Boston Davidsen has rushed for 891 yards this season.
Boston Davidsen will always be a team first guy, even when
he is close to a big personal milestone.
Through seven games of the CJFL regular season, the
Saskatoon Hilltops star power running back has carried the ball 133 times for
891 yards and five touchdowns. He needs to run for 109 yards in the Hilltops
final regular season game to achieve the milestone of rushing for 1000 yards in
one season.
The Hilltops, who are 4-3, also need to win their last game
of the regular season to keep the possibility of hosting a PFC semifinal
playoff game alive. They close the regular season hosting the Calgary Colts
(2-5) on Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
At the same time when the Hilltops are facing the Colts, the
Edmonton Huskies (5-2) travel to Regina to take on the Thunder (7-0) at Leibel
Field. A Hilltops victory combined with a Huskies loss will see both club sport
5-3 records and give Saskatoon second place in the PFC and the right to host a
PFC semifinal against the Huskies.
The ’Toppers hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker with
the Huskies having won the lone regular season encounter between the two sides
38-10 back on August 21 at SMF Field.
Davidsen is aware how close he is to 1,000-yards rushing,
but he said his mind is focused on helping the Hilltops secure a win against
the Colts.
“It is far from a guarantee that we will get there (to
1,000-yards rushing),” said Davidsen, who leads the PFC in rushing. “I think
more importantly we have a game (against the Calgary Colts) that we have to
win.
Boston Davidsen (#24) hits a hole created by his offensive line.
“If we win and things go our way, we’ll get a home playoff
game in the first round. That is what we are focused on. If I can contribute to
that win by running the ball, then I am all for it.
“If I need to block, I’ll do whatever it takes. That win
comes first.”
As Saskatoon leads the PFC in rushing with 1,463 yards,
Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knows his team’s path to victory calls for
being strong on the ground. The legendary sideline boss said his team will be
trying to get Davidsen to 1,000 yards rushing for the season, because his
success along the ground gives the Hilltops a better chance to win.
While Davidsen has had a good season, Sargeant believes his
standout has found another gear in recent weeks.
“The last couple of games we’ve played better, and one of
the reasons is because Boston (Davidsen) and the O-line are playing better,”
said Sargeant. “He (Davidsen) is doing a heck of a job reading his holes and
making good decisions.
“You look at his performance he did last year he is a heck
of a runner there. We know what he is all about. We’ll rally around that, and
that will be one of our goals as we head into our last game of the year of
trying to get Boston (Davidsen) over that mountaintop, because he deserves it,
the O-line deserves it and the offence deserves it and the team deserves it.”
Last season, Davidsen had a breakout campaign finishing second
in the PFC with 634 yards rushing coming on 98 carries, where he scored six
touchdowns. The graduate of the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints
football program is aware that the players on the offensive line would be
pretty pumped, if they could say they blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher.
Boston Davidsen can pile up the yards in traffic.
“It might even show more success on their part than it does
on mine,” said Davidsen, whose father, Donnie, is the Hilltops offensive line
coach. “Without a successful O-line, you’re not going anywhere.
“They’re the ones creating the lanes for you allowing you to
get your yards. They’re the ones that take a lot of pride in it too. They’ve
been keeping me I guess updated with the stats even maybe more than myself just
trying to I guess motivate me to hit that mark.”
The last Hilltops player to hit the 1000-yard plateau in rushing
was Ben Abrook, who accomplished the feat in 2019 when Saskatoon capped a run
of winning the CJFL title in six straight years. That season, Abrook ran the
ball 199 times for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns.
During the Hilltops 2018 CJFL championship season, Josh
Ewanchyna hit the 1,000-yard plateau. Suiting up in seven regular season games,
Ewanchyna carried the ball 134 times for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Wayndel Lewis is currently the third last player to hit
1,000-yards rushing in a season. During the Hilltops 2014 CJFL championship
season, Lewis carried the ball 130 times for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns
while being named the CJFL’s offensive player of the year.
Current Hilltops running backs coach Andre Lalonde holds the
Hilltops team record for most rushing yards in one season set in his final
campaign as a player in 2013. In that season, Lalonde carried the ball 182
times for 1,367 yards and seven touchdowns while being named the CJFL’s
offensive player of the year.
Boston Davidsen can power his way through attempted tacklers.
Davidsen said one of his biggest influences on his career is
Lalonde.
“I owe a tonne of my success to him,” said Davidsen. “He’s
led the way.
“He has been a good leader for me, a good coach and a good example
to follow. All of the technique and stuff we use, it is taught by him. He is a
major part of our team’s success and the running backs’ success.”
