Invincible – Hilltops and Thunder are not

Squads built PFC leading records on work ethic

David Collins (#10) races downfield for the Hilltops.

The Saskatoon Hilltops and the Regina Thunder are vulnerable.

That seems like a strange thing to say about two squads that are cemented to finish in the top two of the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference in 2025. The Thunder lead the PFC with a 6-1 mark, while the Hilltops are second at 5-2.

All PFC teams are currently on a bye week and they all have one regular season contest remaining on their respective schedules.

The Hilltops and Thunder split their two head-to-head games in their regular season series playing to a tie 39-39 score in those two contests. At the moment, the Hilltops hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker holding a 121 differential in points for and against in the regular season. Regina has a 104 differential in points for and against.

The Thunder can lock up top spot in the PFC by winning their final regular season contest against the visiting Edmonton Wildcats on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field. If the Wildcats pull off an upset, the Hilltops would be able to move back into first place in the PFC by winning their final regular season contest against the visiting Calgary Colts on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The Hilltops and Thunder first went head-to-head on September 6 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Saskatoon pulled out an 18-15 victory in a defensive slugfest.

The two sides met again this past Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Thunder prevailed in this encounter 24-21.

It is common to see the Hilltops and Thunder in the top two of the PFC. In 2025, it doesn’t feel like those two clubs are head and shoulders above everyone else like in past years.

During their first encounter, it felt like both sides had their starting quarterbacks in Hilltops pivot Brexton Elias and Thunder signal caller Adam Mosher act as game managers and play into the hands of their respective defences. There was more offence in the second encounter resulting in a more exciting contest, but there still seemed to be a reliance on the running game on both sides.

Peter Boersch leads the PFC with 1,117 yards rushing.

The signal callers on both sides haven’t played to a superstar level, which would make one club or the other untouchable. 

Regina saw that type of quarterbacking in the past at the CJFL level not with the Thunder but when Darryl Leason quarterbacked the Regina Rams from 1992 to 1995. Leason would again be the Rams signal caller in 2000 and 2001 after they moved to the U Sports ranks in 1999.

Saskatoon saw that type of quarterbacking when the late Chase Bradshaw was calling signals for the Hilltops from 2007 to 2011. The Hilltops also got stellar quarterbacking from Jared Andreychuk and Jordan Walls through most of the 2010s making the Saskatoon side fairly close to invincible.

With that noted, it feels like the players including the quarterbacks on the Hilltops and Thunder are bringing the work ethic and giving everything they have in 2025. When those clubs have posted lopsided victories against other foes in the PFC, those results were created by hard work.

Offensively, the Hilltops and Thunder are mirror images of each other in 2025. The Thunder top the PFC with 1,844 yards rushing, while the Hilltops are second with 1,680 yards rushing.

The passing attacks for both squads are at the other end of the spectrum. The Thunder are last in the PFC with 1,183 yards passing, and the Hilltops are second last in the PFC with 1,310 yards passing.

Traditionally, the Thunder are usually a pass-happy team that mirrors their U Sports cousins and CJFL predecessors in the Rams.

On defence, the Hilltops have given up the fewest gross yards of offence at 2,234, while the Thunder have surrendered the second fewest gross yards at 2,375.

Brexton Elias directs traffic on the run for the Hilltops.

For both teams, it makes sense to rely on the running game as both have strong offensive lines. The running backs on both sides are next level.

Thunder running back Peter Boersch had turned into a legitimate star leading the PFC in carries (156) and rushing yards (1,117) to go with three majors on the ground. Regina has also benefited from the strong play of sophomore running back Carter Ashman.

American import running back David Collins has had a spectacular campaign in the lone season he will be able to play for the Hilltops. 

The 22-year-old has carried the ball 114 times for 909 yards and 11 touchdowns. Collins sits second in the PFC in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns.

Saskatoon has benefitted from the strong play of veteran running backs Corbin Ebben and Charles Sawi.

On defence, Saskatoon has lots of big play players like middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk and defensive tackles Johnathon Stevens and Nahom Menghestab. Regina also has a lot of big time players on defence including middle linebackers Devin Baumann and Kenten Effa along with boundary cornerback Cooper Filazek.

At quarterback, Elias and Mosher feel like they have much greater potential than they’ve shown. During the CJFL post-season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both had breakout games.

Still, it feels like the Hilltops and Thunder could potentially be upset in their respective PFC semifinal games, if they are not at their best. One squad that could cause upset wins is the 3-4 Winnipeg Rifles.

The Rifles thumped the Hilltops 31-11 on August 10 at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg. 

Adam Mosher calls out signals for the Thunder.

On top of beating the Hilltops, the Rifles were one unsuccessful two-point conversion away from upsetting the Thunder falling 41-40 on September 21 at Maple Grove Rugby Park.

With that noted, the Hilltops and Thunder could continue to keep bringing top efforts, which ultimately leads to one squad winning another CJFL championship. In that situation, the winning coaching staff will have a special sense of pride for their players in how far they have come over the campaign.

Going forward, another PFC final between the Hilltops and Thunder is expected, but in the back of the mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both teams didn’t make it that far. They have to continue to bring a top level work ethic to have a third meeting in the 2025 campaign.

PFC players of the week nods Thunder heavy

Jake Mayo is the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

An exciting win over their provincial rivals have resulted in Regina Thunder players claiming two of the three PFC player of the week awards.

On Tuesday, Thunder cornerback Jake Mayo was tabbed as the PFC’s defensive player of the week, while Thunder place kicker/punter Shawn Green was the special teams player of the week. Both had big outings in their team’s 24-21 victory over the Saskatoon Hilltops this past Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

In the Thunder victory, Mayo intercepted two passes returning one pick 34 yards for a touchdown with 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Mayo also had four solo defensive tackles and one pass knockdown.

