Huskies finish in “Prime Time” style, thump Rams 44-9

Nelson Lokombo, right, returns a pick 98 yards for a Huskies touchdown.

    REGINA, Sask. – Nelson Lokombo was not going to go “Prime Time” with his celebration, but he provided a “Prime Time” finish for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

    With 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter of a U Sports rivalry regular season clash with the University of Regina Rams, Lokombo, who is a third-year defensive back for the Huskies, intercepted Rams starting quarterback Josh Donnelly. Following the pick at his own 12 yard line, Lokombo raced 98 yards the other way for a Huskies touchdown.

Nelson Lokombo makes his first of two interceptions on Friday.

    His scored put the Huskies up 41-9 and ultimately provided the exclamation point on a 44-9 victory on Friday night before 3,547 spectators at Mosaic Stadium.

    Lokomko said he was not thinking of doing a high-stepping dance from 10 yards in made famous by former NFL star defensive back Deion “Prime Time” Sanders.

    “I just wanted to finish the run and get there in the end zone and make sure I secure the ball and everything,” said Lokombo smiling and chuckling. “We needed the big play on defence, a turnover.

    “It was nice we delivered.”

Adam Machart (#20) celebrates a nine-yard touchdown pass reception.

    Lokombo was playing with a little extra motivation. His older brother, Boseko Lokombo, was in attendance for Friday’s game.

    Boseko is a linebacker for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes are in Regina to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday in a CFL regular season encounter, which allowed Boseko to check out Friday’s U Sport contest featuring Nelson.

    Nelson was happy the Huskies were able to put together a game, where they didn’t give up a touchdown, which marked a first for the team in the current U Sports campaign.

Adam Machart, left, charges to the end zone on a touchdown run.

    “We were out there and made some plays,” said Nelson Lokombo, who had two interceptions and sack on the night. “We gave up a few plays.

    “It is always fun when we are winning. It just goes to show that our game plan and our preparation truly feels great.”

    The Huskies, who are rated ninth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improved to 2-1 with the win, while the Rams fell to 1-2.

    The Dogs established themselves in Friday’s clash taking the ball for the first offensive series of the game. They drove 90 yards on 11 plays eating 6:33 on the clock cumulating their march with a nine-yard touchdown reception from running back Adam Machart on a swing pass for a 7-0 lead.

Mason Nyhus threw two touchdown passes for the Huskies.

    U of S’s first drive was kept alive by a contacting the kicker penalty assessed to the Rams.

    “I think we got off to a quicker start, which was huge,” said Machart. “That just kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.”

    Rams kicker Aldo Galvan booted a 28-yard field goal before the first quarter ended to cut the Huskies lead to 7-3.

    The Rams conceded a safety early in the second quarter, and the Huskies followed that up with Nyhus hitting star receiver Jesse Kuntz for a 14-yard touchdown reception to extend the visitor’s edge to 16-3.

    Galvan hit a field goal from 19-yards out to cut the Huskies lead to 16-6, and Huskies kicker David Solie responded with a 23-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 19-9 lead.

    Before the second quarter ended, Galvan hit a 32-yard field goal to trim the Huskies lead to 19-9. That was as close as the host side got on the scoreboard.

    The Huskies rolled off 25 unanswered points in the second half in the blowout win.

    “We had good energy,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “We had good physicality.

Jesse Kuntz hauls in a 14-yard touchdown reception for the Huskies.

    “There were a lot of good things. There is stuff we have to clean up. We had some more stuff that were mental busts that we have to make sure we clean up.

    “I am proud of the guys. They came into a hostile environment and the boys played really, really well. I am really proud of these guys.”

    Machart ran in a major from five yards out for the only score in the third quarter to put the Huskies up 26-9.

    The only major bad thing to hit the Huskies occurred after that score near the end of the third quarter when Nyhus was hurt on a delayed Rams blitz hitting his head on the Mosaic Stadium turf. He came back for one series.

    Flory said the team sat the signal caller as a precaution and expects Nyhus to be good to go for the Huskies next game. 

Rams RB Trey Campbell gets sent airbourne taking a hit on a kick return.

    U of S doesn’t play again until Saturday, Sept. 21, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears (2-1).

    Huskies first-year backup quarterback Ethan Watson looked good playing the rest of the way in relief.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Watson guided an eight-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that ate 4:57 off the clock. The series was capped when Watson threw his first touchdown pass of his U Sports career on a six-yard swing pass to running back Josh Ewanchyna to give the Huskies a 33-9 lead.

    “I am really high on him (Watson),” said Flory. “He can run.

Huskies LB Ramsey Derbas tackles Rams R Kyler Mosley (#85).

    “He can use his legs. He can push the ball down the field. We obviously were controlling him at that point and all the throws and that kind of stuff.

