Funk solidifies middle of Hilltops defensive line

Jaxon Funk has been a rock at DT for the Hilltops.

Jaxon Funk is in the middle of the action when it comes to keeping the Saskatoon Hilltops defensive line strong.

The 22-year-old product of Hague, Sask., is in his fourth full season with the team and his first full campaign as a starter at defensive tackle. During his first full three seasons with the team from 2017 to 2019, Funk said he learned from his veteran teammates, who have since graduated from the program.

When it came time for Funk to start, he was ready to play full time.

“I had great leadership in front of me,” said Funk, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds. “It started with Tom Schnitzler.

“He was a great captain and a great guy to learn from. My next biggest influence was obviously Jesse McNabb. He was a great inside player, and he taught me a lot.

“Obviously, all our coaches have been around for a long time. They know exactly what they are doing. They put me in great spots and taught me everything I know.”

Schnitzler was a star defensive end for the Hilltops who graduated following the 2017 season, and McNabb was a star defensive tackle with the Hilltops, who graduated after the 2019 campaign.

Funk has followed in their footsteps continuing the lineage of stellar players the Hilltops have had along their defensive line. Playing on a defensive tackle spot, Funk doesn’t receive a lot of glory.

His job is often to take on double teams in order to allow his teammates to tackle running backs or sack quarterbacks.

Jaxon Funk (#77) storms on to the field with the Hilltops.

Even with that unglamourous role, Funk collected 27 solo tackles 12 assisted tackles, two fumble recoveries and a half sack helping the Hilltops post a 6-2 record during the regular season. Funk personally finished 16^th overall in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference in defensive points.

“Jaxon Funk has had an unbelievable year for us,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “He has been a rock on our defence.

“He is probably the most consistent player we have. He does his job. He doesn’t get a lot of pats on the back.

“To have a noseguard in the top 16 in defensive points is absolutely incredible. He is a captain. He is a great leader.”

During the 2019 campaign, Funk was often rotated on to the defensive line for suspected running situations and kept off the field in obvious pass situations. The coaches worked that rotation to keep players fresh and playing to their strengths.

Now, Funk rarely leaves the field being a full-time starter. The Hague High School Panthers six-man football team graduate said he has had a tonne of help making plays from his teammates on the Hilltops defensive line.

Funk has formed a formidable duo inside with fellow defensive tackle Dylan McNutt, while defensive ends Daylen Hartz and Riece Kack have applied consistent pressure from the outside.

Jaxon Funk (#77) paired with his DT partner in Dylan McNutt (#51).

“We lost a lot of guys, but there have been a lot of guys who have stepped up and did their job,” said Funk. “It has been great.

“Obviously, the coaches are putting everyone in the right spots. It has been a good time.”

If he runs into situations where he is taking on constant double teams, Funk said the Hilltops linebackers coming in behind him have been outstanding making plays.

“I love knowing that if I take on a double team then we got guys behind me that are going to fill their roles,” said Funk. “Wisty (middle linebacker Matt Wist) has been doing a great job this year of filling in gaps.

“If I can get that double and if I end up on a single team, I just have to take advantage of that and try to make a play and do the best I can off that.”

Sargeant said Funk has a number of attributes that allow him to have success.

“Number one, he has worked real hard over the last couple of years to make himself bigger and strong,” said Sargeant. “He has got football IQ.

“He understands leverage and how to work against the O-line and the double teams. He is a player that gets double teamed a lot. He just had a knack for getting off blocks and staying alive and working towards the ball.

Jaxon Funk (#77) passes on kind words to a teammate.

“He is just always around the play. He makes us so much better.”

Before joining the Hilltops, Funk enjoyed playing the six-man game with the Panthers and then head coach Clay Kirby. The Hague Panthers six-man high school team gained notoriety being one of the feature teams in the 2007 “Season of Dreams” documentary about football in Saskatchewan.

Funk said a trio of Hilltops alums from Hague including Richard Zacharias and brothers Tyler and Shayne Dueck were big influences who convinced him to try out for the storied CJFL club.

“Richard Zacharias, who was a linebacker with the team and has helped out coaching recently, really showed me what the team was about,” said Funk. “(Zacharias) helped me get prepared for my rookie season and has been a great mentor ever since.”

Funk’s family became a football family after he first took up the sport in Grade 8. His older sister, Alyssa, has been a star at left tackle for the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League since 2015.

Younger brother, Jeremy, is in his first year with the Hilltops on the team’s practice roster.

Jaxon credits his parents in father, Lyle, and mother, Katrina, for being the biggest influences for helping him along in football.

“My parents are huge on sports,” said Jaxon Funk. “My dad never really played football, but he always wanted to, but Hague didn’t have a team at that point.

Jaxon Funk finished 16th in the PFC in defensive points.

“When I started, he learned everything about it and supported me as much as he could. I kind of started it in our family. My sister played with Valkyries and my younger brother is on the team now. It just turned into a really big football family.”