Green made his lone field goal attempt from 35 yards out and connected on all three of his one-point converts. He punted 11 times for 373 yards for an average of 33.9 yards per kick. Green kicked off four times for 174 yards for an average of 43.5 yards per kick.

Edmonton Wildcats receiver Mekhi Tyrell took honours as the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts in his team’s 28-26 setback this past Sunday to the Winnipeg Rifles at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg. Mekhi caught 11 passes for 160 yards and carried the ball once for 23 yards. On special teams, Mekhi returned three punts for 30 yards and one kickoff for 15 yards.

Shawn Green is the PFC’s special teams player of the week.

All teams in the PFC have one game remaining on their respective regular season schedules. The Rifles hold third place at 3-4, while the Edmonton Huskies sit fourth at 3-4. The Wildcats are fifth at 2-5, while the Calgary Colts are sixth at 2-5.

The top four teams in the conference make the CJFL playoffs.

All six PFC teams will play their final regular season contests on Sunday, October 12.

The Huskies will host the Rifles at Jasper Place Bowl at 1 p.m. local time. The winner will lock up third place in the conference. A tie would clinch post-season berths for both squads.

The Saskatoon Hilltops (5-2) host Colts at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, and the Regina Thunder (6-1) host the Wildcats at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.

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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“Sarge” shoulders blame in Hilltops loss to Thunder

Regina prevails 24-21 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field

The Thunder celebrate a pick-six by Jake Mayo (#9).

Legendary Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant is falling on the sword.

On Saturday night before 1,766 spectators at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Sargeant saw his Hilltops drop a heartbreaking 24-21 decision to their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder in a CJFL regular season clash. The Hilltops trailed 17-7 at halftime and after three quarters until furiously trying to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter.

The win saw the Thunder improve to 6-1 and move alone into first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference. The Hilltops saw their five game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 5-2.

“You know at the end of the day we got out coached,” said Sargeant. “It is as simple as that.

Hilltops QB Brexton Elias threw four interceptions on Saturday.

“My player sure played hard today. I thought they competed. They grinded right to the very end.

“At the end of the day, I didn’t put my players in the best spots to be successful, so I own that. Obviously, I’ve got to do a better job of coaching this football team. That is pretty obvious today.”

While the victory moved the Thunder to the top of the PFC standings, they were not able to clinch top spot in the conference. That is because the Thunder and Hilltops split their two head-to-head games in their regular season series playing to a tie 39-39 score in those two contests.

At the moment, the Hilltops hold the head-to-head standings tiebreaker holding a 121 differential in points for and against in the regular season. Regina has a 104 differential in points for and against.

Jake Mayo had two interceptions for the Thunder.

The Thunder can lock up top spot in the PFC by winning their final regular season contest against the visiting Edmonton Wildcats on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field. If the Wildcats pull off an upset, the Hilltops would be able to move back into first place in the PFC by winning their final regular season contest against the visiting Calgary Colts on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The team that finishes first in the PFC will have home field advantage through the entire CJFL playoffs, because the PFC champion will host the CJFL championship game – The Canadian Bowl.

Both the Thunder and the Hilltops are guaranteed to finish in the top two of the PFC standings and will host PFC semifinal games.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant said he got out coached.

In Saturday’s clash, the turnover battle proved to be the undoing of the Hilltops. Saskatoon turned the ball over five times, while Regina committed two turnovers.

Hilltops quarterback Brexton Elias would take his first loss as the team’s starter. He completed 16-of-29 passes for 240 yard and one touchdown, while throwing four interceptions. Elias also ran the ball four times for 26 yards.

Sargeant said coaching errors resulting in Elias having a tough day in the turnover department.

“I love how Brexton (Elias) rallied up, and he put is in the position (to win),” said Sargeant. “He is a playmaker.

Jackson Harnett had a 72-yard TD run for the Thunder.

“He is trying to grind at the end and make plays. That is what we coach him to do. He did everything we needed him to do.

“He gave is a chance, and we just didn’t finish it at the end.”

Elias was appreciative that Sargeant wanted to shoulder the blame, but the signal caller said he had to cut down on his mistakes and same goes for all the players on the team.

“The coaches coached their ass off, and they gave us a good game plan,” said Elias, who is in his fifth and final season of CJFL eligibility. “We had to come out and execute, and we made a few mistakes and a few too many.

“A good team like that is going to take advantage when a team like us makes mistakes. They (the Hilltops coaches) will keep coaching us up, and we’ll keep executing plays. We’ll try to beat them (The Thunder) next time.”

David Collins ran the ball 19 times for 106 yards and two TDs.

Near the start of Saturday’s contest, it appeared the Hilltops would be the big beneficiaries in the turnover department. Early in the first quarter, Hilltops fourth-year defensive end Noah Chelsom recovered a fumble on the Thunder 19 yard line.

On the very next play, Elias connected with fifth-year receiver Isaiah Vallderruten on a 19-yard touchdown pass coming off a corner pattern to give the hosts a 7-0 lead.

A short time later, Hilltops kicker Ryden Gratton tried to hit a 40-yard field coach to increase Saskatoon’s lead. He was wide, and Carter Ashman ran the ball out of the end zone for the Thunder.

On the ensuing offensive series, receiver Jackson Harnett ran home a touchdown from 72 yards out taking the ball at the quarterback position on a sweep play to the left. Harnett’s major evened the score at 7-7 at the 8:50 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Hilltop Cheerleading Team performs at halftime.

The contest would remain tied until Thunder kicker Shawn Green nailed a 35-yard field goal with 50.7 seconds remaining in the second quarter to give the visitors a 10-7 edge.

