Godson emerges as Hilltops big play threat

Ethan Godson has been a big playmaker for the Hilltops.

Ethan Godson is showing that big things can indeed happen, when preparation meets opportunity.

Playing in his fourth full season at receiver for the CJFL powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops, Godson is having a breakout campaign. Godson sits fifth in the Prairie Football Conference for most receiving yards at 376 after six regular season games.

The 22-year-old has put up career highs in catches (20) and receiving touchdowns (five) to go along with his career high in receiving yards.

In addition to his receiving totals, Godson sits second in the PFC for most punt return yards at 204 coming on 22 return attempts.

“I think I’m just getting a couple of more opportunities being an older guy now, and I’m making my plays,” said Godson. “I think that is all it is.

“I think I’m just capitalizing on every chance I get, and I get some confidence in the coaches to keep giving me the ball.”

During the 2021 campaign, Godson has been one of the Hilltops most consistent performers on offence. Saskatoon’s offence was plagued with inconsistencies in four of the club’s six regular season contests.

The inconsistencies haven’t stopped Godson from emerging as a big play threat, which is a development legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant has enjoyed seeing.

“He (Godson) is a great kid,” said Sargeant. “He has evolved coming in his fourth year.

“He has arrived. He is one of the biggest play receivers in the league. His punt return game is awesome.

“He hadn’t scored a touchdown in the league, and this year I think he has had five. It is good to see him get rewarded for putting a lot of time in during the off-season. He is an explosive talent for us.”

When Godson first began playing football in Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League, he actually started out as a quarterback. During his Grade 10 season of high school football with the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints, Godson elected to move to receiver as the Saints were being guided by a quarterback in his senior season.

Ethan Godson hauls in one of his five TD catches this season.

He found it wasn’t that hard to make the switch between the two positions.

“It wasn’t too bad, because obviously as a quarterback, you know all the plays,” said Godson, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 200 pounds. “It is not too hard with transition.

“You just go out there. I think I didn’t know any better. I just tried to make good plays.”

Godson enjoyed playing for Saints head coach Donnie Davidsen, who is also the Hilltops long time offensive line coach. The receiver credits the sideline boss for being one his biggest influences in helping him out in the game.

“He (Davidsen) has been around for quite a bit,” said Godson, who helped the Saints win a 3A provincial championship in 2016. “Him being around the Hilltops kind of got me to come here.

“I think Donnie (Davidsen) has helped me out quite a bit there.”

Godson helped the Hilltops win CJFL championships in each of his first three seasons with the team in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Of course, the 2020 campaign was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, but the Hilltops were able to hold six weeks for regular practices in September and October of that year.

The speedy pass catcher said he has improved considerably since joining the Hilltops.

“You come out every day for five years, I think you are going to get a lot better,” said Godson, who played baseball for the Saskatoon Giants under-18 AAA program. “I think I am a way different player than I was five years ago.”

Sargeant said Godson has become a more rounded receiver during his time with the venerable CJFL club.

“(Godson has improved) his hand placement and how he catches the ball,” said Sargeant. “He is really good at breaking tackles.

Ethan Godson has the fifth most receiving yards in the PFC.

“He just absolutely is the full package now. He is a great blocker in the run game. He is a full receiver, and he is a great special teamer.

“Ethan Godson is a heck of a football player.”

As the Hilltops head down the stretch run and into the post-season, Sargeant, who doubles as the Hilltops offensive coordinator, said the team is going to try and create more situations to allow Godson to make more explosive plays.

“We are going to wear him (Godson) out as much as we can,” said Sargeant. “Our quarterback play is developing with Damon Dutton.

“They are building chemistry. We want to wear him out. Every game, we should be throwing him the ball at least eight targets a game, because he always gives us big potential to make big plays.”

With two games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Hilltops sport a 4-2 record to sit second in the PFC. They hold a standings tiebreaker over the 4-2 Edmonton Huskies having swept the seasonal series between the two sides 2-0.

The Hilltops are looking to hold on to second place, which would allow them to earn a bye past the first round of the post-season and the opportunity to host a PFC semifinal game.

The Hilltops return to action on Sunday, October 17, when they host the Edmonton Wildcats (2-4) at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Last Sunday, the Hilltops downed the Huskies 34-20 at SMF Field. The Hilltops piled up 444 yards of total offence for their best overall outing of the season on that side of the ball.