With the PFC having completed its regular season schedule, the Hilltops earned a bye to host a PFC semifinal contest due to finishing second in the conference standings. The Hilltops are scheduled to host that contest on Sunday, November 7 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

They will play the team that has the best record that advances out of the two PFC quarter-final games that will be held on Sunday.

Due to the fact the 2020 CJFL campaign was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Funk said there is extra excitement within his team as that first post-season contest draws near.

He said the businesslike approach to that contest mirrors what the Hilltops do in the regular season.

“It is just the same kind of atmosphere,” said Funk, who helped the Hilltops win CJFL titles in each of his first three seasons with the team. “You have to put your time in and practise hard.

“That will reflect how we play on the field. Obviously, we were all pretty excited to back into playoffs after last year not being able to play. You really appreciate the time we can have out here.

Jaxon Funk (#77) and the Hilltops have enjoyed playing after a year off.

“Everyone knows that they’ve got to step it up and have their best game of the year next Sunday and just keep it going.”

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Hermann will always cherish year as Hilltops starter

Club celebrates 2019 CJFL title season with ring day

Tyler Hermann, left, shows his championship ring to his father, Craig. 

    Tyler Hermann’s one campaign as the Saskatoon Hilltops starting quarterback turned into a dream season.
    After being a reserve quarterback for four years, Hermann was tabbed with taking the controls of the Hilltops offence for his fifth and final campaign with the club. While there were growing pains in the first four weeks of the season, Hermann signal called the Hilltops to a perfect 12-0 record to capture the Canadian Bowl and become CJFL champions for a sixth straight year.

    The Hilltops downed the host Langley Rams 11-6 last November in the CJFL title game to win a 22^nd national title.

    Hermann had a good personal campaign too in 2019 completing 123-of-192 passes for 1,908 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions appearing in all of his club’s eight regular season games.

Tyler Hermann, left, receives his championship ring.

    “It was awesome,” said Hermann, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 205 pounds. “That is something I will have for the rest of my life.

    “It is one of those priceless memories that I will look back, and I will just cherish every moment of it. I remember at the end of the season I was almost sad thinking back. I should have been happy.

    “I remembered that this was the end of something that was such a big part of my life and all friendships I made along the way. This was a spectacular year.”

    On Saturday on the practice field outside the Hilltops clubhouse, Hermann received his championship ring at the team’s ring ceremony.

Tyler Hermann, left, and Jesse McNabb show off their rings.

    Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Hilltops ring ceremony was a modified one.

    Usually, the Hilltops ring ceremony is a social event that brings together their CJFL championship team from the previous season as part of a reunion night.

    With government regulations currently in place to combat COVID-19, the Hilltops ultimately did a ring ceremony to give a nod to their 2019 season with a group of six players, who were in their final campaign with the team in 2019.

    The graduating players that made it out included Hermann, Connor Graham, Tristan Hering, Logan Kelsey-Stern, Ryder Klisowsky and Jesse McNabb.

    Team officials will distribute the rest of the championship rings to the 2019 title winning team.

    With that noted, Hermann was happy with the reunion that did happen considering the circumstances that surround the current day.

Jesse McNabb, left, gets his championship ring.

    “We usually do it right after May camp too, so there is a little buzz around the new season,” said Hermann, who recently turned 23-years-old. “Everyone is kind of chatting.

    “It is definitely different. I like the way they did it having the fifth year guys here. Those are the guys we traveled our whole five years together with, and we shared such similar experiences kind of starting as that rookie and then finishing the way we did.

    “That is good enough for me. That is really all you can expect in times like this is something like that.”

Jesse McNabb checks out his championship ring.

    McNabb’s eyes got really big, when he opened his ring box and saw his championship ring. The star defensive tackle, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 245 pounds, said a big part of the 2019 campaign was gutting out a 4-0 start.

    The Hilltops had a huge turnover in their starting ranks, and many players were adjusting to new roles.

    The venerable CJFL club opened the season with three straight road victories. The Hilltops took their home opener 28-21 over their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder thanks to a touchdown with under a minute to play.

    The home win over the Thunder and a 24-22 win in Week 3 over the Huskies in Edmonton required fourth-quarter comebacks.

    “It was big, because it really showed the character of the team,” said McNabb, who recorded 26.5 total tackles and three sacks for the Hilltops in the 2019 regular season. “We weren’t just rolling through everyone like some teams in the past have.

Jesse McNabb shows off his championship rings.

    “It was more hard fought games. It was really good for the group morale to see that we could get through the tough times together. As the season went on, things developed better, and it was good.”

    On Aug. 25, 2019 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant picked up his 200^th career victory in a 34-16 win over the host Thunder.

    Sargeant later moved past retired Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal to become the all-time leader in head coaching victories in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks.

    After the Hilltops won their sixth straight CJFL championship, Sargeant’s career record sat a 210-30-2 including action in the CJFL regular season and post-season.