On the Hilltops ensuing possession, Elias was intercepted by Thunder cornerback Jake Mayo to set the Regina side up at the Saskatoon 36. Thunder starting quarterback Adam Mosher capped a short scoring drive hitting receiver Andrew Sweeney with a 17-yard touchdown pass to push the visitor’s lead out to 17-7 with 25.5 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

“It was just a mistake on my part,” said Elias. “I’ve got to make better decisions in the pocket.”

After a scoreless third quarter, the Hilltops attempted to rally. Just past the midway point of the fourth quarter, Hilltops star running back David Collins ran in a major from four yards out to cut the Thunder lead to 17-14.

Peter Boersch ran the ball 24 times for 129 yards on Saturday.

Saskatoon would proceed to stop Regina defensively and get the ball back. With 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter, Mayo would intercept Elias for the second time on the night, but Mayo ran this pick back 34 yards for a touchdown to push the Thunder lead out to 24-14.

The Hilltops answered with a quick scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Collins with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut Regina’s lead to 24-21.

With two timeouts at their disposal, the Hilltops proceeded to kick off deep and forced the Thunder to punt the ball away one last time. Saskatoon’s attempt at a rally finally came to an end when Thunder defensive halfback Jackson Ashman came up with a game-sealing interception.

Isaiah Vallderruten caught five passes for 97 yards and one TD.

“Obviously, you want to get the comeback,” said Elias. “The boys were rallying together and just couldn’t make it happen in the last fourth quarter.

“Obviously, we want to get a comeback and win that game.”

Collins ran the ball 19 times for 106 yards to go with his two rushing majors for the Hilltops. Vallderruten had five catches for 97 yards to go with his receiving touchdown.

Mosher completed 9-of-17 passes for 117 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for the Thunder.

Thunder star running back Peter Boersch ran the ball 24 times for 129 yards break the 1000-yard rushing barrier for the season. On the campaign, Boersch has carried the ball 156 times for 1,117 yards and three touchdowns leading the PFC in carries and rushing yards.

A Thunder receiver and a Hilltops defensive back collide.

Middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk topped the Hilltops with 7.5 total tackles. Outside linebacker Zaden Taylor has six total tackles, one quarterback sack and one pass knockdown for Saskatoon.

Defensive end Kohl Thomson had six total tackles and one quarterback sack for the Thunder. Joey Palagian, who is also a defensive end, also had one quarterback sack for Regina. Middle linebacker Kenten Effa had six-and-a-half total tackles for the Thunder.

Mayo had four solo defensive tackles and a pass knockdown to go with his two interceptions for the Thunder. Defensive halfback Marcus Butz also had an interception for the Thunder.

While Saturday’s loss was a tough one, Sargeant said his squad will be focused on making corrections as the 2025 campaign hits its final stretch.

Hilltops R Khyler Kok, right, eludes a Thunder defensive back.

“We get back in the lab,” said Sargeant. “We look at the game tape.

“We look at how we can coach better, and maybe there are a few things that they can do to play better. Then in the long run, we just keep growing this football team. This is game seven.

“We’ve got one more regular season game, and then here comes the playoffs. Hopefully, we all learn from the process, and we get excited and engaged in the process, and we figure out how we can make this team a better football team.”

The Thunder and Hilltops were co-winners of the Shrine Bowl.

NOTE – The Shrine Bowl is awarded annually to the team that wins the head-to-head season series between the Hilltops and Thunder. With the total score of the two head-to-head games between the two sides coming out as a 39-39 tie, both clubs will be listed as co-winner of the trophy in 2025.

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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Not pretty – Hilltops grind out 18-15 win over Thunder

Brexton Elias made his first CJFL start at QB on Saturday.

As far as clashes between the Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder go, Saturday’s regular season contest at Mosaic Stadium in Regina was not a football Mona Lisa.

Both CJFL powerhouses tried to do their best to emulate the NFL’s 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens won the Super Bowl in that campaign leaning on a ferocious defence led by middle linebacker Ray Lewis and game managing quarterback Trent Dilfer, who focused on not turning the ball over.

Going at it in a defensive slugfest, the Hilltops found a way to get past the Thunder 18-15. The result saw the records of both clubs move to identical 3-1 marks, where the Hilltops hold the standings tiebreaker for first place in the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference due to their head-to-head win over the Thunder.

Hilltops fifth-year quarterback Brexton Elias returned from injury and made his first career CJFL start on Saturday. Elias was penciled in as the club’s starter going into the campaign but got injured during the pre-season and missed the team’s first three regular season games.

The Thunder countered with 20-year-old signal caller Adam Mosher, who is playing out his first campaign as Regina’s starter.

Both Elias and Mosher successfully filled their respective roles as game managers and didn’t make any mistakes to cost their respective club’s the contest. They did not in any way emulate classic head-to-head encounters between NFL icons Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

With 3:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, Thunder kicker Shawn Green booted a 40-yard field goal to push his club’s 12-11 lead out to 15-11. At that point in time with how the contest was going, it appeared that Thunder advantage would hold up to be the winning score.

The Hilltops took the ball on the ensuing series on their own 35 yard line. On the first play of that drive, they got a beneficial defensive pass interference call on a 50-50 jump pass toss to receiver Luke Bednarek as he was covered by Thunder defensive back Lorrin LeBlanc.

Just two plays after that call, Elias hit Bednarek for a 34-yard completion that got the Hilltops down to the Thunder 22 yard line. As the march continued, the Hilltops found themselves facing a third and goal at the Thunder 10 yard line.

Isaac Michayluk returned from injury for the Hilltops.

Elias threw the ball into the end zone to receiver Isaiah Vallderruten drawing a legitimist defensive pass interference call on Thunder defensive back Jake Mayo, who both arrived early and wrapped his arms around Vallderruten’s head.

Hilltops breakout star running back David Collins ran home a touchdown from one yard out on the ensuing play to put the Hilltops up 18-15 with 2:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. The major score was his second of the contest.