    “He is doing all the right things, and he has a really bright future.”

    Solie kicked a single on the ensuing kickoff to put the Huskies up 34-9. That set the stage for Lokombo’s pick-six.

    Solie completed the game’s scoring with a 30-yard field goal.

    Nyhus completed 15-of-26 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. 
    Watson connected on 4-of-6 passes for 46 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

    Machart topped the Huskies in rushing carrying the ball 17 times for 134 yards and one touchdown. He had three catches for 50 yards to go with his one major score through the air.

    The Huskies piled up 247 yards rushing as a team.

    Machart gave huge credit to the Huskies offensive line in left tackle Noah Zerr, left guard Mattland Riley, centre Connor Berglof, right guard Tanner Secord, right tackle Nick Summach and substitute Andrew Serke for the success the U of S side had.

Backup QB Ethan Watson threw well in relief work for the Huskies.

    “The O-line played unreal,” said Machart. “Holes like that, it is just so fun to be a running back.

    “When you have that type of blocking, it motivates you, because you want to make those guys proud. They give you that first initial block, so you have to go out and do the rest and make them proud.”

    Donnelly completed 16-of-30 passes for 315 yard, no touchdown and two interceptions for the Rams. The Rams were held to 55 yards rushing as a team.

    Riley Pickett, Evan Machibroda and Clovis Lumeka each had a sack for the Huskies

    Josh White and Eric Wicijowski had sacks for the Rams.

    The Rams return to action on Friday, September 20, when they travel to Calgary, Alta., to take on the University of Calgary Dinos.

    With the Huskies having won two straight, Machart is already pumped for his team’s next outing against the Golden Bears.

The Huskies meet their fans after Friday’s road victory.

    “It is going to be exciting,” said Machart. “I think we just have to carry this momentum and just keep building off of it and keep improving.”

    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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Huskies’ Nyhus polishes up for Regina homecoming

Mason Nyhus slings a pass downfield for the Huskies.

    Mason Nyhus wants to make his Regina homecoming his best start to date with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

    The 21-year-old quarterback, who is in his third-year of U Sports eligibility, has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his first two starts with the Huskies. The Huskies came out of those outings with a 1-1 record.

    Nyhus’s numbers were good over that time completing 53-of-76 passes for 619 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He knows those numbers need to be better, if the Huskies, who are the defending Canada West champions, are to make significant noise this season.

    The graduate of Regina’s Michael A. Riffel High School Royals football team will have his next chance to make a big impression in his hometown in a rivalry game. On Friday, the Huskies travel to Regina to face the University of Regina Rams (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in a U Sports regular season clash.

    “We still have a lot of work to work on for sure,” said Nyhus. “I’m still at home in Regina.

    “It is my hometown, so I can’t complain there. We should be good rolling into Regina here.”

    Going into the game against the Rams, Nyhus is still looking for that really big game where his total of touchdown passes and big plays in the passing game looks as impressive as his yardage total at game’s end. His longest completion this season is 33 yards.
    Last Friday at Griffiths Stadium, Nyhus guided the Huskies to a 40-7 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, but he admitted he made some throws where he tried to force a play to happen. 

Mason Nyhus has thrown for 619 yards in two games.

    He said he has a pretty good groove going with his receivers.

    “I’m very comfortable with the offence,” said Nyhus, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. “I know the playbook very well.

    “I had a few mistakes (against the Thunderbirds) that were just silly reads trying to make one too many plays. I’m pretty aggressive out there, so I have to know when to say when sometimes.”

    With that said, Nyhus said he still plans to take some calculated risks due to the faith he has in his teammates to be playmakers. The signal caller noted that star utility player Colton Klassen came through with a big catch on a throw that was made on trust.

    “Those are the types of plays I expect my guys to make,” said Nyhus. “I try to take care of the ball after that a bit more for sure.”

    Nyhus will be front and centre for one of the biggest storylines in Friday’s game going head-to-head against Josh Donnelly, who is the Rams new starting quarterback. Donnelly made one start for the Rams last season.

    In his two starts this season, Donnelly has completed 51-of-80 passes for 719 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. His longest completion has gone for 75 yards.

Mason Nyhus sets to throw a check down pass.

    Donnelly and Nyhus rate first and second respectively throwing for the most passing yards in the Canada West Conference.

    Huskies head coach Scott Flory said he likes his guy and added the fact Nyhus now has his first win as a starter will help going forward.

    “It is going to be the first of more with him there is no doubt about it,” said Flory. “He is a special kid.

    “He is a special talent, and he is only going to get better with each snap.”

    The Huskies will be looking for their first road win in the 2019 campaign on Friday. They opened the regular season on Aug. 30 traveling to Winnipeg, Man., and dropped a 43-19 decision to the University of Manitoba Bisons.