Ryder Klisowsky shows off his five championship rings.

    McCrystal had a 208-104-2 record in the regular season and post-season in both the CJFL and U Sports. He was the head coach of the Regina Rams from 1984 to 2014, and they played 15 seasons in the CJFL and 16 campaigns in U Sports over that time as the University of Regina Rams.

    McNabb said helping Sargeant get those milestones was a sweet part of the campaign.

    “It was great just to be able to do that for him and get things done right and then be able to lift him up in B.C. at the end of the year and give him the trophy,” said the 22-year-old McNabb.

    Hilltops linebacker Jadyn Pingue was named the CJFL defensive player of the year for his efforts during the 2019 season.
    The Hilltops have also captured the Canadian Bowl in nine out of the last 10 seasons to become CJFL champions.

Ryder Klisowsky, left, and Logan Kelsey-Stern enjoy ring day.

    The 12-0 campaign in 2019 followed up the Hilltops posting an 11-0 overall mark in their 2018 CJFL title winning season.

    The Hilltops 2019 CJFL championship rings have the initials “J.F.” written on the side to honour late former star Hilltops linebacker Justin Filteau. Filteau, who played for the Hilltops from 2010 to 2014, passed away in a plane crash on June 1, 2019.

    The 2019 rings, which were designed by the Hilltops graduating players, contain 22 sapphires symbolizing the club’s 22 CJFL championships. The word “trust” is written on the underside of the ring to recognize the trust the Hilltops players had in their teammates over the course of the season.

    There are six Canadian Bowl trophies on the side and six sapphires on the top of the ring to symbolize the Hilltops sixth consecutive Canadian Bowl championship win.

    “Obviously, it is beautiful, and it is something to be proud of,” said Hermann. “When I look at it, I just kind of think of the comradery of the team.”

Soyko takes her talents to the Pandas, other notes

@PandasHockey is proud to announce that @abbysoyko_10 has committed and will be wearing green and gold in 2020/21. Welcome to the PHamily Abby! pic.twitter.com/1IP4dlwTTe

— UofA Pandas Hockey (@PandasHockey) May 28, 2020

    Abby Soyko has found a new hockey home with the most storied women’s program in the history of U Sports.

    On Thursday, the University of Alberta Pandas, who have won the most U Sports national women’s hockey championships at eight, announced Soyko has committed to joining the Edmonton-based squad for the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
    The Prince Albert, Sask., product originally committed to joining the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team in January along with her sister Alli. Abby and Alli are two parts of triplet siblings.

Abby Soyko in action with the Bears in October of 2018.

    On April 20, the University of Lethbridge cut both the men’s and women’s Pronghorns hockey teams citing a lack of provincial government funding.

    Due to that development, the two 18-year-olds became free agents with the ability to join any other post-secondary team of their choosing.

    On Thursday, it became official that Abby was going to be a member of the Pandas.

Alli found a new hockey home too. On Thursday, the Red Deer College Queens women’s hockey team, who play out of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association ranks, announced Alli had committed to joining their program.

    Both Abby and Alli played major roles in helping the Prince Albert Northern Bears win the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League championship in 2016-17 and win a Western Regional playdown series to advance to the Esso Cup national championship tournament.

    Abby would be viewed as the big catch due to her scoring prowess. She is the quintessential power forward.

    She played for the Bears for five seasons from 2014 to 2019 appearing in 136 regular season games piling up 65 goals and 63 assists for 128 points. She is the ninth all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFU18AAAHL and the Bears all-time leader in goals and points.

    Abby is tied for the Bears all-time regular season record in career assists with Kaitlin Willoughby, who went on to star and become the second all-time leading scorer for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks.

    Abby was also the Bears captain in her final season with that team.

Queens Hockey is proud to introduce our newest member: @allisoykoo of @NAXHockey. Alli joins us from Prince Albert, Sask. We are excited to see you wear the Crown to start your college hockey career! Welcome to the family @rdcathletics! #mykingsmyqueens

— 🏒 RDC Queens Hockey (@rdcqueenshockey) May 29, 2020

    Last season, Abby and Alli played for the Northern Alberta Xtreme Female Prep team in Devon, Alta.

    Due to their late October birthday, they had exhausted their under-18 AAA eligibility, but still needed to finish their Grade 12 studies in high school.

    Abby was the leading scorer for the Xtreme this past season posting 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 23 games.

Alli Soyko in action for the Bears in November of 2018.

    She will be a big addition to the Pandas, who won the Canada West title last season. The Pandas didn’t get a chance to play a game at the U Sports national championship tournament in Charlottetown, P.E.I., which was called off after two games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Alli will be a strong addition to a team at the Canadian college level, and she also has all the physical tools to play at the university level possibly one day.

    In her final season with the Bears in 2018-19, Alli recorded career highs in all offensive categories with four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 26 regular season games.

    She had another solid campaign this past season with the Xtreme posting five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 23 games.