The visitors preserved victory forcing the Thunder to go scoreless on their final two offensive series. With the Hilltops facing a third down with three seconds to play, Elias pulled out a Henry Burris game style closing play by bombing the ball downfield to successfully run out the final three seconds on the clock.

The scoring buildup to the final 3:33 of the fourth quarter was a slow one. The two sides exited the first quarter locked in a 2-2 tie after the Hilltops conceded a safety and then the Thunder conceded a safety.

Regina proceeded to conceded another safety early in the second quarter to allow the Hilltops to take a 4-2 lead. With 4:24 remaining in the second quarter, Collins ran home a touchdown from three yards out for his first major score of the night to push Saskatoon’s lead out to 11-2.

Before the second quarter ended, Green hit a 29-yard field goal for the Thunder to trim Saskatoon’s lead to 11-5.

With about 5:24 to play in the third quarter, Thunder breakout star running back Peter Boersch broke off a 51-yard run on a fake punt to get the ball down to the Hilltops eight yard line.

After gaining two yards on the next two plays, the Thunder faced a third and goal from the Hilltops six yard line. Mosher proceeded to hit receiver Lucas DI Iorio with a six-yard touchdown pass to push the Thunder ahead on the scoreboard 12-11.

That set the scene for the dramatics in the final 3:33 of the fourth quarter.

After returning from injury, Elias wasn’t spectacular, but he gave the Hilltops their most sound performance from the quarterback position of the 2025 campaign. The Hilltops also benefitted from returning star running back Corbin Ebben and star middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk from injury.

David Collins ran in two touchdowns for the Hilltops.

The Hilltops, who were rated fifth in the CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings that were released this past Thursday, have now won three straight games. They return to action on Sunday, September 14, when they travel to Calgary to face the Colts (1 p.m. local time, Shouldice Athletic Park).

The Thunder, who were rated third in the CJFL Top 10 Power Rankings and are the defending PFC champions, saw a three game winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Hilltops. The Regina side will also get back to it on Sunday, September 14, by hosting the Winnipeg Rifles (1 p.m., Leibel Field).

As the 2025 CJFL campaign moves on, you can expect both the Hilltops and Thunder will improve a lot. When it came to Saturday’s head-to-head encounter, the Hilltops found a way to grind out a win, and sometimes grinding out a win is good enough on that particular day.

Johnson to speak at End Zone Dinner

Evan Johnson in action for the Roughriders on July 15, 2023.

One of the CFL’s all-time steady veterans on the offensive line is coming to the Saskatoon Hilltops End Zone Dinner.

Evan Johnson, who played seven CFL seasons from 2017 to 2024, will be the guest speaker for the annual event that raises money for the Hilltops scholarships and bursaries. The End Zone Dinner is slated for Saturday, September 27, at the main hall in the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building located on the south end zone of Saskatoon Minor Football Field on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

The doors open at 4:15 p.m. and the dinner follows at 5 p.m. A ticket to the End Zone Dinner includes a ticket to that night’s regular season contest against the Hilltops provincial rivals the Regina Thunder. That game is slated for 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Johnson graduated high school from Regina’s Campbell Collegiate and moved on to play football in the U Sports ranks from 2012 to 2016 with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He would be selected in the first round and ninth overall by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2017 CFL Draft.

From 2017 to 2019, Johnson played 52 regular season games with the Redblacks making starts at left guard, right tackle and left tackle. He suited up for the Redblacks in their 27-16 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the 2018 Grey Cup played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alta.

From 2021 to 2023, Johnson played 48 regular season contests with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He moved on from the Roughriders to appear in 10 games with the Hamilton Tigers-Cats in 2024.

Johnson, who is 31-years-old, is married to Dallis (Aiken) Johnson, who is a former defensive back with the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the WWCFL. They reside in Saskatoon where Evan Johnson works for an engineering firm.

Tickets for the Hilltops End Zone Dinner can be purchased 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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Hilltops versus Thunder – How will they measure up?

David Collins sits second in the PFC with 480 yards rushing.

A clash with the Regina Thunder will provide the Saskatoon Hilltops their next chance to put to rest some lingering doubts.

On August 10, the Hilltops traveled to Winnipeg and dropped a surprising 31-11 decision to the host Rifles in the CJFL regular season opener for both sides. The ’Toppers earned redemption posting a 42-15 victory over the Rifles at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on August 24.

While the Hilltops are sporting a 2-1 regular season record, doubts will continue to exist due to the convincing loss they took on the chin to start the 2025 campaign.

On Saturday, the Hilltops will travel to Regina to face their provincial rivals in the Thunder (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). The Thunder are defending champions of the CJFL’s Prairie Football Conference and top the PFC standings with a 3-0 record.

In last year’s PFC final played on October 20 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Thunder stampeded their way to a 24-19 victory. They piled up 321 yards rushing as a team on 49 carries for an average of 6.6 yards per rush.

So far this season, the Thunder have continued to live on the run. They top the PFC with 975 yards rushing for an average of 325 yards rushing per game.

Thunder running back Peter Boersch, who is in his third season of CJFL eligibility, leads the PFC with 645 yards rushing coming off 73 carries and scoring three touchdowns. Tailback Carter Ashman is turning heads along the ground for the Thunder carrying the ball 35 times for 212 yards and one major score. His rushing yardage total ranks fifth in the PFC.

The Thunder enjoy their win in the 2024 PFC final.

You can bet the Thunder will try to trample the Hilltops again until Saskatoon shows run stopping capabilities in the head-to-head clash.

Running the ball has been something the Hilltops have shown they can traditionally do well. Saskatoon sits second in the PFC with 802 yards rushing as a team for an average of 267.3 yards rushing per game.