Godson said the members of the Hilltops offensive unit believed they could have an outing like that.

“I think we’ve known the whole time that were only a couple of mistakes away from being where we were on Sunday (against the Edmonton Huskies),” said Godson. “It has been tough, and we’ve had to work through it.

“I think we knew what we had in us the whole time.”

Ethan Godson wants to continue making key plays for the Hilltops.

Godson said the confidence of the offensive unit grew from that performance.

“I think it is pretty good for sure,” said Godson. “That was a huge game for us, especially that first half.

“I think we were rolling pretty good. Just knowing that we can do it, I think that is the biggest thing.”

As the Hilltops move forward in the campaign, Godson is looking forward to the fact the Hilltops coaches are going create opportunities for him to make more explosive players in games.

“I think that is huge confidence with the coaching staff,” said Godson. “That is all you can ask for.

“I think it is great to have that.”

Hilltops’ Davidsen gets player of the week nod

Boston Davidsen got player of the week honours for a monster game.

Boston Davidsen’s monster game for the Saskatoon Hilltops has resulted in a player of the week accolade.

On Tuesday, the 20-year-old running back was named the offensive player of the week for the Prairie Football Conference of the CJFL. The nod for the weekly honour came as a result of Davidsen’s performance in the Hilltops key 34-20 victory over the Edmonton Huskies last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

In that regular season contest, Davidsen ran the ball 31 times for 221 yards and scored three touchdowns.

With the win, the Hilltops improved to 4-2, while the Huskies fell to 4-2. Thanks to sweeping the seasonal series against the Huskies 2-0, the Hilltops sit second in the Prairie Football Conference.

The top two teams in the PFC earn byes to host conference semifinal games in the post-season.

So far this season, Davidsen sits fourth overall in rushing in the PFC carrying the ball 69 times for 464 yards and scoring four touchdowns.

Linebacker Austin Daisy of the Calgary Colts was named the defensive player of the week for the PFC, while Colts placekicker Austin Griffiths was named the special teams player of the week for the PFC.

Daisy and Griffiths earned their accolades in the Colts 28-26 setback to the Rifles in Winnipeg last Sunday.

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Hilltops gain new appreciation for being together

Rylan Kleiter hauls in a pass at Hilltops practice.

Saskatoon Hilltops veteran safety Brant Morrow is pumped his studies at the University of Saskatchewan haven’t been his one life consuming thing.

For the last three weeks, Morrow has been able to head to Ron Atchison Field and practice with the Hilltops. The Hilltops have practiced every Tuesday through Thursday for the last three weeks and will continue to get together on those nights for the next three weeks.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, CJFL cancelled its entire 2020 campaign back on Aug. 6. Had the Hilltops on been practising, Morrow’s life would have been consumed with online classes at the U of S.

“For me, I woke up at 7 a.m. this morning, and I studied all day,” said Morrow after a practice this week. “That can’t be too good for the mental health sitting in one spot.

Brant Morrow goes into coverage during a Hilltops practice.

“Getting out here and seeing your friends running around, it is activity and socializing. They are the two best things for your mental health. It is the best part of my day.”

The venerable Hilltops are the CJFL’s most storied program. In their modern history since the club was reformed in 1947, the Hilltops have won 22 CJFL titles which included winning three different league championship trophies in the Leader-Post Trophy, the Armadale Cup and the Canadian Bowl.

The Hilltops have won nine of the last 10 CJFL championships and the last six CJFL titles in a row.

Over that time, the moniker “Hilltop family” has reached new heights in describing how close everyone associated with the historic team is.

Rylan Kleiter makes a catch at Hilltops practice.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there was a big fear the “Hilltop family” wouldn’t be able to get together this year. The practices have allowed the players, coaches and staff to get an extra jump in their step.

“It has been a tonne of fun,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant, who is the all-time wins leader in Canadian amateur football in the post-secondary ranks. “It is good to get around my buddies, my coaches, the guys, we work so hard together.

“It is good to get around these young athletes. They’re excited. It was fun to see everyone compete.

“The juices were flying, so that was good.”

Over the first two weeks, the Hilltops veterans practised in their own sessions on Tuesdays and Thursday. The club’s newcomers hit the field in sessions on Wednesdays and Thursday.

