Hilltops survive scare from Thunder

Defending CJFL champs advance to PFC Final with 25-24 win

James Reid (#33) watches a potential winning field goal sail wide.

    It is amazing how the drama can peak for a football game over one kick.

    With 1:46 to play in a Prairie Football Conference semifinal match, the host Saskatoon Hilltops held a slim 25-23 edge over the Regina Thunder on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Thunder kicker James Reid was setting up to attempt a 23-yard field goal to put the visitors in front.

    The rookie had made all three of his field goal attempts to that point in the contest booting home kicks from 25, 30 and 38 yards in the first half. It almost felt like a certainty that this kick would split the uprights too, which would have put the Thunder, who were 5-4 in the regular season, on the verge of upsetting the Hilltops, who had an 8-1 regular season record.

    When Reid booted his late attempt, the ball went high in the air and seemed like it took forever to reach the uprights. At what seemed like the last second, the kick drifted just wide to the left resulting in a single point. That 25-24 scored held up as the final outcome as the Hilltops, who have won the last two Canadian Junior Football League titles, advanced to the PFC final.

Adam Benkic, second from right, celebrates scoring a TD off a blocked punt.

    They will host the Calgary Colts this coming Sunday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. at SMF Field. The Colts slipped past the Edmonton Huskies 11-10 in the other PFC semifinal held in Calgary on Sunday.

    The Hilltops win over the Thunder showed how big special teams can be in the game of football.

    Leading 18-9 at halftime, the Hilltops only score in the second half came as a result of special teams.
    Just past the midway point of the third quarter, Hilltops linebacker Cody Peters blocked a Thunder punt deep in the Regina end of the field. The ball rolled into the end zone and it was recovered by Hilltops linebacker Adam Benkic to put the hosts up 25-9.

    The Hilltops ultimately needed that score to withstand a Thunder comeback attempt. That play combined with the Thunder missed kick proved to be the difference in the contest.

Hilltops RB Logan Fischer collides with Thunder DL Carson Bell.

    In the same breath, Reid shouldn’t have to shoulder the blame for the Thunder’s loss. When you get a 3-for-4 performance from a rookie kicker who is just out of high school in a do-or-die playoff game, any post-secondary football team will take that performance.

    Had the Thunder driven for a touchdown on one of the four drives that culminated in a Reid field goal attempt, the late kick might not have been needed.

    On the late drive that resulted in Reid’s miss, Regina got down to Saskatoon’s six yard line. In getting to the six, the Thunder were close to breaking a couple of separate plays for a go-ahead touchdown.

    When they got to the Saskatoon six yard line, the Thunder were facing a third and two, but elected to try for the kick. They took a time count violation on purpose to set up a better angle for go-ahead field goal. They could have gambled on the third-and-two, because they were starting to break into the end zone.

Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder.

    After falling behind 25-9, Regina drove for a pair of major scores. First, quarterback Sawyer Buettner scored on a one-yard sneak near the end of the third quarter. Then PFC rushing leader Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette ran in a touchdown from 10 yards out with 8:11 to play in the fourth quarter to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 25-23.

    On the drive that resulted in Reid’s miss, a Thunder third-and-two gamble from the Saskatoon six yard line likely would have had the same drama as the kick attempt.

    When the dust settled, spectators at SMF Field were treated to a post-season classic tilt between the two teams.

    The Hilltops jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit veteran receiver Ryan Turple with a 24-yard touchdown pass for Saskatoon’s first major, and running back Logan Fischer ran the ball in from two yards out for the second major.

    James Vause hit a 29 yard field goal and recorded a single point off a 38 yard missed field goal in the second quarter to round out Saskatoon’s scoring.

QB Jared Andreychuk sprints downfield for the Hilltops.

    Buettner completed 24-of-43 passes for 316 yards for the Thunder. Andreychuk connected on 15-of-35 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown strike for the Hilltops.

    The Hilltops swept the season series claiming a 20-18 victory on Sept. 10 in Saskatoon and a 30-26 win on Oct. 1 in Regina. The Hilltops have won the last five straight meetings between the two sides including play in the regular season and playoffs.

    Now, the Hilltops move on looking to down the Colts for a third straight year in the PFC final. The Colts finished second in the PFC with a 7-2 mark, but they beat the Hilltops in the only meeting between the two sides this season 36-21 on Aug. 28 at SMF Field.

    Another post-season classic possibly looms around the corner.

