Sophomore Johnson becomes cornerstone of Hilltops O-line

Left tackle works like he still needs to earn spot

Davin Johnson (#71) sets up a block for an outside run play.

The Saskatoon Hilltops blindside protector on the offensive line doesn’t believe he has done enough to earn any extra attention.

When Davin Johnson was approached about doing an interview for a feature story on himself, he gave the “who me” look.

The 19-year-old Hilltops sophomore then said he hadn’t done anything special. The words downplayed the fact he became a starter at right tackle last season in the team’s sixth game. Playing alongside four other starters in their respective final campaigns of CJFL eligibility, Johnson held the right tackle starting spot for the rest of the season and won the Hilltops team award for rookie of the year.

This season, Johnson is the starter at left tackle on a Hilltops offensive line that had to be revamped due to graduations that occurred at the end of the 2022 campaign. Along with Johnson, right guard Victoire Bikulo is the only other current player that had previous experience starting experience with the Hilltops offensive line entering 2023.

The work of Johnson, Bikulo, left guard Erik Barsness, centre Matt Noble and right tackle Cody Shumanski have allowed the Hilltops to get out to a 3-0 start. With all the teams in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference having a bye this weekend, the Hilltops get back at it on Saturday, September 9 when they travel to Regina to face the 3-0 Thunder (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium) in a heavyweight tilt.

Johnson said one of the things he likes most about playing offensive line is it seems the guys in that position always seem to form their own brotherhood. He believes that has helped the Hilltops offensive line in the early part of the campaign.

“We’re so close, because we need to be so close to have a perfect play,” said Johnson. “We’re very close with all of our guys, and it is great to be close with everybody.”

Still, the graduate of Walter Murray Collegiate Marauders football still gets surprised when any individual accolades or attention comes his way. Being named the rookie of the year for the Hilltops last season was something Johnson was not expecting.

Davin Johnson, right, has started at left tackle this season.

“I was a bit surprised, because (running back) Charles (Sawi) was the rookie of the year for the CJFL,” said Johnson, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 275 pounds. “I didn’t expect it.

“I thought Charles might have got it. I guess ‘Sarge’ liked what he saw. I guess that I improved.

“I was just surprised.”

Johnson grew up playing hockey for most of his years in his youth growing up. From those hockey roots, he is still closely follows the exploits of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

He took up football playing in Saskatoon Minor Football’s North Sask Academy in Grade 8 after being encouraged to try the sport by one of his junior high teachers in Dan Houle, who is a running backs coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team in the U Sports ranks.

At Walter Murray Collegiate, Johnson learned more about playing his position from Marauders offensive line coach Jack Sloboda. Sloboda was the starting right guard on the Hilltops 2016 CJFL championship team and starting left guard on their 2017 CJFL title winner.

During his high school years, Johnson also caught the attention of legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, who is also the principal at Walter Murray.

“He (Sargeant) had a bit of an early read,” said Johnson. “I remember he pulled me out of a class to come talk to me about football.

“My O-line coach (Sloboda) was also a Hilltop. He really recommended to come to this program with how well all the coaching is. That is what led me here.”

As an 18-year-old rookie last season, Johnson said it was an eye-opener, when he first started to train with the Hilltops. He remembers that he got pushed around quite a bit early in training camp in 2022.

Davin Johnson claimed the Hilltops team rookie of the year award in 2022.

With that experience, Johnson got acclimatized to the CJFL game quickly. He made his first start with the Hilltops in a 35-17 win over the Colts in Calgary on September 25, 2022.

“I was just a little bit more confident with myself,” said Johnson. “It was still not to what I needed to be, but I just got a little bit more confident and just kind of got thrown in that Calgary game.

“I played good enough where ‘Sarge’ didn’t notice me, and then he had confidence in me from then on.”

Johnson said the starting players on the offensive line who were in their final campaigns of CJFL eligibility in 2022 in centre Luciano Jolly, left tackle Jayson Kehler, left guard Jordan Bisson and right guard Ethan Paslowski were huge in helping him out.