Brant Morrow makes a read during a Hilltops practice.

This past week, everyone took part in the same sessions from Tuesday to Thursday.

With all the changes that have come due to the COVID-19 pandemic, veteran Hilltops receiver/kicker Rylan Kleiter said everyone with the club has developed a new appreciation just to be able to get together for practice.

“It is kind of a welcoming feeling knowing that everybody is here again,” said Kleiter, who has played four seasons with the team. “Honestly, I’m just excited to see everybody again.

“It has been awesome to have everyone out here even just as a mental release to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Just getting the chance to see everybody out here again is a pretty sweet opportunity.”

Rylan Kleiter secures a catch last season for the Hilltops.

Of course, there are noticeable differences. Players are arriving at Ron Atchison fully dressed in all their equipment as the dressing rooms at the Hilltops clubhouse aren’t being used, which is a standard procedure at sports facilities during the pandemic.

Hilltops directors are on hand before practice to do temperature checks. There are frequent breaks to sanitize and get water.

The team runs through a lot of individual position drills before doing walk throughs of some of the offensive and defensive schemes the team runs.

Kleiter said arriving to practice already dressed in equipment brings back memories of playing minor football in the Kinsmen Football League.

“It is definitely different than what we are used to without the locker room camaraderie and all the other stuff outside of the football field,” said Kleiter, who is continuing to skill his high level curling team in men’s competition after winning four straight provincial junior titles. “We’re enjoying it just being out here.”

Brant Morrow celebrates a big play with the Hilltops in 2019.

Morrow said he misses the bonding time in dressing room.

“That is one of the best parts is the camaraderie in that locker room,” said Morrow, who has played three full seasons with the Hilltops. “I’m missing that a lot.

“Before practice, we get to talk a bit.”

Morrow enjoys getting locked in and focusing in on football, when he is on the field. He said you can tell the returning veterans have putting in good working during the off-season, because everyone looks in shape and are stronger and faster on the field.

When he sees the improvement in his teammates, Morrow wishes there could have been a season this year. Still, he all you can do is do the best with what has been dealt your way and prepare of 2021.

HC Tom Sargeant mans the Hilltops sidelines last season.

The Hilltops practices have helped perk up Morrow.

“It is good just getting back together with your friends and competing and getting better for next year,” said Morrow. “It takes your mind off of whatever is going on in your life.

“It is still our escape from life. We get come out here and have fun for a couple of hours and get better at football. Hopefully at some point, we can get some contact in this year.”

Sargeant said he believes the practices have helped the players, coaches and staffers on the mental health front, because it gets them all doing something they are used to doing. While Sargeant is normally upbeat and energetic, the sideline boss said the practice sessions have been a big help to him as well.

The Hilltops look forward to getting back to moments like this.

“I think it is huge, and that is one of the reasons we wanted to come together,” said Sargeant. “I think absence makes the heart grow fonder.

“It was really nice to see when we came together again just that spirit and that attitude and the care and love for each other. This has been good for everybody. We’re enjoying what it has brought us.

“It has just been a tonne of fun. It is good to get back on the old Hilltops field again. It makes me feel good.”

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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Klassen talks and walks a good game for Huskies

Colton Klassen (#7) breaks away from U of Calgary defenders.

    Colton Klassen is the sparkplug that fires the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team into action.

    The fourth-year star utility player has seemingly done everything that has been asked of him since he joined the Dogs. On offence, he can run the ball as a running back, block as a fullback and be a threat at any receiver in the passing game. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team returns kickoffs and punts too.

    The 23-year-old sets the tone and energy level for the Huskies, who are rated third in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, and is seemingly always on the go. He will be trying to do that again on Saturday, when the Huskies (4-2) travel to Vancouver, B.C., to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (1-5) for a U Sports regular season clash.

    Klassen enjoys engaging the opposition verbally, which is a characteristic fans often notice.

    “I’ve always been a chatty kind of guy,” said Klassen. “I find when I am playing and I am chatty and I am getting vocal I am playing better.

Colton Klassen breaks downfield after making a catch.

    “I know (Huskies head coach Scott) Flory doesn’t love it, but I know when I am chatty I usually have a decent game.”

    Klassen loves to be one of the vocal types that pumps his team up. He believes he brings an aspect that is needed on a team.