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

Hilltops defence delivers in crunch time

Hilltops LB Bobby Ehman grabs Thunder RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops defence always seems to deliver in the clutch.

    On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops defence delivered two key stops inside of the final two minutes to preserve a 20-18 victory over their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder. The stops came right after Thunder quarterback Sawyer Buettner hit fifth-year receiver Kasim Ocaya on a 14-yard touchdown strike to cut Saskatoon’s edge to two points with 2:03 to play.

    Following that major score, the Thunder got two more possessions to try and move into range for a winning field goal. 

    On the first of those final two possessions, defensive end Blake Hermann came through with a key pass knock down, and the Hilltops forced a fumble a short time later that was recovered by rookie defensive back Leif Larson. Larson had two fumble recoveries on the night for Saskatoon.

Cameron Schnitzler, right, topped the Hilltops with 12 tackles.

    The Hilltops weren’t able to move the ball, which allowed the Thunder to have one last possession with under 40 seconds to play.

    Second-year defensive tackle Tristan Hering proceeded to step up and deliver a blow that pretty much sealed the final outcome for the Hilltops. On a middle rush, Hering managed to knock the ball out of Buettner’s grasp. 

    The ball was recovered by Thunder offensive lineman Brayden Moroz, who chugged downfield before being brought down by a pair of Hilltops in middle linebacker Cameron Schnitzler and defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler.

    The play ate up most of the time the Thunder had to use on the clock forcing them to one last desperate play. On the last play of the game, the visitors attempted a quick kick from running back Quinten Ruckaber, but it wasn’t able to create a winning score.

Tom Schnitzler (#56) deflects a Sawyer Buettner (#14) pass.

    Under defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie, the Hilltops defence usually follows a “bend but don’t break” approach. Saskatoon’s defence will give up yards, but always seems to come out with a decided edge in the turnover department.

    Regina out gained Saskatoon in net offensive yards 522 to 418, but the Hilltops defence came up with four takeaways, while the Thunder defence had one takeaway.

    Buettner had a spectacular outing for the visitors connecting on 43-of-52 passes for 422 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The second-year signal caller wasn’t able to hit any real big plays as his longest completion was 23 yards.

    The Hilltops held the Thunder to 78 yards rushing as a team, which included holding standout running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette to 59 yards on 14 carries.

    The Schnitzlers both had huge days for the Hilltops. Cameron topped the team with 12 tackles, while Tom had 10 tackles.

    Regina took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter of Saturday’s battle. Buettner hit receiver Kristiane Desautels for a 20-yard touchdown pass, and kicker James Reid recorded a single on a 27-yard missed field goal.

Logan Fischer piled up 134 yards rushing on 18 carries for the Hilltops.

    In the second quarter, Hilltops offensive lineman Drayke Unger punched in a one-yard touchdown run taking a carry as a fullback to cut the Thunder lead to 8-7. Hilltops safety James Vause booted a 30-yard field goal with 2.2 seconds to play in the first half to give Saskatoon a 10-8 lead.

    The Thunder jumped ahead 11-10 in the third quarter, when Reid nailed a 34-yard field goal. Before the frame ended, the Hilltops jumped back out in front 17-11 on a one-yard touchdown plunge by running back Logan Fischer.

    Fischer piled up 134 yards rushing on 18 carries and caught two passes for 26 yards.

    Early in the fourth quarter, the Thunder gambled on a third and goal from the Saskatoon five yard line in an attempt to retake the lead. Buettner tried to hit Ocaya, but the pass fell incomplete due to tight coverage by Hilltops defensive back Luke Melnyk.

    Vause hit a 34-yard field goal to increase Saskatoon’s lead to 20-11 before the Thunder made their last push inside of the final three minutes.

Thunder QB Sawyer Buettner is pressured by Hilltops DE Blake Hermann

    Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk completed 13-of-20 passes for 174 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

    With the win, the Hilltops improved to 4-1 to sit second in the Prairie Football Conference, while the Thunder fell to 3-2.  The Hilltops return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Kelowna, B.C., to take on the Okanagan Sun in rematch of last year’s Canadian Bowl. Saskatoon took that encounter 38-24.

    The Sun fell to 6-1 dropping a 29-23 decision to the Westshore Rebels on Saturday in Langford, B.C.

    The Thunder take on the PFC leading Calgary Colts (4-0) this coming Saturday in a neutral site game in Medicine Hat, Alta.

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