Looking towards the Hilltops final regular season game,
Sargeant said it is special when a running back can reach 1,000 yards rushing
in a season. With the PFC traditionally being the CJFL’s toughest conference,
Sargeant said that makes getting to 1,000-yards rushing that much more
impressive a milestone on top of the fact the Hilltops have had their struggles
this season.
The sideline boss said it would be a memorable moment, if
the Hilltops could get Davidsen to 1,000-yards rushing.
“When you break this league down, it is not easy, especially
with the way we’ve been playing,” said Sargeant. “It is credit to everybody
that he is in this situation, but most importantly him.
“He has put in the time. He does everything right, and as I
said, everyone is going to rally around him.
Boston Davidsen, left, is focused on helping the Hilltops win games.
“He’d be embarrassed if we’re talking like this behind him
with these accolades. That is just who he is. At the end of the day, he is one
heck of a football player, and he makes the Saskatoon Hilltops better.”
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
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.
Mason Nyhus threw for 303 yards for the Huskies on Saturday.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team gambled
and lost.
The University of Western Ontario Mustangs were able to turn
one early third quarter play into an avalanche that allowed them to win the
Vanier Cup as U Sports champions 27-21 on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval
in Quebec City, Quebec, before 5,840 spectators.
On the final play of the first half, Huskies kicker David
Solie booted a 24 yard field goal to give his squad a 12-10 lead.
On the opening kickoff of the third quarter, Huskies kick
returner Josh Ewanchyna ran the ball back 44 yards to the Mustangs 51 yard
line. The Huskies appeared to be in a good spot to build on their slim lead.
The ensuing offensive possession saw the U of S face a third
and one situation from the Mustangs 42 yard line. The Huskies sent in their
short-yardage offence to make the conversion.
Ewanchyna lined up at running back, got the ball and was
tackled inches short of the first down by third-year Mustangs linebacker Zach
Lindley to cause a turnover on downs.
At that point, momentum jumped on the side of the Mustangs
in a big way.
Two plays after that failed gamble, Mustangs first-year
quarterback Evan Hillock connected with veteran receiver Griffin Campbell on a
50-yard pass and run touchdown toss to put the London, Ontario-based squad up
17-12.
That score was the start of what seemed like an avalanche
run that saw the Mustangs outscore the Huskies 17-2.
At the 7:43 mark of the third quarter, the Huskies pinned
the Mustangs in bad field position causing the Ontario side to concede a safety
to trim the Mustangs edge to 17-14.
After getting out of that jam, the Mustangs closed the third
quarter with Hillock connecting with Campbell on a perfectly executed bubble
screen pass play that went 17 yards for a major score. After that seven-play scoring
drive that covered 72 yards, the Mustangs were now exiting the third quarter
holding a 24-14 advantage.
Josh Ewanchyna scored the Huskies final TD on Saturday.
The Mustangs surge concluded with a 37 yard field goal from
kicker Brian Garrity at the 2:59 mark of the fourth quarter to increase
Western’s lead to 27-14.
While there was still lots of time remaining in the fourth
quarter at that point, the Huskies were never able to get a game-changing big
play to get the traction they needed to start the rally. The Huskies defence
wasn’t able to get any interceptions or fumble recoveries.
The Mustangs defence did a great job in not giving up the
big play.
The Huskies did move the ball offensively, but they needed
to put together efficient multiple play drives to score. U of S’s longest play
on offence in the game was a 26-yard pass to star fifth-year utility player
Colton Klassen.
After the Huskies got the Mustangs offensive momentum to
fizzle out, the Dogs put up a major on a one-yard touchdown run from Ewanchyna
to cut the Mustangs lead to 27-21 with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth
quarter.
U of S attempted an onside kick to try and get the ball back
for a miracle finish, but Western blocked the play up perfectly to allow
sophomore running back Keon Edwards to field the ball. The Mustangs proceeded
to run out the clock with two running plays and a kneel down to take their
eighth U Sports championship in team history with the 27-21 win.
Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall was a part of four of those wins guiding the squad to a Vanier Cup champions in 2017 and serving as a Mustangs assistant coach for Vanier Cup title victories in 1989 and 1994.
While the weather conditions were expected to favour the
Huskies being -11 C with an eight kilometre an hour wind creating a field that
was frozen and slippery, the Mustangs came out and played a solid game in those
conditions like they were a U Sports or CFL team based in one of the Prairie
provinces.
On the first offensive series of the game, Western put
together a five-play scoring drive that covered 70 yards that culminated in a
25-yard touchdown run by fifth-year running back Trey Humes for a 7-0 lead.
