. They made up one of the arguably the best offensive lines the Hilltops ever had.

Jared Andreychuk (#5) threw for 369 yards for the Hilltops.

The defensive line included Tom Schnitzler and Blake Herman at the ends and Tyrell Hering and Matt Kozun at the tackle positions. They made up arguably one of the best defensive lines the Hilltops ever had.

It was common in games for the Hilltops linebackers and defensive backs to drop into coverage assignments only to watch the defensive line squash any opposing offensive play before it could get going.

While the Hilltops were loaded, the Sun were a formidable opponent. The B.C. side took the turf at SMF Field locked arm in arm with a quiet and strong resolve.

The 2015 Canadian Bowl would be a showcase of junior football in Canada at its best.

The Hilltops defence pressures Sun QB Cam Bedore (#7).

After the Hilltops surged out to an early 10-0 lead that included a 45-yard field goal from Brett Thorarinsson, the Sun battled back and jumped in front 14-10 early in the second quarter.

A rushing touchdown by star running back Logan Fischer put the Hilltops back out in front 17-14, and it looked like that would be the score at halftime.

The Sun proceeded to come through with a big play before the halftime break. Sun linebacker Layne Hull blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 4.5 seconds remaining before halftime to give the B.C. side a 20-17 edge.

Hull would be named the game’s most outstanding defensive player.

The Hilltops weren’t shaken by that big play that had them trailing on the scoreboard at halftime. They still had the quiet confidence that they would make the plays to come out on top.

Logan Fischer (#21) piled up the yards for the Hilltops.

In the third quarter, the Sun lead grew slightly to 21-17 thanks to a rouge from a punt single.

With over four minutes to play in the third, Andreychuk hit skilled slotback Evan Kopchynski with a 75-yard touchdown strike that had the Hilltops faithful rocking and rolling. The celebration was short-lived as an offside penalty negated the score.

Two plays later, Andreychuk connected with speedy slotback Tyson Sawatzky for a 73-yard touchdown strike. There were no flags this time and the noise at SMF Field might have hit record levels as the Hilltops went ahead 24-21.

Fischer ran in his second touchdown of the game before the third quarter ended to increase the Hilltops edge to 31-21.

The Hilltops Cheer Team entertains the SMF Field crowd.

The Sun tightened things up in the fourth quarter when kicker Thomas Huber hit a 40-yard field goal to cut the Hilltops lead to 31-24.

With under two-and-a-minutes to play in the fourth, the Sun got the ball back, but they were back up at their own one yard-line. Still, they were 109 yards away from sending the contest to overtime.

The Sun drive went to the Okanagan 33 before the Hilltops defensive line flexed its muscle and laid the hammer down forcing a turnover on downs.

Andreychuk proceeded to hit playmaking slotback Evan Turkington with a 33-yard touchdown strike to put the Hilltops up by the game’s final score of 38-24. The scored was Turkington’s second touchdown catch of the game.

Blake Adams (#54) celebrates one of his two quarterback sacks.

While the game was a battle, the Hilltops and their family and faithful were able to soak in a championship moment as the final minute of the fourth quarter ticked down with the host side leading by two touchdowns.

The Sun players kept their effort up as well, but you could visibly tell they were sensing the finality of what was to come.

They would finish the 2015 campaign at 12-1, and the Hilltops would improve to 10-1 and repeat as CJFL champions. The win that day marked the 18^th time the Hilltops won the CJFL title.

Since that time, the Hilltops have gone on to win the next four straight CJFL crowns to extend their current consecutive title run to six straight and improve their overall CJFL title count to 22.

Tyson Sawatzky celebrates his 73-yard TD catch.

After the CJFL title game on November 7, 2015 came to an end, the Hilltops stormed the field in celebration.

This was the second season I had covered the team as I began writing about them halfway through the 2014 campaign after relocating to Saskatoon from Medicine Hat, Alta.