    The sure handed pass catcher said a football team needs all sorts of different personality types to be able to succeed.

    “Not everyone can be chatty, but you got to have a couple of guys or a few guys that are,” said Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds. “It is good to have those silent types too that show with their play, but I think that it is good to have guys that are vocal too.

    “I’m definitely one of the vocal guys on this team.”

    Klassen genuinely loves the sport of football too. He began playing at age 10 in Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League with the Raiders playing on defence.

    After his time in Saskatoon’s minor football ranks, Klassen starred for four seasons from 2010 to 2013 with the Crusaders. From, he played two campaigns in 2014 and 2015 with the CJFL’s Regina Thunder.

Colton Klassen led the Huskies in receiving last season.

    In 2015, Klassen was named the offensive player of the year for the Prairie Football Conference leading the conference with 911 yards rushing coming on 117 carries and scoring five touchdowns.

    Klassen said there are a lot of aspects to football that draws him to the game.

    “I think it is physicality and just the different positions,” said Klassen, who coaches six-on-six inner city youth football in Saskatoon. “You can’t just be one dimensional.

    “You have you O-line and your D-line your big, strong, physical guys. Then you have your receivers and your running backs who are quick and twitchy little guys. There is just so much going on when I think of the game.

    “I love the physicality of it is the biggest thing that caught my attention, when I was younger. That is why I am still playing it I think.”

    He was a big fan of the Huskies football team growing up, so jumped at the opportunity to join the team when legendary now retired head coach Brian Towriss came calling.

Colton Klassen leads the Huskies in receiving this season.

    “I always wanted to play Huskies since I was little,” said Klassen. “The Regina Thunder gave me a great opportunity to develop and grow as an athlete and just get bigger, stronger and faster.

    “As soon as our second season ended, I got the opportunity from Brian Towriss and (then special team coordinator) Brian Guebert at the time to come play Huskies. It was always a childhood dream, so when they gave me the opportunity I really couldn’t say no.”

    Klassen came to the Huskies as a running back in 2016 and led the team in rushing in 2017 carrying the ball 76 times for 395 yards and three touchdowns.

    Due to the fact the Huskies had a logjam at running back in 2018 with Tyler Chow suiting up for his fifth and final season and Adam Machart coming into his first campaign, Klassen was moved out to receiver.

Colton Klassen will play wherever he is asked to play.

    He led the Huskies with 676 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches coming on 38 receptions. For his efforts, Klassen was named a Canada West Conference all-star.

    Klassen played a key role in helping the Huskies winning the Hardy Cup last season as Canada West Conference champions breaking a drought that spanned back to 2006. They downed the University of Calgary Dinos 43-18 in the Hardy Cup title game.

    Going into the playoffs last season, the Huskies were trying to end a streak of losing eighth straight post-season games.

    “When I was younger, I remember coming to games with my grandpa or my parents,” said Klassen. “Looking back on it, winning the Hardy Cup last year was huge, because it has been so long since we’ve even won a playoff game let alone the Hardy Cup.

    “It is kind of surreal to think about it sometimes that I ended up here, and I am still playing and healthy. I’m just pretty blessed.”

    Flory, who is both the Huskies head coach and offensive coordinator, came up with the idea of moving Klassen to receiver in order to get Klassen’s talents on the field.

Colton Klassen holds on to a catch after taking a hit.

    “He (Klassen) is a running back by nature,” said Flory. “We have him at the slot.

    “We use him in different formations, and we can put him into the backfield. You can do a lot of things with a guy like that, and he is physical and he is fast.”

    Back on May 11 in Ottawa, Ont., Klassen helped Team West post a 35-17 victory in the East-West Bowl, which is an all-star game for top U Sports football prospects. He had five catches for 100 yards and ran back three kickoffs for 55 yards.

    So far this season, Klassen is again leading the Huskies in receiving catching 33 passes for 398 yards and two touchdowns. He has run the ball seven times for 60 yards.

Colton Klassen returns a kick for the Huskies.

    On special teams, Klassen tops the Huskies with 208 yards in punt returns coming on 17 opportunities. He has returned three kickoffs for 46 yards.

    He is happy he has been able to have a big impact in contests especially in the passing game.

    “It has worked out,” said Klassen. “I went out to East/West and played there and did well.