Hilltops newcomer running back David Collins, who is in his final season of CJFL eligibility, has carried the ball 54 times for 480 yards and four touchdowns. His rushing yardage total is good for second in the PFC.

Charles Sawi, who is in his fourth season making explosive plays for Saskatoon, has carried the ball 19 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns. His rushing yardage total ranks sixth in the PFC.

Ultimately, commitment to the running game will be important for both teams. When the post-season comes around, the weather in late October and November can be bad in Canada, which means teams have to rely more than ever on the run in adverse weather conditions.

When it comes to throwing the ball, no so far this season is going to mistake Hilltops or the Thunder for being the CFL’s 1981 Grey Cup champion Edmonton Eskimos led by ironic quarterback Warren Moon throwing to receivers Brian Kelly, Tom Scott and Waddell Smith. The Thunder has the second fewest passing yards in the six-team PFC at 510, and the Hilltops sit last in the PFC with 395 yards passing as a team.

Thunder starting quarterback Adam Mosher, who is 20-years-old, has completed 33-of-57 passes for 465 yards and six touchdowns, while throwing one interception.

Charles Sawi sits sixth in the PFC with 170 yards rushing.

Hayden McMahon was thrust from third stringer to the Hilltops starting quarterback role for the team’s second regular season contest. In the 2025 campaign, McMahon, who is 20-years-old, has completed 28-of-54 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing four interceptions.

Will Saturday’s game be the time either Mosher or McMahon truly step into the spotlight to be the difference of why their team wins the game?

Will the running attacks by both sides continue to have success?

If the Hilltops win, it creates an image they are truly back, and the rest of the CJFL has to be aware of them once again.

If the Thunder win, it further cements them as the team to beat in the PFC in 2025.

Johnson to speak at End Zone Dinner

Evan Johnson in action for the Roughriders on July 15, 2023.

One of the CFL’s all-time steady veterans on the offensive line is coming to the Saskatoon Hilltops End Zone Dinner.

Evan Johnson, who played seven CFL seasons from 2017 to 2024, will be the guest speaker for the annual event that raises money for the Hilltops scholarships and bursaries. The End Zone Dinner is slated for Saturday, September 27, at the main hall in the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building located on the south end zone of Saskatoon Minor Football Field on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

The doors open at 4:15 p.m. and the dinner follows at 5 p.m. A ticket to the End Zone Dinner includes a ticket to that night’s regular season contest against the Hilltops provincial rivals the Regina Thunder. That game is slated for 7 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Johnson graduated high school from Regina’s Campbell Collegiate and moved on to play football in the U Sports ranks from 2012 to 2016 with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He would be selected in the first round and ninth overall by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2017 CFL Draft.

From 2017 to 2019, Johnson played 52 regular season games with the Redblacks making starts at left guard, right tackle and left tackle. He suited up for the Redblacks in their 27-16 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the 2018 Grey Cup played at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alta.

From 2021 to 2023, Johnson played 48 regular season contests with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He moved on from the Roughriders to appear in 10 games with the Hamilton Tigers-Cats in 2024.

Johnson, who is 31-years-old, is married to former Dallis (Aiken) Johnson, who is a former defensive back with the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the WWCFL. They reside in Saskatoon where Evan Johnson works for an engineering firm.

Tickets for the Hilltops End Zone Dinner can be purchased 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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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.

Hilltops first true rival was a team from Winnipeg

There was a time when the Saskatoon Hilltops biggest rival wasn’t from Saskatchewan.

The current modern version of the Hilltops are best known for their rivalries with squads from Saskatchewan’s capital city in Regina. They had a big rivalry with the Rams before they joined the U Sports ranks in 1999, and Hilltops rivalry with the Rams’s CJFL successors in the Thunder followed, starting with the birth of the Thunder in 2000.

When the Hilltops began play in 1947 and following through to 1961, their biggest rival was the Winnipeg Rods. That rivalry occurred in an era where there were a lot more teams in the CJFL across Canada than the 20 that exist in the current day. The Rods junior team disbanded before the start of the 1990 CJFL campaign.

Way back in 1947, the Hilltops were playing their inaugural campaign in what was then known as the Saskatchewan Junior Rugby Football Union. They topped the league regular season standings with a 5-1 record and slipped past the Regina Bombers 12-11 in the Saskatchewan championship final.

Following that win, the Hilltop advanced on to a Western Canada Semifinal series to take on the already established Rods, who won the Winnipeg Junior Rugby Football League. The Rods swept a two-game total points series by scores of 22-18 and 34-10. That set the grounds for numerous big games that would follow between the two sides.

A year later, the two sides again met in a Western Canada Semifinal two-game total points series. This time the Hilltops swept the series by scores of 21-7 and 12-6. The Hilltops would advance to their first appearance in the CJFL championship game falling to the Hamilton Wildcats.

In 1949, Saskatoon would eliminate the Rods from the CJFL post-season in another Western Canada Semifinal.

The rivalry between the Hilltops and Rods would take a new form in 1953 when they played out of the same conference in the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League. Over a nine-year period starting in 1953, the Hilltops and Rods would combine to win six CJFL titles and one of those two clubs was at least in the CJFL championship game over the stretch.

Saskatoon claimed the CJFL crown in 1953, 1958 and 1959, while the Rods reached the CJFL mountaintop in 1955, 1956 and 1961. Also during that nine-year period, the Hilltops fell in the 1960 CJFL title game, while the Rods came up short in the CJFL championships games in 1954 and 1957.

In 1956, the Rods downed the Hilltops 21-7 in Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League semifinal on their way to claiming a second straight CJFL title. In 1957, the two sides went at it in the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League final that was contested in a two-game total points series. The Rods swept the series by scores of 40-34 and 32-6.

Rods moved to what was then known as the City of St. James in 1959. St. James would be eventually officially amalgamated into the City of Winnipeg on January 1, 1972.