“All the fifth years were amazing, because they would coach me up,” said Johnson. “It was like we had five or six different coaches on the field.

“They’d always have their little tips that they would give to help you get better.”

With the graduations of Jolly, Kehler, Bisson and Paslowski, Johnson said things were challenging on the Hilltops offensive line heading into the 2023 campaign.

“The winter practices were a little rough,” said Johnson. “We had guys getting through.

Davin Johnson (#71) and a revamped O-line helped get the Hilltops to 3-0.

“Even into camp, we had guys getting through. We had linebackers that we didn’t pick up. We’ve gotten better.

“As we’ve started to come together we are definitely looking pretty good now. We were a little worried at the start.”

Johnson welcomed being moved from right tackle to left tackle heading into the 2023 season. He played left tackle all through his North Sask Academy and high school days, so he has a lot of comfort taking up that spot on the offensive line.

On top of being comfortable at left tackle, Johnson has found that the Hilltops have done a little better job of focusing in on the present this year compared to last year. He believes that his likely due to the fact a little more time has passed since the Hilltops last won the CJFL title back in 2019 on top of the fact the team is more youthful than it has been in the past.

“This year we are definitely more focused on getting better every day knowing that we have to work harder to try and get to that national championship spot,” said Johnson. “Last year, we kind of had the idea that we were already going to be there.

“In our winter practices, ‘Sarge’ would say he thought of us as like we could be a national championship team. Whereas this year it was you guys aren’t good enough. We are going to work harder and maybe we can get to that national championship.

“It is just more focusing on the everyday trying to get better and just see how far we can go with it.”

Looking forward to the rest of the 2023 campaign, Johnson has more modest outlooks.

Davin Johnson and the Hilltops are truly focused on the present.

“I hope that we become one of the best blocking O-lines in the league,” said Johnson. “I hope we can all work together really well and have fun.”

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Valkyries overcame adversities in perfect 2023 campaign

QB Alex Eyolfson (#15) calls a play in the Valkyries’ huddle.

In no particular order, leadership, depth and coaching saw the Saskatoon Valkyries through to a perfect season in 2023.

Saskatoon’s powerhouse women’s football team never seemed to lose a step navigating towards an 8-0 overall record. The Valkyries concluded the campaign on Saturday blanking the Calgary Rage 40-0 in the WWCFL Championship Game at Griffiths Stadium.

The win marked the third consecutive time the Valkyries claimed the WWCFL title and the eighth time overall since the league’s inception in 2011.

The Valkyries were challenged along the way in 2023. On May 14, they traveled to Winnipeg and grinded out a 26-14 victory over an inspired Manitoba Fearless side. On June 18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Valkyries had to hold off their provincial rivals the Regina Riot 19-9 in the Prairie Conference final.

Michelle Duchene, left, has put in countless hours building female football. 

As the Valkyries were going about their business in a convincing win over the Rage, another realization hit looking at the Saskatoon sidelines at Griffiths Stadium on Saturday. There were some important star players helping out on the Valkyries bench area wearing their game uniforms over their street clothes.

That was a sign that those players were kept out of game action due to various injuries. Some of those players who were out missed a sizable part of the campaign due to their injuries.

HC Pat Barry and his staff have kept the Valkyries rolling.

Arguably, the biggest missing player was star fourth year receiver Haley Girolami, who might be the best pass catcher in the women’s game in Canada. In the Valkyries regular season opening 34-7 win over the Riot on May 7 at SMF Field, Girolami hauled in nine passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.

She was so impressive in that game one wondered just how good of a season she was going to have in 2023. Just seven days later in the Valkyries road win over the Fearless, Girolami was lost for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

The Valkyries were also without star receiver Rachelle Smith for the entire regular season and post-season. The WWCFL veteran is a big time playmaker who was on all three of the Riot’s WWCFL title winning teams before joining the Valkyries for their WWCFL Championship season in 2019 and has remained with the Saskatoon side since.

The loss of Haley Girolami to injury was a big blow to the Valkyries.

On defence, star linebacker Jamie Wingate missed the entire regular season and post-season due to injury. Her absence left a sizable hole on the defence.