    “Flory is a guy you have to trust, because he knows best for what is best for the team. I’m really thankful that he moved me there, because I’ve definitely grown as a player. It has definitely made me a lot more versatile.”

    With the Huskies having two regular season games remaining before the start of playoffs, Klassen wants to be part of another long post-season run. 

Colton Klassen (#7) aims to celebrate more big plays with the Huskies.

    He wants the Huskies to break thru and win the Vanier Cup as U Sports national champions for the first time since 1998. U of S claimed the Vanier Cup in 1990 and 1996 as well.

    Since that last Huskies victory in the Vanier Cup, the Canada West Conference champ has only won the U Sports national title on two occasions coming with the University of Manitoba Bisons in 2007 and the Thunderbirds in 2015.

    Klassen believes the Huskies can pull off that feat this season.

    “You know what, we’re not satisfied with last year,” said Klassen. “It is awesome to look at after losing the Mitchell Bowl.

    “We want to host a home playoff game this year, and we want to bring home a Vanier Cup. I know right now that is my goal and that is the whole team’s goal as well.”

Shirley’s sick snipe highlight of the past week

Abby Shirley had a beauty winning snipe for the Huskies.

    Abby Shirley had a sick winning snipe that was worthy of the highlight of the night and week reels for most sports shows.

    Last Saturday at Merlis Belsher Place, the third-year forward netted the winning goal for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in a 2-1 victory over the University of Alberta Pandas from what seemed like an impossible angle in a U Sports regular season contest.

    With the teams locked in a 1-1 tie in the third period, Shirley had the puck just below and to the left of the dot of the left faceoff circle in the Pandas zone.  The 20-year-old roofed home the winning goal to the top left corner of the Pandas’ net popping the water bottle with 10:36 remaining to play in the frame.

    Shirley has shown she has the accuracy to make those types of snipes. She does needs to find opportunities to use her shot a little more.

    Shirley has eight goals in 55 career regular season games with the Huskies and two of her tallies have come in four appearances this season.

    Hopefully, Shirley will be encouraged to shoot more after her goal against the Pandas.

    During her final season in the female midget AAA ranks with the Saskatoon Stars in 2016-17, Shirley piled up 14 goals and 18 assists in 25 regular season games.

    She still has the offensive potential to make a difference for the Huskies. The Huskies (2-1-1) return to action on Friday, when they travel to Lethbridge, Alta., to take on the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (3-1).

Expect Huskies men’s hockey to rebound from 0-3-1 start

Expect Collin Shirley (#11) and the Huskies to rebound from a slow start.

    It is still early, but it is weird to see the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team sitting second last in the Canada West Conference.

    After four games, the Huskies have an 0-3-1 record to sit seventh in the eight-team conference. If the post-season started today, the Huskies would be on the outside looking in.

    With all that noted, it would be unwise to expect the Huskies to miss the post-season. They have made the playoffs for 23 straight campaigns and have usually battled for first or second place in the conference over most of that stretch.

    They have battled injuries on defence, which has caused them to struggle for numbers during their first two games on the back end.

    Last weekend, the Huskies were swept by their “forever rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton.

    In the second of those two contests played last Saturday, the Huskies battled hard before falling 3-2 in double overtime.

    U of S is starting to get players back on the back end and dressed a full complement of six defencemen in the setback last Saturday to the Golden Bears.

    Still, the Huskies were without Sam Ruopp and Colby Harmsworth on defence due to injury. Both log a lot of ice time, and the Huskies will be a lot better, when they return.

    Overall, the Huskies have too many veterans to fold up and fade away. Guys like captain Tanner Lishchynsky, Levi Cable, Logan McVeigh, Kohl Bauml, Andrew Johnson, Jordan Tkatch, Carson Stadnyk, Wyatt Johnson and Collin Shirley have been through way to many U Sports battles to be counted out.

    The Dogs are still backed by a star netminder in Taran Kozun and sound backup in Travis Child.

    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday, when they host the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (3-1) at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. Chances are high this will be the start of the turnaround for the Huskies.