Before the first quarter ended, the Huskies got a 26-yard
field goal from Solie to cut the Mustangs lead to 7-3.
At the 5:03 mark of the second quarter, the Huskies jumped
ahead 9-7, when star quarterback Mason Nyhus hit third-year receiver Daniel
Perry on a 22-yard touchdown toss. Solie’s point after attempt was stuffed at
the line of scrimmage, which prevented the Huskies from going up by three
points.
The Mustangs retook the lead with 3:20 remaining in the
second quarter on a 23-yard field goal from Garrity for a 10-9 edge.
Adam Machart had 78 yards rushing and 82 yards receiving.
That set the stage for Solie to make his kick that put the
Huskies in front 12-10 at halftime and lead up to the failed third down
gamble on the Huskies first series of the third quarter.
While the failed gamble ultimately snowballed on the Huskies
and was the turning point in the contest, the U of S coaching staff made the
right call in deciding to go for it at that point in the game.
Huskies head coach Scott Flory coaches in a style that is a
mix of his former Huskies head coach in the legendary Brian Towriss and two of
his former CFL head coaches with the Montreal Alouettes in the late great icon
in Don Matthews and cerebral standout Marc Trestman.
Matthews was the type of coach that believed at certain
points in any contest you have to gamble and go out and win the game.
The Huskies throughout their history are known for their
great offensive lines, and U of S can be rightfully dubbed “O-line U.”
Putting in a jumbo set for a third-and-one gamble, you have
to believe your players can go out and get that yard. If the Huskies succeed in
that gamble, they might have finished that first possession drive of the third
quarter scoring a touchdown for a 19-10 advantage.
At that point, the game plays out quite a bit differently
that it did.
Even if the Mustangs got the stuff, the Huskies had to
believe there was still plenty of time to recover from that missed chance.
To the Mustangs credit, they made that Huskies missed gamble
turn into a costly one.
When the dust settled, Nyhus finished having an outstanding
game for the Huskies completing 28-of-40 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown
pass and no interceptions. Huskies star running back Adam Machart ran the ball
16 times for a team high 78 yards and caught eight passes for 82 yards.
Klassen topped the Huskies with 95 receiving yards coming on
seven catches.
Riley Pickett had 1.5 tackles for a loss for the Huskies.
Defensive back Cameron Skinner led the Huskies with seven
total tackles, while defensive end Riley Pickett had 1.5 tackles for a loss. He shared a tackle for a loss with fifth-year linebacker Clovis Lumeka.
Hillock showed he is potentially on the cusp of a stellar
career with the Mustangs completing 18-of-29 passes for 274 yards, two
touchdowns and no interceptions. He took home the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game’s most outstanding player.
Campbell caught six passes for a game high 104 yards to go
with his two touchdowns.
The Mustangs piled up 209 yards rushing as a team with five
different players getting rushing attempts.
Mustangs fourth-year defensive back Daniel Valente Jr. had a
game high 8.5 tackles taking home the Bruce Coulter Award as the defensive player of
the game.
Defensive linemen Deionte Knight and Malcolm Hinds had
single sacks for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs finished the campaign with a 10-1 overall
record, while the Huskies concluded the season with an 8-2 overall mark.
The Vanier Cup loss brings an end to the U Sports careers of
seven Huskies players in Klassen, Lumeka, Kyle Newton, Carter Dahl, Finley
Easton, Nick Summach and Yol Piok, who were all played out their fifth and
final seasons of eligibility.
That group helped the Huskies win a Canada West Conference
title in 2018 and another conference championship this season in making the run
to the Vanier Cup game.
Before those two post-season runs, the last time the Huskies
had won the Canada West title and advanced to the Vanier Cup game was 2006.
The Huskies are still searching for their first Vanier Cup
win since 1998. In total, they’ve won the U Sports title on three occasions
including 1990 and 1996.
After the Huskies weren’t able to hit the field in 2020 as
the Canada West Conference season and the Vanier Cup were cancelled due to the
coronavirus (COVID-19) campaign that has gripped the world, the 2021 return
season for the Huskies was a remarkable one.
Colton Klassen had 95 yards receiving on Saturday.
They returned a strong core group of players that took the
program to heights it hasn’t reached in some time.
The Huskies have once again been able to see what the Vanier
Cup looks like. You can bet this will help motivate the returning players and
add to the realization that reaching the U Sports mountaintop again is something
that can be realistically achieved in future seasons.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
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.
Ben Abrook piled up 206 yards rushing for the Hilltops on Sunday.