After the 2015 CJFL title win, my biggest memory was hugging Sargeant after the game and hearing him say, “Thank you for everything you have done for us!”

At the time, I was still unsure if I could cover sports on my own platforms outside of the mainstream media, so Sargeant’s words at that point in time meant a tonne to me. It gave me the reassurance that I could be taken seriously doing my own thing covering sports.

Hilltops LB Quinn Pierce makes a tackle.

With that noted, I didn’t go into the day looking for that special personal nod. I had a feeling I was going to soak in a special day for the Hilltops, and I really enjoyed being around that team like I still do to this day.

Fischer was named the game’s most outstanding offensive player breaking the 100-yard barrier in rushing and receiving. He carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards and caught seven passes for 107 yards.

He had the biggest smile, when he accepted the trophy as the game’s most outstanding offensive player.

Andreychuk completed 18-of-23 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns to go with one interception. Sawatzky caught four passes for 132 yards to go with his long TD catch.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant gets the ice bucket shower post-game.

Adams had two sacks, while Kozun and Hermann had one-and-a-half sacks each.

Sun quarterback Cam Bedore completed 25-of-43 passes for 350 yards and one touchdown. Kyle Kawamoto caught eight passes for 159 yards for the Sun, while Kyle Patchell hauled in nine passes for 110 yards and one touchdown for the visitors as well.

The Hilltops returned to their old longtime clubhouse for a celebration that ran well into the night.

Hilltops safety Austin Thorarinson (#17) raised the Canadian Bowl.

On that Canadian Bowl winning game day, it felt like all the links anyone had with that venerable team were renewed.

The Hilltops family celebration and reunion that November 7^th day in 2015 was well deserved.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. The original game story from the Hilltops 2015 Canadian Bowl victory can be found by clicking right here. The season wrap up column for the Hilltops 2015 campaign can be found by clicking right here.

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Intangibles gave Hilltops the edge

The Saskatoon Hilltop celebrate a Canadian Bowl win at home on Saturday.

    The seeds of the Saskatoon Hilltops 2015 national championship season were sown back in their spring camp that wrapped up in early May.

    When one looked at those sessions on Ron Atchinson Field, you realized most of the players had returned from the squad’s Canadian Bowl winning team in 2014. Only four players exhausted their Canadian Junior Football League eligibility after the Hilltops claimed their 17^th national title downing the host Rams in Langley, B.C., 39-14 on Nov. 8, 2014.

    The fact that most to almost all the players from that campaign returned in 2015 speaks highly of the Blue and Gold. When 2014 wrapped up, there were a number of Canadian university teams looking to make quick fixes to deficiencies on their squads, and the coaching staffs and recruiters in those programs eyed up the Hilltops roster.

    The returning Toppers, whose numbers included 16 players in their fifth and final years of eligibility, did not want give up what they already had. They saw the team’s clubhouse on Kilburn Avenue as a second home. The teammates in that building were viewed as brothers and the family atmosphere was real.

    That family feeling truly extends back to when the modern version of the team was formed in 1947. All the players that came before were also family, and everyone was part of a special ongoing storyline. Those shared experiences created a bond, and they are not something you want to give up.

Head coach Tom Sargeant gets the Gatorade bucket shower.

    Also, the coaches led by head coach Tom Sargeant are as good or if not better than most of the university programs in Canada. The 2015 campaign would mark the 12^th time Sargeant was part of a CJFL title winning team with the Hilltops including one win as a player, two victories as an assistant coach and nine triumphs as a head coach.

    For the players, going somewhere else meant venturing to the unknown. You almost know that in your soul you would kick yourself if you left. Besides, you could almost guarantee the four graduates from 2014 would have returned in 2015, if the rules permitted it.