Rookie defensive back Kaylin O’Neill went down with a leg injury in the Valkyries regular season win over the Fearless. Savanna Spendiff was excelling in her first year playing on the Valkyries offensive line, but she went down with a knee injury in the Prairie Conference final win over the Riot.

Those types of injuries would have put any other team’s championship aspirations on ice. The Valkyries were able to march on due to their depth.

QB Alex Eyolfson gave positive leadership to the Valkyries offence.

That depth partially came from the work of the only general manager the Valkyries have ever known in Michelle Duchene and the countless hours she has spent building women’s football in Saskatoon. The female flag football system operated through Saskatoon Minor Football has helped funnel players to the Valkyries. Duchene’s leadership helped make that possible.

The Valkyries coaching staff under the direction of head coach Pat Barry has brought newcomers up to speed quickly when it comes to learning the game. That has helped build the Valkyries depth.

Emmarae Dale, left, gave upbeat leadership to the Valkyries defence.

Barry is aided by an astute staff that includes defensive coordinator Wyatt Carleton and Marci Halseth and Jack Sloboda, who shared in the offensive coordinator duties. The coaching staff has ensured new players are ready to step in and make an impact when injuries happen.

On the field, the Valkyries have been able to rely on the leadership of a couple of players who joined the club as youngsters in the team’s 2016 WWCFL title winning campaign in quarterback Alex Eyolfson and middle linebacker Emmarae Dale.

Sarah Wright continued to pile up big yards for the Valkyries.

Right from when she joined the Valkyries, Eyolfson has and continues to radiate a vibe that makes you feel like everything is going to be alright even if things go wrong. She quickly mastered guiding an offence, and she might be the best quarterback in the women’s game in Canada.

Dale immediately displayed an uplifting vibe and a positive demeanor. She still displays an explosive athletic ability that turns heads and saw her join the CJFL’s storied and historic Saskatoon Hilltops for the 2021 campaign. Dale might be the best in the women’s game in Canada today.

The presence of Eyolfson and Dale everything on the field stays sorted out and in order. They were aided by a good core group that has been together since 2019.

Makayla Sader has become part of the Valkyries core group.

On offence, the Valkyries were still able to turn to star running back Sarah Wright and veteran star pass catchers Ricki Obed and Reed Thorstad to make plays. The offensive line is anchored by four star veterans in right tackle Betsy Mawdsley, centre Alex Wojcichowsky, left guard Lauren Ferguson and left tackle Alyssa Funk.

On defence, Danaye Holynski continues to create havoc for the opposition at defensive end. The defence has been bolstered with a couple of veteran receivers switching over to defensive back in Kelsey Murphy and Danielle Girolami.

The Valkyries are progressing to the point where a large group of players in their second and third years with the team can now be considered as steady veterans who are part of the core group. That group includes receiver/kicker Grace McCorriston, running back/kicker Drew Lundquist and utility player Arden Kliewer.

Grace McCorriston (#82) has become a solid receiver and kicker.

Defensive back Makayla Sader, linebackers Jackie Semple-Dyck, Kennedy Mann and Sydney Schenn are now part of that core group too along with Emry Halbgewachs and Grace Farthing on the defensive line. 

Returnee defensive tackle Carla Stevenson has become part of that core group too. She helped the Valkyries win a WWCFL title in their second year of existence in 2012, took a leave of absence from the team before rejoining the club in 2021.

Rookies came through for the Valkyries too in 2023. Brianna Hammett on the offensive line, Michaella Applin on the defensive line, Mykayla Laroque at cornerback and Jaimyn Mantyka at safety all stepped in to give the Valkyries big performances.

Thanks to leadership, depth and coaching, the Valkyries were able to overcome some fairly key injuries and preserver in a couple of tough games that could have sent the season in another direction. The undefeated Valkyries ended becoming better in their journey of overcoming the adversity they faced.

The Valkyries celebrate a third straight WWCFL title on Saturday.

It is expected they will return a strong core of players in 2024. That should give them a good start in their quest for a four-peat, which the team accomplished in the WWCFL’s first four years of existence from 2011 to 2014.

