‘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.”

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 aims to be fixture on Hilltops radar

Ethan Godson looks to be a bigger playmaker for the Hilltops this season.

    Ethan Godson wants to make plays in order to see more time on the field with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    The 20-year-old speedster made the biggest play in the Hilltops Alumni Game on Thursday at Ron Atchison Field. With the current Hilltops scrimmaging from their own one yard line, fifth-year quarterback Tyler Hermann hit Godson, who is a third-year receiver, perfectly in stride on deep streak down the right sideline.

    Godson, who had a step on his defender from the alumni side, raced the rest of the way for a touchdown that put the current Hilltops up 14-0.

    “It was nice,” said Godson, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds. “It is almost a tryout for me, so it is nice to get noticed by the coaches and put my name out there.”

    The alumni side rallied back to take the contest 18-14 to mark the fifth straight year current Hilltops have fallen to the alum squad.

Ethan Godson is off to the races on a deep touchdown catch.

    Godson was buried his first two seasons on the Hilltops depth chart as the powerhouse club won its fourth and fifth straight respective Canadian Junior Football League titles. The Hilltops have claimed the CJFL crown eight out of the last nine years.

    Following last year’s 58-21 triumph in the Canadian Bowl over the Langley Rams at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops experienced a sizable turnover on their roster having claimed their 21^st CJFL title.

    With that turnover, Godson is hoping to get into more game action.

    “It is different just competing for a starting spot,” said Godson, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints football team. “It is exciting.

    “It is like the most fun I could have. My first year, I wasn’t really that comfortable. Being in my third year, I am getting really comfortable out here.”

    With how well things went on his long touchdown catch, Godson is hoping head coach Tom Sargeant might want to dial up that play again, if the Hilltops are pinned in their own end.

Ethan Godson, middle, fights for extra yards after a catch.

    “If we’re not getting out of the end zone, he (Sargeant) wants to take a knee,” said Godson. “We are going to take our shot, and if we make it, then we make it.

    “If not, then we don’t. We’re going to take those shots, when we are down in our own end.”

    Sargeant was pleased with how well the deep pass call to Godson was executed.

    “That was a real momentum buster for us,” said Sargeant. “We have a lot of receivers who can run deep down the field.

    “They are very athletic, and they make a lot of plays. We’re going to be aggressive in anything we do. We just have to get better in what we do, and if we do that, I think we are going to be in better shape.”

    The current Hilltops opened the scoring in the alumni game, when Hermann hit receiver Carter Norrish for a touchdown toss from about 14 yards out to produce a 7-0 edge. 

QB Tyler Hermann (#71) fires a pass to receiver Carter Norrish (#88).

    Hermann is slated to be the team’s starter for the first time in his CJFL career.

    After Godson’s long catch gave the current Hilltops a 14-0 lead, the alums cut the gap to 14-7 right before halftime with a one-yard touchdown run from power back Andre Lalonde.

    In the second half, alumni kicker Rod Janzen hit a 22-yard field goal and scored a single point from a missed field goal to trim the lead by the current Hilltops to 14-11.

    Late in the second half, alum quarterback Riley Hobbins connected with receiver Sam Anderson on a touchdown pass from about 20 yards out to give the alumni side the 18-14 victory.

    Sargeant said it was obvious a large number of players on the current Hilltops are still getting used to new roles with the team. The team elected to rest a handful of regular starters too.

Andre Lalonde has a touchdown run for the Hilltops alums.

    “We have lots of work to do,” said Sargeant. “People weren’t comfortable.

    “There wasn’t a lot of confidence, a lot of moxy or lots of energy, because people were thinking too hard. It is going to take time. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

    “We lost a lot of high end players, so when that happens, there are some realities. Those realities are we need to coach better, they need to figure out how to play better, and we need to execute better. When we understand our plans and are able to do a better job of that, hopefully, it is going to lead to a better result than what we had.”

    In the first half, the alumni side came up a half yard short on a third down gamble, and the officials ruled a first down. Sargeant admitted the coaches have to be on top of situations like that during the regular season and request a measurement.

    “It shows you as I am getting older my eyes are getting worse,” said Sargeant. “I couldn’t see a darn thing out here.

Jared Giddings makes a stop for the current Hilltops.

    “That is why in the future we will have spotters up there, and we will be on top of that.”

    The alumni game officially brought an end to Hilltops training camp, which started on Monday. They will begin to prepare for their first regular season game on Sunday, Aug. 18, when they travel to Winnipeg to take on the Rifles.

    Godson is looking forward to that opportunity to make another good impression.

The alums celebrate a win in the Hilltops Alumni Game.

    “It is exciting,” said Godson. “There are a lot of new guys out here.

    “Guys are going to have to step up and do their jobs.”

    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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Solie finds comfort zone quickly with Hilltops

David Solie, right, hauls in a touchdown for the current Hilltops.

    A fresh start wearing a blue and gold colour scheme seems to fit David Solie just fine.