Off the Leash Luncheon featuring Chelios set for Nov. 7

PROMO Time....Lets drop this right here.
11th Annual @HuskieOTLL in support of the @HuskiesMHKY . NOV 7th Chris Chelios and @TicTaylor 1130am @PrairielandPark @penguins @steelers @usask @HuskieAthletics
Get your Tickets: https://t.co/X6Gv9ZuAM3#HuskiePride #UnleashANewEra pic.twitter.com/xXJrvLIMBa

— Off the Leash Luncheon (@HuskieOTLL) October 16, 2019

    A defenceman that seemed destined to play in the NHL forever will be the guest speaker for the 11^th annual Off the Leash Luncheon .

    Former star NHL defenceman Chris Chelios will be speaker at the annual fundraiser for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team, which is set for Thursday, Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Prairieland Park.

    Chelios played 26 seasons beginning in 1983-84 to 2009-10 in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers.

    He appeared in 1,651 regular season games collecting 185 goals and 763 assists for 948 points. Chelios was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 and helped his teams win the Stanley Cup on three occasions.

    Before his days in the professional ranks started, Chelios played two seasons in the junior A ranks for the new defunct Moose Jaw Canucks from 1979 to 1981. He skated in 108 regular season games posting 35 goals and 96 assists for 131 points.

    Comedian Kelly Taylor is back to be the master of ceremonies for the Off the Leash Luncheon for the ninth time.

    Anyone looking for tickets for the Off Leash Luncheon can purchase them by clicking right here.

    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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Thunder finally get over Hilltops hump with comeback win

QB Sawyer Buettner throws the winning TD pass for the Thunder.

    Sawyer Buettner was pumped and relieved his Regina Thunder were finally the last team standing in a clash against the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    Trailing the Hilltops 26-21 with just under 2:47 to play in the fourth quarter of a Canadian Junior Football League clash Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Thunder found themselves set up on their own 30 yard line.

    Regina had lost its last six straight encounters with Saskatoon including action in the regular season and playoffs. 

    Four of those losses came by four-or-fewer points, where the venerable Hilltops, who have won the last three straight CJFL titles, always found a way to make two more plays than the Thunder to pull out victory.

    This time, the script was different. 

    Buettner, who is the Thunder’s star quarterback, drove his team 80-yards in two-minute drill style, and the march culminated with the signal caller hitting receiver Lee Brown with an eight-yard touchdown pass.

Receiver Lee Brown cradles the winning touchdown catch for the Thunder.

    After Brown’s catch, Buettner proceeded to hook up with receiver Levi Paul on a short five-yard pass for a two-point conversion to put the Thunder up 29-26 with 60 seconds to play.

    The Hilltops proceeded to march deep into Regina territory with their final possession, but Thunder defensive back Tyrel Latoski snuffed out the drive making an interception at his own five yard line with two seconds to play to ensure the 29-26 score held up as the final in Regina’s favour. The last time the Thunder prevailed over the Hilltops was back on Sept. 6, 2014 by a 26-25 final at SMF Field.

    “It was nice to finish the game off,” said Buettner. “It is kind of a relief to prove to ourselves that we can do it against a great team like the Hilltops, so it was good.”

Receiver Sam Mike (#4) celebrates a score to put the Hilltops up 26-21.

    The 20-year-old Moose Jaw, Sask., product added it had been some time since he helped win a game with a two-minute drill type drive.

    “I haven’t had one of those since high school,” said Buettner. “It was fun.

    “I told the (offence) we want to be great, when we have the last drive. I told the guys like I was proud of them no matter what happened.

    “We battled all the way back. It was just nice to score a touchdown there and win it.”

    Saturday’s game had a number of different swings. Right before the Thunder went on their game-winning scoring drive, the Hilltops had erased a slim 21-20 deficit, when quarterback Jordan Walls found veteran receiver Sam Mike with a short seven-yard touchdown pass to put the host side up 26-21. Saskatoon failed to score on a two-point conversion try after Mike’s major.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls threw for 351 yards in a setback.

    In the first quarter, the Hilltops tried to do their best to run away with the contest early. Saskatoon put together two long drives that ended in respective 20 and 25 yard field goals from safety/kicker James Vause, which gave the hosts a 6-0 edge.

    On the final play of the opening frame, Hilltops fullback Colin Stumborg muscled his way in from a yard out for a major score to put the Hilltops up 13-0.

    In the second quarter, Thunder kicker Eric Maximuik hit field goals from 29 and 35 yards out to cut the Hilltops lead to 13-6. With nine seconds to play in the first half, the Hilltops pushed out to a 20-6 lead, when Walls hit receiver Ryan Turple with a 13-yard scoring strike.