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 hoggies still look fine

New look offensive line leads way in opening day victory

The Hilltops offensive line paved the way for 435 total offensive yards.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops new look offensive line is no longer a question mark.

    Coming into the 2016 season, there were concerns the Toppers O-line would no longer be as vaunted as it has been in the past. After winning the Canadian Junior Football League championship for a second straight year in 2015, the Hilltops graduated all-Canadian all-stars in left tackle Terry Thesen and left guard Nathan Heide along with standout centre Jordan Hydomako.

    Those three departures were more than monster size to say the least.

    During Sunday’s regular season opening 40-13 romp over the Winnipeg Rifles at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops new look offensive line didn’t skip a beat helping the host side pile up 435 yards of offence including 220 yard along the ground and 215 yards through the air.

    Tyler Hoath and Drayke Unger were back as starters but in new positions. Hoath moved from right tackle to left tackle, while Unger switched from right guard to left guard. Kirk Simonsen is the new starter at right tackle, Jack Sloboda takes over at right guard and Cord Ivanco handles the duties at centre.

Hilltops RB Logan Fischer had lots of running thanks to the O-line's work.

    They played as a fairly cohesive unit opening big holes for the Hilltops large stable to tailbacks and ensured starting quarterback Jared Andreychuk and backup signal callers Jordan Walls and Tyler Hermann all had comfortable days in the pocket. The Hilltops did not surrender any sacks during their opener.

    The fact the offensive line jelled so well maybe shouldn’t have been that big of a surprise, and it comes as a testament to the work put in by Hilltops offensive line coach Donnie Davidsen. This year the O-line is also getting additional tutelage from first year coach and former Hilltops player Chris Mercer.

    Also, Simonsen is in his third year with the team, while Ivanco is in his fourth year. Both worked hard as reserves and they are taking advantage of their time to shine as starters. Sloboda moved over to the Hilltops from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team, so he also has the experience of being a seasoned post-secondary player.

    As a unit, the Hilltops O-line was also athletic and mobile, and they allowed offensive coordinator Sheldon Ball utilize a fairly wide open game plan.

Hilltops QB Jared Andreychuk was protected well by his O-line.

    The Rifles played the Hilltops tough as Sunday’s contest was scoreless after the first quarter. Just 45 seconds into the second quarter, Andreychuk hit Ryan Turple with a 67-yard touchdown strike to get the Toppers rolling.

    Saskatoon went up 14-0, when Andreychuk hit defensive lineman Dylan Buckle with a four-yard toss on a gadget roll out play. Buckle was playing tight end in a jumbo set when he hauled in Andreychuk’s pass.

    Just a short time after those scores, the Hilltops defence added to the outburst, when linebacker Adam Benkic returned a fumble 22 yards for a major score to put the hosts up 21-0. James Vause proceeded to boot two field goals to put the Hilltops up 27-0 at halftime and the host side cruised on the scoreboard from there.

    In the second half, Vause hit another field goal, Andreychuk hit third year receiver Sam Mike for a TD strike and rookie receiver Rylan Kleiter booted his first career field goal to round out Saskatoon’s scoring.

    Rifles quarterback Jamie Ybarra Jr. hit receiver Ian Lee for a six-yard scoring toss and tailback Micheal Ritchott ran in a major from 19 yards out to account for Winnipeg’s points.

Hilltops rookie RB Joshua Ewanchyna found lanes to cruise through.

    Andreychuk completed 8-of-19 passes for 193 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Hilltops. Logan Fischer rolled off 133 yards rushing on 20 carries for Saskatoon.

    Ybarra Jr. completed 22 of 35 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

    The Rifles turned the ball over six times, while the Hilltops didn’t have any giveaways.

    The Hilltops return to action this coming Sunday, when they travel to Edmonton to take on the Huskies (0-1).

    In Saskatoon’s season opening win, there were bumps which has to be expected at this point in the year. If the Hilltops offensive line can keep rolling, the venerable CJFL club’s quest to win a third straight Canadian Bowl and a sixth league title in seven years becomes much more attainable.

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