    When main training camp started in early August, optimism was high that the veteran laden team would win an 18^th CJFL title, which would also be a fifth championship in the last six years. Eyes at that time weren’t locked on November, but were focused on enjoying and living every day of the journey. All the best memories are made in the clubhouse, on bus trips, in hotel rooms and in restaurants on that journey, which was a big reason everyone returned.

    Games, obviously, included a lot of memories. There was a 16-14 setback in an unofficial exhibition show to a still very much in shape alumni team.

    A regular season 31-10 opening victory in Calgary against the Colts was sparked by a punt block from second year linebacker Bobby Ehman, which was returned for a major by defensive lineman Dillon Buckle.

Evan Turkington speeds downfield after a catch for the Hilltops.

    The regular season home opener started with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown by Bryant Sackney that sparked a Hilltops 65-9 romp over the Winnipeg Rifles. Running back Logan Fischer rank for 293 yards in a 35-17 home victory over the Regina Thunder. 

    A week later in Regina, the Hilltops erased a 15-point deficit to pull out a 26-25 victory over the Thunder, which was capped by slotback Evan Turkington catching the winning major to complete a 75-yard two-minute drill drive.

    Down went the Rifles in the Prairie Football Conference semifinal and the Colts in the Prairie Football Conference final to set up a home Canadian Bowl.

    Arriving at Saskatoon Minor Football Field 75 minutes before kickoff of the CJFL final, you could see a festive atmosphere was in the air. Fans were out tailgating, which is something that doesn’t normally happen at Hilltops home games. A large number of the tailgaters were former players, and they were usually wearing their old classic blue jackets.

    The hosts got an early jump on the visiting Okanagan Sun going up 10-0 on a 45-yard Brett Thorarinsson field goal and 10-yard TD reception by Turkington.

    The Sun didn’t go away in a match that was a showcase for junior football in Canada. They stormed back, and after linebacker Layne Hull blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 4.5 seconds to go before halftime, the Sun led 20-17.

Hilltops defensive tackle Blake Adams gives the Canadian Bowl a kiss.

    The Hilltops never shy away from big moments in big games. After the Sun went up 21-17 on a punt single, the Hilltops made the biggest play of the contest. Quarterback Jared Andreychuk found receiver Tyson Sawatzky on a 73-yard touchdown bomb to put the hosts up 24-21 and a packed SMF field erupted with its loudest cheers of the season.

    The Sun would stay close, but the Hilltops earned a 38-24 victory after Turkington hauled a 33-yard insurance major late in the fourth quarter.

    The 2015 Saskatoon Hilltops, who were 10-1 overall in the regular season and playoffs, added to the lustre of the franchise’s spectacular overall story. The success at the end of the campaign was made up of all the little intangibles you won’t find on a statistics sheet. Those little things when put together help keep the Hilltops championship dynasty going.

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

18th CJFL title win sweet for Hilltops

Austin Thorarinson lifts the Canadian Bowl for the Hilltops.

    The championship script couldn’t have been any more perfect for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    The venerable Canadian Junior Football League franchise added another chapter and a couple of more milestones to an extremely storied franchise history in front of a large supportive home crowd at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Saturday. The Hilltops (10-1 overall) downed the visiting Okanagan Sun (12-1 overall) 38-24 in the Canadian Bowl for an 18^th CJFL title. Besides adding to their already record of league title wins, the Toppers also became the second club in CJFL history to claim five championships over a six year span matching the Regina Rams, who turned that trick from 1993 to 1998.

    “It means everything,” said Hilltops heart and soul defensive tackle Blake Adams. “It is the Hilltop way.

    “It is what we do. We play for these big games. To go out and win in your fifth year means a lot.”

    In a back and forth battle, the Sun held a 20-17 lead at halftime and expanded that edge to 21-17 with a third quarter rouge. With 3:46 to go in the third, Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk found receiver Tyson Sawatzky on a long streak pattern that turned into a 73-yard touchdown pass to put the hosts up 24-21. The hook up came two plays after the Hilltops had a 75-yard passing major to Evan Kopchynski taken off the board due to an offside penalty.