The St. James Rods and the Hilltops went at it in the 1961 Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League final that was contested in a two-game total points series. The Rods swept the series by scores of 22-20 and 29-7 to end Saskatoon’s three-year reign as conference champions.

In 1962, the two sides wrote an epilogue to their rivalry meeting again in the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League final again contested in a two-game total points series. The Rods swept the set by scores of 34-11 and 29-0. Those would be the final post-season meetings between the Hilltops and Rods.

The Rods had one last great season in 1963 topping the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League regular season standings with an 8-0 record and would fall in the Western Canada Championship game 14-10 to the defending and eventual CJFL champion Edmonton Huskies.

Starting in 1964, the Rods often finished in the basement of whatever conference they were in be it the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League or starting in 1976 the Manitoba Junior Football League until the folding of their junior team.

The Rams, who were formed in 1954, began their rise and won their first Manitoba-Saskatchewan Junior Football League title in 1964 getting past the Hilltops in the conference final. The legendary Gord Currie became the Rams head coach in 1965, and rivalry between the Rams and Hilltops took full flight from that point onward to really usher in the traditional Regina versus Saskatoon rivalry at the junior level.

In 2025, the storied Hilltops opened the current CJFL campaign dropping a surprising 31-11 regular season decision to the host Rifles at Maple Grove Rugby Park in Winnipeg on August 10. The Hilltops (1-1) and Rifles (2-0) are set to battle on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Depending what happens in that contest, it could potentially start the rise of a new true rivalry between Saskatoon and Winnipeg in junior football.

Of course, any potential true rivalry between the Hilltops and Rifles has a long way to go before it hits the heights of the one the Hilltops had with the Rods. Unfortunately, the rivalry the Hilltops and Rods had from 1947 to 1961 is fading into just being part of Canada’s recorded history as about only nine per cent of the country’s current population was alive to have a recollection of that period of time.

In the history of the CJFL, it can’t be understated how special the rivalry between the Hilltops and Rods between 1947 and 1961 truly was.

Thunder rumble on the ground

The Regina Thunder have picked up where they left off last season forming an identity of a team that likes to pound the ball on the ground.

On August 10, the Thunder opened their CJFL regular season schedule downing the host Huskies 31-16 at Jasper Place Bowl in Edmonton. In that contest, the Thunder piled up 501 yards of total offence including 371 yards along the ground.

Last Sunday, the Thunder hammered the Colts 46-21 at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary. Regina had 475 yards of total offence in that game including 308 yards rushing.

Thunder 20-year-old running back Peter Boersch leads the Prairie Football Conference in rushing yards piling up 530 yards on 55 carries and scoring two touchdowns in Regina’s two contests. He has a huge lead over Saskatoon Hilltops running back David Collins, who sits second in the PFC with 218 yards rushing.

At the end of last season, the Thunder started to form the identity of their road grader style offence. In winning their final regular season game against the Calgary Colts, a PFC semifinal against the Colts and the PFC final against the Saskatoon Hilltops, the Thunder rushed for a staggering 1,072 yards as a team. They didn’t finish below 300 yards rushing in any of those contests.

In a CJFL semifinal played at Leibel Field in Regina, the Thunder saw their 2024 campaign come to an end falling 28-14 to the Okanagan Sun, who are based out of Kelowna, B.C. The Regina side still collected 204 yards rushing as a team in that contest.

For a lot of their history beginning with their birth in 2000, the Thunder’s offence tried to mimic the style of their U Sports counterparts in the University of Regina Rams, who were the Thunder’s CJFL predecessors in the Saskatchewan capital. While the Thunder still ran the ball, they often preferred to attack through the air.

At the moment, it appears the Thunder’s “ground and pound era” isn’t just a passing fad. It looks like it is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Fans will be fans

There are CJFL fans out there who love to hate the Hilltops.

When it comes to the CJFL, fans are allowed to dislike teams.

On August 10, the storied Saskatoon Hilltops, who have won 23 CJFL championships, opened their regular season dropping a 31-11 decision to the host Rifles at Maple Grove Rugby Park. Comments appeared on a couple of independent Instagram accounts that posted the score of that contest sharing glee that the Hilltops had lost and congratulated the Rifles winning.

On the main CJFL Instagram account, there were still 18 comments listed in the post that showed the score of that clash between the Rifles and Hilltops as of Friday night. Most of the comments congratulated the Rifles on the win, and there were a number of video memes that showed shock. One comment stated, “Dang about time!!!”

It should be noted that when the CJFL posts scores on its Instagram account there usually might be just one comment made here in the early part of the campaign.

As for what was written regarding the Rifles win over the Hilltops, any comments that showed happiness in the fact the Hilltops lost didn’t go over the line and were tasteful. The comments also show the fans are engaged with the circuit, and that is a huge good thing.

During my travels in Saskatchewan and Alberta over the past year, I have encountered a growing number of folks that say the CFL, CJFL and football in U Sports suck and the NCAA is where it is at as far as football goes. A lot of those folks admitted they took trips last season to see NCAA Division I games featuring various powerhouse teams like the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, the Ohio State University Buckeyes, the University of Texas Longhorns and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

On top of seeing games, people making journeys to those contests want to take part in various fan traditions that happen around those contests like the Yellow Jackets “Enter Sandman” entrance or Crimson Tide fans reveling in “Dixieland Delight.” Those various traditions are things you don’t see at football contests in Canada.

The folks that prefer the NCAA game are still by far in the minority of the people that I know, but it is a trend that I think should be concerning that I am finding a growing number of people like NCAA football over the CFL, CJFL and U Sports football.

Since the end of the 2024 NCAA football season, the politics between Canada and the United States has changed with Donald Trump officially taking on the role of President of the United States sparking a trade war between the United States and Canada. A large number of Canadians are nixing trips to the United States, and it will be interesting to see if those cancelled trips include voyages to NCAA football games.