    Last season, the Queens fell 3-2 in double overtime in a series deciding Game 3 to the NAIT Ooks in an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference semifinal series.

    Both Abby and Alli will be great additions to their respective teams.

• On Thursday, the Boston Marathon, which was scheduled for Sept. 14, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has originally been slated for April 20 before being pushed back to Sept. 14. This will mark the first time in history the Boston Marathon has been cancelled after running for 124 consecutive years.
• On Friday, the DUBNetwork, which is a website platform dedicated to covering the WHL, announced it was taking a step back and stopping coverage due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Run by chief executive officer Paul Figler, the DUBNetwork has been in operation since 2015.
• On Friday, long time Medicine Hat, Alta., radio broadcaster Jim Duce announced he will be retiring. Duce has been on the radio waves for 47 years. He currently works for CHAT 94.5, and his final day on air will be Friday, June 26.

    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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Defence, Kleiter deliver sixth straight CJFL title to Hilltops

The Hilltops won the Canadian Bowl for a sixth straight year.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops lived the old cliché “defence wins championships.”

    On Saturday in Langley, B.C., the Hilltops relied on their unsung heroes on their defensive unit and receiver/kicker Rylan Kleiter. Thanks to clutch performances on both fronts, the Hilltops downed the host Langley Rams 11-6 at McLeod Stadium to win an unprecedented sixth straight CJFL and keep possession of the league’s championship trophy – the Canadian Bowl.

    The Hilltops have won the Canadian Bowl an incredible nine times in the last 10 years. They have faced the Rams four times in the last eight years in the CJFL title game and have claimed victory in all of their encounters.

    Out of the current run of six straight victories, Saturday’s 11-6 triumph was the Hilltops closest margin of victory in their current run of six straight titles. It was their closest Canadian Bowl victory since downing the Rams in Langley 23-21 in 2012.

    The Hilltops were trying to live up to memory of their late alum linebacker Justin Filteau, who tragically passed away in a plane crash in June. Filteau was an all-Canadian all-star, so it might have been fitting the overshadowed aspects of the Hilltops defensive unit and Kleiter’s kicking took over the spotlight.

Rylan Kleiter hit three critical field goals on Saturday.

    Against the Rams on Saturday, the Hilltops showed they can win in different ways, and legendary head coach Tom Sargeant showed faith in his team that they could win in different ways.

    Sargeant is a big fan of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, and his Hilltops put on a performance that flashed back to efforts put on by the Steelers in their Super Bowl winning dynasty of the 1970s under stoic late Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll.

    The Hilltops have always had a great defence under defensive coordinator Jeff Yausie. With that said, the Hilltops defensive is traditionally known under Yausie as the ultimate bend don’t break unit.

    The Hilltops defence will give up yards, create a huge number of turnovers and allow the opposition to score very few points.

    Playing under overcast, damp and off and on rainy conditions on Saturday, the Hilltops defensive cranked things up to another gear. The ’Toppers played tough, aggressive and physical defence that grudgingly gave up yards.

    It was the type of performance you rarely see in today’s era of pass happy football. The Hilltops finished with 230 yards of total net offence, while the Rams had 209 yards of total net offence.

Jesse McNabb had 1.5 sacks for the Hilltops on Saturday.

    While often overshadowed by the Hilltops offensive unit, the 112^th CJFL title game was the Hilltops defence’s day.

    Defensive end Tristan Hering and defensive tackle Jesse McNabb, who are both in their fifth years of eligibility, arguably had their finest hours with all the sacks and tackles they made. Hering finished with 2.5 sacks and McNabb had 1.5 sacks.

    The linebacking corps of Riley Keating, CJFL defensive player of the year Jadyn Pingue and Brady Fossen delivered countless big plays. Keating and Pingue are both in their final years of CJFL eligibility. Pingue had nine total tackles and a fumble recovery.

    In the secondary, safety Brant Morrow came up with key plays and defensive back Colton Holmes returned from injury to have one last final big moment in his final contest with the Hilltops. Holmes missed four regular season games and the Hilltops three previous post-season games before dressing for the Canadian Bowl.

    Another often overlooked part of the Hilltops team is the kicking game. Kleiter was named a CJFL all-Canadian all-star as a place kicker on Thursday after a stellar campaign.

    In the Hilltops eight regular season games, Kleiter connected on 18-of-22 field goal attempts for an 81.8 per cent success rate with a long of 42 yards.

Jadyn Pingue came up with late big third and one stop.

    On top of the success in the field goal department, Kleiter kicked 33 conversion attempts, recorded one rouge and hauled in two touchdown receptions as a receiver to lead the Prairie Football Conference in regular season scoring with 100 points.

    While Kleiter had a great season as a place kicker, it seemed like the Hilltops would never need to rely on him to win a game. On a day when the Hilltops didn’t find the end zone for a major score, Kleiter, who is a star skip on his own curling team, made 3-of-4 field goals, and his kicks were crucial in allowing Saskatoon to win on Saturday.