    The Thunder offence began to really hit stride in the second half but started out having trouble finding the end zone. On Regina’s first series of the second half, Thunder running back Ethan Hautz fumbled the ball away right before the Hilltops goal-line and Saskatoon defensive back Luke Melnyk recovered the ball in his own end zone to turn away the scoring threat.

RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette (#31) ripped off a long touchdown run.

    Regina’s next series was stopped thanks to an interception by Hilltops defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler deep in Saskatoon’s end of the field.

    With nine seconds to play in the third quarter, the Thunder finally found the end zone, when Buettner hit receiver Isaac Foord with an 11-yard scoring toss to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 20-13. Maximuik’s ensuing kickoff went 85 yards through the Saskatoon end zone for a single to further cut the Hilltops edge to 20-14.

    Around the midway point of the fourth quarter, the Thunder took their first lead of the contest, when star running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette burst 45 yards downfield for a major to put Regina in front 21-20. That set the stage for the dramatics in the contest’s final three minutes.

    “It (Saturday’s win) is a big one for us,” said Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay. “We haven’t had too much success against these guys in the last couple of years.

    “To be able to come up here into their own house and come out with this win, it is a big deal for our team. I think it is going to bring us a lot closer.”

The Hilltops defence forces a fumble near their goal-line.

    Buettner was pleased his side was able to overcome some re-occurring difficulties that helped the Hilltops build a six game head-to-head winning streak against the Thunder.

    “We’ve had issues with this team before of driving down and kicking field goals and turning over the ball, which we did today,” said Buettner. “When it counted, we drove down and we scored touchdowns when we needed to.

    “We came up big when it counted.”

    Buettner completed 33-of-40 passes for 374 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win for the Thunder. Walls connected on 27-of-41 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the loss for the Hilltops.

The Thunder celebrate their comeback win over the Hilltops.

    Saturday’s result creates a logjam at the top of the Prairie Football Conference standings. The Edmonton Huskies sit alone in first place at 4-0, while the Hilltops, Thunder and Winnipeg Rifles are all tied for second to fourth with identical 3-1 marks.

    The Calgary Colts sit fifth at 1-3, while the Edmonton Wildcats are last at 0-4. The top four clubs in the conference make the post-season.

    Having defeated the Thunder 37-20 back on Aug. 12 in Regina, the Hilltops hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker against the Thunder outscoring their provincial rivals 63-49 in the teams’ two regular season meetings.

    The Hilltops return to action on Sept. 17, when they travel to Calgary to face the Colts. The Thunder return home to face the Rifles on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at new Mosaic Stadium.

Kinsmen Football League celebrates 50^th season

KFL players were part of the halftime festivities at the Hilltops game.

    The players of Saskatoon’s Kinsmen Football League took centre stage during a halftime ceremony of the CJFL contest between the Hilltops and Thunder.

    To celebrate the league’s 50^th anniversary season, the teams from the amateur league were introduced to the crowd at SMF Field. It is estimated that around 450 players will suit up as part of the Kinsmen Football League this season.

    The league contains two age groups for players. The peewee age group is for players 11 and 12-year-olds. Peewee league games are played under Canadian nine-man rules.

    The league also contains a bantam age group for player 13 and 14-years-old. Bantam league games are contested under Canadian 12-man rules.

    A total of 41 players on the Hilltops current roster got their start playing in the Kinsmen Football League, which held its first season way back in 1968.

Thunder player with rare chronic pain condition needs funds

    A GoFundMe campaign was started on Thursday to help a Regina Thunder player, who is suffering a rare chronic pain condition.

    In 2015, Jarrett Seck was playing his third season of Canadian Junior Football League eligibility as a 20-year-old linebacker for the Thunder. He was also attending the University of Regina to become a physiotherapist.

    Seck was injured in a game in September of 2015 causing pain in his left leg. The pain never went away, and in December of 2016, he was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

    CRPS is believe to be caused by damage or malfunction of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The cause is not definitively known and there is no cure.

    Seck is forced to lay in bed all day. Having exhausted all treatments locally, the family is seeking treatments outside of Regina and Canada, and the expense is expected to be $81,000.

    Those looking to donate to help Seck can do so by clicking here.

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