Back to the social media comments regarding the Hilltops, any social media dislike that has come the Hilltops way has been in good taste, and you have to love it when fans get passionate about the CJFL. No matter what sports league it is, fans are always going to be fans.

PFC player of the week nods spread out, other notes

Shawn Green (#7) is the PFC’s special teams player of the week.

This week’s PFC player of the week awards went to three players on three different teams.

In the honours that were announced on Wednesday, Winnipeg Rifles quarterback Riley Element was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week. Last Sunday, Element completed 15-of-26 passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions powering the Rifles to a 43-24 victory over the Edmonton Wildcats at Emerald Hills Regional Park in Sherwood Park, Alta.

Edmonton Huskies middle linebacker Kaige Houle was dubbed the PFC’s defensive player of the week for his efforts in his squads 46-6 loss to the host Saskatoon Hilltops last Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Houle had 8.5 total tackles and one interception.

Regina Thunder kicker Shawn Green claimed honours as the PFC’s special teams player of the week helping his squad down the host Colts 46-21 at Shouldice Athletic Park in Calgary. Green connected on 5-of-6 field goal attempts and all three of his one-point converts.

He also punted the ball five times for 184 yards for an average of 36.8 yards per kick. He also scored one point off a rouge.

Green also kicked off five times for 277 yards for an average of 55.4 yards per kick.

• Zion Brown of the Calgary Colts leads the PFC in receiving yards. He has caught nine passes for 167 yards and one touchdown.
• Winnipeg Rifles quarterback Riley Element tops the PFC in passing yards. He has completed 31-of-55 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions.
• Last Saturday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a story on the Carnduff Southeast Steelers winning a third straight Canadian women’s softball championship. The latest win came at Bob Van Impe Stadium. The piece can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that is anchored by images from the Saskatoon Cubs winning their seventh 18U AAA Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League title in team history with the latest championship coming at Cairns Field. The photo roundup also contains photos from baseball, football, softball and track and field. That post can be found 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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Hilltops gear up to face Thunder stampede in PFC final

Two sides meet for conference title on Sunday at SMF Field

The Hilltops defence corrals Thunder RB Sadik Sadik.

The defending CJFL Saskatoon Hilltops are gearing up for the Regina Thunder stampede.

On Sunday, the provincial rivals will go at it in the PFC final at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The winner advances to host a CJFL semifinal game against the winner of Saturday’s British Columbia Football Conference championship clash in Kelowna between the host Okanagan Sun (11-0) and the defending BCFC champion Westshore Rebels (6-5).

The Hilltops (9-0) and Thunder (7-2) are meeting for the fourth straight year in the PFC final. Saskatoon claimed two of the three previous meetings including last year’s October 22 clash 21-13.

The current stretch of consecutive meetings between the Hilltops and Thunders in the PFC final is the most between CJFL representatives from Saskatoon and Regina since the Hilltops and Regina Rams collided eight straight years for the conference title from 1991 to 1998. The Rams took six of those eight contests before moving to the U Sports ranks to become the University of Regina Rams.

In 2024, the Hilltops took both regular season clashes with the Thunder. Saskatoon prevailed 29-15 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on September 7 and 36-11 at SMF Field on September 28.

Following September 28 meeting, the Thunder hosted the Calgary Colts twice at Leibel Field to close the regular season on October 6 and in a PFC semifinal last Sunday. In those contests, the Thunder elected to become their versions of Bronko Nagurski and the 1930s Chicago Bears or Bronko Nagurski Jr. and the 1960 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The elder Nagurski was an all-time NFL legend at fullback and the son was an all-star offensive tackle in the CFL.

In the Thunder’s 40-21 victory over the Colts on October 6, the Thunder piled up 452 yards of offence including slugging out 326 yards on the ground. During the 64-7 win in the PFC semifinal over the Colts, the Thunder amassed 584 yards of total offence including an unthinkable 425 yards along the ground.

Hilltops DBDalton Urban (#17) returns an interception on Sept. 28.

Over their last two outings, the Thunder have posted an incredible total of 751 yards rushing handing the ball off to running backs Ryland Leichert, Sadik Sadik and Peter Boersch behind what has become a road grader style offensive line anchored by PFC all-star left tackle Caleb Barajas. Sadik was named the PFC’s most outstanding running back on Monday to go with a PFC all-star selection that had been awarded on October 11.

“That is their game plan right now,” said legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “They’re going to try and bully you at the line of scrimmage.

“They feel two of their real productive players are (Ryland) Leichert and (Sadik) Sadik. They’re both running backs, so at the end of the day, you see a lot of split formation, two backs in the backfield. They’re letting that O-line get after you, and they’re running in behind.

“They feel they have a pretty good flow, and they’ve had two good weeks of running the football. That is obviously something we need to focus on and get ready for.”

Traditionally, the Thunder have had good ground games, but they are better known for taking it to the air and leaning towards the passing game. They are normally one of the PFC’s best passing teams and piled up the second most passing yards during the PFC regular season at 1,940.

In their PFC semifinal win over the Colts, the Thunder played regular starting quarterback Carter Moberg and backup Ethan Hugg fairly equally. Hugg started last year’s PFC final for the Thunder.

Hilltops OLB Noah Gedir hits Thunder RB Ryland Leichert.

Hilltops PFC all-star safety Dalton Urban believes the Thunder’s trend to being a more physical team will continue in Sunday’s PFC final.

“It shows that in playoff football they want to establish that run game early,” said Urban. “We’ve got to do a good job this week making that our priority.”

On the Hilltops side things, they have hammered their opponents running attack all season. During the regular season, the Hilltops gave up the fewest rushing yards in the PFC at 665.