    The defence and Kleiter had their biggest shining moments late in the fourth quarter, with the Hilltops holding an 8-6 advantage.

    The Rams had the ball and were gambling on a third-and-one at their own 31 yard line with less than 3:34 to play in the fourth quarter. Rams backup quarterback Colby Peters tried to gain a first down on a quarterback sneak, but he was stopped by Pingue forcing a turnover on downs.

    The Hilltops were only able to drive the ball seven yards to the Rams 24 yard line. The Saskatoon coaches were thinking about gambling on a third and three, but Sargeant elected allow Kleiter to extend the lead and leave the issue in the hands of his defence.

    Kleiter connected on a clutch 31-yard field goal to put the Hilltops up 11-6 with 2:15 to play.

View this post on Instagram

For the SIXTH consecutive year, your Saskatoon Hilltops are @cjflfootball Canadian Bowl Champions!! The Toppers defeated the Langley Rams 11-6 to take home the cup. . . . ‪ Congratulations to DL Tristan Hering and RB Ben Abrook for being named the Canadian Bowl Defensive and Offensive Players of the Game! ‬

A post shared by Saskatoon Hilltops (@saskatoon_hilltops) on Nov 16, 2019 at 4:05pm PST

    The Rams needing a touchdown to win elected to take the ball on their own 35 yard line. They got down to the Hilltops 38 yard line and faced a third-and-11 situation.

    The hosts called their second and final timeout, and with 40 seconds remaining on the clock, needed to make a first down. Peters tried to hit receiver Jarryd Taylor at the Hilltops 15 yard line, but Holmes defended the play to cause an incompletion to give the ball to the Hilltops.

Ben Abrook, left, ran the ball 27 times for 130 yards.

    Hilltops fifth-year starting quarterback Tyler Hermann was able to then run out the clock with knee down plays.

    Saturday’s game was such a defensive slugfest that the Hilltops posted 166 yards of net offence in the first half, while the Rams had 43 yards of net offence.

    After a scoreless first quarter, the Hilltops took an 8-0 lead at halftime. Kleiter hit a 21-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter, Rams punter Kyle Clarot conceded a safety and Kleiter completed the first half scoring with a 23-yard field goal.

    After the Hilltops went up 8-0, the Rams pulled starting quarterback Tristen Secord-Yanciw in favour of Peters. Rams starting quarterback wasn’t able to play due to a knee injury suffered in a regular season game on Oct. 5.

    Around the midpoint of the third quarter, the Rams put together their best offensive series of the contest that concluded with a one-yard touchdown run by backup running back Maximilian Joseph on an option toss from Peters.

    The Rams tried to go for a two-point conversion, but Peters was sacked by Hering to allow the Hilltops to still hold an 8-6 lead.

    That set stage for the dramatics late in the fourth quarter.

Tristan Hering had 2.5 sacks on Saturday.

    Hering was named the defensive player of the game, while Hilltops star power running back Ben Abrook was named the offensive player of the game. Abrook carried the ball 27 times for 130 yards.

Rams star running back Andrew Pocrnic ran the ball 16 times for 74 yards.

    In last year’s CJFL title tilt held in Saskatoon, the Hilltops hammered the visiting Rams 58-21 in frigid conditions at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    The Hilltops won in a totally different style on Saturday to claim their 22^nd CJFL championship in team history.

    On top of that, the Hilltops rolled off their 31^st overall win in a row with including action in the CJFL’s regular season and playoffs.

    The Hilltops have won their last 29 straight games on the road including action in the CJFL regular season and post-season. Due to their current run of six consecutive CJFL championships, the Hilltops extended their CJFL record of consecutive post-season wins to 20.

    It is highly likely the Hilltops current overall and road winning streaks are also CJFL records.

    Sargeant has a 210-30-2 career record in CJFL regular season and post-season action since becoming the Hilltops head coach before the start of the 1998 campaign. He has the record for all-time head coaching victories in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks.

    “Sarge” has won 13 CJFL titles as a head coach, two as an assistant coach with the team and one as a player. His first championship as a player was earned way back in 1985.

Tom Sargeant has guided the Hilltops to 13 CJFL titles as head coach.

    After Saturday’s game, the Hilltops players raised Sargeant on top of their shoulders as he lifted the Canadian Bowl.

    The Hilltops completed their second straight perfect season posting a 12-0 record in the 2019 campaign. It was their fifth perfect season in team history. They were 11-0 in last year’s perfect season.

    Saskatoon’s first perfect season came in 1958 at 11-0, the second in 1978 at 12-0 and the third in 2003 at 12-0.

    With the turnover the Hilltops had amongst their starters, this year’s perfect season was arguably the most unexpected one of the five. They graduate 15 players this season who were part of the back-to-back perfect campaigns in 2018 and 2019.

    The Rams were in pursuit of perfection in 2019 and settled with a 12-1 overall mark.