Ben Abrook
didn’t question his head coach when it came to hitting the 1,000-yard mark for
rushing in a season.
Before the
current season started, legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant challenged
Abrook with the goal of rushing for 1,000 yards this season. Abrook was
entering his third year with the team, but was in his first year holding the
starting role at running back.
Last season
with one start and relief duty, he had a strong campaign appearing in all eight
of the Hilltops regular season games running the ball 83 times for 503 yards
and scoring six touchdowns.
On Sunday
at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Abrook roared past the 1,000-yard plateau
for the season. In a 49-22 romp over the Winnipeg Rifles in a CJFL regular
season clash played before 902 spectators, Abrook ran the ball 18 times for 206
yards and scored two touchdowns.
Ben Abrook (#32) follows his blocking downfield.
In helping
the five-time defending CJFL champion Hilltops post a 7-0 record, Abrook has run
the ball 180 times for 1,114 yards and scored seven touchdowns on the campaign.
Upon
obtaining the impressive milestone, Abrook reflected back to the goal he talked
about with Sargeant in the pre-season.
“I thought
if he (Sargeant) believes it I can maybe get it then,” said Abrook. “That is
awesome.
“It helps
me. It helps my confidence, so I’m glad I was able to get her done.”
While
Abrook entered Sunday’s contest needing to rush for 92 yards to hit the
1,000-yard mark, the Hilltops remained committed to being balanced on offence.
Ben Abrook (#32) breaks downfield on a 52-yard touchdown run.
The Rifles
had the first possession to start the game, and that quickly turned into a
second possession, when the Hilltops fumbled a punt return away. The ball was
recovered by Rifles defensive back Bryce Marino.
Winnipeg
was forced to attempt a 38-yard field goal, but kicker Alex Minor hit the left
upright on his try resulting in no points and the Hilltops taking the ball on
their own 20 yard line.
On their
first play on offence, Hilltops quarterback Tyler Hermann hit receiver Dillan
Heintz with a deep pass, and Heintz took the play 90 yards for a touchdown and
a 7-0 lead for the host side.
That play
seemed to back off the Winnipeg defence, and Abrook went to work. Abrook
exploded out of the gates in the first half carrying the ball 16 times for 192
yards and scoring both his touchdowns helping the Hilltops build a 35-8 lead by
halftime.
Keegan Dicks (#3) helps celebrate at TD run by Ben Abrook (#32).
He had the
Hilltops second major score on a 16-yard run to give the Hilltops a 14-0 lead
at the 4:37 mark of the first quarter.
Late in the
second quarter, he broke off a 52-yard run for his second major that put the
Hilltops up 28-8.
“The O-line
was just blocking so hard,” said Abrook. “The receivers were blocking well.
“We were
able to spring some big runs. It was awesome. It looked great out there.”
Kicker/receiver
Rylan Kleiter hit field goals from 12 and 27 yards out and recorded a point
from a missed 40-yard field goal attempt for the Hilltops in the first half.
Hermann hit
fifth-year receiver Tanner Rhode on a deep slant pass for a 65-yard touchdown
toss to round out Saskatoon’s first half scoring.
Ben Abrook, left, has 1,114 yards rushing on the season.
Winnipeg
punter Dallas Opiola scored a point on a 63-yard punt single, while running
back Brandon Urciuoli ran in a touchdown from three-yards out to account for
the scoring for the visitors in the first half.
Abrook ran
the ball twice more on the Hilltops first offensive series of the second half
to get over 200-yards rushing for the game before being rested for the rest of
the contest. Saskatoon completed that series with fifth-year receiver Connor
Graham making an acrobatic 26-yard touchdown catch on a pass from Hermann to
put the Hilltops up 42-8.
The Hilltops O-line allowed Ben Abrook to surpass 1,000 yards rushing.
Sargeant
was pumped to see Abrook surpass the 1,000-yard mark in rushing.
“That is
just awesome,” said Sargeant. “You know any time you have a 1,000-yard rusher
that speaks volumes to your program, to the players within the program and to
the mindset of the program.
“We love to
run the ball. This is as good as I’ve seen Benny (Abrook) look. He looked fast
today.
“We’re
going to build on that. I’m excited for next week as the games get a little
more important now.”
The Hilltops’ defence stops the Rifles on a third-and-one gamble.
The
Hilltops scoring for the rest of the way was rounded out field goals from 40
and 15 yards out by Kleiter and a 52-yard punt single from fifth-year defensive
back Kirk Morrow. Morrow tried out the punting duties for the Hilltops in the
second half.