Saskatoon’s starting defensive line of defensive tackles Nahom Menghestab and Johnathon Stevens and defensive ends Kai Kukurudza and Noah Chelsom have clogged things up at the line of scrimmage. Hilltops PFC all-star middle linebacker Isaac Michayluk and outside linebackers Noah Gedir and the emerging Zaden Taylor had swarmed in to nullify ball carriers coming out of the backfield.

Urban had made a reputation of throwing his share of hard hits since he started playing for the Hilltops in 2021 after graduating from the St. Joseph High School Guardians Football Team. He said the game is going get very man versus man physical, if the Thunder elect to push with the running game like they have against the Colts.

“Playoff football is always going to be physical,” said Urban. “We know that going into the game that we have to bring that mindset.

“We have to come out on first down expecting the run and get them into those second and long situations where we can get off the field and get turnovers.”

Noting what the Thunder have done on the ground, there also comes the question that showcasing the running game against the Colts might be all smoke and mirrors as they could come into the PFC final with a totally different game plan. At this point in the season, teams like to bring out plays they have been working on all year but haven’t used so they don’t show up on video.

That also applies to the Hilltops. Sargeant deadpanned the notion that his venerable squad will have some surprises for the Thunder.

The Hilltops mark their win over the Thunder on Sept. 28.

“We’re not that fancy a team,” said Sargeant, whose 245 career head coaching wins are the most in post-secondary amateur football in Canada. “We have a pretty strong blueprint of what we believe in, so we’re going to show up and do what we’ve sort of done consistently all year.

“We’re going to let our players be physical and make plays. I’m sure they got different plays for different situations as we do. At the end of the day, it is not about trick plays or this or that.

“It is about who controls the line of scrimmage, who is more disciplined and who wins a plus-minus turnover battle. That is what we focus on.”

Reider cleans up in major PFC awards

Trey Reider was named MVP of the PFC.

Monday turned out to be a golden day for Saskatoon Hilltops star quarterback Trey Reider.

Reider picked up a trio of honours as the PFC major award winners were announced. The fifth-year signal caller was named the conference’s most outstanding quarterback, most valuable player and offensive player of the year.

During the regular season, Reider completed 119 of 185 passes for 1,685 yards and 17 touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions. His 119.8 quarterback rating topped the PFC. That marked the second straight year Reider led the PFC in quarterback rating.

On top of his throwing, Reider carried the ball 26 times for 135 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season as well.

On Sunday, Reider’s Hilltops face their provincial rivals in the Regina Thunder in the PFC final at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. As he is playing through his final post-season run with the Hilltops before exhausting his CJFL eligibility, Reider is focused on beating the Thunder for one last time.

“This is my last year, so it means everything to me to get this last win,” said Reider. “There are no tomorrows for me anymore.

“This is it for me, so I just need to come out with the win.”

Reider’s top target in fifth-year receiver Drake Douglas picked up a couple of PFC awards on Monday. Douglas was named the PFC’s most outstanding receiver and most outstanding special teams player.

Drake Douglas was named the PFC’s most outstanding receiver.

He led the PFC in receptions (58), receiving yards (955) and receiving touchdowns (eight) during the regular season. Over the Hilltops eight regular season contests, Douglas returned 38 punts for a PFC leading 342 yards.

Hilltops right tackle Cody Shumanski captured honours as the PFC’s most outstanding offensive lineman and legendary head coach Tom Sargeant was named the PFC’s coach of the year.

Thunder star middle linebacker Stephen Smith was named the PFC’s most outstanding linebacker and defensive player of the year. During the regular season, Smith piled up 34 solo defensive tackles, 20 defensive tackle assists, three special teams solo tackles, two special teams tackle assists, two pass knockdowns and one interception.

Thunder tailback Sadik Sadik claimed honours as the PFC’s most outstanding running back, defensive end Liam Sellwood took the nod as most outstanding defensive lineman and the offensive rookie of the year award went to Thunder starting left guard Tristen Rapchalk. Sadik carried the ball 106 times for 781 yards and a PFC leading 10 touchdowns during the regular season.

The Hilltops and Thunder will be going at it in the PFC final for the fourth straight year. The Hilltops have won two of the previous three encounters. Reider said the luster in conference title games between the Saskatoon and Regina never fades.

“I always like playing Regina in the final,” said Reider. “They’re always the best team.

“They bring a really good crowd. The excitement is always up, and at the end of the day, it is just really fun to play Regina.”

Sawi, Michayluk get weekly PFC honours

Charles Sawi took PFC special teams player of the week honours.

Charles Sawi and Isaac Michayluk came up big in helping the Saskatoon Hilltops win their PFC semifinal, and they claimed weekly awards for their effort.

Last Sunday, the Hilltops downed the visiting Edmonton Huskies 33-18 in a PFC semifinal at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. 

With the two sides locked in an 18-18 tie, Sawi returned a missed field coal 112 yards for a touchdown that gave the Hilltops a 25-18 advantage with 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. That play sparked the Hilltops to victory.

With that effort, Sawi was named the PFC’s special teams player of the week on Thursday. Sawi also returned two punts for 12 yards.

Michayluk, who is a PFC all-star at middle linebacker, recorded seven solo tackles, four defensive tackle assists, one pass knockdown, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception in the Hilltops win. His interception came shortly after Sawi returned his missed field goal for a major to give the Hilltops a lead they would never relinquish.

Isaac Michayluk was the PFC’s defensive player of the week.

Thunder star running back Ryland Leichert claimed honours as the PFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts helping the Thunder flatten the visiting Calgary Colts 64-7 last Sunday in a PFC semifinal at Leibel Field in Regina.

Leichert carried the ball 22 times for 182 yards and three touchdowns. He was a big part in helping the Thunder amass 425 yards rushing as a team in that victory.

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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