    For Sargeant, this was season where he won his 200^th career game and earned his 209^th career win to become Canada’s all-time leader amateur post-secondary football head coaching wins.

    He always says those numbers don’t mean much to him, but winning the championship trophies to allow his fifth-year players to leave on the ultimate high does.

    As a head coach, Sargeant has watched that moment unfold 13 times.

    This year, it was the Hilltops often overlooked defensive unit and Kleiter’s clutch kicking that made an ultimate sixth straight CJFL championship moment happen.

This feeling never gets old 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/TLEKWshWVC

— Saskatoon Hilltops (@SaskHilltops) November 16, 2019

    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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Round 2 – Hilltops ready to rumble with Rams

Jadyn Pingue, left, makes a tackle in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    In a rare CJFL championship battle of unbeatens, Saskatoon Hilltops linebacker Jadyn Pingue said the Langley Rams are the real deal with their 12-0 mark.

    The battle for the Canadian Bowl and CJFL national title features the Hilltops, who are 11-0 overall, taking on the host Rams, who are 12-0 overall, on Saturday in Langley, B.C., at McLeod Stadium (3 p.m. Saskatchewan time, 92.9 The Bull).

    The last time two undefeated teams squared off for the CJFL title came back in 2006 in Nanaimo, B.C.

    In that year’s Canadian Bowl, the Edmonton Wildcats entered the title tilt sporting an 11-0 overall record, and they took on the Vancouver Island Raiders, who were 12-0 overall going into that contest. The Raiders pulled out a thrilling 27-26 victory to take the CJFL title.

    In this year’s battle of unbeatens, the Hilltops go into the game placing a number of streaks on the line. 

Ben Abrook charges upfield in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    They are the five time defending CJFL champions, have won their last 30 games overall including action in the regular season and post-season, won their last 28 games in a row on the road including action in the regular season and playoffs and have won a CJFL record 19 post season games in a row.

    The Hilltops are trying to finish with back-to-back perfect seasons. They were 11-0 last year after hammering the Rams 58-21 in the Canadian Bowl held at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    The Rams, who finished last season with a 10-4 overall record, would like to finish at 13-0 this season, which would in the process derail all the Hilltops impressive streaks.

    Pingue believes the Rams put in the work to get a lot better to try and avoid a repeat result from last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    “These guys are different,” said Pingue. “They are good.

    “They are very good. Their record speaks for itself. You can look at their scores.

    “They’ve been blowing everyone out. They’ve been doing everything that need to do in their conference to able to be in this spot. They have talent all across the board.”

Tyler Hermann (#12) throw a pass in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    Offensively, the Hilltops head into Saturday’s game led by fifth-year quarterback Tyler Hermann, who wants to complete a dream season as a first-year starter. He improved steadily throughout the 2019 campaign completing 123-of-192 passes for 1,908 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions appearing in all of his club’s eight regular season games.

    His two top receivers have been fifth-year clutch pass catcher Connor Graham and third-year playmaker Keegan Dicks.

    Graham caught 28 passes for 599 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season. Dicks hauled in 31 passes for 494 yards and four touchdowns in the regular campaign.

Duncan Little (#10) in action in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    The main cog in the Hilltops offence is star power running back Ben Abrook, who led the PFC in rushing yards in the regular season carrying the ball 199 times for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns.

    The Hilltops offence is powered by a veteran and elite starting offensive line that includes right tackle Jonathan Chisholm, right guard Taylon Elderkin, centre Patrick Arno, left guard Ryder Klisowsky and left tackle Mason Ochs.

    “We’re really excited honestly, because we definitely built up to a higher level here,” said Hermann. “The first game we had a little bit of a slow start, and we kind of had to grind through our first four games.

    “We feel it has really come together for us offensively. I think it couldn’t be a better time for us, so we’re excited to showcase what we have. We have a couple of new things in store.

Tato Ferreyro (#24) of the Rams in action in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    “It should be a fun one.”

    The biggest question regarding the Rams on offence circles around the availability of star quarterback Duncan Little. Little hasn’t played since injuring his knee in a 66-0 romp over the Valley Huskers on Oct. 5 in Chilliwack, B.C., in what was the ninth regular season game for both clubs.

    In nine games for the Rams this season, Little completed 100-of-168 passes for 1,866 yards and 20 touchdowns. Colby Peters paced the Rams at quarterback through the post-season.

    Star running back Andrew Pocrnic had a stellar year for the Rams in his final campaign of CJFL eligibility. 
    The graduate of the Marion Graham Collegiate Falcons program in the Saskatoon high school football ranks carried the ball 163 times for 1,199 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Rylan Kleiter (#7) in action in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    He had a receiving touchdown to post a total of 27 majors for the campaign.

    His rushing and total touchdown totals were new CJFL records for one regular season. The old records were held by Edmonton Wildcats running back Tristan Jones, who ran for 25 major scores and 26 total touchdowns in the 2006 CJFL campaign.