    A short time later, Hilltops tailback Logan Fischer plunged in from five yards out for his second major of the game to put the home side up 31-21.

    Thomas Huber hit a 40-yard field goal for the Sun to cut the Hilltops edge to 31-24 early in the fourth quarter.

Blake Adams (#54) celebrates one of his two sacks for the Hilltops.

    With under two-and-a-half minutes to play, the Sun had the ball at their own one and had a 109-yard two-minute drill drive attempt to force a tie. The march moved to the Okanagan 33 before Saskatoon forced a turnover on downs.

    Andreychuk immediately found slotback Evan Turkington for a 33-yard touchdown strike that sealed the final outcome at 38-24. The score was Turkington’s second touchdown reception of the game.

    “Jared (Andreychuk) is a star,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant during his classic energetic post-game press scrum. “He is a star in this league and doesn’t get any recognition. We are good with that, because all he does is win.

    “He got the ball to the right guys. Logan Fischer was a man possessed. Thirty-eight points, I will take that any day of the week.”

    Andreychuk completed 18 of 23 passes for 369 yards and three touchdown passes, while only being intercepted once. Sawatzky caught four passes for 132 yards to go with his long TD catch.

    Fischer broke the 100-yard barrier in both rushing and receiving to be named the game’s most outstanding offensive player. He carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards and caught seven passes for 107 yards.

    Saskatoon’s star defensive line was on fire as Adams had two sacks, while Matt Kozun and Blake Hermann had one-and-a-half sacks each.

    Sun quarterback Cam Bedore completed 25 of 43 passes for 350 yards and one touchdown pass. Kyle Kawamoto caught eight passes for 159 yards for the Sun, while Kyle Patchell hauled in nine passes for 110 yards and one touchdown for the visitors as well.

Jared Andreychuk fired lasers everywhere for the Hilltops.

    Okanagan linebacker Layne Hull was the contest’s most outstanding defensive player making a pair of tackles, an interception and blocking a punt and returning it 30 yards for a major right before halftime.

    “It was an intense game man alive,” said Sargeant. “Competition brings the best out of you, and they brought out the best in us today.”

    Andreychuk has thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back Canadian Bowl wins for the Hilltops.

    They downed the Langley Rams in Langley, B.C., in last year’s CJFL title game 39-14. The Toppers also won the Canadian Bowl in 2010, 2011 and 2012 to round out their stretch of winning five times in six years.

    For the team’s star signal caller, he was pumped to pull off a Canadian Bowl win at home.

    “This week was rough thinking about the game,” said Andreychuk. “Come game time you get on this field, and it is a beautiful atmosphere.

    “For my family and friends, they don’t know what it is like, the Canadian Bowl atmosphere. It is just great to bring that here and get a win out of it.”

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

Hilltops sleepwalk into playoffs

The Colts defence nails Hilltops backup running back Colin Stumborg.

    You have to love the honesty of “The Sarge.”

    Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant entered the press box for post-game radio interviews after his club fell 34-4 to the Calgary Colts and the first words out of his month were, “Sorry guys. We were that bad.”

    The Hilltops entered their final regular season game with first place already locked up in Prairie Football Conference as well as home-field advantage through the Canadian Junior Football League playoffs. With that already in mind, the Saskatoon coaches had to deal the challenging decision to play or rest their regulars with a chance to post a perfect 8-0 regular season mark.

    The coaches elected to rest the regulars after the first quarter. With that said, it appeared the Hilltops players both starters and backups were already looking forward to the playoffs.

    Calgary played Sunday’s clash at Saskatoon Minor Football Field like it mattered and the result turned out to be a rare setback that saw the Hilltops fall in blowout fashion. Saskatoon finished the regular season with a 7-1 record and saw its 15 game winning streak including regular season and post-season play come to an end.