The Rifles
scoring was rounded out by starting quarterback Riley Naujoks hitting receiver
Eric Klein with a 20-yard touchdown toss, a one-yard touchdown run from
Urciuoli and conceded safety by the Hilltops.
The Rifles
tried to make two-point converts after both of their second half touchdowns,
but they came up empty on both tries.
Winnipeg
fell to 1-6 with the loss and was eliminated from playoff contention.
Hilltops right guard Taylon Elderkin runs the ball for 13 yards.
“This was a
big game for the Rifles, so we knew we had to match their intensity,” said
Sargeant. “I am more than confident that we did.
“We had a
little bit of a lull in the third quarter, when we put our second and third
stringers in. At the end the day, I am happy. There are a lot of plays out
there.
“There is a
lot of fun and a lot of good energy. Once again, we got to unload the bench,
and it makes us all feel good as coaches, players and families.”
Hermann
completed 10-of-19 passes for the Hilltops for 254 yards, three touchdowns and
no interceptions.
Naujoks
connected on 20-of-38 passes for the Rifles for 270 yards, one touchdown and
one interception. Winnipeg backup quarterback Kyle Logan entered the contest
for a relief appearance competing 7-of-13 passes for 121 yards.
QB Tyler Hermann (#12) threw three TD passes for the Hilltops.
Winnipeg
receiver Jake Roger caught seven passes for 137 yards.
Defensively,
fifth-year defensive end Tristan Hering had a sack for the Hilltops, and
fifth-year defensive back Logan Kelsey-Stern had an interception. Linebacker
Riley Keating topped Saskatoon with 6.5 total tackles.
Linebacker
Barrett Mueller had a big day for the Rifles making 10 total tackles and
recovering a fumble.
The
Hilltops have won their last 26 games in a row including action in the regular
season and playoffs.
With Abrook
surpassing 1,000-yards rushing for the season, it marked the second straight
year the Hilltops had a runner break the 1,000-yard mark in rushing.
Last
season, Josh Ewanchyna, who now plays for the University of Saskatchewan
Huskies football team in U Sports, surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the
Hilltops. In 2018, Ewanchyna appeared in seven regular season games for the
Hilltops carrying the ball 134 times for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The Hilltops Cheerleading Team performs at halftime.
Abrook was
happy to break the 1,000-yard mark as tribute to the team’s offensive line. The
Hilltops starting five on the offensive line in left tackle Mason Ochs, left
guard Ryder Klisowsky, centre Patrick Arno, right guard Taylon Elderkin and
right tackle Jonathan Chisholm blocked for the bulk of Abrook’s yardage.
Ochs,
Klisowsky, Arno and Elderkin were on the Hilltops starting offensive line last
season that helped produce Ewanchyna’s 1,007-yard rushing season.
Tristan Hering had a sack for the Hilltops.
“I’m super
excited for those guys (on the offensive line),” said Abrook. “They’re unreal.
“They are
an athletic O-line, and they play hard every game, so I was happy I was able to
get that for us and as a team.”
The
Hilltops will now close their regular season schedule this coming Sunday, when
they host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-5) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football
Field.
It isn’t
likely Abrook will be able to surpass the Hilltops record for most rushing
yards in one regular season in that contest.
That mark
is held by current Hilltops running backs coach Andre Lalonde. In his final
campaign as a Hilltops running back in 2013, Lalonde ran the ball 182 times for
1,367 yards and seven touchdowns in eight regular season games.
Lalonde was
the CJFL’s offensive player of the year and an all-Canadian all-star that
season.
Going
forward, Abrook said the focus will be on improving as a team week in and week
out.
“It is just
forget about what we’ve done,” said Abrook. “Whoever we play next, we need to
play them hard.
The Hilltops hope to enjoy more big games from Ben Abrook (#32).
“We just
try and play our best game of the season and keep going.”
With one
week to play in the regular season schedule of the Prairie Football Conference,
the PFC semifinal playoff matches, which are expected to be held on Sunday,
Oct. 20, have been cemented.
The
Hilltops will host the Wildcats in one semifinal, while the Regina Thunder
(5-2) and the Edmonton Huskies (5-2) will go at it in the other semifinal. The
host site for the playoff clash between the Thunder and Huskies depends on the
results of the final week of regular season play.
The Calgary
Colts (1-6) will miss the post-season for a third straight year.
If you have any comments
you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
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.
Ethan Watson (#5) calls signals for the Huskies on Friday night.
If Ethan
Watson has to come to the rescue, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies
football team will still be in good hands.
The 19-year-old Calgary, Alta., product is the
Huskies backup quarterback. He was a redshirt last season and is in his first
year of eligibility this season.