    Khalik Johnson topped the Rams in receiving with 32 catches for 569 yards and nine touchdowns.

    Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said his side is working on being ready for whoever plays quarterback for the Rams.
    “We’re preparing for all scenarios,” said Sargeant. “At the end day, we got to play against him (Little) last year and seen him play some this year.
    “Compared to last year, they run the ball way more. Last year, they threw the ball more. They had (Jevon) Cottoy and some special players.

John Brown, right, in action in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    “I don’t think (Rams head) coach (Howie) Zaron is too concerned about who plays quarterback, because he has a bit of a different game plan and sort of matches us. We love to run the football, so our game plan is to get out there and try and run at anybody. I think they are trying to start to do that too.”

    On defence, Pingue was named the most outstanding defensive player and most outstanding linebacker for the Prairie Football Conference. 
    He collected 33.5 total tackles, one pass knockdown, one fumble recovery and one interception during the regular season.

    Defensive tackle Jesse McNabb, who is in his final campaign of CJFL eligibility, recorded 26.5 total tackles and three sacks for the Hilltops in the regular campaign.
    Third-year safety Brant Morrow collected 18.5 total tackles, three interceptions, two pass knockdowns, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the regular season for Saskatoon.

Tristan Hering, right, makes a sack in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    Riley Keating, who is a fifth-year weak side linebacker, topped the Hilltops with 46 total tackles in the regular season.

    Linebacker Cole Barron led the Rams with 28 tackles in the regular season.

    “We know how the result turned out last year, so we know they are going to be hungrier this time around,” said Hermann. “I think they are going to do a little bit different to kind of control the game in more of a sense.

    “We are preparing as though we are playing ourselves, and we are kind of trying to make sure that we are at our top level regardless of what they decide they want to do.”

    Sargeant is expecting his Hilltops will see an inspired effort from the Rams side.

    “They’ve made a lot of significant plays all throughout the year,” said Sargeant. “We have to be sharp, we have to ready.

    “They know what we are about now, so there will be no surprises.”

Ochs, Kleiter named CJFL all-Canadians

Mason Ochs (#73) was named a CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

    It was a familiar honour for Mason Ochs but a new one for Rylan Kleiter.

    On Thursday, the CJFL announced its all-Canadian all-stars on the offensive side of the ball as well as the place kicker on special teams. The two members of the five time defending CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops both picked up all-star nods.

    For the third straight year, Ochs was named an all-Canadian all-star manning the Hilltops left tackle position in each of those campaigns.

    Ochs and the Hilltops starting offensive line played a huge part in allowing star power running back Ben Abrook carry the ball 199 times for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns in the club’s eight regular season games.

Rylan Kleiter (#7) was named CJFL all-Canadian all-star at place kicker.

    The protection by Ochs and the offensive line allowed starting quarterback Tyler Hermann to complete 123-of-192 passes for 1,908 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the regular campaign.

    Kleiter was named to the CJFL all-Canadian all-star team at place kicker. He connected on 18-of-22 field goal attempts for an 81.8 per cent success rate with a long of 42 yards.

    On top of the success in the field goal department, Kleiter kicked 33 conversion attempts, recorded one rouge and hauled in two touchdown receptions as a receiver to lead the Prairie Football Conference in regular season scoring with 100 points.

    The Hilltops will try to win an unprecedented sixth straight CJFL title when they face the Langley Rams on Saturday at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C., at the Canadian Bowl.

    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 to face rain, hotter temperatures in CJFL title game

Rams won’t be frozen out of Canadian Bowl

Caleb Haight gets a strip sack in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knows the Langley Rams won’t be shocked by the elements this time around.
    For the second straight year, the Hilltops (11-0 overall) and the Rams (12-0 overall) will face each other in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

    A year ago in fridge conditions with a high of -7 C at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Hilltops hammered the Rams 58-21 to win an unprecedented fifth straight CJFL title game.

    When the two sides face each other on Saturday at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C., Environment Canada is predicting showers with a high of 11 C.

    This time around, Sargeant said the Rams should have a higher comfort level playing out of familiar surroundings.

    “Number one, we are going into their barn,” said Sargeant. “Last year, it was cold, so the conditions played to us.

    “I think this year the conditions are more conducive to what they’re comfortable with. Anytime you go into someone else’s environment, that gives them a bit of an advantage. We’ve been there a few other times.”
    The Hilltops will have practised in temperatures below freezing all week in Saskatoon before departing for The Canadian Bowl early Friday morning.

Keegan Dicks, left, catches a Hilltops TD in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    Hilltops star middle linebacker Jadyn Pingue believes the only adjustment his side will have to make it getting used to playing at full speed again.

    “I feel like we’re going to come out there, and we’re going to be a lot faster,” said Pingue. “We’re practising on this field.