    U of S turned the ball over seven times in that contest, while the Bisons didn’t have a single giveaway resulting in the lopsided score.

    In the upcoming encounter against the Rams, the Huskies are expecting a big contingent of their fans will travel to the game in Regina. Still, Flory, who is a graduate of Regina’s Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School, cautions his squad will still be in unfriendly territory.

    “There are obviously going to be Huskie fans down there,” said Flory, whose team is rated ninth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. “It is not home.

Mason Nyhus (#8) calls plays for the Huskies.

    “It is not here with 6,000 fans. We have to play on the road. We have to learn how to win on the road.”

    Nyhus said it helps that his team is heading into the clash with the Rams on a winning note and has avoided falling into an 0-2 hole. While the Huskies want to improve their play in a number of areas, Nyhus said his squad has a lot of positives to build on as well.

    “We moved the ball in both games very well I thought,” said Nyhus. “We just eliminated turnovers.

    “We just protected the ball a bit better for sure. Everything is better after a win, so 1-1 is huge instead of 0-2 no doubt.”

Machart takes Canada West player of the week honours

Adam Machart had a big night in the Huskies win over the Thunderbirds.

    Running back Adam Machart was rewarded for his explosive effort in the U of Saskatchewan Huskies home opener.

    On Monday, Machart, who is in his second season with the Huskies, was named the offensive player of the week in the Canada West Conference. Machart claimed the player of the week honours for his huge outing last Friday in the Huskies 40-7 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds at Griffiths Stadium.

    In that contest, Machart carried the ball 15 times for 134 yards and scored two touchdowns. On top of that, he caught five passes for 39 yards.

    Defensive back Wesley Bookland from the U of Alberta Golden Bears was the defensive player of the week, while running back and kick returner Michael Ritchott of the U of Manitoba Bisons was the special teams player of the week.

Abrook flies to PFC player of the week honours

Ben Abrook (#32) flies through the air for the Hilltops winning TD.

    Ben Abrook has the Saskatoon Hilltops most memorable touchdown so far of the 2019 campaign, and he now has a play of the week tag added to his efforts.

    On Wednesday, Abrook was named the offensive player the week for the Prairie Football Conference for helping the five-time defending Canadian Junior Football League champion Hilltops improve to 4-0.

    Last Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Abrook carried the ball 30 times for 128 yards and scored two touchdowns to push the Hilltops past their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder 28-21. The Hilltops improved their overall winning streak to 23 games with the victory.

    With the Thunder holding a 21-20 lead, Abrook dived into the end zone from a yard out with 33.4 second remaining in the fourth quarter to score the winning touchdown for the Hilltops. Saskatoon added a two-point conversion after Abrook’s winning major.

    Defensive back Brandyn Martin of the Thunder was the PFC’s defensive player of the week. Martin had six-and-a-half total tackles, an interception and a pass knockdown in the setback to the Hilltops.

    Linebacker and kick coverage specialist Hunter Lawson of the Edmonton Wildcats was the PFC’s special teams player of the week.

    The Hilltops return to action on Sunday, September 22 at 1 p.m. against the Calgary Colts (1-3) at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Hilltops add “J.F.” stickers on helmets for Filteau

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant, left, embraces Ron Filteau, middle.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops have added “J.F.” stickers on their helmets to remember the late Justin Filteau.

    Filteau played linebacker for the Hilltops from 2010 to 2014 helping them win Canadian Junior Football League titles in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. He was a CJFL all-Canadian all-star in the 2014 championship campaign.

    Filteau, who was born and raised in Moose Jaw, Sask., died in a small plane crash on June 1 at age 26.

    The Hilltops are wearing “J.F.” stickers on their helmets this season to remember Filteau. They invited Filteau’s parents, Ron and Nancy, to their game last Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, where they downed the Regina Thunder 28-21.

    Ron and Nancy came out to centre field before the game for a moment of silence with family member of two Hilltops directors who passed away this past off-season.

    Filteau was a member of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies from 2015-17 and his memory was honoured last Friday in the Huskies 40-7 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds at Griffiths Stadium. Ron and Nancy were on hand having been invited to that game as well.

    Filteau was an assistant coach for the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints football team. This season, the Saints are remembering Filteau by wearing yellow game socks with “J.F.” stitched on one sock and his #45 stitched on the other sock. 
    The Saints are also wearing stickers on their helmets to remember Filteau.

Ron and Nancy Filteau visit with Andrea Eccleston, right.

    Filteau was an assistant coach for the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. He passed while en route to meet up with the Valkyries for a regular season game in Regina.

    The Valkyries wore stickers on their helmets to remember Filteau and dedicated their season to him. They finished the 2019 campaign winning the WWCFL title posting a perfect 9-0 overall record.

    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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