If all went
according to pre-season plans, he wasn’t expected to see the field much outside
of entering games for mop up work. That changed last Friday night during a U
Sports regular season game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
Near the
end of the third quarter with the Huskies holding a 26-9 lead on the University
of Regina Rams, Huskies starting quarterback Mason Nyhus went down taking a hit
on a delayed blitz. He banged his head on the turf, came back for one series
and sat out the rest of the game as a precaution.
Nyhus was
helping Watson and the Huskies coaches from the sideline, when Watson was at the
controls.
Watson went
in for what was in all reality his first live action that counted in the final
outcome of a game. At that point in the contest, the Rams could potentially
mount a comeback.
The Huskies
utilized a more cautious play calling scheme for Watson, but gave way to allow
him to make plays as the rest of the contest went on.
Ethan Watson fires a pass downfield for the Huskies.
Watson, who
stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, completed 4-of-6 passes for 46 yards and
his first career U Sports touchdown. He ran the ball three times for 20 yards.
Early in
the fourth quarter, Watson guided an eight-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that
ate 4:57 off the clock. He ended the march hitting running back Josh Ewanchyna
on a six-yard swing pass that went for a touchdown.
That score
gave the Huskies a 33-9 lead. They ultimately claimed the contest 44-9.
After the
game, Huskies head coach Scott Flory was pleased with the production he got
from Watson.
“I am
really high on him (Watson),” said Flory. “He can run.
“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.”
Going
forward, Nyhus is still the Huskies unquestioned starter at quarterback. With
that said, Watson showed well enough one wonders how good he might play going a
full week taking the reps as the starter at practice.
Huskies
starting running back Adam Machart said it was great to see Watson enter the
game and do well on Friday.
“It is good
for us,” said Machart. “It was good for Ethan (Watson) to get out there and get
some reps.
Ethan Watson is elusive on the ground.
“He did an
awesome job, so I was super proud of him.”
Huskies
defensive back Nelson Lokombo, who return an interception 98 yards for a major
after Watson’s touchdown pass, said it perked up the Huskies defence to see the
offense was still moving with Watson at the controls.
“It is
awesome knowing that you can count on other guys to come in if somebody goes
down and produce,” said Lokombo.
At the
moment, Nyhus is pegged to be the starter when the Huskies return to action
this coming Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the
University of Alberta Golden Bears in a battle of 2-1 teams.
If Watson
has to enter that contest for meaningful minutes or even start, the Huskies will
still be able to roll.
Superman pose draws the flag
Jesse Kuntz hauls in a touchdown reception for the Huskies.
Early in
the second quarter of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies 44-9 romp over the U of
Regina Rams last Friday at Mosaic Stadium, Kuntz hauled in a 14-yard touchdown
reception in the west corner of the north end zone to put the Huskies up 16-3
at that point in the contest.
Back in
2013 at the Grey Cup held at Taylor Field, Saskatchewan Roughriders star
receiver Geroy Simon made a diving 15-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter
in almost an identical spot at that iconic facility to Kuntz’s grab last
Friday. Simon’s touchdown sparked the Roughriders to a 45-23 romp over the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
After Kuntz
made his touchdown catch on Friday, he broke out Simon’s old “Superman pose” to
celebrate the score. Kuntz did the celebration in a perfect spot for Huskies
official team photographer Josh Schaefer to get a picture of that moment.
Schaefer
got a number of gems in last Friday night’s game, and I am sure that was one of
them.
The
officials weren’t as impressed. A penalty flag was thrown for unsportsmanlike
conduct.
With the
clash between the Huskies and Rams being a rivalry game, the flag was likely
the officials message to both teams they were going to crack down on acts like
Kuntz’s celebration to prevent tensions from escalating.
Still, the
celebration was something that was fun, and I myself wouldn’t mind seeing it
again.
The awkward spy camera
The Mosaic Stadium big screen camera loved Mason Nyhus.
It seemed
like the big screen camera at Mosaic Stadium last Friday seemed to be in love
with hometown Regina product Mason Nyhus at an awkward time.
Nyhus, who
is the starting quarterback for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies, went down late
in the third quarter of his team’s 44-9 romp over the host U of Regina Rams. He
bumped his head on the turf after taking a hit on a delayed blitz.
After the
hit, the camera for the big screen at the stadium stayed on Nyhus as he came
off the field and remained on him for a lengthy time when he was being looked
at by the Huskies training staff. After the big screen cut to a play that was
being run, the camera shot would be back to what was going on between Nyhus and
the trainers.