    After spending a season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the U Sports ranks, Solie elected to join the Saskatoon Hilltops, who have won the last four straight Canadian Junior Football League championships.

    On Thursday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Solie, who is a receiver and a placekicker, showed the form that made him a star with Saskatoon’s storied Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team. 

    He booted field goals from 30 and 35 yards out and hauled in two touchdown passes for the current Hilltops, who fell to their alumni team 25-22 in the annual Hilltops Alumni Game. The alumni squad also included a number of extra additions from players who played with other post-secondary programs and now call Saskatoon home.

David Solie (#3) boots one of his two field goals for the current Hilltops.

    For Solie, he has found he has fit in easily with the current Hilltops.

    “It is a great group of guys,” said Solie, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 185 pounds. “It is nothing but fun with these guys.

    “We have our serious moments where we want to bear down and do good, but the fact of the matter is it is all about having fun. If we’re not having fun, it is probably not the right suit, but I am having lots of fun with these guys.”

    Solie, who will turn 19-years-old in just under two weeks, decided to leave the Huskies due to the fact he wasn’t sure if he was going in the right direction with regards to school. He was an arts and science major last season.

David Solie (#3) enjoys a TD with the current Hilltops

    Instead of continuing in that direction, Solie concluded it was best for him to take a step away from the U of S all together, so he could clear his mind.

    “It was mainly a head space thing,” said Solie. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in school.

    “It was a struggle for me to get my mind right for school and devoting my hours into football and devoting hours into school. I am just taking a step back, so I can find what I want to do so I have more motivation to do school and more motivation to play football and I can find that happy medium. That is really why I took a step back.”

    Knowing that he still wanted to play football, Solie contacted Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant about trying out for the storied CJFL team. “Sarge” was more than happy to bring Solie on board.

    “What a talented athlete,” said Sargeant. “What a great kid.

    “He asks a lot of questions. He is motivated. He understands the moments, and he loves to make plays.

    “He got a couple of touchdowns (and) a couple of field goals. It was a difference maker out there today. We’re going to keep working him hard and giving him great opportunities.”

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls has found early chemistry with R David Solie.

    In Solie, the Hilltops gained a player who has experienced a lot of big games playing for the Crusaders, and someone who has been called upon to be the kicker for Football Canada’s national team program on two occasions. Last season, Solie was the kicker for Canada’s under-19 team that fell in an International Bowl game on Jan. 20 against the United States in Arlington, Texas.

    As a receiver, Solie believes he has found chemistry with Hilltops star fifth-year quarterback Jordan Walls.

    “He gets you,” said Solie. “He knows all of his receivers and their preferences, and that is probably the greatest feeling ever.

    “You go out there, and you are comfortable. You know where he is going to throw the ball.

    “You know where you need to be. He’ll hit you whenever you need to be hit.”

    Coming to the Hilltops, Solie knew he would get a chance to be a placekicker. The Hilltops lost safety/kicker James Vause due to graduation, and third-year kicker/receiver Rylan Kleiter is still bothered by a knee injury suffered last season.

Wayndel Lewis (#22) scored on a TD run for the Hilltops alums.

    Kleiter, who punted and placekicked last season for the Hilltops, missed the team’s last four regular season games and first three post-season games due to his injury. He returned to play in the Hilltops 56-11 victory in the Canadian Bowl over the AKO Fratmen in Windsor, Ont., on Nov. 11, 2017.

    Solie’s presence means Kleiter doesn’t have to be rushed into action in the kicking game.

    “Getting to kick, that is big for me,” said Solie. “I played Team Canada.

    “I was the backup kicker with the Huskies. Coming here and getting to start kicking, it is nothing but fun.”

    Going forward, Sargeant said the Hilltops coaches believe Solie will be a player who will come through in the clutch. Solie’s first opportunity to do that might come when the Hilltops open the regular season on Aug. 18, when they travel to Regina to take on the Thunder at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

Rod Janzen punts the ball for the Hilltops alums.

    “For us to have him when the game is on the line, we have no problem putting him in those situations,” said Sargeant. “He is going to have a productive and bright career.

    “We’re excited for him to make a difference like he did today and continue that next week in Regina - stay tuned.”

    Solie’s two field goals on Thursday gave the Hilltops an early 6-0 lead on their alums. The alums jumped ahead 7-6 shortly before halftime on a six-yard run from tailback Wayndel Lewis.

    In the second half, the alums surged ahead 25-6. First, the current Hilltops concede a safety to start the surge.

    From there, alums quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit receiver Ryan Turple with a 65-yard touchdown strike and receiver Evan Kopchynski with a 38-yard touchdown toss. The alums weren’t able to get a convert after Turple’s major score.

HC Tom Sargeant, right, shakes hands after the Hilltops Alumni Game.

    Kicker Brett Thorarinsson completed the alums’ surge kicking a 35-yard field goal.