    “It is kind of icy, so we have to focus on being lower. When we get up there, we are looking forward to being able to be on the turf and being able to get our speed going. It is pretty much the exact opposite.
    “It is minus-10 here. It is supposed to be plus-10 there. I’m just looking forward to going to B.C. and playing a game.”

    Hilltops quarterback Tyler Hermann said the weather won’t have that much effect on the strategies used by his club’s side.

    “It (the weather) is significant in a sense,” said Hermann. “Our game plan doesn’t waiver too much.

Rams’ Nathan Murray (#34) in action in last year’s Canadian Bowl.

    “We’re going to be physical. We are going to be tough, and we’re going to mix in a little bit of deep ball and passing kind of stuff as well. That is pretty much what we are going for at the moment.

    “We’re just going to prepare in the cold for now I guess.”

    Besides meeting in the Canadian Bowl for the second straight year, the Hilltops and Rams will be going at it in the CJFL title game for the fourth time in eight years. 
    The Hilltops claimed the first two encounters, which were both played in Langley.
    In 2012, the Hilltops squeaked past the Rams 23-21. In 2014, the Hilltops posted a convincing 39-14 victory over the Rams, which started Saskatoon’s current run of winning the CJFL championship for five consecutive years.

    “None of my players on this team on this team have ever been out to Langley, so you know as coaches, we have to try and communicate and tell them about the environment and get them ready,” said Sargeant. “You look at the Langley Rams they are super athletic, they are very well coached and they love to make a lot of plays.”

“Sarge” appreciates well wishes from record 209^th win

Tom Sargeant has 209 career wins as Hilltops head coach.

    Tom Sargeant didn’t expect numerous heartwarming messages would pour in after his latest milestone win.

    On Nov. 2 in London, Ont., Sargeant picked up his 209^th career victory as the Saskatoon Hilltops head coach, when squad hammered the host Beefeaters 51-1 in a CJFL semifinal contest. The total put Sargeant one win ahead of retired Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal for the most in Canada’s amateur post-secondary football ranks.

    Sargeant has a 209-30-2 career record in CJFL regular season and post-season action since becoming the Hilltops head coach before the start of the 1998 campaign.

    McCrystal was the head coach of the Rams from 1984 to 2014, and they played 15 seasons in the CJFL and 16 campaigns in U Sports over that time as the University of Regina Rams. Over those 31 seasons, McCrystal compiled a 208-104-2 record as head coach in the regular season and post-season in both the CJFL and U Sports.

    After news spread about Sargeant’s latest milestone, the message of congratulations poured in.

    “There have been some very night gestures,” said Sargeant. “If you know me, I am a little embarrassed and humbled by it, because anything that I do as a coach, these are group accomplishments.

    “I can’t do anything alone without the support, the love of my family and then the loyalty and commitment of my coaches. Whatever comes my way I will take it, because I hope that everyone understands that it is filtering down to them too. I’ve had some extremely loyal coaches that are integral to any success that we have.”

    Sargeant has always said he isn’t a guy that keeps track of numbers. When he does achieve a milestone, he does worry that those around him might not get the credit they deserve as well.

    “Anything that comes my way, I hope I do a good enough job of spreading it,” said Sargeant. “A lot of times, I don’t do anything about it.

    “It doesn’t affect me. I just know I have to work harder the next day and get this team more better and more ready for the next task at hand. I’m certainly thankful for all of that.

    “As I said, it is a reflection of everyone around me way more so than me myself.”

Hilltops trio named CJFL defensive all-Canadians

Jadyn Pingue was named a CJFL all-Canadian all-star.

    Knowing the fact they will play for an unprecedented sixth straight CJFL championship, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Saskatoon Hilltops led the way in CJFL all-Canadian all-star selections on the defensive side of the ball.

    The CJFL announced its defensive all-Canadian all-stars on Wednesday, and the Hilltops had the most selections at three.

    Middle linebacker Jadyn Pingue was named an all-Canadian all-star after an outstanding campaign that saw him post 33.5 total tackles, one pass knockdown, one fumble recovery and one interception in seven regular season games.

    The fifth-year veteran was named the most outstanding defensive player and most outstanding linebacker for the Prairie Football Conference earlier in the post-season.

    Defensive tackle Jesse McNabb took home honours as an all-Canadian all-star for the second straight season. Playing out his final campaign of CJFL eligibility, McNabb posted 26.5 total tackles and three sacks appearing in all eight of the Hilltops regular season games.

    The CJFL showed major respect to Hilltops defensive back Colton Holmes naming him an all-Canadian all-star. Holmes played in only four of the Hilltops eight regular season games due to injury posting 17.5 total tackles, two pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery and one interception.

    Earlier in the post-season, Holmes was named the most outstanding defensive back for the PFC. He has yet to suit up for the Hilltops in the current post-season.

    Holmes attended the training camp of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and was on the team’s practice roster until rejoining the Hilltops.

    The Hilltops will face the Langley Rams in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl – on Saturday in Langley, B.C.

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.