    While the Hilltops wanted to prevent losing any players to injury, the final result on the scoreboard against the Colts, who finished at 5-3, was shocking. That last time most in Saskatoon can recall the Hilltops suffering that lopsided a setback came in the days when the Regina Rams were still in the CJFL.

    The Rams hammered the Hilltops 48-10 in the 1998 PFC final, which was the last encounter by those two clubs, on route to winning the Canadian Bowl before moving on to the Canadian university ranks.

    The most disappointing thing about Saskatoon’s loss to Calgary on Sunday was it felt like the whole Hilltops team was off.

    A promising early offensive series by the Hilltops was nixed, when receiver Davis Mitchell fumbled the ball away. That turnover didn’t cost the Toppers, but Calgary took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 42-yard field goal from Kyle Bryne.

Dylan Minshull ran for 195 yards on 33 carries for the Colts.

    Near the end of the first quarter, Hilltops starting quarterback Jared Andreychuk appeared to hit receiver Evan Turkington with a four-yard scoring toss, but the touchdown was called back due to a penalty. The drive ended when Andreychuk was sacked, and he fumbled the ball away to the Colts defence. That was the starting signal caller’s last play of the contest, as the Toppers stuck with a plan to allow everyone on their roster to hit the field.

    Early in the second quarter, Brett Thorarinsson hit a 37-yard field goal for the Hilltops to pull them into a 3-3 tie with the Colts. From there, the contest was taken over by the visitors.

The Colts went ahead 10-3 with 29.7 seconds to play in the second quarter on an 11-yard touchdown run by Dylan Minshull.

    Saskatoon opened the third quarter getting a point on a kick-off single from Liam Murphy, who took over the team’s kicking duties in the second half, to cut the Colts lead to 10-4.

    Calgary then hit full gear. Minshull ran in another major from 11 yards out, and Bryne hit a 30-yard field goal to extend Calgary’s lead to 20-4 at the end of the third quarter. Minshull, who had 195 yards rushing on 33 carries, scored his third major of the day on a nine-yard romp in the fourth quarter, and Colts starting quarterback John Kiesman hit receiver Kyle Brick on a 15-yard aerial major to round out the game’s scoring.

    Saskatoon turned the ball over four times on an interception and three fumbles. Calgary committed two turnovers off an interception and a turnover on downs.

    In the second half, both teams elected to keep the ball on the ground for most of the time with a lot of bland running plays. That tactic is used to dull video future opponents can use for study purposes.

    Besides the soft effort, it also felt like the Hilltops let a good team like the Colts off the hook in a way. The Colts moved the ball well even then the Hilltops had their starters in, and the win has to help the Calgary players get over a mental block when it comes to beating the Hilltops.

    Guided by a strong head coach in Matthew (Snoop) Blokker, the Colts could see the Hilltops down the road in a possible PFC final match.

The Hilltops lost star DL Blake Adams to a left knee injury on Sunday.

    With that in mind, the injury worries were there Hilltops, and the injury bug did bite. In the short time the starters were on the field, Saskatoon star defensive end Blake Adams suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter, and he stood on the sidelines on crutches for the whole second half. If the fifth-year veteran can’t go in the post-season, his absence will provide a sizable hole in the Hilltops lineup.

    The Colts will travel to Regina this coming Sunday in one PFC semifinal match to face the Thunder (6-2). The Thunder also closed their regular season on Sunday dumping the visiting Edmonton Huskies 29-6.

    The Hilltops host the Winnipeg Rifles (4-4) in the other PFC semifinal this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at SMF. The Rifles concluded their regular season traveling to Edmonton on Sunday to slip past the host Wildcats 36-33.

    The Edmonton Huskies and Wildcats finished at the bottom of the PFC standings with respective 1-7 marks.

    If you have any comments you want to pass along about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check out Twitter for more game photos @StanksSports.

Hilltops hammer Huskies, improve to 6-0

The Hilltops defence pressures Edmonton QB Bradley Launhardt.