    The current Hilltops pulled their starters after the first quarter and put them back into the contest for the fourth quarter. Running a no-huddle offence, the current Hilltops made the score close with Solie’s two touchdown catches. The current Hilltops added two-point converts after both of Solie’s major scores with conversion catches coming from receivers Adam Ewanchyna and Tanner Rhode respectively.

    The Hilltops home opener is slated for Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. against the Calgary Colts.

    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 Alumni Game a hit on many levels

Hilltops RB Des Vessey (#27) runs against the alumni team defence.

    The old Transformers slogan of “More than Meets the Eye” is a fitting way to describe the Saskatoon Hilltops Alumni Game.

    For decades, the venerable Canadian Junior Football League franchise has hosted a clash with its alumni as part of the team’s training camp. It is used as key evaluator for Hilltops coaches to grade current players. The contest has some modified guidelines, but it is played mostly under CJFL rules.

    The game gives the current players a chance to interact and meet the former players that have come before them. The match also allows the Hilltops grads to renew bonds with their old club and see old teammates and friends they normally don’t get to see on a regular basis due to real life circumstances relating to work and family.

    In recent years, the game has kind of branched out to include various other members of the Saskatoon football community that have never played with the Toppers. It has become common place for the recent alumni squads to contain ringers that played for teams from the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks and the CJFL.

QB Jordan Walls fires a pass downfield for the current Hilltops.

    This is done to increase the toughness of the alumni team to give the current Hilltops a tougher challenge. When it comes down to it, the alumni game might be the most difficult game the current Toppers play all year.

    The old players have enjoyed the game so much that word has gotten out, and more volunteers are turning out for the alumni team in terms of both former Hilltops players and players from other post-secondary teams.

    When the 2016 alumni game was held on Thursday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, a very powerful and deep alumni squad turned out to face a Hilltops squad that lost 16 players due to graduation from last year’s CJFL championship team and a small handful of other players to the CIS ranks.

    With the current Hilltops fielding squad that contained a number of recent 18-year-old high school grads against a squad of well-conditioned men, the alumni rolled to a 41-10 victory.

    Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant and his staff definitely received a lot of film they can use for evaluations and corrections. The veteran coaching staff realizes there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to get the current team playing at the very high standard the Hilltops program is used to performing in 70 years of existence. Saskatoon opens its regular season hosting the Winnipeg Rifles on Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. at SMF Field.

Two Hilltops defenders up end an alumni team receiver.

    With that said, Thursday’s game wasn’t all bad for the current Hilltops. A number of individuals put in good outings.

    Backup quarterback Jordan Walls threw the ball well all over the field. The alumni team defensive backs, who have tonnes of experience, said the third year signal caller was doing a great job moving defensive players around with his eyes creating openings for his receivers.

    It took a great play by Joel Lipinski, who is a former member of the University of Regina Rams and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, to get an interception off Walls.

    Receiver Jason Price looks ready to be a playmaker. He had some nice catches and the only touchdown the current Hilltops scored in the game. The Walter Murray Collegiate graduate was buried on the depth chart his first two seasons behind five standout pass catchers the Hilltops graduated a year ago.

Receiver Ryan Turple zips up field for the Hilltops.

    Possession receiver Ryan Turple also made some nice catches and wasn’t afraid to mix things up in traffic despite standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 160 pounds.

    On defence, Adam Benkic was flowed to the ball well and looks like he is going to take step another step forward after a strong campaign in 2015. Rookie cornerback Leif Larson from Lloydminster showed that he has lots of promise.

    The current Hilltops sat out a number of their veterans for the alumni game in order to spend more time evaluating others on the roster. Those that didn’t dress included star quarterback Jared Andreychuk, last year’s CJFL defensive player of the year and linebacker Cole Benkic and beast running back Logan Fischer.

    On the alumni side of things, Hilltops grads like quarterback Steve Bilan, linebacker Warren Muzika and receivers Kit Hillis and John Trumpy showed they can still have game. Current Hilltops vice-president Rod Janzen showed he could still boot the ball as both a punter and place kicker. Way back in 1997 as the Hilltops punter, Janzen averaged 53.6 yards a punt, which is still a CJFL regular season record.

    After the game, the former players retreated to a social function the Hilltops held on the patio and lounge of the new clubhouse complex at SMF Field. That provided a chance to visit with, reminisce and tell some old tales with various members of the team’s staff including legendary executive Don McDonald, who will be part of the 2016 class inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Alumni team punter Rod Janzen gets set to boom the ball downfield.

    The former players - both Hilltops alumni and players from other programs - come away feeling they had a good time and were treated in a first-rate manner. While the former Toppers reconnect with their old club, the former players from other teams get an increased sense of belonging to a city they have made their working careers in. 

    As a spinoff, those players will be back to watch games, donate to things like the Hilltops scholarship program or convince the companies they work for to become team sponsors.

    When all is said in done, everyone wins when it comes to the Hilltops Alumni Game no matter what the result was on the scoreboard.

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