This
happened about two or three times. The Huskies players that didn’t dress
decided to act as a screen for the camera.
Friday’s
game was being shown on the television network run by SaskTel. It is likely the
football on the big screen was dictated by the television broadcast.
Still, that
whole situation felt really awkward, and it seemed to be trying to discover if
the Huskies would do something wrong.
At game’s
end, the Huskies tabbed the awkward camera as a non-issue.
“We’re
focused, we are here to play our game, and that’s it,” said Huskies head coach
Scott Flory. “It is every snap.
“We’re not
getting into the extra-curricular and all that other stuff. We’re just playing
a clean game and getting back to Huskie football.”
“Baby Shark Dance” burn song fail
The Huskies celebrate a pick-six from Nelson Lokombo.
Before U
Sports football games, it is common to introduce the opposing team with a burn
song, but the one used at Mosaic Stadium in Regina last Friday was a fail.
When the
visiting U of Saskatchewan Huskies were introduced for their rivalry clash with
the U of Regina Rams, the “Baby Shark Dance” was played over the facility’s
stereo system when the Huskies came on to the field.
The Huskies
romped to a 44-9 victory. The biggest highlight came late in the fourth quarter
when third-year defensive back Nelson Lokombo returned an interception 98 yards
for a touchdown to put the visitors up 41-9 at that point in the contest.
The Huskies
defensive team celebrated the score running across the end zone making a shark
fin motion with their hands on top of their helmets.
As far as
the “Baby Shark Dance” song went, the Huskies defence got the last laugh.
“Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” song fail
The Huskies love, TDs, wins and “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”
The game
crew at Mosaic Stadium in Regina seemed to be good at song fails last Friday
night.
After the U
of Saskatchewan Huskies thumped the U of Regina Rams 44-9 in a U Sports regular
season football contest, the game staff decided to play The Guess Who’s
“Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon.”
That move
drew laughs from some of the Huskies players, who follow action in the Western
Hockey League especially last season’s WHL playoffs.
Due to the
fact the Saskatoon Blades lost an intense six game series to the eventual WHL
champion Prince Albert Raiders, a number of the Huskies players know that
“Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” is played at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert
every time the Raiders beat the Blades.
That tune
is also played at the Art Hauser Centre on the hockey front every time the
midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos beat either the Saskatoon Blazers or the
Saskatoon Contacts and when the female midget AAA Prince Albert Northern Bears
beat the Saskatoon Stars.
After
“Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” was played at the U Sports contest last Friday at
Mosaic Stadium, the Huskies players got a kick out of the move, because it was
played after their side won in convincing fashion.
With all
that noted, the crew at U of Regina Athletics will have a couple of chances to
get that song burn right in another intense rivalry between the two schools
namely the Huskies versus U of Regina Cougars rivalry in women’s hockey.
It is
fairly well known that Cougars head coach Sarah (Howald) Hodges loves the
Huskies women’s hockey team about as much as getting a root canal from a
dentist without anaesthetic.
The Cougars
host the Huskies on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. and again Friday, Feb. 7, 2019
at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.
You can
already see someone on the U of R game staff all set to make that song
selection for a game-clinching empty net goal and post-game after a win.
If they
need any help on that front, they could always call in the services of Art
Hauser Centre music man Dennis Ogrodnick.
For those
on the university front that are unfamiliar with the story of “Runnin’ Back to
Saskatoon” as it relates to the hockey rivalry between Saskatoon and Prince
Albert, I wrote a piece on that last February that can be found right here.
For those
that don’t know the song, it is used in a video put together by Chanda Ulmer
that can be seen below.
Huskies gave greatest song burn in 1999
The StarPhoenix sports front from Sept. 13, 1999.
The best
song burn ever in the history of U Sports has to go to the U of Saskatchewan
Huskies from way back in 1999.
It occurred
before the first ever U Sports regular season football meeting between the
Huskies and the U of Regina Rams. The Rams had just moved to the U Sports ranks
after spending 45 years in the Canadian Junior Football League from 1954 to
1998.
The Rams
wrapped up their time in the CJFL ranks winning the league title in five out of
six years from 1993 to 1995 and in 1997 and 1998.
The Huskies
entered the 1999 campaign as the defending Vanier Cup champions and had also
won the U Sports national title in 1996 and 1990. The two sides met on Sept.
11, 1999 in a highly anticipated encounter at Griffiths Stadium.
The Huskies
entered that contest with a 1-0 record having downed the UBC Thunderbirds 28-20
at Griffiths. The Rams were 0-1 falling 37-28 to the U of Manitoba Bisons at
Taylor Field in Regina. Both of those games were held on Sept. 4, 1999.