    The venerable Saskatoon Hilltops couldn’t have asked for a better way to cruise into their bye week.

    On Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, quarterback Jared Andreychuk threw four touchdown passes to pace the Toppers to a 49-17 victory over the visiting Edmonton Huskies. With the win, the Hilltops improve to 6-0, and they have won their last 14 straight contests including regular season and playoff action dating back to last season.

    Saskatoon only needs to win or tie one of its last two regular season games to lock up first place in the Prairie Football Conference. The defending Canadian Football League champs would also lock up top spot in the conference if the Calgary Colts (3-2) suffer a loss or a tie in one of their final three games.

    In Sunday’s win over the Huskies (1-4), the Hilltops were paced by the steady play of Andreychuk, who completed 13-of-20 passes for 162 yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Andreychuk hit Evan Turkington, Davis Mitchell and Tyson Sawatzky for scoring strikes in the first quarter. The fourth-year signal caller found running back Colin Stumborg on a 13-yard scoring toss in the second quarter before giving way to his backups early in the second half.

    Des Vessey ran in a major from 14 yards out, the Huskies conceded a safety and Brett Thorarinsson hit a 16-yard field goal to give Saskatoon a 40-0 lead. Edmonton kicker Cole Sabourin nailed a 45-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to cut the Hilltops lead to 40-3.

Jared Andreychuk fires a pass into the end zone for the Hilltops.

    The Hilltops increased their edge to 49-3 just 2:04 into the third quarter. The Huskies conceded another safety being pinned deep in their own end, and Hilltops rookie running back Adam Machart returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards down the right sideline in front of the Edmonton bench for another major score.

    Edmonton had a couple of highlight moments in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Branden Modin intercepted Hilltops third string quarterback Brad Schnitzler and ran the ball back 40 yards for a touchdown to cut the Saskatoon lead to 49-10.

    Huskies quarterback Bradley Launhardt hooked up with receiver Darion Grymaloski on a 20-yard touchdown pass to close out the contest’s scoring. Launhardt had a solid day completing 19-of-32 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown toss and one interception.

    With the final result pretty much decided, the Hilltops played their reserves for most of the second half. Overall in the contest, the Hilltops had 10 different receivers catch a pass, nine different players carry the ball and four quarterbacks throw a pass. They only had 327 total yards of offence, with 264 of those being piled up in the first half.

    Turkington led the Toppers with 50 receiving yards on four catches. Vessey was Saskatoon’s top ground gainer with 36 yards on four carries.

    Grymaloski topped the Huskies with 54 receiving yards on three catches, while running back Jimmie Airey led all rushers with 81 yards on 18 carries.

Adam Machart returns a kickoff for a TD for the Hilltops.

    The Hilltops defence limited the Huskies to 307 yards of total offence. Joshua Melnyk, James Vause, Adam Benkic, Cameron Schnitzler and Blake Hermann tied for the Hilltops team lead in tackles in the contest at three. Hilltops rookie defensive back Ryan Melnyk had an interception in the fourth quarter.

    Saskatoon also went deep into the playbook, which included Brad Schnitzler completing a pass for a first down on a fake field goal in the first quarter.

    The Hilltops return to action on Oct. 4, when they travel to Edmonton to take on the Wildcats (1-4). Saskatoon closes the regular season hosting the Colts on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    If you want to pass along any comments about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check Twitter for more game photos @StanksSports.

Hilltops rally with fourth quarter magic

Evan Turkington cradles in the winning TD for the Hilltops.

    REGINA – Jared Andreychuk had the moment all quarterbacks dream about.

    With under three minutes to play and his Saskatoon Hilltops trailing the host Regina Thunder 25-19 on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium, the fourth-year signal caller took the field to lead a two-minute drill type drive to win the Canadian Junior Football League contest. Andreychuk engineered a 75-yard march that ended with him hooking up with receiver Evan Turkington on a 13-yard scoring toss. Turkington made a twisting circus catch in the Regina end zone to give the Toppers a 26-25 lead with 75 seconds to play before 825 spectators.

    That score held up as the final result. On the ensuing Regina series, Hilltops linebacker Cole Benkic intercepted Thunder quarterback Jaeden Marwick to seal the outcome that allowed the Hilltops to improve to 5-0 to remain first in the Prairie Football Conference. The Thunder, who held an 18-7 lead at halftime, fell to 3-2 with the loss to remain second in the PFC.

    “It is just a lot of fun,” said Andreychuk. “Even at halftime, we were down. We are not having the best game, but we are having fun.

    “It is a great competition with the Regina Thunder. You are always nervous coming in here, but that is why you play football is for games like this. It was just great to come away with a win today.”

    Saturday’s clash looked like it would be a back-and-forth game until a key turning point occurred late in the first half. With Regina holding an 11-7 edge, the Hilltops ran a play-action pass on a short yardage situation near midfield, but Andreychuk was intercepted thanks to a stellar defensive play by Thunder linebacker Paul Toth.

    Regina drove down to the Saskatoon two, and Marwick muscled in for a score on a running play from two yards out to put the Thunder up 18-7 going into halftime.

    The Hilltops opened the second half cutting the gap to 18-10, when kicker Brett Thorarinsson booted a 23-yard field goal on a series that was set up by an interception from defensive back Luke Melnyk.

    The Thunder responded with just under five minutes to play in the third quarter, when Marwick hit Thomas Bresciani on a scoring toss from nine yards out to put the hosts up 25-10.

    Going into the fourth quarter, the Hilltops cued the comeback. Just 1:38 into the final frame, Andreychuk connected with receiver Davis Mitchell on a seven-yard scoring toss to cut the Thunder edge 25-17.

Cole Benkic returns an interception for the Hilltops.

    With 5:26 to play in the fourth, the Thunder conceded a safety after being pinned deep in their own end, which cut their lead to 25-19. That set the scene for the Toppers late game-winning drive.

    “I think just the way we came out of the locker room in the second half was huge,” said Andreychuk. “It is easy to have your head down, when you’re down a couple of touchdowns at half, and we came out hot.

    “We scored a field goal right off the bat. We got shut down a little bit on that drive, but just kept it rolling throughout that second half. We are second half team. That is what we do.”

    Saskatoon swept the season series with Regina 2-0 having downed the Thunder 35-17 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Sept. 5. Thanks to the sweep, the Hilltops won Shrine Bowl, which is given to the team that wins the regular season series between the two clubs. The Thunder won both encounters with the Hilltops last season to take the Shrine Bowl.

    Andreychuk completed 21 of 40 passes for 336 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions for the Hilltops on Saturday, while Marwick completed 24 of 41 passes for 420 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Thunder.

    While the two teams piled up the offensive yards with Regina outgaining Saskatoon 517 to 447, the defences on both sides made big plays as well. There were also some obvious blown calls by the officials, but the mistakes evened out both ways.

Jared Andreychuk fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.

    Mitchell had a TD catch in the second quarter to account for Saskatoon’s first score. Tailback Victor St. Pierre Laviolette had a 27 yard scoring catch, while Kristopher Calcutt kicked a field goal and a rouge from a missed field goal to account for the Thunder’s first 11 points.

    Entering the 2015 regular season, the Thunder had won their four previous encounters against the Hilltops including action in the regular season and playoffs. Andreychuk was pleased his club could turn the tables on their provincial rivals winning both regular season head-to-head matches in the current campaign.

    “It is just a great feeling beating Regina,” said Andreychuk. “Every year you circle this on your calendar. It is just an unreal day.”

    The Hilltops return to action on Sept. 20, when they host the Edmonton Huskies (1-3) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    If you have any comments to pass along about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check out more game photos on Twitter @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.

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