Leading up
to the clash between the Huskies and the Rams, U of R defensive end Ciaran
Gilmore told the incomparable Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post the Rams
needed to play new music in their dressing room.
“We need to
be tougher,” said Gilmore. “We listen to the Backstreet Boys in the locker room
and everyone knows the words.
“I hate
that! We need to work on our mental toughness.”
At the
time, teams were introduced by individual player introductions either with the
starting offence or defence. The Rams defence was announced with Gilmore
leading the way.
When he
entered the field, the game staff at Griffiths played “I Want It That Way” by
Backstreet Boys.
The Huskies
spotted the Rams an early 11-0 lead. The Dogs then got going and rolled off 42
straight points and ultimately posted a 56-12 curb stomping.
How
dominate were the Huskies in that first encounter?
They piled
up 440 yards rushing as a team on 43 carries. The Rams had 244 yards of total
offence in that game.
Due to how
that contest played out, a song burn likely never worked out any better.
When “Barney from the bowling alley” stirred
the pot
Darrell Utley liked to take shots at the Regina Rams.
Back when
the U of Saskatchewan Huskies and U of Regina Rams met for the first time in a
U Sports regular season game in 1999, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix ran regular stir
the pot type columns from a freelance writer named Darrell Utley, who was known
as “Barney from the bowling alley.”
In those
days, the sports department of the StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post had a
lot more of their own distinct voices that were influenced and mirrored the
views of their respective communities. Those voices weren’t streamlined similar
ones often produced in the current day with both outlets being owned by
Postmedia in Canada’s budget cut media era.
Utley
indulged in stirring the pot in the rivalry between Saskatoon and Regina, and a
couple of his favourite targets were the Rams and their legendary head coach
Frank McCrystal.
When the
Rams played the Huskies in their first regular season encounter on September
11, 1999, Utley wrote quite the humourous and biting column taking shots at the
Rams.
In one
paragraph, Utley wrote, “For the next few years the rivalry will likely play
out this way: The Huskies will host the Rams once at Griffiths Stadium, the
Rams will return the favour at Taylor Field and the Huskies will enjoy
post-season playoff action in November and the season for the Rams will end and
the defensive line will have lots of free time to study for their underwater
soap-carving final.”
Another
paragraph from Utley went, “McCrystal and his Rams have nothing to lose today
(except the game) as his historic squad of Christians face a hungry pack of
howling lions who are running out of pinkies for championship rings.”
Utley of
course was making reference to a long standing perception that the Rams were a
Catholic football coming from the fact McCrystal had a long career as a teacher
in the Regina Catholic school system.
After the
Huskies destroyed the Rams 56-12 in that first contest, the StarPhoenix sports
staffers did take some shots at the Rams in their post-game stories that
appeared in the Monday, September 13, 1999 edition of that paper.
One common
refrain was it would take the Rams three to five years to do anything of
substance at the university level.
The Rams
proved that wrong by winning the Hardy Cup as Canada West champions and making
the Vanier Cup in 2000 falling 42-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
Looking
back, columns like the ones Utley wrote are a lost art, and it did create lots
of interest in games. In today’s world, people are so thin skinned you would be
hard pressed to find that type of writing anywhere.
It does
give you a grin to look back and see what once was.
Flory pumps up his offensive line
The Huskies starting offensive line has been great this season.
The last
word of this post goes to U of Saskatchewan Huskies head coach Scott Flory,
because Flory is that cool.
Going into
this season, Flory was asked how many yards would his current talented and
tough running backs Adam Machart and Josh Ewanchyna pile up if he, Kevin
Lefsrud and Kelly Bates were leading the way on the offensive line.
Flory,
Lefsrud and Bates all had lengthy CFL careers and Flory made it to the Canadian
Football Hall of Fame as a player. The trio helped lead the way in the Huskies
Vanier Cup championship in 1998 and Flory and Lefsrud keys on the Huskies
Vanier Cup winner in 1996 as U Sports national champions.
That trio
allowed running back Doug Rozon to become the Huskies all-time leading rusher
piling up 4,086 yards in five seasons from 1995 to 1999.
With all of
that said, Flory said he likes his current offensive line that includes
standout starters in left tackle Noah Zerr, left guard Mattland Riley, centre
Connor Berglof, right guard Tanner Secord and right tackle Nick Summach.
“Our O-line
is better now than us old guys back then, I’ll tell you,” said Flory. “You look
at our offensive line and the size and the speed and how these guys move, it
makes our quarterbacks and running backs happy.”
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
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.
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.
-------
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.
